MOLIERE. What a prating is here!

Mrs. MOLIERE. I'faith if I were to write a Comedy I would write it on this Subject. I would juftify the Women in a great many things they are accus'd of, and I'd make the Husbands dread the difference there is between their rough Manners and the Civility of Galants.

MOLIERE. Well, let that alone, we are not to prattle now, we have fomething else to do.

Mrs. BEJART. But fince you were commanded to work on the Subject of the Criticism that's made upon you, why did not you make that Comedy of Comedians that you have talk'd to us of a long time? 'twas a thing ready invented, and would have come very proper, and fo much the better, as having undertaken to paint you, they open'd an occafion to you to paint them likewise, and it might have been call'd their Picture much more juftly than all they have done can be call'd yours; for to mimick a Comedian in a Comick Part is not to defcribe him, but 'tis only defcribing after him the Characters he reprefents, and making use of the fame Strokes, and the fame Colours which he's oblig'd to use in the different Pictures of the ridiculous Characters, which he imitates after Nature. But to mimick a Comedian in ferious Parts is defcribing him by Faults which are entirely his own, fince those kind of Characters will not bear either the Gestures or ridiculous Tone of Voice by which he is known again.

MOLIERE. 'Tis true, but I have my Reasons for not doing it; I did not think, between us, the thing worth the trouble, and befides it requir'd more time to execute that Idea. As their Days of playing are the fame with ours, I have scarce been to fee them above three or four times fince we have been at Paris ; I caught nothing of their manner of acting but what

at

ce qui m'a d'abord fauté aux yeux, & j'aurois eu besoin de les étudier davantage pour faire des portraits bien reffemblans.

Mademoiselle DU PARC. Pour moi, j'en ai reconnu quelques-uns dans votre bouche.

Mademoiselle DE BRIE. Je n'ai jamais oui parler de

cela.

MOLIERE. C'eft une idée qui m'avoit paffé une fois par la tête, & que j'ai laiffée-là comme une bagatelle, une badinerie, qui peut-être n'auroit pas fait rire. Mademoiselle DE BRIE. Dites-la moi un peu, puif que vous l'avez dite aux autres.

MOLIERE. Nous n'avons pas le tems maintenant. Mademoiselle DE BRIE. Seulement deux mots. MOLIERE. J'avois fongé une comédie, ou il y auroit eu un poëte, que j'aurois repréfenté moi-même, qui feroit venu pour offrir une piéce à une troupe de comédiens nouvellement arrivés de campagne. Avezvous, auroit-il dit, des acteurs & des actrices qui foient capables de bien faire valoir un ouvrage, car ma piéce est une piéce ... Hé! Monfieur, auroient répondu les comédiens, nous avons des hommes & des femmes qui ont été trouvés raisonnables par tout ou nous avons paffé. Et qui fait les rois parmi vous ? Voilà un acteur qui s'en démêle par fois. Qui? Ce jeune homme bien fait ? Vous moquez-vous? Il faut un roi qui foit gros & gras comme quatre. Un roi, morbleu, qui foit entripaillé comme il faut. Un roi d'une vaste circonférence, & qui puiffe remplir un trône de la belle maniére. La belle chofe qu'un roi d'une taille galante! Voilà dèja un grand défaut, mais que je l'entende un peu réciter une douzaine de vers. Là-deffus le comédien auroit récité, par exemple, quelques vers du roi de Nicomede,

Te le dirai-je, Arafpe? Il m'a trop bien fervi,
Augmentant mon pouvoir....

le

at first was obvious to the Eye, and I fhould want to ftudy them more to make Portraits very like them.

Mrs DU PARC. For my part, I have discover'd fome Refemblances of 'em come from your Mouth.

Mrs. DE BRIE. I never hear'd this talk'd of.

MOLIERE. "Tis a Thought I once had in my Head, but I have left it as a Trifle, an impertinent thing, that perhaps would not have made People laugh.

Mrs. DE BRIE. Tell it me a little, fince you have told it others.

MOLIERE. We han't time now.

Mrs. DE BRIE. Only in two Words.

