, 1873-12-20

tho throne and dclugo II tn Tho host blool of
Frnnco. It II M exnggcration to my TINT tho
Marriage Of Figaro" sbarpcncu tho Axe which
= few ycars lntor foil upon tho nook Of tho ,,n-
fortunate King, who know not how to bo other
Constitutional nonarcl, Or a. foarloss tyrant.
When BeuumarchaiH heard of tho suppression
Of liia l,lcco, llo exclaimed, "Wo)l gentlemen,
he won't suffer 1t to DO r1ayed here u this Tho.
Perhaps th tho vory choir Of Notro Dame!" An
amfnons prepheoy,-for TINT venerable cathedral
witnessed afterwards dramas 30 impous and
HORRIBLE TINT compared with them, tho 1limby
comedy wns tho most solemn OF sortnonB.
Tho events wo hnvo narrated occurred in
juno, 1898. Inter III tho aamo ycar tho King
wns informod by N. do Yandroul q member OF
l.'H court, that DeallmnrchaiB lad ozrunged MI
tho Objectionable paBsages. and accordingly per-
mission WA granted for tho performance Of the
play ut tito country home Of do Vnnlrouil.
Those WHO attended woro astonisflcd to find nil
those Objectionable pasHRgca retained but being
IN tho position Of guests did not loci willing to
expose tho trick. Inticod, tho Kiny .was told
taken oil tho 1ifo out Of tho comedy, aud II
represented In public It wns suro to bo sum-
mari1y, damned. Laborlng undor this deluson
ho ut Inst consonted to ita presentation at tho
tract such All audience to tho Francais All
rarlh was onger to SOC thoso fanous Noccs, md
tho Theatre wna filled almost at tho mon1ert
when the doora we're opon to tho public. Hardly
4i"ll i1ioso "!lo nan Dc9pbcu tl1oln HcD in tho
morning could find places; tho greater number
iofced tllotr way , throwing their money to tho
ioorkcopor. It is impossible to bo by turns moro
iln'noio, moro bold, moro urgent to obtain
1avof ht court tHan wero our young mon OF rank
70 secmfo niaco at tho hrst representation OF
Figaro Moro than ono Ducl,osB doomod hor-
self too hnppv on that day to find tn tho haIoo.
l'ies--whoro docont wolnon Are eeldom ycen--o
miserable little scat by tho side of ladloa Of the
tlon,i-mon1e." Throo porsona wero crushed to
death In tho rush for places, and tho piece. in
stoad of boing damned, was received with ire.
mondous appsauao-tor IL saas played as ori1i-
auhy tc'itten, aud not in accoldanco with tho a.
purgated edition.
The King was exceedingly angry at tho docep.-
ton prncsicsd upon him. but tho mischief was
dono beyond recall, and tlio piece ran stxty-cgjt
consecutive uightA-drawng as largely Ut tho
lust night as ut tho lrat. Beaumarcilaia booau,e
involved IN q newspaper controversy about tho
merits OF his comedy, aud In his last con,n1unica-
lion n,ada ueo Of an expression which, Monsieur,
tho King's brother. construed into personal in-
silt to- himsolf. Louis, most unfortunately.
was induced to arrest and imp1iaou tho offender
III tho prison Of SAINT Lazaro, from which, how
over, he was shortly nftorwarl released. Tut
THIS imprisonment. together with the first pro-
hbs!on. of tho public performance, aroused
among tho peopo tho bittorcst animosily agalnat
tho King aud tho Government, aud prepared tho
way for that earthquake which Rwol1t crown and
country tlto coiurnon ruin. Tho French royo-
lntion could not hayo been preyenod-it miCllt
lsavo boon poatponod to moro convenient soa-
Eon. but for Bcaun.archais aud his IS Marriage
nf TrnroH