St. Prix, the two Baptistes, Laffon, Jouy, Arnault, Devigny, St. Phal, &c., fit to rival Molé, Monvel, or Fleury. Our space will not, however, allow us to notice more than two, and these actresses, Mdlles. Mars and Rachel. The former, daughter of the famous Monvel, made her debut in 1793, at the Theatre Montansier, and shortly afterwards. became a pupil of Mdlle. Contat. The latter found her rather extravagant in gesture, and tied up her right arm with a small cord, but as the young actress became excited with her part, the bond was burst and full liberty given to her action; "Bravo," cried Mdlle. Contat, "that is the full expression of good comedy-little or no gesture until passion breaks the bond of appearances." She became a pensionnaire of the Theatre Française in 1799, and two years afterwards a sociétaire for the character of ingénues, which the famous critic, Geoffroy, declares she performed to perfection. The retirement of Mdlle. Contat in 1810 gave free scope for her talent in the parts of the grandes coquettes, and the roles habillés. Her great talent consisted in her perfectly natural style, although she studied thoroughly every portion of her play, left nothing to chance, and yet concealed completely the effect of preparation. Many historiettes have been told about this great comedian, her frequent attempts at marriage, her liaisons with Napoleon, and in particular that she always wore violets on the 20th March, the day of her death, and the saying attributed to her, "Il n'ya rien de commun entre Mars et les Gardes-ducorps." These are generally unfounded inventions of the feuilletonists. One anecdote is, however, recorded by Maurice Louis XVIII. sent her a magnificent pair of earrings after one of her best performances, on which she remarked, "l'autre (meaning Napoleon) n'aurait pas fait autant," at which one of the actresses present remarked, "mais il vous a souvent donné plus qu'il ne fallait pour avoir de meilleurs." She died in 1847, having long before retired from the stage.

Mdlle. Rachel's death has been so recently before the public, with many different accounts of her life, that it is completely unnecessary to do more than allude to her position. She was principally remarkable for her performance of tragic pieces, although her first tastes were directed towards the most piquante female characters of Molière

M. de St. Aulaire, her instructor, perceived her greater adaptibility for the former class of characters, and endeavoured to confine her to them in vain. Her debut was made in 1837, in the "Vendéenne." She appeared, for the first time, at the Theatre Français, in" Les Horaces," in 1838. Her peculiarity consisted in not declaiming, but speaking her part in the most natural and unaffected manner, at the same time often with tremendous energy. Her income, at first only 4000 francs a year, mounted in two years to 20,000, and has since attained the figure of 300 or 400,000 francs, chiefly earned during the congés allowed to her of six months out of twelve by the Theatre Française. Her father, who was originally a Jew hawker in Switzerland, has been for several years living magnificently on her bounty at Montmorency.

This subject has been already drawn out to too great a length, although the matter with which it might be amply filled, is sufficiently abundant to afford several successive papers. The difficulty of dealing with it lies more in the necessity for compressing and putting it into a connected form, in which a writer might be very materially aided by any book in our language which would treat of the French drama historically as a whole: no such work exists in English, or at least is not easily discoverable by any one who may have need thereof; and those which have appeared in France, are either out of print or very difficult to be got at. This, however, is a subject which would well repay the labours of any eminent literary man.

A word more as to the present position of the French drama. The revolution has caused such a change in public opinion, and has emancipated so much the ideas of the habitués, that authors must run along with the age, and endeavour to find out something novel and striking in every piece they produce. Utility and morality are thrown overboard, scenic representation, and strange positions and characters have obtained a mastery over everything rational and natural hence arise the curious incongruities and absurdities which encumber the Theatre Francais at the present day, the outré style of drama, which is produced to agree with the corrupt taste of the times. Our own stage is becoming infected with this species of malady, through the numerous translations which come across the

channel; the French have the merit of invention, and the English are fools enough to choose the most deleterious of their compounds to minister to the British nation. It is true that now and then a spark of national taste is revived, and the French comedy brings out the master-pieces of her best dramatists, but there is no excitement attendant on them, the house does not fill-the public would prefer a good vaudeville or the nonsense of an opera comique. Everything human must decline, but it is hoped that when this age of novel-writing, bloody-drama-concocting, extravagant revolutionizers, has passed away, there may dawn another era, when the classical comedy in France will become worthy of its great founder, Molière.

