The times., 1899-03-14

ness of character drawing and some of the
most beautiful lines ever penned and one
has the reason for force and pleasingnesS
NJ. Rostand has cleverly concealed be-
hind the end they produce.
Lines, There are speeches in 'Cyranc
de Bergerac" that fairly make one asham
ed of having thought the balcony scene
from Romeo and Juliet tender the
courtroom phrases of The Merchant OF
Venice philosophical, or Antony's address
in Julius Caesar" stirring. There are bits
of rhetoric as round and full. thoughts
as poetic and as charming, verses as met
rical and as rhythmical as could be desired.
And when, frequently happens, the
speeches drag into the length of three or
four minutes, one notices not their dura-
ton. but the wisdom and the sentiment
/ contained in them.
Still, the wonder of "Cyrano de Berger
ac'' is not much in head interest as in
! heart interest-less in the delicacy of its
suggestion and of the dovetailng of its
occurrences than in the beauty of its plot
and the fearlessness Of the loysble but
lOveless being whose influence permeatc5
the piece. One feels rather than deter
mines that the play is great. When Cyra-
no, in dying, declaims of the Gascony Ca
! dss an auditor forgets that the melody
is an authors ruse and only remembers
how the man had given that same recital
detiantly twice before: when-but the
story.
"Cyrano de Bergerac" opens at the Hotel
de Bourgogne, where company of tctO:s
is about to present comedy by Baro.
Many nOtables are present anon them
Richelieu and D'Artagnan-while the wo-
| men who have entered are of extraordinary
! fairness Anxiety centres largely in the
| fact that the terrible Cyrano has forbidden
| one of the players to appear. Ostensibly be
| cause OF his incapability, but really as a
/ result OF the manner in which the ruffian
! has ogled RoHane, Il cousin whom the hid
eous swashbuckler loves secretly When
| the Thespian comes upon the stage there Is
hubbub. De Bergerac rises from the pit
and orders him away, the portly tragedian
! leaving amid Kisses and cat calls. One of
the noblemen present, incensCd a. the affair
speaks lightly of the soldiers abnormal
| nose and Cyrano replies. first wittily and
| then with the sword, pnking his antago-
nist as he composes ballade describing the
| fight. At this the hall is cleared and the
successful duelist is left with his friend
| lie Bret. To him he tells of his unhappy
! passion for Roxane-a passion which he
| deems as hopeless as IL is wild-and is ai-
| vised to speak of IL with her While the
| argument is going on the girls duenna en-
| ters to appoint rendezvous for her mis-
| tress and Cyrano is mad with joy. \
| l.
| ing for home. because hundred rogues
have been posted in the way to fulfill a
| murderous design. and half delirious with
| hope, the cadet volunteers to escort the
| intended victim past them. The returned
| stroliers form in line for the purpose of
| being present at the melee and together
| all quit<the place.
In the next scene the spectator is shown
| the shop OF Ragueneau. a kindly pastry
| fHff NtEhg -Nga, IL.
| tyrano is first to arrive, and. seating him
self, writes. that he may hand them 10
RoXane, the words of love he dare not
1 speak When she comes. however IL is 10
! beg his protection for another-a witless
| Apollo named Christian who is TO ;oin the
/ Cadets. Staggered and heartsick, the SOL
| dier promises to keep him of whom she ia
| fond from harm. Roxane leaves and Cy-
ramos comrades enter to felicitate him
| upon his conquest over the one hundred
| but he is in a bitter mood and returns
! their congratulations in a manner that in
suits. among others. De Guiche his intend
ed patron. After most are gone Christian
arrives and proves his bravery by testing
at the nose of the regimental terror. Cy-
| rano is about to provoke quarrel when
! the boys identity is disclosed and the
! Wanted lion becomes Il lamb. Left alone
! together the cadet discovers that his pro-
/ tege has been reticent for fear Of betray-
! ing ignorance and generously gives his own
! epistle to the purpose. Next he proposes
| that because OF RoXanes love for Chris
! tian he shall be that lads mind. even
! while feeling that because OF his love for
! Roxane the handsome Christian shall be
I his body. Briefly, he is to coach the South
! erner in the pretty sentences that mean
! nothing and yet are everything. The com
/ pany enters and is surprised at finding its
| newest member still alive. Presuming on
| this an outsider makes bold to laugh at
De Bergeracs organ of smell and is kicked
/ for his pains
| Act three Is the most usual of all and
! in many respects the most wonder full. De-
| lighted with the letters she has received
| from the head OF CyranO and the hand OF
| Christian, the thOughtless ROxane has be
come desperately enamored of her Apollo
And this Individual. grown careless with
success, comes to speak his own VOWS