National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-01-28

great deal has been said and written OF
NJ SardOu's Fedora" which Miss Fanny
Davenport will produce for the first time in
Washington in the National Theater next
Monday evening. Among the most interest.
ing compositions about this remarkable play
IS n letter written by Sardou 10 Miss Dayen.
port rciutlng The charge made in the press thHt
he had plaginrizcd Fedora from Adolphe
Bclot's "DramC de Ia Rue dc la Pax.' He
refers to tho fact that almost every one OF his
earlier plays was accused of having family
rc.Cm OinnCc To u dramatic predecessor, ana
suys that, ns Fedora" had somcthing-a very
liulC-in common with Belots play IL was to
he expected that some one would cry stop
thief" lie argues at length that the two
plays nave nothing in common except this
starting point, aud even that, he asserts, wa
not inspired 10y Belots play.
at is by no means TO lBelot that | owe B -
1T is the history was reading one day
about to quarrels Of Phillip II and his
secretary, Antonio Perez. The adventure Is
well-known. Perez had by formal order of
the king, caused EsCOvedO TO be asSassinated.
Shortly altcrward the king becoming cOu-
vinced that the Princess EbOli, his mistress
was too intimate with the very gallant scCre.
tary, treacherousy prompted the parents of
E,Covcdo to bring PercZt IN Justice as the author
of their sons death. Perez, seeing that he was
to be sacrificed, He'd TO Pau. The hatred of the
king pursued him there Agents amer agents
were dispatched to seize the fugitive, or to
guard. All efforts were abOrtlYc. II was tlen
the king conceived trick. the curious details
Of which Perez has transmitted to us in his
memoirs. They found, he says, II very beauti-
, ful lady, amiable, and above all, woman In
there enter into amorous relations with Perez.
| draw him 10 her house, and there give him
| up to the bravOs OF the king during the night
! Ihc lady accepted the bargain, went to Pau
conducted the atlhir very speedily, aud be.
hold Perez bewitChed fasCinated-he is lost I
| When suddenly the lady was seIlcd with a
grand passion for her victim, and, at the
moment when she was to deliver him to the
telloWs lying IN ambush, in sudden burst of
emotion, say Perez, she revealed to him the
whole affair of the bargain that had been
made, and, better still, wishing to make
amends TO her own conscience for the lnten.
toNs she had harbOred In the beginning, she
gave him her own house for an asylum, TO.
gether with such prOtestatiOns of love that we
need not htaRreat sorCCrer to divine what were
the relations which united those two hearts
II saw here says VI. sardOu, In conclusion
'an excellent subject for play except for tho
degradation of the heroine who for 10000
crowns and six spanish horses was going to
mana over man to the cXeCutiOncr. But
II that woman, instead OF being spy, were an
aYcuger-the sister, the wife, the bCtrothed of
tNcoyedo-it would put u different face upon
the whole matter. Ready to deliver him up
70 an iguOmtniOus death. she establishes his
innocence; the rest follows of itself And
that Is the whole Of Fedora. II is safe 10
wager, now, thatI shall be accused of having
p.ugluTlICd history"