The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-21
THE LATEST LITERARY LARCENY.
Something More About "Foul Play"

something More About "FOuI Play"
Readers of "Foul Play" wko have been
curious to know the relative proportions Of
the work done upon that volume by Charles
Reade and Dion Boucicault, may be gratifed
by the developments made in the following
letter, published IN the Pail Mall Gazete:--
'To the Editor Of the Fall Mall Gazette.-
Sir:-ln your impression of yesterday | OBJ
served letter referring to the drama of Foul
Play by Messrs. Reade and Boucicault, and
speCulatipg as to what would be the validity
of marriage contracted in desert island by
two OF the characters, Helen holleston' and
Robert Penfold, an English clergyman, under
circumstances described in the drama. l am
unable myself to give an opinion on the legal
point, but perhaps by referring to precedent
may facilitate the deliberations of more COM
petent persons.
"Owing to the very few recent discoveries of
uninhabited islands in real life, am obliged
to seek my precedent in the pages of fiction.
The only one | can conveniently place my
hand upon is not exactly analogous in charac-
ter, inasmuch as the male contracting party is
a French marquis instead of an English
clergyman, and the scene of the wedding
desert part of Africa, instead of a newly-dis-
covered island; but still there is a sufficient
resemblance in the circumstances attending
the supposititious marriage in each case to
render the French one worth quoting.
81 select the following incidents Corning
part of a complicated plOt) from a drama by
Messrs. N. FOurnier and Meyer, entitled lie
Porteteuille Rouge produced at the Theatre
Beaumarcbaise for the first time on the 10th of
February, 1862
ga certain NJ. Maurice (who afterwards
turns out to be the Marquis de Rochebrune)
has been sentenced to the galleys for murder
and robbery. He escapes from Brest in a small
fishing vessel and is picked up many miles
from land in dying condition by frigate
commanded by the COmte de Rerveguen. On
board this frigate is the Counts daughter He
lepe who recognizes in Maurice gentleman
who has haunted her footsteps in the Tuileries,
at mass and elsewhere, and for whom, notwith-
standing they have never changed word, she
has conceived a sentimental passion.
The ships doctor, who has served
at Brest identifies Maurice as an escaped con-
vct, and the first impulse of the Count de
Kerveguen is to hang him at the yard-arm,
but, yielding to his daughters entreaties, he
spares his life, resolving to hand him over to
the proper authorities at the first French port
at which he might arrive. The vessel, how
ever, is wrecked, and Maurice, Helene, aud a
comic sailor contrlve to reach an uninhabted
part of the coast of Africa, where they re-
main for six months with no other society
than that OF an ourapg- outang. Maurice con-
vinces Helene that he is innocent of the crimes
imputed to him, and their love, conceived
even before their actual acquaintance COM
menced, having ripened under the burning
sun OF Africa, they mutually resolve to conse-
| crate to each other the remainder of their eX-
istence in the following terms:-
"'Heene-I am an orphan, Maurice for il
my ather had been alive he would have sought
n e before this. Free, therefore. from all ties iu
| the presence of this sublime nature and of ltE
CItator, swear. Maurice. to be your wife,
u |
my knees, swearing to consecrate my life tC
| you. Now come what will, etc. etc
"Shortly after this somewhat irregular mar
riage ceremony the Comte de Kerveguen, who
has also been saved from a watery grave
arrives on the coast in search of his daughter
and notwithstanding Helenes remonstrances
persists in carrying her off, leaving Maurice,
whose marital claims he declines to recognise,
behind on the desert scene of his welded life
"For time Maurice is unheard Of; but jus
as a certain NJ. de Folbert, who has kindly
consented to overlook the African incidents
and their result-a fine little bOy-is about tC
lead Helene to the altar Ga circumstance which
shows that at all events the validity OF her frs
marriage was questionable), Maurice agaiI
turns up, and announces his proper rank anC
name, cOnvicts the would be bridegroom OF tn
crime for which he (Maurice) has been un
Justly condemned, obtains a free pardon, and
let us hope, for it is not stated in the drama
takes the proper steps to legalize his unioI
with Helene.
''If the quotation of this precedent fail t.
throw much light upon the legal question
raised by your correspondent, it may serve a
least to expose the crRel way in which FrenOl
authors are apt to anticipate and caricatur
the most original ideas of our most origina
writers.
81 am, sir, your obedient servant, M.
| Gimme 27. lS6S.p