Act I: A Representation at the Hotel de BourgogneScene I
The hall of the Hotel de Bourgogne, in 1640. A sort of tennis-court arranged and decorated for a theatrical performance.
The hall is oblong and seen obliquely, so that one of its sides forms the back of the right foreground, and meeting the left background makes an angle with the stage, which is partly visible.
On both sides of the stage are benches. The curtain is composed of two tapestries which can be drawn aside. Above a harlequin’s mantle are the royal arms. There are broad steps from the stage to the hall; on either side of these steps are the places for the violinists. Footlights.
Two rows, one over the other, of side galleries: the highest divided into boxes. No seats in the pit of the hall, which is the real stage of the theater; at the back of the pit, i.e., on the right foreground, some benches forming steps, and underneath, a staircase which leads to the upper seats. An improvised buffet ornamented with little lusters, vases, glasses, plates of tarts, cakes, bottles, etc.
The entrance to the theater is in the center of the background, under the gallery of the boxes. A large door, half open to let in the spectators. On the panels of this door, in different corners, and over the buffet, red placards bearing the words, ‘La Clorise.’
At the rising of the curtain the hall is in semi-darkness, and still empty. The lusters are lowered in the middle of the pit ready to be lighted.
The public, arriving by degrees. Troopers, burghers, lackeys, pages, a pickpocket, the doorkeeper, etc., followed by the marquises. Cuigy, Brissaille, the buffet-girl, the violinists, etc.
A confusion of loud voices is heard outside the door. A trooper enters hastily.
The Doorkeeper
Following him
Hollo! You there! Your money!
The Trooper
I enter gratis.
The Doorkeeper
Why?
The Trooper
Why? I am of the King’s Household Cavalry, ‘faith!
The Doorkeeper
To another trooper who enters
And you?
Second Trooper
I pay nothing.
The Doorkeeper
How so?
Second Trooper
I am a musketeer.
First Trooper
To the second
The play will not begin till two. The pit is empty. Come, a bout with the foils to pass the time.
They fence with the foils they have brought.
A Lackey
Entering
Pst…Flanquin…!
Another
Already there
Champagne?…
The First
Showing him cards and dice which he takes from his doublet
See, here be cards and dice.
He seats himself on the floor
Let’s play.
The Second
Doing the same
Good; I am with you, villain!
First Lackey
Taking from his pocket a candle-end, which he lights, and sticks on the floor
I made free to provide myself with light at my master’s expense!
A Guardsman
To a shop-girl who advances
’Twas prettily done to come before the lights were lit!
He takes her round the waist.
One of the Fencers
Receiving a thrust
A hit!
One of the Card-players
Clubs!
The Guardsman
Following the girl
A kiss!
The Shop-girl
Struggling to free herself
They’re looking!
The Guardsman
Drawing her to a dark corner
No fear! No one can see!
A Man
Sitting on the ground with others, who have brought their provisions
By coming early, one can eat in comfort.
A Burgher
Conducting his son
Let us sit here, son.
A Card-player
Triple ace!
A Man
Taking a bottle from under his cloak, and also seating himself on the floor
A tippler may well quaff his Burgundy
He drinks
in the Burgundy Hotel!
The Burgher
To his son
‘Faith! A man might think he had fallen in a bad house here!
He points with his cane to the drunkard
What with topers!
One of the fencers in breaking off, jostles him
brawlers!
He stumbles into the midst of the card-players
gamblers!
The Guardsman
Behind him, still teasing the shop-girl
Come, one kiss!
The Burgher
Hurriedly pulling his son away
By all the holies! And this, my boy, is the theater where they played Rotrou erewhile.
The Young Man
Ay, and Corneille!
A Troop of Pages
Hand-in-hand, enter dancing the farandole, and singing
Tra’ a la, la, la, la, la, la, la, lere…
The Doorkeeper
Sternly, to the pages
You pages there, none of your tricks!…
First Page
With an air of wounded dignity
Oh, sir!—such a suspicion!…
Briskly, to the second page, the moment the doorkeeper’s back is turned
Have you string?
The Second
Ay, and a fish-hook with it.
First Page
We can angle for wigs, then, up there i’ th’ gallery.
A Pickpocket
Gathering about him some evil-looking youths
Hark ye, young cut-purses, lend an ear, while I give you your first lesson in thieving.
Second Page
Calling up to others in the top galleries
You there! Have you peashooters?
Third Page
From above
Ay, have we, and peas withal!
He blows, and peppers them with peas.
The Young Man
To his father
What piece do they give us?
The Burgher
‘Clorise.’
The Young Man
Who may the author be?
The Burgher
Master Balthazar Baro. It is a play!…
He goes arm-in-arm with his son.
The Pickpocket
To his pupils
Have a care, above all, of the lace knee-ruffles—cut them off!
A Spectator
To another, showing him a corner in the gallery
I was up there, the first night of the ‘Cid.’
The Pickpocket
Making with his fingers the gesture of filching
Thus for watches—
The Burgher
Coming down again with his son
Ah! You shall presently see some renowned actors…
The Pickpocket
Making the gestures of one who pulls something stealthily, with little jerks
Thus for handkerchiefs—
The Burgher
Montfleury…
Some One
Shouting from the upper gallery
Light up, below there!
The Burgher
…Bellerose, L’Epy, La Beaupre, Jodelet!
A Page
In the pit
Here comes the buffet-girl!
The Buffet-girl
Taking her place behind the buffet
Oranges, milk, raspberry-water, cedar bitters!
A hubbub outside the door is heard.
A Falsetto Voice
Make place, brutes!
A Lackey
Astonished
The Marquises!—in the pit?…
Another Lackey
Oh! only for a minute or two!
Enter a band of young marquises.
A Marquis
Seeing that the hall is half empty
What now! So we make our entrance like a pack of woolen-drapers! Peaceably, without disturbing the folk, or treading on their toes!—Oh, fie! Fie!
Recognizing some other gentlemen who have entered a little before him
Cuigy! Brissaille!
Greetings and embraces.
Cuigy
True to our word!…Troth, we are here before the candles are lit.
The Marquis
Ay, indeed! Enough! I am of an ill humor.
Another
Nay, nay, Marquis! see, for your consolation, they are coming to light up!
All the Audience
Welcoming the entrance of the lighter
Ah!…
They form in groups round the lusters as they are lit. Some people have taken their seats in the galleries. Lignière, a distinguished-looking roue, with disordered shirt-front arm-in-arm with christian de Neuvillette. Christian, who is dressed elegantly, but rather behind the fashion, seems preoccupied, and keeps looking at the boxes.