New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-20

bi civen iim He Witty combas those who prercr,i
TO forbid 10 women mental cntnre. IN sho,' as wei,
lhe signal glory vi immortalzing himself ~ ona small
volume
While ReenaIl sustained high COMEDY, comedian
ontlor D,ncourt displayed in farce wit ami origin
aNlv Mich do not permit him To be forgotten IN the his
tory Of letters. Comedy thus presorT ed oeTinn ms
ire etbarch fallen from the hight to wloh Moliere
had raised il aud 20 which none would sgan attain.
Tragedy had d"le more. 1t Ind, fer moment, re-
turned 10 the immortal days rJlycucte and PLedre
J>agedy WIS Racine and Bsciue had fecn for twelve
wears lost 70 the stage Since Phedre f67) his muse
bad preserved an obstinate silence. Was 1t The lear OF
being no longer able TO equa, himself 81 declining me
his predecessor The great Cornee hat had saalSea
him from his career nj tlirtyseyen, in the iu bloom
of his genius Was H. has been pretended spite ~
unjust critics fy compensated ~ by the favor Q. nc
cine snd his correspondence aibs that he prompted
by sentiments Of quite c different nature. lLe Femcin
bruce of the severe masters wfo had reared nm NJ III
farcy often disturbed him in TIE midst Of his worldly
trumuhs tender ard religious external lie, tine So
cty Of men, not suicislt for himi ne co'ud nov
4 spcnsc with God now religion ana ant appeared 70
lu aU iirccoucIlf!e ahtiihe SIS he saw religion oF
under rho form ~ ineNbc Janscnism. lie decded ne
broke ,h has glory, and IN the first violence OF the re-
action against his past ie nc wished To Duty hnsc III
closiOr 20 cx pistc what Re called his cItc more ptl
less than Antoine Arnuud himself who Lad approved
Pl6dre. Saved from his own rgor by Il sensible con
fssor he re!nained in tlc world Ind united hn,on 90
woman Vrtlris but incapable Of understanding TINS
genius, the fruits Of which he denied Louis AN I'r
vented bun from outrcb abandoning letters o. APPOINT
ia him his hefOfiOurlplef, IN cohlI'lonNi p'',"N
a lie abandoned fore CT Tie outlines 81 pieces when
hnd been destined 90 succecd Phedre, enbyos Of mas
tcrpicces which never 30 see the hght! We nave
not even the lliinB compensailon oi a hlSt''s NIh
tie manuscript work. Of Racine and Bpcau On tho his
tory Of ouis XIV persisted in a confederation.
An hope seemed lost: his great suicide seemed con
sumi1aied when inspiration forever 70 be blessed r.
opened the stage 10 Racine IN the name OF religion ~
self IL j. 10 MADAME De MaIncnon that gratitude Is
lpe this may win her pardon for many things Sey
e.al wears before, Kind feeling had led Nudnme do
MaiienOn 80 obtain Of the King tho foundation o. an
Institution i0I which great celebrity was an STORE III"
recollection of her youth 80 long poor dependent 'N
posed. had made her wish 20 preserve others rom
pcIs which she had surrounded Win sucn great enl
Guilty. She assembled no Noisy, under tie direction 81
AueutinHn nuns, several daughters OF poor gentlemen
" no had died or worn out in the military SERVICE ~
educate them there from seven 10 tWc years IVY ~
twenty. and caused the rich abOntc' nNlnf OF sum-
Denis 90 be placed IN commc ndam lh uiucr .hll"llI
ate s revenues the new institution when vas soon
transferred TO Saint-t VI. near Versailles (lt- Ire
number Of inmates Increased 20 two hundred and
ffty Madame De Maintenon who had in the highest
dc gree The md faculty for instruction, direction
nd disc plinc and whose zeal IN NEEDING IN cutF entLn
aairs caused her 10 be accused Of wishing 10 erect her.
