Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-12
Gle ROI S'AMUSE"
To be Reproduced Under Circumstances
OF Great EcIat, With the Assist
anee Of the
Author, Victor Hugo, the Greatest Poet
and Most Industrious Dramatist and
Novelist Of Our Time.

The Paris correspondent OF the New York
Evening Pot says that Victor Hugo lie fast
assuming the proportions Of a demigod. he
can witness in his lifetime his own apotheo.
sis. Great proceszions passed before him on
the occasion Of his entering a new decade OF
his already long life. He receives all this
homage with grace and candor; there il
nothing Surprising in it for him. He cannot
be said to be vain proud. Such words are
not made for him; he Is not made after the
common pattern of mankind. The trsgical
fall OF the second empire seemed 10 be sim
ply the accomplishment of the prophecies oil
the ChatiHenfs. From his rock on the ocean
he had said 10 Napoleon Ill, then at the
hight Of bis triumph:
An ia fnirds 6iea par erier, nlisera6ley
Providence works for Hugo, and works
with him. He has said many times: The
poet is the prophet-he alone sees into the
dark abyss of luturity. Kings and emperors
are his inferior, not his equaIS. The EN-
peror of Brazil called first on him. Is he
not something much greater than earthly
monarch?
Nous portions toas les deux au front Ene eOuronne.
He represents the people; he represents hu-
manity. / see him occasionally in the Sem
ate; he comes in aud takes his place 90 the
benches of he Left he does not pay any at
tention t. the debate; he remains quiet ,
smiliug. With his white beard he looks like
a god OF antiquity. His colleagues treat
him az such; he is an idol. Il has some-
times seemed strange 10 me that he should
have become so quiet, SO seren', 80 happy;
it must be suppoasd that old age soitens
everything, for Victor Hugo has gone
through terrible ordeaIs. He lost bis children
under the most painful circumstances, and
he has now only two grandchildren, between
whom he likes 10 BE- photographed.
THE REHEARsALs.
The great event OF our next theatrical
season will be .he representation of LIE Roi
S'Amuse The rehesrsals are taking place
now. Victor Hugo is not able to give much
attention TO them, for his mind has com
pletely lost the C, i zeal faculty. NJ. Perrin,
the direc:or of the Fraucsis, js fortunately
critic and scholar OF much eminencs, and
under his direction it ia 10 be hoped that the
drama of Hugo will be we'll studied. Moth.
Jog can be more extraordinary than these
daily rebearsAls; they take place between
and 5 o'clock Ia the afternoon. Fancy the
immense theater IN the dark, only four or
five persons in The chairs OF the pit; al the
front of the stage a sort of large box, from
which little light is thrown on the Stage,
and which. contains the director and the
prompter; on the stage itself few accesso-
ries (it is The technical word. and the actors
aud actresses playiGg in their everyday
clothes. Fancy "Hernani' in a pea j,ckei,
the liking oil France" or "Chsrles v" with
felt hats; the illusion Of costume is complete
ly suppressed, and the actors are obliged to
give their attention wholly to the intellect
uAl part of their role. L have admired he
great trouble which NJ. Perrin lakes with
his comedians; every attitude is studied,
every information is the Object oil remark.
The comedians are vain race-;hey are not
always very willing 10 give in; but they all
have 10 bow finally before the authority of
the director. NJ Perrin has always bee q
great and even enthusiastic admirer OF Victor
Hugo, and he spares no trouble 10 give US u
representation of Roi SApsuse worthy to be
compared to the representations of Hermann.
The drama itself is not 80 good, in my opin-
iOn-not so simple, so clear; but the public
has been made quite familiar with the sub
jsct by the opera OF Rigoletto, which is SIM
ply the Roi SAmuse set TO mu.ic. All over
the world, it may be said, the principal char
acters of the drama are now we'll known.
Francis l" has been in the opera trans
formed into The Italian ''Duke,n an "rri-
boulet," his jester, has become "Rigoletio;"
but nothing has been changed in the situa-
tions.
