The morning call., 1893-07-02

translated in German, Polish. Danish and
Dutch. Not only has 1t made the tour OF
Europe, but it has penetrated into the
| New World and berome so in International a
| was opened the President of the republic
| himself found in his speech place for
| quotation.
.Tne Municipal Council of your native
| town has given your name to the street
where you were born. Do you know.
Monsieur. that all this resembles glory?
But this glory needed conservation. and
in lis name l am happy to welcome the
welcome author of La File DE- Roland.
Early in life the VlscOunt de B0rnier be-
gan the preparation of his chef d'9nvre.
but LA File de Roland" was not repre-
seoted till eleven years after it was
written.
The public did not yet appreciate histor-
ical plays. and Nj. de Bornier was obliged
to be patient. For his patience he was
well rewarded, because when the play was
brought out each representation was
triumph. Men applauded; women wept;
ten, twenty times the curtain was raised.
and. concealed in corner of the stage, the
author shed tears of joy. The French peo-
pie baptized he play rs the work of pa
trint. and found the expression OF their
feelings in the verse:
France. douee France. ma France benie,
Rien n'epusera done ia force ct ton genie?
Terre du devOuement. de l'honneur. de la fol
Ii ne faut done jamais desesperir de tot
Great was the excitement when. In 1885,
the Viscount de Bornier's "Mnhomet" was
10 be produced at the Theatre Francois.
twill be remembered that Henry Irving
bought the English and American rights
of this play from Monsieur Jules Claretie,
but when NJ. Claretie announced the pro-
duction of the play in Paris there was
much commotion in Turkey. The Otto
man Government refused to sanction the
Paris Exposition if a play that FLASHED
with the Turkish ideas of propriety was
produced, and when the French holders of
Turkish bonds ASKED that the interest be
paid they were met with the reply. Nov
that you insult US you may wait for your
money"
To write this wonderful drama the Wis
| count de B0rnier had consulted more than
800 books OF reference. and his country
place at Aigues-Mortes was so arranged as
TO make one believe it the scene of the
play. Votaire asked Of Benoit XIV per-
mission to consecrate 'tO the chief OF the
true religion his work against the founder
of false religion" work in which he
made Mahomet cruel. immoral i'm ostor,
and the Sultan Mahmoud did not consider
himself insulted.
Vlseount de Bornier says that man
great enough to found nation cannot be
an impostor, but that Mahomet's con-
tempt for women, contempt inoculated liz
the blood of his religion, is the cause of its
failure.
Was this why the French Government
gave orders that "Mahomet" could neither
be produced at the Theatre Francois nor in
any other theater of France?
Parislans have not yet recovered from
their disappointment about the prohibit
ton concerning "Mahomet." The mise
en- scene was to have been superb and
wonderful new costumes were ordered for
no ir,ka
tlon was to have equaled the magnifcence
OF the play. Monnet-Sully was cast for
the role of Mahomet, Mile. Bartot for
Mahomets wife. Paul Mnnnet for Abou-
Behr, the prophets father-in-law, Mile.
Brandes for an Arabian Jewess. Silyain
1or the monk Giorgios. etc.
On one side we were to see Mahomet
ana MS gigantic work. on the other the
feeble being whom he considered his in
ferlor crushing the stupefed prophet.
Inc scenery was so arranged that from
large window in the house of Khadidia.
one OF Mahomets wives, could be seen the
city OF Mecca plunged In obscurity. BY
the light falling from the starry heavens
were distinguished the statues of 800 gods.
Because of these 800 gods. adored by 800
tribes, Mahomet understood the necessity
of one God--the God of all the tribes united.
The drama begins at Mecca and follows
the prophet until the supreme crisis.
Throughout the play Glorgios. Christian
monk. strives to lead Mahomet to embrace
the Christian religion. The five acts in
verse comprise the entire religious and
political life of Mahomet.
When Francois Coppee listened 10 the
reading of the drama he called the Wis
count de Bornier a representative ..of tho
classical school," but highly tinged with
the romantic.
Very few dramatic authors of the pres.
ent day are CAPABLE Of writing a tragedy,
but Henri de Borner is courageous enough
to follow in the footsteps Of Corneille and
| Racine,
Visc0unt de Bornier was born in 1925 at
Lunsl. In the department of Herault. His
family. noble for centuries. occupied o