PARISIAN TIESATRICALS.
At the Gymnase there is a new five-act comedy by M. Henri de Meli- lla; entitled Un petit File de Mascarille, an, adventurer of modem times, named Ronceray, being the supposed descendant of the knave of old French comedy. This Ronceray is bent upon a marriage with Cecile, the daughter of M. Clavarot, a retired bourgeois, whom he leads by the nose, just as Tartuffe leads Orgon, though he owes his influence not to a reputation for sanctity, but to a pretended influence with the Govern- ment. He has an additional weapon in the terror with which he inspires Madame Clavarot, whom he has seduced in her youth, and who fears he will betray her to her husband. Obstacle after obstacle presents itself on his road to the hynleneal altar; yet it seems that by his audacity and craft he will triumph over all, till he breaks down at last and is unveiled as an impostor. Even the amour with Madame Clavarot, which he would basely turn to account, proves of no service, for her husband was already acquainted with the affair though he deliberately feigned ignorance. La Reine _Margot, the drama with which, in February, 1847, M. Alex- andre Dumas inaugurated the unfortunate Theatre Historique, has been revived at the Porte Saint Martin. About three years and a half ago it was revived at the Cirque, and was always considered a favourite play. A comedy, in one act, by M. Henri Nicolle, called Zee Projets de Ina Tante, has been produced at the Theatre Francais. The aunt, one of those charming middle-aged persona so common upon the French stage, has the greatest difficulty in making her niece and a model young gen- tleman fall in love with each other, but succeeds in the end by entering the lists as a pretended rival to the young lady. Two authors, MM. Baraguay and De Rostan, have combined their wits for the formation of a short comedy, entitled Une Fills de Voltaire, which is now played at the Odeon. The scene is laid at Fermi- ; but the old gentleman who plays the part of father in a very simple love story, might as well have been any one else as the noted philosopher. He is, however, made up into an admirable likeness of Voltaire, and that is a great point.
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