^  PaiUasse,  drama  by  Dennery  and  Fournier,  produced  at  the  Gatt^,
November  9,  iSf^o,  known  in  England  as  Belphes;or  the  Mountebank.
In  the  previous  number  of  the  Leader,  speaking  of  Paillasse,  "  Vivian  "
said :  "  Much  as  I  admire  Frederic,  I  never  admired  him  with  the
same  unmisgiving  fervour  as  on  Friday  night."


GEORGE  IIENR  Y  LE  WES.  195

give  him  an  heroic  part,  and  he  is  out  of  his  element ;  he
does  not  feel  himself  at  home  in  it;  he  knows  not  the
details  which  incarnate  it ;  he  becomes  an  ordinary  actor.
This  was  entirely  the  case  with  Ruy  Bias,  which  is  utterly
unreal,  and  gives  the  actor  no  chance.  People  commonly
suppose  that  it  is  the  actor  who  makes  the  play;  but
although  the  actor  may  spoil  the  part,  he  cannot  make  one;
and  that  is  the  answer  to  those  who  assert  that  Rachel's
genius  alone  makes  Racine  effective — her  genius  cannot
make  the  modern  writers  effective!

Let  me,  in  concluding,  say  a  word  in  favour  of  Clarisse,
who  played  the  Queen,  not  indeed  with  queenly  dignity,
but  with  as  much  womanly  tenderness  as  the  part  admitted.
I  had  been  always  told  that  Ruy  Bias  was  Frederic's
greatest  part.  I  have  now  seen  it  for  the  first,  and,  I  pledge
you  my  honour,  for  the  last  time.
THE  TRUE  CHARLES  KEAN  AT  LAST!

March  27,  1852.
It  has  been  said,  in  not  very  elegant  Latin,  that  vainly  do
you  expel  Nature  with  a  fork,  she  will  come  back  again.
The  fact  is.  Nature  is  a  woman,  and  will  have  the  last  word.
