PARISIAN THEATRICALS.
Pluralizing one of Moliere's most celebrated titles, MM. Dumanoir and Theodore Derriere have written a comedy entitled Les Bourgeois Gentilshoninies, in which the weakness satirized by the old comedian is attacked anew with reference to the present day. Rich persons of the bourgeois rank by birth seek to ennoble themselves by attaching to their proper appellations the name of their native department or village, hooking it on by means of the aristocratic "de." One gentleman, W. Lccomte, is in a remarkably favourable position for an operation of this kind, since by separating the syllable which his family has bequeathed to him and adding his address he becomes M. le Comte de Varades, and in that capacity is eagerly sought by one of the tuft-hunting bourgeois as a bridegroom for his daughter. The discovery that the nobleman is not a genuine article is compensated by the substitution of a real Count de Varades' who has 'wooed the young lady under another name ; but more fatal to the general felicity is the appearance of La Patrie with the announcement of the law by which the self-appropriation of names and titles is prohibited, as some of the chief dews among the dramatis personte are thus despoiled of their feathers. Fortunately, however, a M. Moulin, who has called himself De la Bernandieres, finds his real name rendered illustrious by a gallant relative in the Crimea, when he is compelled to forego the assumed one. This piece was brought out at the Gymnase on Saturday last. The arrival of Mademoiselle Rachel at Paris has been officially announced to the authorities of the Theatre Francais, accompanied by the statement, that although her health is much improved, she is not sufft ciently recovered to resume her professional duties. In consequence of this announcement, the committee of the theatre is occupied with a knotty point. If Mademoiselle Rachol is allowed a pension, ought she to receive the maximum, which she would receive if she performed uninterruptedly for the twenty years required by the so-called "Decree of Moscow," or ought she to be paid only in proportion to her eighteen years of actual service ? It may be observed that the twenty years are dated from the ‘15bilt of the artist, which in the case of Mademoiselle Rachel took place on the 12th June 1838. Possibly the committee may not allow her to retire, but merely extend the period of her ming&
The aggregate receipts of the places of public amusement during the month of May amounted to 1,126,209f. 96c.; being an increase of 159,844f. 85c. on the receipts of April. The prosperity of Parisian theatres does not generally increase as summer advances, and the difference in favour of May is probably to be attributed to the occurrence of the Holy Week in the month preceding.
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