New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-24
>rwvop1x Daily TRIBUNE SATURDAY. JUNE a 1879

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procession at which the official mourheIs nt.h
hcademicians present or future. ana at wn.ona
the orators who eulogized the most unulspu1 ost
- French dramatic critics were among the iiioo'
oioouent and DISTINGUISHED OF Parisians. le', III
spite OF all this pomp and honor the nle nH,re
OF NJ Sarcey. | venture to say, VIII hot iuth
for any length OF time, but before the SIKH
Seuilleton by NJ Larroumet has appeareu va ~
live only In the recollection OF a rev. me -
due to the fact that NJ. Sarcey belonged ~ .tnn n
CORPORATION OF ephemeras who occupy atten
ton for day, but disappear from the me-,
their fellows on the morrow. because ,ne S"i 80
osity which they attracted Is tran .,,,o heinz
others who In their turn fill Tor the t,lie ueS
the public eye. This. CONFESS, Is tne g.
why I did not dwell at any length Oh NJ 'a
cey's death. - ,, ,,,a
During the last thirty years Of NJ. Sarceys Ire
French dramatic art has been of extreme iecuh
dity but the immense majority OF 'he phi H
produced have disappeared Irom ' ~ nr,,tcs
memory and II Is not these when the c!L'ce
have the least praised. Even many OF those
which have had the most successful run are now
quite forgotten. and with them have disappeared
likewise | venture to say, the CONSCIENTIOUS anu
lucid observations which NJ Sarcey so constantly
devoted to them 1t seemed to me, therefore,
that TO add to the mere biographical details re-
garding a character which was 80 inveteratey
normal any extended and elaborate study was
bound 20 be more less futile and unproduc-
tive Those who devote themselves to dramatic
criticism at q time when tina; form OF literature
undertakes above all to put before the puollS
fantastic problems merely stated and developer
without serious effort to solve them know ~
the example Of their predecessors tnat the olie
success reserved for them is that or the preSen'
bour Jules Janin who has been dubbed the
Prince OF Critics. would be completely unNo ~,
to the present generation II he had not caleo 'I,
lobster which he had only seen AFTER II haa peei'
houad "tho "a rdinal of the seas" Sainte-B euVe'
whose "Lundis constituted Veritapie lteiaIy
event no longer exists even as a memory a.iS
Fiorentino before whom the theatrlcal "or,u
trembIed remains in the memory or tew ohIy
because he was reproached with rendering ser
vices rather than impartial judgments.
It is for all these reasons that the arriVa va, OIL
tho scene OF NJ. Gustave Larroumet Is theme
which tenlpts me more than the departure OF
M Sarcey This event, it must be said, mas oc-
Cured under the happest auspices for NJ Lar
rormet It has offered him at the very out
GET in his very first feuilletOn the opportunity
OF displaying special acquaintance win ms
subject The readers of THE Times may per
haps recall article In which anaIy%Tu "
lecture delivered at the Odeon Theatre, on Hhs
lish literature in general ana on ohahesp~ AZ
In particular M. Gustave Larroumet, 80
rector Of the department Of fine arts Is MAJ,
of keen and penetrating nina. VINO mas SUI ~ ,bo
literature and art in the originals anu III w,
milieux In which they were produceu ne S
visited Italy and Greece, ana Ihe nbservad
islands OF the Mediterranean he mas opae' 80
and investigated in England the literary a.i
artistic genius of that country analyzlng anu ar.
studying English traits. ana ne mas pu. "a the
service OF the observations thus coilecteu 'iie
grace OF the French spirit and the clearhess VI
its language Thus, this first feuilleton ueF 80
TO the role OF Hamlet played by "oIi.i 80; nr
svcb a woman as Sarah Bernhard has STRUCK
SIs roadeys NV the penetrating qualities OF his
nnolyeIs Of Shakespea-e's work and by the note
OF contagious enthusiasm winch tn"'
tional first night had inspired In hliil' -.
For II must be noted that whatever the eTe 20
ing which the English people reserves .ol .,'
artistic effort Of Mime. Sarah Bernharut; heie'
AT least Saturdays performance Wnen sIs az
peared for the first time in the role OF the M ~
Of Denmark has been treated az one Vi w
most considerable artistic events whlcn nav
occurred for many years. NJ Gustave Larrou-
met is endowed with too refined taste anu 'oo
eure q tact to have let himself be teHipteu ~
compare the Hamlet OF NJ. Mounet-ou,ly Wiz VIM
tho Hamlet Of Nine. Sarah Bernhardt ne VIII
ngly and gratefully rendered 10 the iorHie i ' ne
Justice which French art owes to MN, Dut ne
| esneciallv undertook 10 anayZe, SO 10 say tHe
| personal sensations produced upon MN Dy thIs
fresh INTERPRETATION Of the great masterpiece,
| and at the same time he gave us ms idea oi
| Shakespeare's own conception and OF the way
| In which Nine Bernhardt has understood the
! role. -, ,o,,,or
! But whatever the judgment OF the foreigner
| on this latest Hamlet. 1t Is certain that lor the
| first time the French public seemed 10 uhueI-
| stand the significance or the pay as d " NJ,
! ana TO get gllmmering. amid the capricious
,,iciesitudes and SURPRISES of this character. or
its innate unity. rendering 1t after all coHpieA
| as II u.s. an Ineligible one, harmonious even III
! it's variety marvellous In It's truth anu pto-
| found psychology ,, .,or
| tion to this debut of NJ Larroumet' lot thIs
| crItioue Is one Of these exceptions wnlch are
! destined to survive and | think am not MS
| taken in affirming that the new dramatic CrItlG
| OF the Temps" who unheslta.lnsS rort
| during that performance that he had expert
| enced the keenest artistic pleasure or MS ne
| will henceforth be one Of those whose pen WIN
| consecrate with full authority the worth OF tl,e
| artists upon whom he may be caHeu upo" "
! pass a de1nitive Judgment