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NAUDET. I have already said that the Reverend Father NAUDET, as he is called, played the parts of tyrants in tragedy. Never did tyrant appear so inoffensive. As well as VANHOVE, in comedy, he neither meets with censure nor applause from the public. First parts, or principal lovers, in Comedy. MOLE, FLEURY, and BAPTISTE the elder. MOLE. At this name I breathe.
VANHOVE was the first player ever called for by a Parisian audience after the representation, in order to express to him their satisfaction. However, it may be proper to observe that, in such cases, it is always some friend of the author who takes the lead. VANHOVE no longer obtains this favour at present, and is seldom applauded. He also plays the parts of fathers in comedy.
MONVEL. This actor is not near so old as VANHOVE; but the decay of his person is such that, when he plays, he seems a skeleton bestirring itself, or that is set in motion. It is a misfortune for him that his physical means betray his talents. MONVEL is a man of genius. Thus gifted, it is not astonishing that he has a just diction, and is not deficient in intelligence.
I shall now proceed to investigate the merits of the former, at the Theatre Francais. Parts of noble Fathers. VANHOVE and NAUDET. VANHOVE. This actor is rather more sufferable in comedy than tragedy; but in both he is very monotonous, and justifies the lines applied to him by a modern satirist, M. DESPAZE: "VANHOVE, plus heureux, psalmodie a mon gre; Quel succes l'attendait, s'il eut ete Cure!"
Let us now examine the merits of the principal performers belonging to the Theatre Francais. Noble Fathers, or characters of Kings. VANHOVE, MONVEL, ST. PRIX, and NAUDET. VANHOVE. This king of the Theatre Francais neither has majesty nor nobleness of manner. His countenance is mean, and his make common. His monotonous and heavy utterance is sometimes intermingled with yelping sounds.
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