I have tried to be fair to James in translating the letter and to accurately represent his mistakes in writing French. I have probably missed a few but I've certainly read far worse French dating from this period. He certainly has far greater command of French than his father had of the English language. I have not yet discovered any description of how he spoke French, but the well documented problems encountered by native French speaking agents of the Special Operations Executive who were brought up in England imply that he is likely to have had a strong English accent. To English ears he probably sounded like a Frenchman.
The article demonstrates the extent of bias in secondary sources which are written with the objective of enhancing the reputation of the great and the good (or even the not so good). The biographies and collections of poems and letters by Byron are also examples of dialogue which emphasises greatness while denigrating others.
James certainly had democratic and republican sympathies. His trip to France to assist in performances celebrating the restoration certainly reveals him as an opportunist. However in 1814 James can have had no indication that despite the new constitution the Bourbon Restoration would lead to class warfare once more.
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| Talma |
When the Colossus who had kept the European powers, and particularly England, in check, fell beneath the blows of fate, some implacable refugees, permanently in London, dreamt of exploiting the situation in their (own) manner. Napoleon (’s time) passed not for having taken lessons from Talma? In making the interpreter of Corneille come, in exploiting the genius of a man who had been the companion of the vanquished Emperor and the comrade of the former artillery Lieutenant, they could pass for defending French art, all in growing a healthy profit. Also, from the month of August 1814, when the poets got down to celebrating the return of the Bourbons, a certain d’Egville, well versed in English society, came to Paris to assist in the performance which celebrated the “triumph” of the royal family, but above all to put himself in touch with Talma. In the course of the performance of The Hunting Party Under Henri IV in which the “prince of tragedy” played the principal role formerly played so brilliantly by Fleury, the emigrant, using the circumstance to do business as an agent, found the means to make some propositions to the coveted artist.
Talma was then in full possession of his immense talent. Entirely clear of certain weaknesses inherent in his nervous temperament, he had arrived to silence his enemies and to carry a strongly mixed public in common admiration. Each remembered then that written to the great tragedian by Madame de Staël, the day after a performance of Hamlet, “It is not an actor that you are, it is a man who elevates human nature and gives us a new idea. You are in your career unique in the world; and none before you has attained this degree of perfection where art combines itself with inspiration, reflection; the instinct, the spirit with reason.”
Two months passed; Talma had not deigned to the approval of Louis XVIII and he enjoyed great esteem in the world of the court, next to Mademoiselle Georges, as history favourably shows. He had completely forgotten the propositions made by Monsieur d’Egville, when on 21 October he received an infinitely curious letter from him and shows the writer in the light a true “theatrical agent”. I reproduce it, in its original content, full of excessive compliments and of clever detours, without him removing any of the marks of rudimentary instruction and of an education distorted by politics and personal needs:
My dear Sir,
You recall a Discussion that we had in your dressing room at the Comédie française in the month of august last in relation to you to do to make a profitable journey to England [sp. Engleterre]? If this circumstance as well as the commitment I made to you to take care of this serious matter has not escaped your memory you will not find neither surprising nor indiscreet I think that influenced by a holy enthusiasm [ [no closing bracket, could be a printing error] for your sublime Talent my zeal to serve you is carried beyond our conventions, and consulting with the respect due to your reputation as much as your pecuniary interests I tried [sp. +grammar] to reconcile the glory of the one with the benefit of another. So here is the fact. After consulting the most distinguished and most intelligent persons and always on all relating to the pleasures and the tastes of the english nobility, I am of opinion with these same people that the plan we agreed to give twelve nights of Plays by subscription only partly fills [sp.] your intentions, your desires and your hopes, when on the other side this experience contributes only slightly to set in the Public Opinion this colossal reputation that you have made and which you must [sp.] carry everywhere where you take your steps.
It is therefore the intention and with the certainty to make your success certain and profitable that they thought it would be advantageous for you and enjoyable to the Public that you can with the help of Miss George, and some juniors give some performances of your best Tragedies during the months of January and February, and that in a Royal premises that can hold 2500to 3000 people! These representations will be followed by a Ballet d’action and dance, and by this means would form a complete show that we could justify [sp.] requesting a large enough subscription.
Of course this Plan might not only take place by subscription, which stays more advantageous in that it would leave us the option of the Company we would like to admit.
