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and to Messrs. Cogniard's theatre, and their unanimous verdict has been fully borne out by the public.

*

In it Frédéric Lemaître enacts the principal part, which is the more unfortunate, inasmuch as no small share of the reprobation due to the writer recoils in these cases necessarily on the actor, who is thus unjustly made the scapegoat for the delinquencies of another. Frédéric, however, is one of the few living comedians whom nothing, not even a "Monte Cristo" row, can ever discourage; no matter how bad the piece in which he acts (and nothing can be worse than "Tragaldabas"), cà lui est bien égal, he will obtain it a hearing, if not for the sake of its author, at all events for his own. Nay, at the close, he will risk all on the chance of turning the scale in its favour; and it was with this intent that, while the concluding sentences of M. Vacquerie's ignoble parade were being received with a storm of hisses, Frédéric advanced to the front of the stage, and thus apostrophised the public; "Messieurs, combien, intéressés et désintéressés, ne devons-nous pas nous réunir pour crier Vive la République!" The audience first stared in astonishment, then burst into a loud fit of laughter, under cover of which down came the curtain. This in theatrical argot is called faire de la banque, which term is generally applied to any attempt at producing effect by out-of-the-way means. Pierson, a clever performer at the Porte St. Martin some fifteen years ago, was a notorious banquiste, and used to walk about accompanied by a dog, on whose collar was engraved in large letters, "I belong to M. Pierson, first comic actor of the Théâtre de la Porte St. Martin, and officer in the National Guard." Another worthy, whenever he accepted a provincial engagement, always had two contracts drawn out, the one stating the sum he was actually to receive as a remuneration for his services, and the other the same amount multiplied by two. This last, not being signed by the manager, was of course valueless, but afforded the actor an opportunity of boasting among his comrades (who of course were not allowed to look too closely into the matter) that he was paid at a far higher rate than they were.

Messrs. Duponchel and Nestor Roqueplan are unquestionably most indefatigable in proving their adherence to the existing order (or rather disorder) of things in France. Since their accession to power, they have never ceased revolutionising and remodelling the opera troupe; and the result of their labours is that at the present moment almost the entire répertoire is put hors de combat. This opera can't be sung because Bettini is gone, Barroilhet going, and Duprez en congé; that ballet can't be danced because Carlotta has been exiled to Geneva, Flora Fabbri to Turin, and Adèle Dumilâtre the Lord knows whither. Roger and Madame Viardot are coming, certainly, but so is Christmas, and it is a toss-up which will be the first to arrive: in short, the hope of the once flourishing Académie de Musique rests, and is likely to rest for some time, with Alizard and Mademoiselle Grimm for opera, and Adeline Plunkett for ballet. Take away Alizard and Adeline, hosts in themselves, and what remains? A grim prospect, truly!

Since the above was written, "Tragaldabas" has been consigned to the tomb of the Capulets, a new drama, called "Les Libertins de Genève," reigning in its stead.

Like all Eugène Sue's other dramatised novels, the "Morne au Diable," recently produced at the Ambigu, is a complete failure. The same unconnected incidents, the same lack of sustained interest, the same incongruities of plot and dialogue are here visible as in the "Mystères de Paris," "Mathilde," and "Martin et Bamboche." A few striking effects and some really beautiful scenery, aided by the talent of Montdidier and a very general feeling of sympathy on the part of the audience with the actors, who are themselves carrying on the management of the theatre, have secured for "le Morne au Diable" a lingering existence, the insurance of which the most enterprising office would indubitably decline. As for Mademoiselle Lobry, who made her début in this piece, all that can be said of her is that she was

At the Gymnase-passable,

At the Variétés-endurable,
and is

At the Ambigu-insufferable.

One of the new recruits of the Odéon company is a young actress, possessing the very Shaksperian name of Ariel; her gentillesse suggests the hope that, during her dramatic noviciate, she may experience neither storm nor tempest, unless in the pleasing shape of a hurricane of bravos. It seems as if all Alfred de Musset's proverbes, one after the other, were to be transferred in turn from the volume which first introduced them to public notice to the stage. Already, since December last, has the Théâtre de la République brought out three, "Un Caprice,' "Il faut qu'une porte soit ouverte on fermée," and "Il ne faut jurer de rien;" and now a fourth," Le Chandelier," has just been added to the répertoire of the Théâtre Historique. This last piece, besides being extremely amusing, is written with such peculiar ease and grace, that its very questionable morality is in a measure gazée as well by the charm and wit of the dialogue as by the consummate tact and skill with which each of the three acts is charpenté. It is to be hoped, however, that the success of these little chefs d'œuvre will not induce other authors to favour us with specimens of their "proverbial philosophy," and thus convert the new and original path so happily struck out by Alfred de Musset, into a common and beaten track. Unless treated with the most exquisite taste and nicety, these light and airy nothings, the plot of which is invariably made subservient to the details, degenerate into the flimsiest and tamest of vaudevilles, minus the couplets.

