The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-01-16
Theatrical Lesson from Napoleon to the
POpe-Tne MOrtara Abduction Drama
tiled by HIS Private Secretary.

(faris dec 26) correspondence Of London Herald.]
informed you some time ago that the great topic OF
conversation in green rooms, artistic coteries and 10
official salons, the forthcoming production Of
the Boulevard theatres Of drama written by the Empe
ror's secretary n. Mocquard. The event has to
pass. The Porte St. Martin was on Friday night last
crowded by an audience very different from the motley
srisetses that usually frequent IL fSe Emperor and
Empress were there, with fair sprinkliug OF officials,
military ana civilian The Senate sent deputaton, and
the Corps Legisatf fairly represented The sale
presented the sppearaSSe Of gala night at the Opera
orders glstened the breasts Of their lords and
ers The cause for all this display was simply the fact Of
its being the first representation Of mclo drama Ia
rreuse de Cartes," by Messrs. Aocquard and Victor
Sejour.
N. Mocquard has Of late distinguished himself in the
field Of letters. Great Importance not unnaturay at
aches to whatever falls from his PEN His reply TO tho
Liverpool merchants, his first Published effuson,
favorably received by the pubcnot only for the sent
meDts expressed, but for the neat and epgrammatic
style in which rebuked the gorgeous folly Of the
members Of he Liverpool Change. His next work, "Le
thing may be said Of "La Treuse de Cartes" As
drama, written by Brown, jones' Robinson, il might
perhaps have met with very indifferent reception, but
the work Of NJ Mocquard produced under present CIR
cumsances, is looked upon political symptom Of the
most significant kind. On Thursday afternoon q pam
pbkt is published, advocating the reduction Of the
temporal power OF the Pope to the narrowest limits
the Vatican and garden around 1t. TO use the preg-
nant exaggeraton of the Urioers. On Friday night
play, whose authorship Is than that Of
the pamphlet, ia produced with far than the usual
pop and circumstance Of scenic events the suoec.
Of which s nothing lees than the kidnapping and
clandestine baptism OF the boy Mortaral
In n Mocquard's play the kidnapped child is girl.
Her parents poor Jewish couple living in the
Of Genoa, entrust her to the OF Catholic nursemad
and, the child falling ILL the nufsemi,d, like her prede
cessor at Bologna has the child chrstened. neighoor
ing convent receives her for time and then the al
low her to be carried OF by LAZY OF whom they know
nothing save that she has all the outward appear
Of wealth. The mother after returns and
frantic rage and despair at her chds disappearance
afford scope for a which is powerfully worked
up. She resolves to trace and find out her stolen
md IN hat Hapr dafar .artny
the whole Of Italy the whole Of Europe ii need De-
reuse de cdr, t. e., fortune tc Ter From that point
the piece to be political: is therefore,
less to trouble your readers with details Of the plot It
vii be sufficient 10 say that after the lapse Of seventeen
years TIE mother discovers her stolen ch1 brought up
The heress Of the lady who has taken her away from
the convent and who turns put 10 be duchess. The
Daughter, alternately claimed by two mothers, feels
rather at loss which to choose ami there being
o! Identification at hand, is not little perpexed-but
French dramatist is at loss. After hesta
cn the daughter PUSHES into the Of her real mother
the principle that Ia roir du sang fat o se.hr
great deal might be said about the character Of this
play and the absuroites beautifully introduced into it
hut