La Comedic Franinise, 1658-1907. Par Frederic Loli4e. (Lucien Levens. 120
fr.)-The demands of British literature upon our space are so great that we can but seldom find an opportunity of noticing anything foreign. We must, however, say a few words about this handsome volume, with its highly piquant narrative and its attractive illustrations by Georges Scott. The latter give us scenes and portraits (both of dramatists and great actors and actresses) ; the literary portion of the book is all that we should expect when such a subject is treated by an expert French hand. There is the story, for instance, of the inception of Adrienne Lecouvreur. Rachel was at first enchanted with the idea; then she turned against it. Was she who had been Hermione and Phaedra to fall so low ? The play was read by Scribe to the socidtaires of the Theatre Francais, and was received without a smile or a word of praise. Then Legonv5, the joint author, induced Rachel to hear it at her own house. Jules Janin early fell a victim to its charm, and to Rachel's intense annoyance Cried " Bravo !" But the great actress herself was carried away by the charm of Legouvgs reading. She clapped her hands and laughed. "What a fool I have been," she exclaimed. At the end of the fifth act she cried to the reader, "Why weren't you an actor?" Malibran had said to him, "Why weren't you a singer ?" Adrienne became Rachel's favourite part, and achieved a prodigious success. Perhaps the "intelligent ten thousand" who think English books so dear will note the price of this volume. But it must not be supposed for a moment that we think it too much.
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