BATHOS and pathos are closely allied in sound as well as in sense. Mr.
FECHTER evidently regards them as completely identical; and in his
acting, as in his pronunciation, uniformly prefers the former to the
latter. He has recently exemplified this by his personation of CLAUDE
MELNOTTE, in that most tawdry specimen of the cotton-velvet drama, the
LADY OF LYONS. This melancholy event took place a few nights since at
the French Theatre, that mausoleum of the illegitimate French drama.
Miss CARLOTTA LECLERCQ, an actress who deserves the highest praise, and
who would receive it were it not that a doubt as to the proper
pronunciation of her name prevents the bashful critic from mentioning
her when flushed with the generous enthusiasm of beer, played PAULINE,
and a number of Uncertain People played the dickens with the rest of the
_dramatis personæ_. Every one knows the play, and no one cares to hear
how the Uncertain People mangled it. The audience naturally took no
interest in it until the third scene of the first act was reached, and
shouts of "Long live CLAUDE MELNOTTE" were heard from behind the scenes.
After which everybody remarked, "Now he's coming," and rubbed their
lorgnettes with looks of expectation and corners of pocket-handkerchiefs.
_Enter_ CLAUDE. "Gif me choy, dear mutter, I've won the brize."
_Mother_. "Humph! What's the wally of it, my boy?"
CLAUDE. "Every thing. It is wealth--the 'ope of vame--the ambition to pe
worthier of PAULINE. Ah! I lofe her! I 'ave sent a boem to her. My
messenger ought efen now to be returned."
_Enter_ GASPAR. "CLAUDE, your verses are returned! With kicks! I could
show the marks of them, were it proper to do so in the presence of a
mixed audience!"
_Mother_. "Now you are cured, Claude."
CLAUDE. "So! I do sgatter her image to the winds. I will peat her menial
ruffians. I will do a fariety of voolish actions. What 'ave we 'ere? A
ledder? (_Reads it_.) BEAUSEANT bromises I shall marry her! Oh! refenge
and lofe! I will marry her, and pully her afterwards." (_Curtain_.)
_Young Lady, who reads Dickens_. "How sweet he is! So romantic! I do
love this sweet, lovely play so much."
_Accompanying Young Man, who regards himself a critic on the ground that
he once knew a ticket-speculator_. "Yes. It is one of the best plays
out. It's so full of gags, you know."
_Young Lady_. "Gags? What are they?"
_Accompanying young man, who, etc._ "Gags is the professional name for
nice tabloze. Scenes where they stand round in good positions, you
know."
_Enthusiastic Man, who has come in with a pass_. "Well! I've never
seen any acting like FECHTER'S before. It's magnificent."
_Veteran Play-goer_. "I hope I'll never see anything like it again.
He reminds me of a bull with delirium tremens in a china shop."
_Rest of the Audience_. "Only four more acts. Thank goodness we've
got through with one."
_Act II. Enter Uncertain People. They recite in a timid and indistinct
tone the prescribed fustian. They are followed by_ CLAUDE, PAULINE,
_and others_.