When the arrangements here are what we think that will be agreed best: that you will be responsible for training the company you would believe necessary both for the number and in quality, and for all yourself and Miss George understand, you set a sum that you would be guaranteed. I will watch you only both for your benefit and for that of all concerned that you and Miss George being the essential points it would be detrimental to the profits of the contracting parties that you would take those with grand pretentions who exaggerate an exorbitant salary who would may be throw obstacles in your arrangements.We announce a first contract for eight nights only because of performances each week or two if the subscribers insist, and if, as I doubt not, the thing succeeded according to your Hopes then we can propose a second subscription for four or six more nights. But nothing chanced and walk at a sure pace, it is necessary to base [sp.] your proposals on eight performances only, except to renew our commitments proportional for the additional performances.
The committee composed of Lords and Ladies of the highest nobility, will be responsible for all costs of the Premises, Decorations, Lighting, Ballet, orchestra, etc., etc.. Except your costumes, the only object which it is necessary you bring.Having thus completed my Commission and my Commitment to you, it remains for me to solicit from you a prompt and decisive response and assure you the feelings with which I sbscribe.
Your most obedient servant, D'Egville
49. Great Marlborough Street.
“At his entry on stage it was not Talma they saw it was Sylla, Regulus, Leonidas, Charles VI, it was history in action.
This letter reflects a great eye for profit in the author that he expected from his role as an intermediary, and Talma must not have been mistaken in the intentions of his correspondent. Also, in his same well known writing, he sets his account of the reverse of the letter and he asked 60,000 francs for two months, which may not seem excessive given that he must appear in London with Miss George, and ten others in the troop.
What happened there? The demands of his job detained the tragedian in Paris? The intermediary d’Egville found he's not included in the deal? I do not know. The truth is that Talma remained in Paris in January and February 1816. He then went to tour the département. "At Lille,” Adolphe Laugier said. “His presence became the pretext for the most serious disorders. The day of the closing of its representations, a soldier, blinded by partisanship, threatened his life and especially his children, who were saved only by the active care of their mother (Ms. Vanhove). Mr. Hippolyte Bis witnessed the frightening threats made to his friend and the composure he showed in this circumstance, the unfortunate and inevitable result of political reactions. If Talma nearly was a victim of the clash of opinions, he had a very sensible compensation to his pride when he was at Arras. He played Hamlet: at the moment when he grabbed his knife and strikes Gertrude terrible cries came from a box. An officer who had twenty times contemplated death, could not bear the pantomime of Talma. An attack of nerves, the first he had his life made him lose consciousness for ten minutes. Returning to himself, he exclaimed, "Has he killed his mother?”In Boulogne, where he played next, Talma went to England, not, he said, to earn money but to spend it. This happened as a result of low receipts, expenses and arrangements made with the theatre manager, the tragedian and his partner, Miss George did not realize in excess of 400 pounds, while the impresario kept for his part, 600 pounds, by the admission of English newspapers, quite a few ill disposed to French artists, in spite of what d’Egville had announced Egville some months previously.
The English humourists exercised their malice on Talma’s. He was publicly ridiculed in a little piece called the Actor to all or the universal actor, at the time, even when an admirer wrote in Paris, "In vain some copyists seek to imitate you talent, but to do so successfully, he must have your beautiful head, expressive look, your voice with attractive abundance has charmed many ears; it will be necessary to moderate this address which is so familiar, he must be able to reproduce your beautiful poses, possess the art of transitions and that soul of fire. He should finally be you and have your genius. "Some English nevertheless paid tribute to the talent of the artist and the heart of the man. They had not forgotten that in the year X, during a journey to Montpellier, Talma had erected a monument to Narcisse, the adopted daughter of the old Young, who, with his feeble hands, had dug a pit in the middle of the field , "to shield Beauty from the ravages of a fanatical people. This trait of greatness had in fact added to the glory of the tragedian, and prepared his triumph in the minds of the enemies of Napoleon.
When Talma died in 1826, everyone deplored his loss. One of his contemporaries wrote then, "For ten years, Talma rose above himself: a gentle softness and a wonderful diversity of expression had replaced the hardness of his old monotonous voice, his familiarity was the noble simplicity of the master of the world, his sensitivity was expansive; he had learned to cry.“At his entry on stage it was not Talma they saw it was Sylla, Regulus, Leonidas, Charles VI, it was history in action.
“Also the name Talma is now inscribe in indelible characters, alongside his celebrated predecessors: Baron, Dufresne, Lekain and Larive.”
The memory of Talma remained so alive that in 1827 (Friday, 19 October), when they exhumed the remains of the actor to place them in the vault which was built in Pere Lachaise, near the tomb of Delille, the crowd erupted and tore off a strip of black cloth which had originally covered the coffin, according to English usage. A fragment of cloth, collected by Mr. David, auctioneer of the tragedian’s estate, is contained in a file that is part of the estate of Baron Taylor MARTIAL Teneo.
Le Monde Artiste 23 September 1906
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