NAPOLEON AT THE PLAY.

Western Star, Issue 346, 24 April 1880, Page 7

NAPOLEON AT THE PLAY.

The Mettornich and Kemusat memoirs have revived interest in Napoleon. Here is a description ot : the conqueror at Erfurt, in 1807, when the ComediePrancaiae was sent on from France to play before an audience of Kings and Princes :

“ Facing the stage had been placed two arm-chairs for the two Emperors (Napoleon and Alexander), on either side of which were ordinary chairs for the Kings and Princes. A roll of drums was heard without. ‘ It is the Emperor,’ ran through the audience. ‘You——fools,’ cried a French officer angrily to his drummers, ‘ what are you doing ? That is only a King.’ A German sovereign entered; three others followed him at a little distance. It was thus without noise .or catenation that the Kings of Saxony, Bavaria and Wurtemburg appeared.

“ Finally a louder roll of drums was heard. All eyps were directed with uneasy curio sit- towards the entrance. At last he appeared, that most incomprehensible man of that most inconceivable time. Clad as usual in the most simple

of costumes, be made a very slight bow to the sovereigns present who had been waiting so long, and took his arm-chair on the right of the Emperor of Russia, his stout and not very shapely figure contrasting with the splendid stature of Alexander. “ The four Kings took their seats and the play began—the of Voltaire. Vainly, Talama and Raueourt displayed all their art, exerted all their talent; none of us had eyes or attention for the stage. The gendarmes at the door of our box, it should be said., spared no effort to complete .our .defective education, and in the intermissions between the acts gave us lessons in the etiquet to be observed in the presence of the master of the world. ‘ Put down your opera-glass ; the Emperor doesn’t want to be stared at,’ cried one, and another added, ‘Sft straight; don’t crane your necks ; the Emperor won’t have it.’ The impertinence was supreme, but we followed the example of the Kings _ and Princes before us and put up with it. “ Immediately afterwards Napoleon, who had seen the play a hundred times in all probability, settled himself cozily in his arm-chair and went to sleep. To us it was singular to see sleeping thus soundly the terrible man whose plans involved the happiness or suffering of half the world. We could not grow weary of gaping with wonder blent with awe upon that profile like a fine antique medallion, seen against the background of Alexander’s dark uniform.”