The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-18

his private reputation. When, in 1862,
at the age of forty, he married the
seventeen-y ear-old Armande Bejart
there was no limit to the scandal and
vile calumnies set about concerning his
marriage. 1t was q doomed and miser-
able marriage from the start. Armande
was not a nice, respectable young per-
son, but a living woman noted for her
beauty; cold, a coquette, an actress in
grain, utterly shallow and utterly heart
less. The difference between their re-
spective ages bordered upon an outrage
on nature at a time when men habitu-
ally married before twenty; and Moliere
was to learn by his own experience
every agony of jealousy and batt1ed
and indignant love and discredit and
despair. Mile Moliere as his wife was
called in the curious jargon of the day
was either an illegitimate daughter or
younger sister of Madeleine Bejart,
Moliere's old, faithful comrade and
mistress 1t is an ugly story at the
best; but 1t Is only fair to say that all
modern research seems to point to the
fact that Armande was undoubtedly
Madeleine's sister AT all events the
King thought so, and offered himself
as godfather to his favorite actors first
born child. The other best known
anecdote Of Louis XIv's generosity to
the greatest man of his time relates
how the King, wishing to rebuke the
arrogance of his courtiers invited M.
de Moliere to supper and cut for the
actor with his royal hand piece Of
the cold royal chicken. 1t is not diff
cult to imagine the scene-the circle of
respectful, amazed and gllttering
courtiers, the complement King
(whose smallest action shook or blessed
his worldly and the pale silent observ-
| ing master of the comic genius-he,
with the steady brown eys, the mon
strous wig, the large, expressive, tievi-
BILE mouth, for whom, for his habits of
mute ironieal abstraction M. Boileau
had long since invented the nickname
of 1.-THE Contemplation"
Louis XIV. then, not only gratif1ed
NJ. de Moliere with portion Of his own
sacred chiken-( "Here am 1 occupied in
feeding M. de Moliere, whom my own
officers do not consider fit company for
themselves" are the exact words
spoken by the royal and gracious lips)
but after a struggle with the Clerical
party which lasted for upward Of five
years. he gave permission for the pub
lie performance of 'Tarttutfe'~uIn
contestably Moliere's masterpiece This
was in 1869, and it marks the apogee
the eliminating moment, of Moliere
genius. In spite of all attack and
iealously, and rivalry, his reputation as
an artist was by this time established
as on a rock. He was In the full the
conscious possession of the most eX-
traordinary gifts and powers His init
mate friends were the first men of tai
emit and character of his day. Chapelle
Mignard, the painter; La Fontains'
Boileau, Jean Racine and Cyrano were
but few among his chosen com
panions. And, Judged by the STANDARD
of his own period, he was already
man of considerable and increasing
wealth He was also man Of an IN
durable, silent melancholy, Sainte
Beuve would have us believe that
this time Moliere was suffering from {
mute, deepseated resentment at the at
mosphere OF court patronage to Whicf
he was condemned; constant en-
forced complaisance to natures smalle
than his onw, a thousand times his IN
feriors In hundred thousand ways
which he had to accept and propltiat,
| e. ~ IN
some some Of the words he Is reported
TO have spoken cut like swords an,
have an echo as of concealed wound
about them How man must suffe
before he dlesl' he said to his wife II
presence Of the young and handsom
Baron. But fortunately genius, whicl
Is another name for life, may encounte
despair but can never send In complet
detection
Ing the very hour of his dealt
Molieres spirit could rise above ever
widow had foced her way to the KinG
, circumstance, serenely majestic an
marnaninous and unconquerable. On
Friday February II, 1878, Moliere wa
. already so i'll that his friends came an
r urged MN HOl w tahV P0AN "a vac
, second performance of LeMalade Ina
, glnaire" which was to be given In TN
, afternoon. II have fifty poor men de
pending upon me for their daily brea
this day." was Moliere's answer, an
he took his place on the boards as
soldier volunteers for certain death !
, Ibattle. As the play progressed his stat
of health became more urgently alarm
ing. In the farcical ballet that end
the piece Muiere was taken with 4
of deadly choking, but contrived
turn 1t into fit of laughter sufficient
natural to deceive at least his audlenci
! When the curtain fell at last Did IN
play go We'll? How did the play go
What does my public think Of itT' h
s asked of Baron. 1t was almost his las
Q question on earth. He died at 10 o'cloo
> that night. He was just fifty-one veal
of age AS soon as the news of h
, death was spread through Paris the ell
q tire Clerical party were in arms. H
:, own parish priest was instructed to n
= fuse the dead actor any form Of sepu
chre. Three days after his death h
: widow had forced her way to the kint
;, But Louis XIV was no longer to
% amused by his tame man of genius +
refused brltally to take any steps
!, the matter and sent the widow and N
- friends away. Afterward 1t Is said
relented sufficiently to order the Arcl
1 l. .l..A % - Ia 1rV0 Z