,,f into the mother OF the Clnlcl became RI least m
fact the yerGble superior 81 SAINT yf. MADE WIS
house her most cherished pleasure and dclo;eu 70 u
oYrry moment that Size could steal from the King. AZ
ter the example Of the Jesuit colleges she iiroinc'd
chic exercises in the plan OF education OF her Young
girls aud took fancy one dgN, mat tlcf nhoniI hl
Audromsque while the author OF AEdrOmaque Wa dis
avowing lls work as mortal san. he c.ntiaf WIS
piQuant but the choice somewhat strange; Madame dc
sioratc drama too we'll ana seeking means OF recon
cling her tardy scrupcs With the diversions which se
was unwilling 10 reLOunce. she requested Racine To
give a dramatic form 20 purely religious subject
which should appear on no other stage l"h the p"'
house Of Saint Cyr.
ticus. Racine enabled to reconcile Ia germs ana
his faith
in Ls beginning Of lG7a with Esther form Of trag.
edE appeared al SantCyr al once new b. the sNcn-
tcSith century and inspired by antiquity. Racine, /
while quitting Greek subjects for subjects SON ne
Bible had approached The iorIns and spirit u hH Athc
man dIam. Infinitely closer ttan Pc yet hhS d"u"
Tie clorusce iLOse great voices Of tie people and III
humanity which sway individual passions 10 AatYi'
tragedy reaptear IN Esther. less prcpIHdcfali, but
more essentially allied tn action. nd With htin. vic
poetry and is forgotten treasures the simplicity o. &C.
uon the brcyity Of proportions. offer anoiher ANALOGY
To the ancents; devotion dictated 90 Racine severity
which Art had formerly demanded Of him Ia V"in TIE
romantic taste the necessary oye.thc ecOuryo Of oar
stage -Eadicaliy 1-oppoaFed' dramatic az wa pun.
fed. Behold the true lyric tragedy OF which QIinaut
had shown but the shadow It WIS not tho .snbbn" I
passion the startling flight of Biblical poetry but Us
profound simplicity and religious emotions II was iis
no.t touching and harmonious beaui! II was Christian
Heeuism
Tie King then The princess then the whole court.
by turns came 10 admire Esther; 20 Esther was
less favor than 10 be admitted at hary tie King
presided IN person the aGmA sion Of the elect Ihc
prodgiou sccrss Of Esther at the court Wa disputed
in tie CITY when the peco appeared printed; the city
had ieal6Gsy seen itself excluded ron this rare spec
tacle. aud lie spirit Of opposition was. moreover,
awakened. To tbs spirit Gust be attributed The niiu
sOns ia LOIyOs the heNOcaton, etc, winch were not
The drama, in Esther, had perhaps lost something Of
what had been gained by poetry ond yricsin although
n prcended lack Of interest in this beautiful work has
been greatly exaggerated. Racine prepared another
poem which destined 10 incur the same impuia
iion,-anothor religious drama, much vasior: more
sLifuly arranged more powerfully inspired. In lGl,
Alfalfa succeeded Esther. Notairc has proclaimed
this tie masterpiece Of art the most distant Postefty
will not contradict Noitaire Never has there been
scenic composition perfect in oil is parts;
have the conditions OF the regular drama the most dill
cult and scholarly Of the forms Of the art been
perfectly fulfilled. The constant grandeur Of situations.
ideas. and images which transports and maintains the
spectator in lofty region during the whole of,h
pioce,-ths sustained sublimity Is worthy TO be
pared with the sublime flashes which break forth in
Cornele finer suhe Of study cannot be met in the
annals Of art than 10 contrast Ahac with Polyeucte.
Athale. Notwithstanding. was not successful az
Esther. The brilliant success OF Esther had been more
glorious 10 dramatic art than profitable 10 the discipline
Of Saint Cyr: tie rigOrts and NJ their head, the
cf Madame lie Mantenon the bishop Of Charities,
Godet Desmarais had protested, not without some
chow of feason against the improperly Of thus giving
the viz gins Of Samt.Cyr rs spectacle TO the whole
court Madame dc MeiutenOn dared pot continue. II
Athalie was played but twice without costumes dec
grafton, bct9re the King aud few select peFson..
Racine codnted at least on its publcation but Athae
encountered only unfayorabe prejufices 1t was little
read this work destined to be Of the goos Of the
human mind, fell noseessy on the court tho city,
IL did not begin 10 rise in public estimation until after
tho death of the author who went down TO the grave
doubling bis work Tile entire rehabilitation was not
10 come until thirty years after in wholly different
generntion which although stranger 10 ,hc ehl.led
point Of view Athale at latt transiTed to the Thea
ire Francois.
Such a welcome given TO such work announced
clearly enough that the seventeenth century expir
ing and that strange innovations Ia the If
1t was Biblical tragedy, the devotional
piece protected by Madame de MainteDoD. which was
rejected by the Indifference OF some The hostility OF
others. Devotion reigned IN iaclsi u had already
ceased 10 reign iu public opinion.