I. JOANNY.
II. MADEMOISELLE MARS.
III. FREDERICK LEMAITRE.
IV. THE COMIQUES.
V. MADEMOISELLE GEORGES.
VI. TABLEAUX VIVANTS.
JOANNY. March 7, 1830, Midnight.
They have been playing “Hernani” at the Théâtre-Français since February
25. The receipts for each performance have been five thousand francs.
The public every night hisses all the verses. It is a rare uproar. The
parterre hoots, the boxes burst with laughter. The actors are abashed
and hostile; most of them ridicule what they have to say. The press has
been practically unanimous every morning in making fun of the piece and
the author. If I enter a reading room I cannot pick up a paper without
seeing: “Absurd as ‘Hernani’; silly, false, bombastic, pretentious,
extravagant and nonsensical as ‘Hernani’.” If I venture into the
corridors of the theatre while the performance is in progress I see
spectators issue from their boxes and slam the doors indignantly. Mlle.
Mars plays her part honestly and faithfully, but laughs at it, even in
my presence. Michelot plays his resignedly and laughs at it behind my
back. There is not a scene shifter, not a super, not a lamp lighter but
points his finger at me.
To-day I dined with Joanny, who had invited me. Joanny plays Ruy Gomez.
He lives at No. 1 Rue du Jardinet, with a young seminarist, his nephew.
The dinner party was sober and cordial. There were some journalists
there, among others M. Merle, the husband of Mme. Dorval. After dinner,
Joanny, who has the most beautiful white hair in the world, rose, filled
his glass, turned towards me. I was on his right hand. Here literally is
what he said to me; I have just returned home and I write his words:
“Monsieur Victor Hugo, the old man, now unknown, who two hundred years
ago filled the role of Don Diègue in ‘Le Cid’ was not more penetrated
with respect and admiration in presence of the great Corneille than the
old man who plays Don Buy Gomez is to-day in your presence.”