Alfred de Musset's style is sparkling and fanciful, his characters, even when mere sketches, are lifelike and natural, and however slight may be the foundation of his pieces, that foundation is never once lost sight of from the first to the concluding scene. "Un Caprice" is a gem that deserves to rank with Scribe's "Geneviève" and "Michel et Christine;" I can award it no higher praise. There are, indeed, many points of resemblance between the two writers; nor, with due deference be it spoken, is the superiority always on one side. If Scribe's works show greater satirical power, and a more profound knowledge of the human heart than those of his less experienced confrère, the compositions of the

latter are more deeply imbued with imagination and poetry. It may be a question whether Alfred de Musset could ever have written "La Camaraderie" or "Bertrand et Raton;" but it is equally doubtful whether Scribe, or indeed any other author of the present day, could have enriched French literature with so delightful and original a production as "Les Confessions d'un Enfant du Siècle."

If the worthy creator of the "Gamin de Paris," "Michel Perrin," and a hundred other marvellous types, ever reads the London newspapers, he must have been rarely amused by a paragraph which has recently gone the round of half of them, announcing his intention of undertaking the management of the Vaudeville. Now it is true enough that negotiations have for some time been on the tapis (though as yet without any decisive result) between the proprietor of the salle and a M. Bouffé, once co-director with M. Ancelot of this identical theatre; but from him to the Bouffé par excellence-il y a loin. It would, indeed, be difficult to imagine two mortals more unlike each other than the namesakes in question; Bouffé, the actor, being thin, pale, delicate-looking, and of a remarkably nervous temperament, whereas Bouffé, the manager (familiarly styled le gros Bouffé), is stout and rosy, with a face like a full moon and a body to match. If the latter has a weakness, it is an amiable one, which we should term-were we allowed to coin a word champagneomania. During his partnership with M. Ancelot, he was accustomed to celebrate every succès d'argent by repeated libations, so that if an author wished to ascertain whether his piece was really drawing money to the treasury or not, he had only to ask in the course of the evening, "where is M. Bouffé ?" If the answer was "Il est au café," the author might go on his way rejoicing; his piece was safe to run a month, at least.

Bouffé (I mean the manager), was very popular with his troupe, as the following anecdote will testify. About a year ago he was imprisoned for debt at Brussels, and had little hope of effecting his liberation, when he heard of the arrival in the Belgian capital of one of his former ladypensionnaires, to whom he had always shown great kindness.

"Madame est ici !" said he, "donc je suis sauvé !"

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Nor was he mistaken; the fair actress in question, on learning his situation, immediately volunteered her services for two nights at the theatre, expressly stipulating that the receipts (after payment of the expenses) should be handed over without any deduction to Bouffé, whose liabilities were in consequence wholly discharged, and who, like the lion in the fable, had thus an opportunity of acknowledging the truth of La Fontaine's maxim,

On a souvent besoin d'un plus petit que soi.

August 22, 1848.

Sept.-VOL. LXXXIV. NO. CCCXXXIII.

K

THE EXTINCT KINGDOM OF UPPER ITALY.

NOTWITHSTANDING the enthusiasm and excitement that heralded the insurrection in Northern Italy, and the imaginary triumph obtained by the retreat of the Austrians to the line of the Mincio and the Adige, our own opinions upon the question have never varied. In the New Monthly Magazine for May we stated that Field-Marshal Radetzki, not having been willing, or, as it since appears, not having had the means, to bombard the city of Milan, he had withdrawn his troops to the central strongholds of Verona and Mantua, with the Adige in front of his line. The reaction that may be anticipated, we added, will be fearful. German Tyrol has risen to a man to repel the spirit of insurrection that has so suddenly animated the not very warlike Italians. The Austrian provinces will send their countless numbers to the struggle to protect those imperial rights that have been guaranteed by treaties innumerable, and ages of possession, many times insured by the spilling of the best blood of Austria on the plains of the Po, the Adda, the Oglio, and the Adige.