Victor Hugo began the Roi SAmu.e in
June, 1892 at time when Paris was still in
a revolutionary state, when the Republicans
made instructions, when they fought at the
eloisier oil st. Merry. The times were not
very favorable 10 literature; The romantic
honsymoon which had begun under the Res
torAtiou had now come to an end. Victor
Hugo had offended the monarchical party
in Marion De0rme, which he wrote before
1880; in the Roi 81 AmHse he gave odious
character TO Francis l. His best friends
were uneasy; the enthusiasts OF the first rep
resentations of Hermann hsd now grown older
add had been sobered by the great political
liz all Ill
erals were tn n classics, and all the roman
tics, or nearly all, belonged to the party Of
L'Aulel ct le TToae they were L.gitimistp.
The National, which was edised by the men
who came 10 power in 1880, attacked the
romantic writer's with The greatest vio-
lenee. Yic;or Hugo had made his
debut as a novelist; the writer's of the
new school all stood for Gothic idea', Gothic
churches, Gothic institutions Victor Hugo
found himself toward 1882 abandoned on
both sides: by the Liberals he was aban-
doned as n rom Antic, by the Lsgitimists as
o7e who had accepted too rapidly the results
of the revolution OF 1880 the republicans
"a we'll ss the men OF The juste nilieu, the
Constitutonalisip, looked win contempt on
the poetical and dramatic work OF a man
who affected to ignore the rules and beauties
of classical antiquity. In the Roi SAmuse
Victor Hug) ALTERED the passions OF the
enemies of the monarchical principle, yet he
could not count upon their support.
POLITICAL QUESTIONS.
During the rehsarsals Victor Hugo was
absent; he was spending the mon OF Sep
teuber with his children 10 the couniry.
He came back in Oaober.s The ministe-
who had the theaters under his care, NJ.
d'Argout, had heard that the new drama
contained passages offensive to the friends
of monarchy, and asked to see the manu-
script Victor Hugo refused to give il, but
he consented 10 hive an interview with
NJ. dArgout. Cautiously enough, he wa. IN
troduced to the ministers rooms By NJ. Meri-
NEE. the famous novelist, who was then q
modest chef da cabinet NJ. layout asked
Victor Hugo il il was true that there were
allusions in the new deama directed against
King Louis Philippe. Victor Hugo sand, in
answer, that he never made any illusions
that he always spoke directly; that he had
painted Francis aud only Francis 1; thai
really it seemed impossible 10 6nd any re-
eembiance between him and Louis Philippe
M. dArgout said that Francis / was one o.
the most popular kings OF France, and he
regretted that Victor Hugo should have
found il necessary 10 paint him in odiou'
coIors. He, however, declared hiMself salts
fed, and did not insist any more on the sub
ject.
The disciples of the " school we're pres
ent at the 6rst Representations; they wert
headed by Theophile Gautier, the poet, anc
by Celestin NAnieuil, the eugrayer and litho
erapher-a giant with very long beard and
very soft and kind count nance. / knew
Nanieail in later years. He wAs the mosi
extraordinary enthusiast; he always ex
pressed excessive ideas with the voice OF q
girl and the modesty OF a child. He wal
kind; he had much talent; but he under
rated hlmself, and he spent his talent in thu
d.rk-in illus raiiops OF p pniar books, OIL
even of rorsonces and theatrical works- Ihes'
two leaders had enlisted about $50 youus
men. who took their places in the pit and II
the second gallery. They spent their time
iu singing the "Marseillaise" and The "Car
maguoIs" till the curtain Was lifted
moment before, rumor went through
the theaier; the life OF Louis PbilIpp
had been agsin attempted. This "tsreV
cold,n as the French say. Tn
rumor was false, but il seemed a bad cmeI
: for the drama. Among the spectators wer
fhree princes OF Orleans. The fheale
Francois was their thester, and they dit
not seem 10 be afraid of the allusions which
had frightened NJ. d'Argout. Alfred d.
MusAet was there, with Merimee, with Ea
gene Aelscroix, the painter; Armand Car
rel !. thesdltor Of the Ndtiondij Alexande
Dumss4eribe and many stars OF the secon'
msgnltde.