The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-02-25

Of the comedies of NJ Dumas fills, the
Pere Prologue is the sixth. The Dame
aux Cansellas was brought out in Febru-
ary, 1852; Diane de Lays, in 1858; the
Denai- Monde, in 1855; the Question d'ar-
gent, in January, 1857; and the Fits Na-
tureI in January 1858. He has conse--
quently devoted nearly two years to the
work, whose first representation took place
last evening.
A boa-naot of young Dumas-the latest
is related as follows:
Some indiscrete person, who had heard
the title of the new piece, asked the editor,
a few days ago, if the comedy were not
founded upon his fathers life mot at
all" replied young Dumas. ''If my father
were the subject of this play, instead OF
the 'Pere Prodigue,' should have called
it the 'Pere Prodige'"
Now that anecdote has at last broken its
way into this ola-podrida of theatrico liter
ary gossip, suppose we change the subject,
by recounting a few more items-touJoure
about the Dumas, father and son. A droll
way of changing the subject" isn't it r
Nimporte; if what have already written
has failed to amuse your readers, | con-
scientiously assure them that they will find
the end of this epistle-no worse than the
beginning Some weeks after the first re-
presentation Of one of the younger Dumas
most brilliant success-the Dema- Monde
one of his friends called upon the dramat-
ist, and warmly congratulated him upon
his triuph. A pleasant chat ensued in the
course of which the visitor suddenly re-
marked:
"Well! you are hard at work again, OF
course2 What is to astonish us nextI
What are you doing2"
Nothing. l am giving my brain
holiday"
Indeed! And you don't ever read ?"
GAS little as possible
"Are you fond of history2"
''No; detest it cordially, withoutknow-
ing anything about it."
"Why don't you write play in verse {"
Because it is absurd Thing Of making
a notary talk in rhymeW
"Moliere, however"
"In his day, people were spanglesl-and
to tell the truth, | don't know much about
him. l reread the "Misanthrope," some
time ago-which is not play, Moliere
ends two acts, by making servant an
nounce to Alceste that somebody wishes
to see himV
"How about Corneille 7"
"Tiresome"
"Montaigne 2"
II never read his works"
"Who then, in the name of all that is
inexplicable, are your literary gods p
shakespeare and Balzac! / read moth
ing else. Unhappily, do not know Eng
lish; but have Laroache's translation OF
Shakespeare, which answers my purpose.
Shakespeare! The man of genius, above
all others! He exhausted everything
OWNED every ything-said everything and
never overstepped nature. There's my
poetp
And let me here interline the remark
that all Dumas's comedies, without suscep-
tibility to the charge of imitation, bear
evidence of >Shakspearian study. Native
of country whose people love to think
their own authors best, and who tlippantly
declare Shakespeare inferior to several
French poets; this independence is worthy
the highest praise, There are many alb
surdites in French translations of the Bard
of Avon How much would the enthusiasm
of men like NJ Dumas be increased, if
they could read his works in the original
tongue!
Somebody once asked M. Dumas, senior,
if he had not a hand in producing the
Dame aur CameliaS. "Better than that"
replied; 81 produced the authorp On this
subject, it is affirmed that the elder Dumas,
after reading the novel of the Dame auT
CameliaS, declared that the story could
not be dramatized. Subsequently, M. An
thony Beraud, Partisan literateur. under
took the task, and submitted to the author
of the romance a play, made up from its
pages. Dumas, senior, then determined to
write the play which afterwards met with
such unprecedented success. Although he
did not in any manner use Beraud's adap-
tation, it is generally believed that, in re-
compense for the idea, Dumas magnani-
mously shared with him his authors per-
centage.
Previously to the first representation of
the Demi- Monde, the well-known publish
er, Michel Levy, had purchased the au-
thor's manuscript, for three thousand francs.
The price was certainly considerable, for
work which might prove failure, on the
stage, and upon whose theatrical success
the sale of the book would depend exclu-
sively. Uuder these circumstances, when
Dumas named bis price, Levy attempt
ed to obtain a reduction.
Mind what you are about, Michel!' said
the Dramatist. Before it has been play
ed, the manuscript is yours for three thou
sand francs If you don't buy it now, and
the piece should fail, you may have it,
after, for hundred But, should it sue
ceed, l shall not accept less than ten thou
sandn
Levyhad sort of presentment that the
play would succeed, and he hit the right
nail on the head, by purchasing immedia-
tely, risking the result, and deriving a
large sum from the business sales of the