QUEENS OF THE FRENCH STAGE
[Illustration: _Adrienne Lecouvreur._
_After the painting by Charles Coypel_]
QUEENS OF THE FRENCH STAGE
BY H. NOEL WILLIAMS
AUTHOR OF "MADAME RECAMIER AND HER FRIENDS," "MADAME DE POMPADOUR," "MADAME DE MONTESPAN," "MADAME DU BARRY," ETC.
NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 153-157 FIFTH AVENUE 1905
CONTENTS
PAGE
I. THE WIFE OF MOLIERE 1
II. MARIE DE CHAMPMESLE 87
III. ADRIENNE LECOUVREUR 127
IV. MADEMOISELLE DE CAMARGO 197
V. JUSTINE FAVART 223
VI. MADEMOISELLE CLAIRON 273
INDEX 353
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
ADRIENNE LECOUVREUR. (_Photogravure_) _Frontispiece_ _After the painting by_ CHARLES COYPEL
ARMANDE BEJART _to face page_ 24 _After a contemporary drawing in the collection of_ M. HENRY HOUSSAYE, _of the Academia Francaise_
JEAN RACINE " 96 _From an engraving by_ VERTUE
MAURICE DE SAXE " 168 _After the painting by_ HYACINTHE RIGAUD
MADEMOISELLE PREVOST " 200 _After the painting by_ JEAN RAOUX, _in the Music of Tours_
MADEMOISELLE DE CAMARGO " 208 _From the painting by_ LANCRET, _in the Wallace Collection at Hertford House_
JUSTINE FAVART " 240 _After the drawing by_ CHARLES NICOLAS COCHIN _fils_
MADEMOISELLE CLAIRON " 296 _After the painting by_ CARLE VAN LOO
ELIZABETH BERKELEY, Countess of Craven (afterwards Margravine of Anspach) " 344 _After the drawing by_ SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS
QUEENS OF THE FRENCH STAGE
I
THE WIFE OF MOLIERE
Few women in French history have been the subject of more discussion than the young girl whom Moliere married, at the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois, on February 20, 1662.
Armande Gresinde Claire Elisabeth Bejart, for that was the bride's name, is described in the marriage deed as the daughter of the late Joseph Bejart, _ecuyer_, sieur de Belleville, and of his widow, Marie Herve. Joseph Bejart, it should be stated, had died shortly before, or shortly after, Armande's birth.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: Queens of the French Stage by H. Noel Williams
- 2: Seigneur de Modene and other places
- 3: Modene accompanied him and greatly distinguished himself
- 4: Madeleine Bejart had had a little girl
- 5: But Montfleury is not listened to at Court
- 6: Attacked Moliere in a play called Elomire hypocondre
- 7: Larroumet believes Modene to have been in Paris
- 8: A friend of the Comte de Modene
- 9: The anonymous author of La Fameuse Comedienne
- 10: Poisson Without being beautiful
- 11: And in la roles de femmes coquettes et satiriques
- 12: The first three acts of Tartuffe
- 13: Celimene is haughty and imperious
- 14: While Arnolphe sees his cherished scheme come to nothing
- 15: The Mariage force and George Dandin
- 16: And the Duc de Montausier remarked
- 17: And Celimene tartly refuses Allez
- 18: The editor of the latest edition of the Fameuse Comedienne
- 19: But Moliere having written the Princesse d' Elide
- 20: 27 and also with Madeleine Bejart
- 21: When his friend Chapelle broke in upon his solitude
- 22: In which play Moliere is generally believed to have
- 23: The whole Auteuil episode is pure fiction
- 24: Says the author of the Fameuse Comedienne
- 25: Was compelled to admit that Pulcherie was not a success
- 26: Was destined to prove fatal to Moliere
- 27: Harlay de Chanvalon and his subordinate were
- 28: For among them was that of the Council of Arles
- 29: A Jansenist of the most advanced type
- 30: Floridor gave the required promise
- 31: But Moliere made himself responsible for its efficiency
- 32: The Hotel de Bourgogne intrigued vigorously against them
- 33: Which resulted in the Marquis de Sourdeac and his partner
- 34: If she could arrange a rendezvous
- 35: That of President Lescot by the Cardinal de Rohan
- 36: To transfer her services to the Theatre Guenegaud
- 37: That Marie Desmares made her debut
- 38: De Champmesle was but half satisfied with such successes
- 39: De Champmesle was strictly beautiful
- 40: De Champmesle the beautiful Jewess
- 41: De Champmesle continued her successes
- 42: Pradon had only three months allowed him
- 43: De Champmesle himself took possession of the box office
- 44: De Champmesle in the title part
- 45: De Champmesle has not broken with him
- 46: De Champmesle had discarded him
- 47: Christine Antoinette Charlotte Desmares
- 48: At the sermons of the Abbe Boileau
- 49: Could he escape this infamous proscription
- 50: Admitted them to the Sacraments
- 51: De Champmesle left behind her two brilliant pupils
- 52: Desmares made her debut in 1699
- 53: Adrienne Lecouvreur was born on April 5
- 54: Invited Adrienne and her comrades to the Temple
- 55: The notorious robber Cartouche was awaiting his trial
- 56: Am of opinion that if Charles Coypel
- 57: Paleologue rather boldly asserts
- 58: With Clavel Adrienne corresponded
- 59: Her two children she left at Strasburg
- 60: Desmares and the Champmesle had had great and splendid parts
- 61: On learning that it was Du Marsais
- 62: Supported by the Quinault coterie
- 63: Under the title of Herode et Mariamne
- 64: Second son of the Duc de Rohan Chabot
- 65: Adrienne was not only on friendly but on intimate terms
