1826-1827] Harry Wedgwood on French Plays 199 



acting was very fine, and worth 10 nights of Miss M. Tree's 

 ' Home sweet Home " work, or Miss O'Neill's pulling away 

 at the pocket handkerchief which hung at the small of her 

 back. There was no ballet. On Monday I went with, or 

 rather after, Caroline Darwin, Charlotte and Frank to the 

 French play, where I was confirmed in my opinion of the 

 superiority of French plays and actors over English. In the 

 Demoiselle a Marier, the demoiselle comes jumping in in her 

 morning gown, and boasting of what a breakfast she has 

 eaten, and what a walk she is going to take, when she is 

 packed off by her maman to put on her best gown to receive 

 a visitor. This horrifies her, for she is sure she shall have to 

 sing; accordingly when the visitor arrives, in come all the 

 family en grande tenue and Mademoiselle as awkward and 

 frightened as possible. She is bid to hold up her head and 

 say something, and is sent to fetch her drawing of the tete de 

 Romulus, but to her great relief the visitor is so disgusted 

 with all this exhibition that he declares off. However he 

 stays to dinner, and Mademoiselle takes off her fine gown, 

 and is so happy and pleasant at being released that she and 

 the gentleman fall in love and it is all settled. An English 

 actress would have been hoydenish when she was not 

 affected, and vulgar all through, but this French one never 

 seemed to think of the audience, or of her dress or attitudes, 

 but was just as if she acted for her amusement. Charlotte 

 and I both remarked that in all these French petites pieces 

 all the characters are made extremely good-natured, and 

 that makes another contrast with English afterpieces. A 

 third contrast is in the women's dresses, which I think are 

 not only infinitely better but much cleaner at the French 

 Theatre. 



Having gone through my dissipations it is time I should 

 inform you that I have won Uncle Allen's cause for him, 

 that is with the assistance of the Attorney- General and 

 Taunton. It was tried the day before yesterday before 

 Littledale. I was in a horrid fright, for I was responsible 

 to Uncle Allen in three several capacities of Pleader, Counsel, 

 and nephew, and he chose to come and sit in court to quiet 



