LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1702, 4 August 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE TWO COMEDIANS. How an Actor and a Diplomat Met at a Hotel and Changed their Roles. Chapter L At the close of the month of July, 1630, a carriage drew up at the door of the Hotel de France, the moat fashionable hostelry of Orleans, and a traveller, a man some sixty years of age, bnt still sprightly and well preserved, descended and was received with solemn and excessive courtesy by the people of the hotel. He was led to a splendid suite of rooms already prepared for his accommodation by his host, who bowed to the ground before bim, murmuring a hundred times, "Highness," "Prince," and "Exand left him with three liveried servants in the ante, room ready to fly upon his errands. An hour later a second carriage clattered up, from which stepped a second traveller, also an old man, with a keen and witty face end a distinguished appearance. Bis valet inquired for the rooms directed to be in readiness, and was disdainfully shown two small and indifferently furnished and lighted apartments, against the meanness and poverty of which the faithful servant was about to lift up his voice, when he was silenced by an imperious gesture from his master. The " Prince " was the actor Potier, and the traveller relegated to the beat inn's worst room was only M. de Talleyrand. 11. In an hour or so the truth as to the real quality of the two guests and the frightful way in which he had mixed them up dawned upon the hotel-keeper, who, with tears and genuflexions, hastened to apologise to the great diplomatist. ' I pardon you,' said Talleyrand, extending his cratch in guise of a golden sceptre, ' but who is the audacious person who has robbed mo of my quarters and my titles V 'Alas, monsigneur, he robbed yon of nothing. I, like a stupid idiot, gave him all; he simply accepted what I gave.' 'Be so good, then, as to ask him to return to me my property.' ' Your Excellency, he insists on retaining it.'

' Who is he, pray ? Some old diplomatist ?'

'No, Your Highness, but a comedian named Potier. The cursed buffoon replied to me, "You hive showered M. Talleyrand's honors and titles on me—he is welcome to mine ; I intend enjoying my greatness for one day; my name is Prince do t'erigord Talleyrand ; he can be Potier the actor if he wishes to."'

' Ha!' said the Prince, after a moment's reflection, ' that would not be a bad idea. Be an good as to wait upon His Excellency and inform that illustrious personage that the aotor Potier solicits the honor of beiug permitted to present his compliments and respects ' • What would my colleagues of the Congress of Vie cna say, I wonder,' continued the Prince, as the astonished innkeeper left the room, 'to see me figuring in such a farce in a wretched country tavern? Talleyrand and a professional clown 1 Well, this is at least one role that was missing from my reptrtory, and I beyan my career among tho seminarists of Saint Sulpice 1'

'laygoera of half a century ago will recall with rare delight Potier's rare talent and infinite resources in creating or copying a character—no matter how difficult. The challenge Talleyrand had sent him put him on his mettle, though at first it startled and frightened him and the oddity and piquancy of the the situation nerved him to do his best. Hastily he donned a fine black coat, such as befitted the gr»vity of a thinker and profound politician, covered his head with a maj ratio white wig, slipped into silk breeches, black stockings and gold-bnckled shoes, caught up a cane in lieu of a crutch, and placing a bunch of decorations at his buttonhole, bade the servant show in the actor Potier,

Talleyard's surprise was great, on enter ing, to find his face, figure, dress and peculiarities so faithfully imitated—one might say photographed - and he would almost have thrown up the game but for resentment of the comedian's assurance. Entering as thoroughly into the spirit of his part, he boavmo humble and timid as a port actor should be in the presence ofa great prinoe,

slipped modestly into the chair toward which his entertainer nodded condescendingly, and stammered a few half-heard and incoherent phrases of excuse and ceremony.

* Pardon'me, sir,* said suddenly the pseudodi plomatist, g'ancing at a copy of the "Monitaur," 'but there is something in this paper •which greatly interests me. The " Moniteur," as you know, ia a sort of barometer to indicate fair weather or foul to political loungers like myself.' ' Monsignenr,' replied the real Prince, ' I know it because yon tell me so.' 'The barorreter stands at "stormy" today ; it has been so every July since the fall of the Bastile.'

' Indeed, your Excellency, I did not know tlaV

' Ah, you know nothing of politics ?' ' I know nothing except about comedy.' ' True ; I was forgetting. Let us talk of you, sir, and of your talent—your successes, for I am not altogether unfamiliar with the stage.' ' You, your Excellency ?' said Talleyrand. ' Yes ;I. When public comeiie3 have been played for tie last forty years, who has not been forced to take some pirt in farce or tragedy P What think you, Monsieur Potior?'

Talleyrand bit his lips and answered : ' You are right, your Highness. We are all actors whether wo will or no. Unhappily, some are applauded and others hissed.' 'As I know only too sadly,' replied the pauedo-diplomatist. 'So great a man as I am, I have had my experience of hisssp. There it is where you folk upou the stage have the advantage. To hiss you, people must pay at the door, whereas we poor devils of ministers, diplomatists, and statesmen can be mobbed gratis.' 'This is hardly just, Monsigneur,' said Talleyrand, after a moment's pause ; 'people should not thus treat the ttar actors who govern the world.' ' Ah,'answered the comedian-Prince, 'then you think one should not expose himßelf to be blessed without being sure he is well paid for it Quite right, Potier ; quite right.' V.