- 66: Combined with the arduous work of her profession
- 67: Among the latter Echard's Histoire Romaine
- 68: Was the Marquis de la Chalotais
- 69: Adrienne wrote him long and frequent letters
- 70: In no way interfered with his intimacy with Adrienne
- 71: Celebrated in later years as Marechal de Saxe
- 72: Maurice pursuing his military studies
- 73: When the Diet of Mitau elected Maurice duke
- 74: Turned to Adrienne for consolation
- 75: Had been furnished her by a friend of the Lecouvreur
- 76: The Lecouvreur wrote to the abbe's father
- 77: Bouret was released on October 23
- 78: Bouret completely alters his tone
- 79: The Lecouvreur was extremely surprised
- 80: Adrienne was taken ill on Tuesday
- 81: Quicklime being thrown over the body
- 82: Sur Baron et la demoiselle Lecouvreur
- 83: And the whole Cupis family set out for Normandy
- 84: De Camargo not only performed every movement correctly
- 85: De Camargo saved the situation
- 86: The young danseuse had no pretensions to beauty
- 87: Since the family of Cupis quitted Rome
- 88: He therefore secured to her an income of 1500 livres
- 89: De Camargo reappeared upon the scene
- 90: Formerly mistress of the President de Rieux
- 91: Les Nymphes sautent comme vous
- 92: Entitled La Camargo avec son danseur
- 93: The author of Les Deux Jumelles
- 94: Favart was entrusted by the director of the Opera
- 95: The offer seemed like a fortune to poor Favart
- 96: Favart started at once for Brussels
- 97: The leader of the other troupe of actors
- 98: When Maurice attacked the allies at Roucoux
- 99: Illustration JUSTINE FAVARTFrom an engraving by J
- 100: But was no doubt written in the late autumn of 1746
- 101: Justine readily agreed to his proposal
- 102: Dumesnil attempted to console him
- 103: Meusnier adds that the Marshal
- 104: Were endeavouring to get Favart extradited
- 105: Had not been present at her marriage with Favart
- 106: By Meusnier and a detachment of police
- 107: How I pity that poor mother Madame Favart
- 108: Dating her letter December 40th
- 109: Justine received another letter from the Marshal
- 110: And threatened to have Favart killed
- 111: And on being told that it was Favart
- 112: Through the influence of Voisenon
- 113: Recois mes vers au theatre applaudis
- 114: Yielding to the remonstrances of the neighbours
- 115: Dangeville and the profession which she adorned
- 116: Little Clairon soon became a general favourite
- 117: And the sobriquet Fretillon stuck to her for life
- 118: The Clairon was a careful girl
- 119: Clairon passed to the Comedie Francaise
- 120: And that it was her wish to play Phedre herself Phedre
- 121: Clairon continued her debuts with success
- 122: Clairon seated herself in an arm chair
- 123: Nature has done a good deal in favour of Madame Clairon
- 124: The Clairon would never forgive me
- 125: Clairon enjoyed a celebrity of another
- 126: Who is very much in love with Clairon
- 127: Clairon and the author of the Contes moraux
- 128: Marmontel had been in love with a certain Mlle
- 129: I determined to perform Phedre as I had played it at first
- 130: Clairon even affected foreign gesticulations
- 131: Six rouleaux of fifty louis each
- 132: De Bauffremont was followed by yet another marquis
- 133: Clairon in all the attributes of Tragedy
- 134: Which was the work of one Huerne de la Mothe
- 135: Followed by a paragraph written by Freron himself
- 136: Clairon herself was sent to For l'Eveque
- 137: And her friend Madame de Sauvigny
- 138: Madame de Sauvigny insisted that Mlle
- 139: Clairon was permitted to resume her ordinary life
- 140: Found the Clairon acting Agrippine and Phedre
- 141: Clairon appeared as Athalie and Amenaide
- 142: Clairon bade farewell to all her friends in Paris
- 143: Clairon remained for seventeen years
- 144: Clairon decided to accompany him
- 145: Clairon completed her Memoires
- 146: Clairon had been in possession of a comfortable fortune
- 147: Clairon and invites her to Anspach
- 148: And in La Fameuse Comedienne
- 149: Denounces the plays of Moliere
- 150: Insists on making her debut in the part of Phedre
- 151: Shocked at the conduct of Justine Favart
- 152: Brother of Marie de Champmesle
- 153: 43 note El Desden con el Desden
- 154: Her relations with the Abbe de Voisenon
- 155: His portrait of Adrienne Lecouvreur
- 156: His liaison with Adrienne Lecouvreur
- 157: His supposed liaison with Mlle
- 158: 192 Maximes et reflexions sur la comedie
- 159: His marriage with Armande Bejart
- 160: Production of the two Phedres
- 161: Conceives a violent passion for Justine Favart
- 162: His relations with Adrienne Lecouvreur
- 163: Dictionnaire critique de Biographie et d'Histoire
- 164: 19 Gaboriau's Les comediennes adorees
- 165: And Bussy answers So far as I can see
- 166: 43 And not of a marchana des rubans
- 167: Notice sur Adrienne Lecouvreur
- 168: 76 Lettres d'Adrienne Lecouvreur
- 169: 90 Lettres d'Adrienne Lecouvreur
- 170: But in the opinion of Desnoiresterres
- 171: As Desnoiresterres very justly remarks
- 172: 154 Memoires de Mademoiselle Clairon
- 173: Clairon made a very desirable mistress
- 174: Lekain left the theatre in a towering passion
- 175: Acteurs et Actrices du Temps passe