A History of Theatrical Art in Ancient and Modern Times (Volume 4); Molire and His Times: The Theatre in France in the 17th Century

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 edition. Excerpt: ... three months, to wish her at the devil. Louis XIV., who on the whole made much of great comic actors--we may recall his predilection for Scaramouche, Dominique1 and Moliere--was also a great friend of Poisson's. It is said to have been the King who procured him the engagement at the H6tel de Bourgogne, and on the occasion just explained he actually granted him a deduction of 400 fr. of the pension to Mile Bellerose,1 a favour for which Poisson expresses his gratitude in a short poem ending with the desire that his family may be visited by all misfortunes, and that Mile Bellerose may enjoy twenty years of health, if he neglects one single day of his life to pray for His Majesty. 1 Comp. vol. ii., Middle Ages and Renaissance, pp. 296, 297. The best critics2 did not place Poisson so high, either as actor or as author, as the King and the general public did. However, we can still enjoy reading his plays; they are redeemed from insignificance by their merry humour and pleasant naturalness, qualities which also seem to have been his strong points as an actor. Raymond Poisson retired from the stage in 1685 and died in 1690, but his Crispin was undertaken at once by his son Paul, who adopted all the attributes of the part; the costume, the boots and the peculiar jabbering delivery (bredouillement), which had characterised the elder Poisson. From the son the part was handed on to the grandson, Francois Arnould, who adopted the whole traditional costume, and the popularity of the old character does not seem to have diminished, for after the last Poisson Crispin, the celebrated Preville (d. 1800) undertook the part with the same success. Few families have contributed so large a contingent to the theatre as the Poissons. Besides the father, the son and the...