ART. V.-PATRIOTS AND PROSELYTIZERS.

A Letter to Lord St. Leonards on the Management of the Patriotic Fund, and the Application of Public Moneys to Proselytizing Purposes. By the Most Rev Dr. Cullen, Catholic Archbishop of Dublin. Third edition, enlarged. Dublin: James Duffy, 7, Wellington quay, Publisher to his Grace, the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin. 1857.

Scarcely had the festivities attendant upon the proclamation of peace with Russia concluded, when England was again disturbed from the repose she had just begun to enjoy by intelligence of a mutiny amongst her native troops in India. At first it was supposed to be only the disaffection of a few companies, which the authority of their officers, backed by the vicinity of the European soldiers, would suffice to quell. But on receipt of more precise information, it was discovered that the insubordination was more extensive than the people of these countries could have imagined. Every mail brought accounts of some fresh outbreak. The mutineers murdered their officers, took possession of the military stations, expelled the royal forces, and committed the most frightful ravages. Neither age nor sex afforded any protection from their unbridled fury. Tender babes, feeble old men, and delicate females, were alike the victims of their brutal violence; and those who escaped with life from their ruthless persecutors, carried with them painful reminiscences of the appalling scenes through which they had passed. So serious did the danger appear to many, that it was at one time feared the power of England in India was at an end. But the vigour of the government at home, and the good feeling manifested by the native population in India, combined to extinguish the flame of insurrection, which otherwise might have been attended with most disastrous consequences. For it is to be observed that the native population, except in Oude, refrained from taking part in this revolt, and that whatever atrocities have been committed, are attributable solely to the savage cruelty of the Sepoys. But although this attempt has been repressed, and order partially re-established, the

sufferers, from the excesses of these military rebels, were found to be reduced to almost utter destitution. To alleviate the misery of their condition, and to compensate, as far as possible, the losses they had sustained, it was determined that a national subscription should be organised to provide a fund for the relief of our fellow-countrymen in the East. Accordingly a committee was appointed and authorised to receive contributions, from those who desired. to participate in so praiseworthy a project. This was the origin of the "Indian Relief Fund," which, benevolent in its inception, may, if judiciously and impartially adininistered, achieve the most beneficial results. To this fund the people of England contributed with their characteristic generosity. Nor were they alone in this good work. Foreigners, emulating the bright example, hastened to contribute, desirous thereby to testify their detestation of the cruelties which had been practised, and their sympathy with those who had endured such hardship through the inhumanity of the Sepoys. One class of the community, however, kept aloof, and refrained from co-operating in this great undertaking. The Roman Catholics of the United Kingdom, but chiefly the Roman Catholics of Ireland, refused to contribute to this fund. Such conduct naturally excited considerable comment, and a portion of the press did not hesitate to brand us as "Sepoys" in feeling, wanting only an opportunity to re-enact, in these countries, the frightful scenes by which the revolt in India had been characterised. No doubt they hoped, by aspersing our motives, to weaken the effect and detract from the value of any representations we might make, as to the causes which had induced us to act in this manner. Undeterred, however, by any such disheartening anticipations, the Most Rev. Dr. Cullen, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, addressed from Rome, whither he had gone on business connected with his diocese, a letter to the Very Rev. Monsignor Yore, than whom there is not a more liberal-minded, generous, saintly priest in the Irish Church, intimating his Grace's satisfaction at learning that a subscription was about being made, for the relief of our fellow-countrymen who had been reduced to destitution by the revolt in India. Having expressed his Grace's abhorrence of the outrages perpetrated hy the Sepoys, his sincere sympathy with the