The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-16
BERNHARDT THE ARTISTE.
How She Really Created the Part Of
LJAiglOu.
OTron the Saturday Evening post.)


Fron the Saturday Evening Post.)
| How I created L Aiglon? Mais songez
| done, had to make myself Napoleon's
| son. Always must convince myself first.
| If do not I cannot convince the public.
| And SO | had to make that life-so COM
pick and sad and heroie, SO great in its
failure-that life of the King OF Rome
| had to make mine. The first problem
was to know the environment in which
this young prince lived and died. And so
l went to the castle Of Schoenbrunn. 1t
is now the favorite residence Of the En-
peror of Austria; Marie Therese lived
there, and many another; but 1t is haunt
ed above all by Napoleon's memories. 1t
was thence the great Emperor set out for
the battle of Austerlitz. There the Duke
of Reichstadt passed almost all his life,
a prisoner Knocked with the pretence OF
liberty. NJ. Rostand accompanied me on
this visit. Together we visited the battle
field of Wagram-at night as in he fourth
act-and 1t was there for the first time
that l began to understand the soul of The
Eagles son. AS he, 1 seemed to see the
dead rise and the old glory of the En-
peror waken. The bed where Napoleon
slept-the bed where his son died-the
huge chamber, the walls and tapestries
all seemed to speak something OF The
lives they had known. I look upon the
days and nights spent there among the
Austrian scenes of the Duke of Reich
stadt's career as having given me the
psychological foundation for the role. 1t
was something more than history that
spoke. NJ. Rostand felt 1t as we'll as I.
When I left Austria I knew the King of
Rome. He was as real to me as my own
breath. Day and night he seemed to be
creeping more and more into my own be-
Ing
Then the thing was to express ito
make myself. in walk and gesture and
word, not Sarah Bernhardt. but the Duke
Of Reichstadt. son Of the Eagle.
had all his costumes here in the house.
For three months wore them, every mo-
ment when 1 was not on the stage or in
the street. And think. then-my secre-
tary. my friends, my maids. all my SER
wants had instructions to treat me as
though I were really the Duke of Reich !
stadt. 1 went to breakfast with cloak and |
sword, and the butler would say. your |
Highness is served And so for three I
When I awoke in the morning I !
saw this white costume of the young |
prince, his sword and boots. At once I !
was not Sarah Bernhard; / was back in |
that gloomy chamber in Schoenbrunn. For |
those three months. before the first night |
Of "LAiglon," lived more the life of NJ. |
Rostand'S hero than l did my own. One |
was in Versailles-I rode out |
booted and spurred, cloaked and armed
with sword; that night felt as he must
have felt the night of his fight. 1t was
trifie awkward at first. for the sword
frightened my horse, but we had wild
ride, mile after mile, through the night
say we, because that night Napo!eon's
son AM rode together.
I had learned to walk and talk as he
must have done. / thought az he must
have thought. Really. during those three
months could net attend 10 my business
affairs. I am quite sure was not my
self was that poor boy. dying, an exile.
in PARKWAY Austria. think. too. my face
had grown a little like his Only the hair
was wrong-it was too red and. of course.
100 long. l tried at least twenty wigs.
None of them gave me the look OF the
Eagles son. He had the blond hair Of his
mothers race. II was soft. abundant. and
golden. No wigs could copy it. And so at
last l brought myself to tit is never
Easy for woman to sacrifice her hair
md had my hair cut to the right fashion.
Then the question of toning it to Just the
light shade-I have lock of tine Eaglet's
lair. faded now. but golden still-was only
question of the coiffeur's art.
That was all; lived the Duke OF Reich
tadt's life until it became part OF me-
md then I could portray 1t. What else
s art? We create for ourselves in order
hat we may portray for the public. II
lad not made the Eaglet live in my heart
mi mind first he would never have been
cal for the public.
One thing more; 1 have a shoe-a baby
hoe-of NapoleOns son. He wore 1t when.
n his cradle, he was crowned King of
tome. 1t was given to me by the Count |
,obert de Iontesquiou-F ezensac, who had
from his grandmother. maid Of honor
o the Empress. I am not supers:itious.
ut the first night of the play carried
when l went on the stage. 1 wore it
gainst my heart. The little relic did
lore than bring me good luck. 1t made
le forget for that one night. at least.
hat l was not in reality the Eagles son,
ut only his interpreter, the actress.
SARAH BERNHARDT