[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—Perhaps " A Collector," who a fortnight ago gave your readers two amusing examples of Continental English, has seen some of the unofficial theatre programmes that can be bought in the streets of Paris. When Ramean's Castor et Pollux was revived at the Opera this year "L'Exact" Programme Quo- tidien, as it is called, contained the following synopsis of the libretto :- " Castor and Pollux are sons of Leda and Jupiter. Castor was killed in fighting with Lynctie: his sweetheart Telafre, daughter of the Sun, weeps for him by his burial. Pollux comes: ho killed Lyne6e in order to revenge Castor. He is loved by Phebt3, princess of Spart but he loves Telaire and tells her. Telaire, faithful to Castor, will not hear him, praying' him to obtain from his father Jupiter he will restore Castor to the life. Jupiter does not agree upon. Pollux goes down to the Hells in spite of the Devils excited by Phebe; he tells Castor the sorry of Telaire and beseeches him to return towards her and to give him Isis place in the Hells. Jupiter, moved by this fraternal love, makes them immortal."
I need hardly call attention to the delicacy with which the author touches upon the " sorry " of Telaire. Rameau, who prided himself upon adapting words to music, and who is said to have declared on one occasion that he could set a Dutch gazette, would no doubt have made quite an excellent dramatic recitative of the foregoing, a Senta's ballad, as it were, which would epitomize the whole opera.—I am, Sir. &o.., C. H.
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