Recollections of Middle Life. By Francisque Sarcey. Translated from the
French by Elisabeth Luther Cary. (W. Heinemann.)— There is a charming egotism, which never by any chance offends, in M. Sarcey. Beginning life as a teacher, ho gave offence to the authorities by what they considered to be insubordination, and was shunted into remote provincial appointments. In 1859 he made an experiment in journalism, contributing to the Figaro on the introduction of M. Edmond About. This became his occupa- tion, his special line being dramatic criticism. He began to lecture in the sixties, the place being Sceaux, and the subject the plays of Alex. Dumas. The ddbut was a failure, as M. Sarcey confesses in the frankest fashion,—frank, indeed, he always is. In 1666 he lectured at the Ath4n6e-Comique, and made a hit. It is about lecturing that he writes this volume. He relates his own experiences, estimates his own value, tells with amusing candour of his defects, and gives sonic admirable advice to ambitious young men who would wish to follow in his footsteps. The advice is not dangerously encouraging. In fact, the im- pression made by what M. Sarcey has to say about himself, and by all the counsel that he feels impelled to give to others, is that a lecturer is "born, not made." It is characteristic of French ignorance of all that is outside the limits of French interests that M. Sarcey does not know what Dickens's " readings " were. He complains of their being " readings," instead of quasi-improvisa- tions, not being aware that they were extracts from his own works, and owed their chief attraction to his extraordinary dramatic power.
Previous page