In June we remarked that the progress of events in Northern Italy exhibited a singular inaptitude for war on the part of the Italians, that Radetzky had now been too long suffered to occupy his strong positions almost unmolested, and that he only waited to act upon the offensive for reinforcements; and in July we had to remark that while the fall of Peschiera was one step in advance for the Italians, that still that success was a very trifle compared with what still remained to be done, and with the defection of the Italian allies, which threw the whole weight of the war upon the Sardinian army.

The catastrophe which then became inevitable was not long in being foreshadowed.

Padua and Treviso having fallen almost simultaneously with Vicenza, General Durando retired on Ferrara, while the rest of the Italian troops east of the Mincio took refuge in Venice. To the west of the same river the army, after an absurd demonstration on the 14th of June in the vicinity of Verona, retired to its old positions, extending from Goito to Rivoli. It seemed as if Charles Albert was screwed down to the line of the Mincio, and settlements being at that time in active progress on the permanent base of the Adige, it appeared for a long time likely that this war would terminate pretty nearly where it began. Further countenance was lent to this supposition, that at a great council of war held on June 26th, the proposed plan of crossing the Upper Adige and operating against the forts of Verona on the north, was rejected as infeasible.

Negotiations which were opened at Milan towards the end of June for the conclusion of peace were reported to have been broken off, on the grounds that the Provisional Government would not consent to the annexation of Venice to the Austrian dominions, nor take charge of any portion of the Austrian debt, said to amount to 100,000,000 florins. It is even said that the Provisional Government claimed the Italian Tyrol.

At the time of these interrupted negotiations, General Sonnaz defended Rivoli, and observed the Upper Adige and the road from Verona to

Peschiera with 15,000 men. The Duke of Savoy with the reserve10,000 men-was stationed at Roverbello, and Goito, before Mantua; while the king, with the grand corps d'armée (35,000 men) was taking up a position at Isola della Scala, with the view of attacking Legnano on the Lower Adige. The division of the Duke of Genoa had a smart affair on the 2nd of July with the Austrians at the fort of the Montebaldo and the right of the Adige, but no result of importance ensued. Charles Albert had, however, by this time become so sensible of the great fact, that a mere explosion of national enthusiasm was not sufficient to dissipate at once the regular forces of the Austrian government, that he is said to have made an application to Marshal Bugeaud to assume the command of the Sardinian forces. General Cavaignac, however, refused his assent to this arrangement, being naturally apprehensive that a general at the head of a successful army abroad would have an incalculable advantage in public opinion over those who would remain to support the burden and the unpopularity of government at home. Early the same month the National Assembly of Venice voted, by 127 to 6, the immediate union of the Venetian territory to the kingdom of Upper Italy on the same conditions as Lombardy.

Although much marching and counter-marching had taken place, no actual advance towards the Adige had been made up to the 13th of July. It soon became evident, indeed, to the merest looker on, that any actual advance was not possible. The long talked over forward movement was manifestly to terminate in the blockade of Mantua, and King Charles Albert, instead of making the best of his way to Legnano and the Adige, stopped short at Castellaro, a small place eight miles north-east of Mantua.

In the mean time, the Austrians, who had concentrated their forces at Verona, despatched a body of 5000 men to occupy Ferrara, which they did on the 14th of July, without opposition. The Austrian troops crossed the Po at two points, one above, and one below Ferrara, on which city they marched at once, without experiencing any resistance. Their object was to victual and reinforce the garrison of the citadel, which accomplished, the Austrian general engaged to recross the Po within two days, and without committing any hostilities, provided his own march was left free from interruption.

On the 18th of July, General Bava attacked 3000 Austrians, who were intrenched at Governolo, a village on the Mincio, near the confluence of that river with the Po, carried the bridge by a charge of cavalry and flying artillery, and took 450 prisoners, two standards, and four pieces of artillery. This successful affair raised the spirits of the Italian army exceedingly. A slight manifestation attended with no results, had been made the day previous on the Pass of the Stelvio, the scene of so many struggles. The king had removed from Roverbello to Marmirolo, four or five miles from Mantua, which fortress was, by General Bava's success, blockaded on all sides, while at the same time, the only passage across the Lower Mincio held by the Austrians, fell into the possession of the allied

army.

An ordinance, issued by Charles Albert on the 11th of July, decreed the immediate union of Lombardy and the provinces of Padua, Vicenza, Treviso, and Rovigo, already voted by the people! These provinces were to constitute part of the imaginary kingdom of Upper Italy.

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