'I Bay, Potier,' affably continued the pseudo-Prince ; ' how long have you been on the stage V ' Your pardon, sir,' replied Talleyrand. ' but I have no memory for dates ; but since your Excellency thinks that we are all aotois, does your Excellency recall your debuts V

'Well, yes,'answered Potier, summoning up all his history. ' I began in a little piece called "The Seminary," in which I took the role of the Abbe de Perigord. Later I acted In comedy with my friend the Count of Choiaeul-Gouffier, general agent of the French clergy. I equipped a corsair! But what would you ? At that time everybody was playing in comedy or farce; the Pope accepted a dedicatory epistle from Voltaire ; generals were embroidered; abbes celebrated mass in boudoirs and nobles amused themselves with democratio insolence of Beanmarchais's ' Figaro.' I played my part. An aristocrat, I demanded the equality of classes ; Bishop of Autun, I went in for the liberty of conscience; brought up in the Church, I brought about the sale of ecclesiastical property for the national benefit; the head of my house I helped on a revolution to prescribe titles and privileges. Ah, my dear fellow, what comedies have I not taken part in.' ' And since then, your Excellency V questioned Talleyrand. 'Since then,' continued Potier, 'the importance of my parts has increased with the growth of my fame. I figured on the stage of the Luxembourg at Bonaparte's first ovation ; also, in the laughable interlude of the 18th Brumaire. I have been the confident of a terrible personage known as the First Consul and the Emperor. lam old, and my memory is somewhat clogged, but I fancy that I took part in a traeedy once, though I only had to say a few words of approbation or cool indifference.' ' What tragedy was that, your Excellency ?' asked Talleyrand. ' I think, if I remomber rightly, it was called " The Duke of Enghien," ' replied Potier, play'ng with one of his orders, YI.

* Sir!' cried Talleyrand, half starting up, but controlling hlmse'f, he resumed his seat, saying, 'Pray go on, your Excellency.' * What more shall I say, Monsieur Potier,' went on the actor; 'my hundred-act play is so confused, so dark, so complicated. I have had to do with so many audiences, actors, and plays. Nevertheless, I may Hay that I have always acted by taste or by vocation, without bothering myself much about the name of the dramatist, or the real merit of the pieoo or its morality. I have made it my aim to accept every part I was cast for and to play it Jike a conscientious actor who desires first of all to protect and advance the intereets of his theatre. In politics, perhaps, I have been only a great artist. I have made art for art's sake,'

Talleyrand took up his parable in turn, wishing perhaps that history might be as lenient in its summ'ng up his career as had been his double.

'Your Excellency,' he said to Potier, ' your play, applied to the realities of high places in this world, frightens me for you. I find myself more fortanate than you, and envy your Excellency, neither your wit, your grandeur nor your reminiscences. The successes of an actor like myself are ephemeral, but they cause no one to weep ; my memories are of populaces laughing with merriment; I have had but to deal with charming illusions. Frankly I say, hurrah for Potier's wand ! Mine is a sceptre that has weighed heavily on none of my subjects. I am a king, neither tyrannical nor jealous nor ambitious, but sharing willingly my glory and my power with other kings, such as Odry, Arnal, and Burnet.' VII.

In his turn the actor oonld not fail to feel flattered with the dolicacy and good taste of M. de Talleyrand's compliment, but he oould not resist the temptation of launching a Parthian arrow at his rival in the game of comedy. ' Monsieur Potier,' ho said to Talleyrand, ' I have frequently noticed your acting, and recall many of the characters you have played, but I am a little surprised when I reflect that once you figured in a tragicomedy—a very sorrowful one—played in Paris some years ago.' ' When was that ? What was it V said Talleyrand. 'lt was in ISI4 —the piece was called ' L'Hotel de la Rue Saint Florentin.'

Talleyrand winced visibly, and his witty double went on :

' I hate the play, and to my mind your performance in it has hurt you in publio estimation. The part, I confess, was not an agreeable one. I believe that in that pl&y a great conqueror is sinking and a clever negotiator abandons him after haviog adored him j in it, if I remember rightly, the action sacrifices a duty to a fact, a principle to an event, the interest of a country to that of an individual, a whole nation to a handful of outcasts or of strangers. Ah, Monsieur Potier, what an unpleasant play ; and what an unsatisfactory part you were cast for in it ! Never, aever should there be presented on any stago to any public the spectacle of a man who, when he sees the hopes of his country's cause blasted sets himself to share in the triumphs of her foes instead of reiiriug in silence to share in her mourning.' VIII. The real Ta'leyrand rose—possibly because he did not care to hear anything further—when a footman entered with the " Moniteur" of the 2G'.h, that instant reccivcol. 'This is for your Excellency,' he said, bowiug and handing it to Potier. ' Be good enough, M. Potier, to read it for me or for yourself, if you are inteieatel in such subjects,' retorted the actor with equal self-possession. Talleyrand opsnod and glanced at tho paper and dropped it in surprise The old councillor of Louis XVIII. had read in it the fatal ordinance of Charles X. After a moment's pause he turned smilingly toward Potier, and bowing deeply, said:

' I regret, your Excellency, that I must at once set out for Paris. I am invited to reappear at my old theatre, and probably shall consent to create a new character—my last —ln a new pieoe they are rehearsing.' ' May I ask the name of this drama with which your professional career is likely to be brought to a close?' 'The name,' said Talleyrand, 'has not yet been finally settled [upon, but I fancy it will be called "The Revolution of 1830." ' As he said these words Talleyrand was about to withdraw, when Potier threw off his wig and decorations and hastening after him excused himself for his rudeness in the first instance; Shaking hands with him

cordially, the great diplomist bade him fare well.

' Adieu, Monsieur Potior; which of us came off second best in our little tilt V

' Vonr Excellency did,' replied the actor, ' but it was the first time that you ever condescended to allow yourself to be outdone.'

A few daya later the monarchy fell, the elder branch of the Bourbons was replaced by a new dynasty and Talleyrand went t > London as plenipotentiary of the Court of France.

He and Pot'er met once again, when bath were travelling, each in his own carriage, one bound to the vaults of "Valencay, one for the cemetery of Pere-Paehaise !