New-York tribune., 1906-12-08
:, poDnlar Study of the Greatest of
French DramatistS.


thor Of this book ought 10 have wide
,rolfa~e's character and career have not
p''--. familiar TO the general reader, whose
hseI ,-..r,e with the plays. indeed IS probably
ao91@ IS intimate as it ought 70 be. The
no. %, t,oi- that a special student Of French
kA- .,. literature would be apt 10 write about
.-,,,+4n- figure. would get itself read
u -, other students. Mr.. Chatheld-Iaylor
60 so far as we know, specialist IN the
--,fch he enters with the present volume
A,.,s evident that he has started with 4 Keen
- a+bv for his subject and has consulted all
.,+rorities and he has written reaoahle
That is important. The best way IN
s,-L - make people study an historic master
N'---'' - then, hlirlanly interested IN his per-
.,,,r and adventures. The biography before
..-+s,nlv is not dull II presents the facts IN
-, fashion. clearly arranged The author
-.ss his best 70 draw living portrait or his
.ns he achieves a fair measure Of success.
-. Illustrations form the least satisfactory part
n. ~-.,r ~-tnted volume. The assurance that
lHT 80 been prepared with much soucitude
u-'' ..-,,-sov in matters of costume and so on,
!" -, -,---fort beside the fact that they have
--..+,caIlv no artistic value
- fs NJ Charheld-Taylor more effective
=. :, bis account OF Moliere's early days
--,.er sEe1ch!ag the household Of Jean Poque-
-. ols upho!sterer IN the Rue St Honore.
-. ..+ber os the dramatist, he puts before us
=. ,rs same te-seness g picture OF the Paris
-, ,,ss IN which SIouere was brought up. There
- ~ nav not be truth IN the old story Of the
80 having devoted grandfather with pas
-, ,o- the STAGE who first took him TO witness
a., comedies Of the Gay, and thereby laid the
s--,ss+ions Of his career. Mr.. Chatheld-Taylor
-.,ss,s Il .o- what II Is worth, and does so
,,-a--,a.elv enough There can be, after ALL
r.,ls doubt that AIoliere gravitated the more
-.,,,tIv toward his destined profession for hav-
,nv fallen as a child beneath the spell Of the
.bsstre 7 was the most natural thing in the
-ro-ls so- him 10 reject, while stiu a youth, the
-ssnectable but dull career IN store for the son
A. his father and 10 throw in his fortunes with
.bose OF Madeleine Bejart. His latest biogra-
,ber does al that he can 10 elucldate the rela-
tions OF the two and the problem that lies be-
hnd NolfA-e's marriage TO Armande Bejart, but
these questions VIII long continue to engage the
curiosity Of the scholars. There is more to the
PURPOSE Of The ordinary reader n Mr.. Chat
held-Taylo-'s spirited pages on Moliere's first
theatrical ventures.
The enterprise launched outside the walls Of
Paris q. the lIesrayers' Tennis Court devoured
lot OF money and brought but scant returns.
Moliere was e decidedly bad actor al this time,
and he and his comrades played 10 empty
houses Their collapse was only & question OF
tine They soon had 10 abandon all the Paris
.an hopes of The uustrious Theatre" and
went transforming IN the provinces. Mr.. Chat
asid-Taylor has done well TO go TO Scarron for
light on the SORT OF thing which Moliere faced
n this period. Every travelling company OF
comedians II the seventeenth century was
bound 70 share II just such episodes as are de-
scyibed Il lie Roman ComiQue." The biogra-,
pher thus presents the experience Of Moliere's
company as It moved about France. starting
with az alIusion 70 ScaCron's ox-cart as typical
O. the actors own chariot OF Thespis."
When i halted at the end Of days journey. VII
footsore actors TlO had t-amped behind its creak-
ing whee-s argued with some staggering archer
o. police Tor permission 10 set Up their trestles. VII
age r2kzs with teatheTed hats against their breasts
l-s q Ja5-a-=r Win cIers o. gaIIautry and r1bald
Iae s'rg---g player found manifold trials await
lhg 1I- Oh every hand bandits infested the high
Eoaos the po---e were merely authorized brigands,
Ea0 so sFe4t was the prejudice against his calling
u certain localities that . tatterdemalon mob
armed with stones sometimes greeted him at the
enc OF dave journey. Even IN more hospitable
regions -e was forced 10 seek official permit
grange or teIais-eou-- 10 serve him for a play
..o-Se A t-W deals laid upon wooden trestIes were
T5s f 4s ne uoa, ,-, ana as MS theatre Re
No uisrorer- II Eis con3srv vysre af51ent II
Ieseur z s-res- or place. but hs scenery 7gas more
nkely 70 be merely pair Of travel-stained cur
tslns Tl-e. ---I--5 the hair OF his tragedy queen
as she made her hapghty entrance His lights were
Tsy 80" -Hs Stuck ~ tier own grease on a
S..llel e.a q pair Of squelking hddles; while In
sslsi-l-1s and 'rraze-up' he did not attempt his
torlcsl accuracy, t4wdry toGa and a plumed he'll
ms SlHcea t1- the classic sLeroes OF both Greece
&c Rome r clowns dress or swaShbuckers cloak
~ comedy parts For the bu1o0u. he whtened his
lace Win -four and penciled srotesque mustaches
rs,-- - rs w t.elao1-3 PIT nature hersef was
rr-Fr "a trad and sc @r---~r
cure an a15ia--a T vs ~ eiTra go 5-+e- fer, TIIz
erur-5esrz Gathered crowd. and nv an ha-arf-1Ie
~ tLe rervais a. hs actors h endeavoured 10 eE-
yoke auditors 70 lee6 out or the ba.iin's hands
Irs, - sses 2 zen mouths when I'VE sous was the
sost aspiring roart
In this vein z actuality Mr.. Chatfeld-T Taylor
sAovs Tho developments Of his theme, neglect
hs NJ fugitive biz Of personaIia that may serve
. make his figure Of Moliere seem the more
Ais--ke and sympathetic He shows him TO US
sosent-n. tldei7y riding along the road. needless
o TIE loss OF his stage jewels as they slip from
MS nags crurue-. Again he repeats the familiar
-7gend " Elll7re playing pranks IN the barber
SHOP a. Pez=uas IN LargUedoc, or introduces Us
% that dinner table At Earbonne at which, II we
are 70 believe one Of his contemporaries, the
wandering player was wont TO forget all his
troubles ID enjoyment OF an tninitable cuisine
-he1 the narrative takes US 10 Paris and 50 on
through the years cf 8ioHare's success at court
-srleFolsly modified as 10 their atmosphere by
IT'S unfortunate usrriage-to his last doubly
MOVING performance The plays are taken I'D
rs The unfolding OF 3Iolere's career demands
ne consideration Il each. Without going TOO
t1!a1lety into the analysis Of any Of them the
S--acr nevertheless contrives to balance his
I'c-1resQue record Of the dramatist's life with
= adequate & not equally vivid summary Of
Is |o-E For TIE reader unfamiliar with