MOLIERE. I had Thoughts of a Comedy in which there should have been a Poet whom I would have represented myself, who fhould come to offer a Piece to a Company of Comedians newly come out of the Country. Have you Actors and Actreffes, he should have said, that are capable of setting off a Performance well, for my Piece is a Piece Ah! Sir, the Co

median should have answer'd, we have Men and Women who have been thought tolerable in all Places we have pafs'd thro'. And who plays the King amongst . you? There's an Actor who performs it fometimes. Who! that fine-fhap'd young Man? You jeft fure! You should have a King that's very fat, and fourfquare. S'death a King that's stuff'd as he should be. A King of a vaft Circumference, and that can fill a Throne handfomely. A fine-shap'd King is a fine thing indeed! This is one grand Fault already; but let me hear him repeat a Dozen Verfes a little? Upon which the Cĉmedian should have repeated, for example, fome Verfes of the King of Nicomedia,

I fay, Arafpus, he has too well ferv'd me,,
My Power augmenting →→→→

the

le plus naturellement qu'il lui auroit été poffible. Et le poëte: Comment? Vous appellez cela réciter ? C'eft fe railler; il faut dire les chofes avec emphase. Ecoutez moi.

[Il contrefait Montfleuri comédien de l'hôtel de Bour. gogne.

Te le dirai-je, Arafpe... &c.

Voyez-vous cette posture? Remarquez bien cela. Là, appuyez comme il faut le dernier vers. Voilà ce qui attire l'approbation, & fait faire le brouhaha. Mais, Monfieur, auroit répondu le comédien, il me femble qu'un roi qui s'entretient tout feul avec fon capitaine des gardes, parle un peu plus humainement, & ne prend guéres ce ton de démoniaque. Vous ne fçavez ce que c'eft. Allez-vous-en reciter comme vous faites, vous verrez fi vous ferez faire aucun, Ah! Voions un peu une fcéne d'amant & d'amante. Là-deffus une comédienne & un comédien auroient fait une fcéne enfemble, qui eft celle de Camille & de Curiace,

Iras-tu, ma chére ame, & ce funefte bonneur
Te plaît-il aux dépens de tout notre bonheur?
Hélas! Je vois trop bien ... &c.

tout de même que l'autre, & le plus naturellement qu'ils auroient pu. Et le poëte auffi-tôt : Vous vous moquez, vous ne faites rien qui vaille, & voici comme il faut réciter cela.

[Il imite mademoiselle de Beauchâteau comédienne de l'hôtel de Bourgogne.

Iras-tu, ma chére ame &c.

...

Non, je te connois mieux... &c.

Voyez-vous comme cela eft naturel & paffionné? Admirez ce vifage riant qu'elle conferve dans les plus grandes afflictions. Enfin, voilà l'idée; & il auroit parcouru de même tous les acteurs, & toutes les actrices.

Mademoiselle DE BRIE. Je trouve cette idée affez

plaifante,

the most naturally that he poffibly could. Then the Poet: What, do you call that Repeating? you rally fure; you should speak things with an Emphafis.. Hearken to me.

[Imitating Monfleury, an excellent Actor of the Hotel de Bourgogne.

I say, Arafpus, &c.

Do you fee this Pofture? Obferve that well. There, lay a Strefs as you ought on the last Verse ; that's what gains Approbation, and raises a Clap. But, Sir, the Comedian fhould have answer'd, Methinks a King who is difcourfing alone with the Captain of his Guards, fpeaks a little more humanely, and fcarce makes use of this Demoniacal Tone. You don't understand it. Go and fpeak as you do, you'll fee if you'll get one Clap. Ah, let's fee a little a Scene of a Lover and his Miftrefs. Upon which an Actor and Actress should have play'd a Scene together, which is that of Camilla and Curiatius,

Doft go, dear Soul, and does this fatal Honour
Pleafe thee at the Expence of all our Welfare?
Alas! I too well fee, &c.

like the other, and as naturally as he was able. Then the Poet immediately: You are in jeit, you do nothing to the purpose, thus you ought to repeat this,

[Imitating Mrs. Beauchateau a Player of the Hotel de Bourgogne.

Doft go, dear Soul, &c.

No, I know thee better, &c.

Do, you fee how natural and paffionate this is? Admire this fmiling Countenance which fhe preferves in the greatest Afflictions. In fhort, this is the Defign; and he should have run over all the Players in this

manner.

Mrs. DE BRIE. I think the Design very humourous,

and