to prefer Molière's prose to his verses. That learned wit had no very great taste in verses at any time, and had been accustomed to a very bad taste in particular, which Molière rooted out. The classical scholar was judicious and generous enough at the time to acknowledge the reformation; but, perhaps, he never heartily forgot his old propensities. Perhaps, also, he grudged Molière that extraordinary facility in versifying, which Boileau has recorded with astonishment.* The happy power for which Boileau here praises his friend, is one of the most remarkable things in the Tartuffe. Those who know the Hypocrite of the English stage, know the other in a certain way; and know it well. But there is no comparison in the two styles; every word telling with double force in the Frenchman's mouth, and uniting with the familiarity of prose the terseness of wit in rhyme. Let the reader imagine the best colloquial verses of Dryden or Pope, full of wit and humor, uttering the finest knowledge of life, comprising a plot no less interesting than simple, agitating the feelings deeply before they have done, and dismissing the audience in the most generous disposition for truth; and they have a picture of this great and perfect comedy. An English audience, in their own language, could not relish a comedy in rhyme so well as the French can. Their manners are less conscious and mixed up. They could not so easily take an artificial grace for a natural one. But heard through the dimness of a language not habitual 66 * Ménage tells us, that when he himself sat down to write verses, he first 'got together" his "rhymes;" and that his rhymes sometimes took him three or four months to "fill up"! - Id. p. 261. to us, we become just enough sensible of the grace and power of the versification to admire the comedy the more, without being the less sensible of its truth and nature. In venturing to lay a scene of it before the reader, we have, therefore, not ventured to do it in rhyme. It is, indeed, an injustice to the author, in one sense, not to do so (supposing we were able to do it); but it would be hurting the effect of his truth and humor, which are the greater matters. We have selected the scene more particularly, because it exhibits what we conceive to be the greatest and most original trait in the author's genius; to wit, his delight in putting a good, broad, sustained, and even farcial-looking joke, knowing it to be founded in exquisite truth, and resolving to relish it with us, unalloyed, for that reason. It is the spirit and gusto of the truth, taking place of the formal image; and only making us hail and incorporate with it the more. The scene is between Orgon, the credulous master of the house, who makes an idol of Tartuffe, and Dorina, the servant, a great enemy of the impostor, and burning to see him detected. Tartuffe has not yet made his appearance, and this is the first time Orgon has made his. Let the reader admire the singular skill with which, in the midst of this "joke run down," the audience are let into the interior of the host's credulity, and of Tartuffe's power and worldliness. Orgon says but two things alternately throughout; and the performer must be imagined at once giving us a sense of this monotony of ideas, and varying the expression of them for the true comic effect. A little pause must To be fancied occasionally, and a face full of meaning. The author of the Hypocrite has not ventured upon it; - but imagine it in the hands of Munden! complete the scene, Orgon's brother-in-law, another enemy of Tartuffe's, is present, wondering all the while at his infatuation. Orgon has just come from the country, and after interchanging civilities with his brother, begs him to excuse him a little while he talks with the servant, and asks after the welfare of his house. He addresses her accordingly: "Well, Dorina, has everything been going on as it should do these two days? How do they all do? And what have they been about? Dor. My mistress was ill the day before yesterday with a fever. She had a headache quite dreadful to think of. Org. And Tartuffe ? Dor. Tartuffe! O, he is wonderfully well; fat and hearty, a fresh complexion, and a mouth as red as a rose. Org. (turning about with an air of fondness). Poor soul! Dor. In the evening my mistress was taken with a sickness, and could not touch a bit of supper, her head was so bad. Org. And Tartuffe? Dor. O, seeing she could not eat, he eat by himself; and very devoutly swallowed two partridges, with a good half of a hashed leg of mutton. Org. Poor soul! Dor. My mistress did not shut her eyes all night. The fever hindered her from getting a wink of sleep, and we were obliged to watch by her till morning. Org. And Tartuffe? Dor. Tartuffe, happy gentleman, with a comfortable yawn, goes right from table to bed, where he plunges into his warm nest, and sleeps soundly till morning. Org. Poor soul! Dor. At last we prevailed upon Madame to be bled, which gave her great relief. Org. And Tartuffe ? Dor. Monsieur Tartuffe was very much relieved also. He found himself charming, and to repair the loss of the blood which Madame had sustained, took four draughts of wine with his breakfast. Org. Poor soul! Dor. In short, both are very well now; so I'll go and tell my mistress you are coming, and how happy you are to hear she is recovered." We have left ourselves very little room to speak of the actors. In fact, we must see them again before we can venture to speak much; and then we shall feel diffident, except in speaking of what all the world may judge of. French nature is, in some respects, so different from ours, we mean that the same nature, where great passions are not concerned, exhibits itself in such various ways through the medium of national manners, that all critics ought to be cautious how they pronounce upon it, especially those who know more of the language in books than as it is spoken; which we confess to be our case. We shall therefore wait, and judge cautiously. Meantime, we cannot help saying, that M. Perlet appears to us a performer of the very first merit, full, both of sensibility and judgment, relishing, self-possessed, various," up," as the phrase is, to every situation, and every part of it; and with an equal perception of the gravest as well as the lightest things he has to say. There was an air of singular depth and intention throughout his performance; and when he turned with that preternatural insolence of heart, after his detection, and pausing before he spoke, with his arm up, and an air of frightful preparation, told the master of the house "to go out of the house himself, for it was his," there was something ghastly and awful in it. The house was so still we felt as if we could almost have heard the rain out of doors. Yet the same man, we are told, is wonderful in clowns and idiots, and is but a young actor. We must not forget Madame Daudel, a sort of younger Mrs. Davison; very pleasant. She acted Dorina. 1828. HEREDITARY HOUSE OF PLAYERS. HE other day we heard of an indiscreet young THE Lord, who took it in his head to perform on a private stage, and performed very badly. This is the consequence of people going out of their spheres: an eccentricity, which the wisest cannot be guilty of with impunity. Had this tyro of quality, by the decease of the Peer, his brother, found himself in his right element, that is to say, in the House of Lords, he would, of course, have displayed a talent for legislation, because he inherits it. He may appear, for the present, to be nothing but a dandy and a foolish fellow, but the moment he got there, we should have his first wise speech; and all the speeches that followed would be equally wise. To hear him talk just now, not being a Peer, we allow might lead people to suppose that he could do nothing but swear, and say "By G-d," and gamble, and babble of wine and women; but only let the Peer, his brother, make room for him, only let him seat himself on the magic bench and wisdom shall flow from his lips; no question, however knotty, shall come amiss to him: points, which the House of Commons could not decide, shall come before him to be settled, and he shall settle them well: the whole country shall be satisfied: his tenants shall rejoice, especially if he has given them reasons why three parts of them are to be ejected from their houses; he shall disburse, till one |