real life. Thus the most interesting chapters of Rcnee Mauperm, Genmnie LaceHciu-, and Munclle Salomon are the results of personal observation of the most searching kind. Like all true artists, they were never thoroughly satisfied with their work. It is curious to note in the Journal the fits of despair and discouragement which fell upon them at times, and their indignation at the stupidity of the public. In this they often
remind one of poor Berlioz.
Besides their novels the Goncourts have written a series of volumes on the eighteenth century, its society, literary characters, and artists. These volumes offer a contrast to the novels ; no writer or artist (for the Goncourts were essentially ' word-painters,' always trying to realise Flaubert's idea that words have colour as well as exjjression) has given a moi-e life-like picture of the light, witty, frivolous society which flitted from Paris to Versailles, and from Versailles back to Paris. M"" de Pompadour; La Du Barrij ; Les Actrices dii XVIII'"^ Steele, show us what was the gay court of Louis XV. ; while the three volumes entitled U Art an Xrill"" &Vc/e introduce us into the Society of Watteau, Latour, Boucher, Fragonard, and their fellow-artists. We are initiated into their way of living and painting, and their works are appreciated and criticised with great delicacy, by two critics who were thoroughly ac- quainted with the technique of their art. The literary partnership of the Goncourts was brought to end in ,Iune 1870 through the death of Jules de Goncourt. This was a cruel blow for the elder brother, for they had li^'ed and worked side by side incessantly for over twenty years, united by a common bond of sympathy and thought. Edmond de Goncourt has written some eight or ten volumes, by far the most interesting of which are the three pub- lished last year, and entitled Le Journal des Goncourts ; an autobiography, in which the two brothers noted day by day their ideas and impressions of men and things they saw. It may be added that the publication of the Journal created quite a stir, and no small scandal, in the Parisian literary and artistic world, for it contains many curious anecdotes and indiscretions about celebrated men and women of the Second Empire, some of whom are still living. Though forewarned by the signal failure of Henriette Marcchal, brought out anew two years ago, and also by the recent fiasco of M. Zola's Germinal, at the Chatelet, M. E. de Goncourt made up his mind to try the boards again. He selected Germinie Lucerteux as the novel best suited to stage adaptation, and most in keeping with the assumed taste of the day. The re- sult was a new drama in ten tableaux, brought out at the Odeon in December. The Odeon has been the scene of many a tempestuous ' first night,' but since the memorable evening when M. Edmond About's Gaelana was hissed off the boards by the anti-Im- perialist youth of the Quartier Latin, there has been 3- nothing to be compared to the turmoil which attended the Premiere of Germinie Lacerteux. Geiininie Laceiteux is a drame naturalisie in ten tableaux adapted from the novel of the same name. Of plot there is none, only ten scenes of what M. de Goncourt terms ' real life.' Germinie is the trusted servant of old Mdlle. Varandeuil, an old maid of strange waj's, also given to the use and abuse of still stranger language, but lifelike all the same, the only honajide ' human document ' in the whole play. Unfor- tunately for Germinie and her mistress, the former falls in love, and into the clutches of a j'oung scoundrel. This Joupillon, a younger brother of M. Zola's Lantier in L Assommoir, is a perfect specimen of Parisian rascality of the lowest ordei'. Germinie is gradually demoralised by her hysterical infatuation for her voi/on lover, ends her career of vice and drunkenness in an hospital, and is borne from thence to the common foss — a modern version of the ' Harlot's Pi-ogress ' without Hogarth's moral. This edifying story is told in ten tableaux, which follow one another like dissolving- views, but too slowly. All the interest lies in the revolting pictorial accurac}' with which these tableaux are presented, little or no regard being paid to the unity of dramatic action. The stage is fitted up in a large wood frame made to resemble a picture-frame, this is supposed to add greatly to the effect of the scenes. M. de Goncourt pretends to despise the old-fashioned formulas of stage conventions, and yet in each tableau he has been obliged to have recourse to the usual tricks of ' stage business ' dear to the old-fashioned dramatists whom he affects to despise. Such is the play which attracted ' ton! Paris ' to the Odeon. Eveiybody of note in the Parisian world of art and literature was present, and as all were acquainted with the novel which formed the groundwork of the new drama, it cannot be said that the audience was not equal to the task of pronouncing a fair verdict. From the very first scene groans and hisses arose, while the claque and the strong contingent of M. de Goncourt's admirers, supported by the Princess Mathilde and M. Alphonse Daudet, tried to calm the rising storm. As tableau succeeded tableau the scene in the house became more and more turbulent; one would have thought the Chamber of Deputies was holding a seance de unit at the Odeon. When M. Dumeny (Joupillon) came forward after the last tableau to make the usual announcement: 'Ladies and gentlemen, the piece we have had the honour of performing before you is by . . .' he was not to be heard through the din which arose on all sides. Germinie Lacerleux was damned, and justly so; for, apart from the gross immorality and indecency of the piece, it is ' ennujjcux comme la pluie.' It is a succes de scandale which, thanks to the admirable acting of Mesdames Crosnier and Regane and M. Dumeny, will attract for a few weeks the Parisian blase ; but M. de Goncourt's and his late brother's literary fame will gain nothing Ijy it,
Cecii, Nicholson.
