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I subscribed to the Baudouin series, but I've never had time to open a volume; one can't find matter for vaudevilles there." Bixiou. "Papa Phellion, you know geography?" Bixiou. "And history?" Well, you may know all that, but you don't know the human heart; you have gone no further in the geography and history of that organ than you have in the environs of the city of Paris."
The bitterness of this jest will only be understood by those who remember the deluge of engravings, screens, clocks, bronzes, and plaster-casts produced by the idea of the Soldier-laborer, a splendid image of Napoleon and his heroes, which afterwards made its appearance on the stage in vaudevilles.
The plays and vaudevilles he knows far more of than I do, and always maintains they are the happiest growth of the French school setting aside the masters, observe for Balzac and George Sand hold all their honours; and, before your letter came, he had told me about the 'Kean' and the other dramas. What a book it is really, and so full of pain and bitterness, and the gall of iniquity!
Obscene and filthy vaudevilles, defamatory libels and infamous slanders were as common as bread, and were hurled back and forth as evidence of an internecine strife which was raging around the wearer of the Roman scarlet, who was thereby justified in continuing his ecclesiastical rule to prevent the wrecking of the throne.
Let us see which of the two acts most in character the fair customer or the seller, and which has the best of it in such miniature vaudevilles?
"Those at the Gymnase played very well to-night; the piece pleased them; the dialogue was witty and keen." "Like those of Beaumarchais," said Lady Dudley. "Monsieur Nathan is not Moliere as yet, but " said Madame d'Espard, looking at the countess. "He makes vaudevilles," said Madame Charles de Vandenesse. "And unmakes ministries," added Madame de Manerville.
Jokes at the expense of this starving Amadis were made only in the spirit of mischievous fun which creates vaudevilles, for he was really a kind-hearted fellow and a good comrade, who harmed no one but himself. A standing joke in the two bureaus was the question whether he wore corsets, and bets depended on it.
But what a compliment that was to the whole corps, actors, actresses, and scene-painter! and how impossible it would be to make the same complaint of an English play! "But," I have been told by theatrical people, "such an arrangement is all very well in French vaudevilles, where one scene lasts through an act; but it will not do for English plays, with their constant scene-shifting."
After all the vaudevilles, tragedies, and comedies which had been played under the worthy man's eyes for twelve long years, he could not detect the insincerity and grimaces of social comedy, no doubt because he had seen too much of it.
The Théâtre des Variétés always has been and is still a great favourite, where they play vaudevilles, a sort of light comedy, which are generally highly amusing; they have always contrived to have actors at this theatre who were sure to draw full houses, and that is the case at present.
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