New-York tribune., 1869-04-17

passed. The indecency ana ulIulhluihoe' VI '"0
libel may fairly perhaps. be divided TWO
lie, ;o,rnols G. w. g.
TIE NEW TRIUMPH OF vICToRIEN sARDoU--THE
FRENCH THEATER.
TFRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
p,prs March 9O-Of the many stage trluinphs
Victorien Sardou has won, this last OF the fdlr@ S
the greatest as both TO him and tho pubic IL ID 'he
most honorable. The subject is grander the sent-
ment nober the treatment larger and more Vlgor-
ous than IN any of hispreyious works IL Is an MS
torical drama-a tragedy, we say-not classic but
eminently heroic. Reviving. though without the
,ightest touch of imitation. the traditions OF victor
Hugo and Dumas IL Is fit that it should be brought
ont nj the Porte ST. Martin, the scene OF their III
uuphs restored now from Its prodiga debauchery OF
leg pieces and Bengal lights to the Legitimate drama
II is worth noting by the way, rs rather singular
feature OF an historical drama Of the romantic school,
that Sardou has managed without any forced restrc
tions 10 limit a real unity Of action within "a
hours and the walls Of one city. The city Is
Brussels, under Alya and the Council Of Troubles in
1870 The tragedy has for its historical base con-
spiracy of the patriots still remaining there Tor the
overthrow of the Spanish rule, in the execution OF
which they are 20 DO aided from without by tho
Prince of Orange. who lies near one Of the gates
20 Aya by the wife Of one Of the chief consprators
for the sake Of destroying him and saving another.
his friend and her lover The character Of this per-
,opage has been criticised by some as unnatural;
but remembering that she is young Spanish, pas
,onatey in guilty love- and that her husband Is DID,
hereto and as absorbed in passionate love for his
country and liberty-seeing wha that fargueii' the
first actress in strongly emotional parts now on tho
stage and it does not appear unnatural
will not attempt TO give here an analysis OF the
niece. Itwould be but q skeleton at best-but tho
bones Of the banquet that thousands crowd 10 nightly
at tho Porte ST. Martin. speak OF 1t all rather Tor
the sake Of introducing few words about tho
guests Here is the most popular play OF the season
To secure good seat in the house you must take II
weeks in advance or pay extrayagant price for 1t
TO the spectators. The superior art OF the three
principal actors the satisfactory performance OF the
least roles the admirable mise scene the tabeaux
and nicely har1nonized stage effects of all kinds
(which, il is said, are almost as much OF Sardous
authorshp as the lbretto) doubtless contribute for
large part TO tho attractiyeness Of the drama But
these arc but the proper means and always kept sub
dued 10 their legitimate end OF illustrating and com
pleting the expression Of it's leading sentiment This
sentpent indicated by the title Of the work, Pafre
ia natriotism not Chaurinism-nOt "our country,
right or wrong' but our country right, with its
rights civil and religious liberty. And as often as
and this occurs very often during the five acts
this sentiment is emphasized by striking situation
by generous words, or by sublime acts OF sacri'
fee, there swells the multtudinous applause
deep. loud and long. The critics, too, the Monday
feuilletonsts of the evening and the mornng-though
among them Sardou counts q number Of intimate
enemies and mortal friends-are sngularly agreed
in his praise this tme The few discordant notes do
I,t tba al an tlgV ROunueQ
only by two or three nharmoniOns Government or
Church organs 1t has for long time been q
favorite, slightly justified amusement with some
malicious few TO search for and discover or in
vent plagiarism each new play Of Sardons writing
The right long since conceded to Moliere, Shakes
peare and the loss wealthy poets 10 take their goods
whore they find them, has been denied TO him; and
essential or accidental similartes between anything
in the fable or phrase Of of his comedies and any
thing picked or strained out Of one of Edgar Poes
OF Of some lessor writer's stories, were paraded ~
corpus delict proofs Of laTge-handed robbery. With
modest inconsistency, these pitifu detectives while
insisting tho col manifest always equally insisted
on the excessive ingenuity Of the plagarst in dis
gIising the manifest theft. One Of these gnbaleTn
literary police made long report in tho Figaro last
week, the object of which was TO show
that PariO was little more than a
French version Of O libretto written long
years age by CameranO for opera Of Vords. which
could not get played BY the detectives own show
ing the resemblance was exactly Of the same kind,
and specifically much the same az that which Fluel-
len discovers between Macedon and MonmOth. De-
precatng any intention of being disagreeable to the
plagiarist, he signs himself InconRu, the Unknown
Sardou who has, il he chooses to turn IL that way
talent OF writing for the press quite as remarkable
for the stage smashes the argument andis author
with gravestOne as it were and epitaphs on it. in
letter addressed to the dramatic editorial critic Of
the Figaro as follows: " Here il my answer to the
strange letter of your InconnG never did read or
the Italian opera he speaks Of does his brief
analysis of it provoke any desire to. l will not do
this charge of plagiarism the honor of refuting il:
that is Office admirably performed by the Inoonnu
himself in his comparison Of the two pieces. Tosave
him the trouble of further search in Camerano for
details of tho conspiracy, refer him directly to
Hooft History Of the Low Countries VOL l., 1G3. 1t
is much more interesting and more instructive read
ing than the Italian Hbretto"
To return TO the drama and its reception by the
French public Without exaggerating the intrinsic
literary and moral value of either. the two taken to-
gether-such a success Of such play-are hopeful
and noteworthy signs and substantial proof OF the