235 
terior fo fludy, is the talent that de. 
ferves to be moft envied by the come- 
dian; it is this, that affords the facility 
ef reprefenting, without caricaturing, the 
true character in even the moft oppofite 
parts: tafte, the command of limbs and 
features, added to the .advantages of 
ftudy, may afterwards imprefs any ‘parti- 
cular part ; but it is the intelle€tual quali- 
ties that afford the means of fhining in 
all. Te was thus that Joly played by turns 
the Dorinna of the Tartuffe,and Nanine ; 
Finette “1 the Difipateur, and Agnes in 
2’ Ecole des Femmes, oula Femme juze & 
partie, and Orphife in la Coquette corrigée ; 
in fhort, fhe appeared with ereat fuccefs, 
in the difficult character of Conflance, in 
dees, and all Paris has feen her with afto- 
mifhpient in the part of Afthalie, being 
captivated at her manner of exhibiting 
the great beauties of the queen’s dream. 
But it was in the character of a qait- 
ing-qvoman in particular, that fhe diftin- 
guiflied her talents ; and all the lovers of 
genuine comedy confeffed, that fince the 
time of Mademoilelle d’Angeville, no 
one was to be compared with her. 
Yo the advantages derived from nature 
were added, the moft profound attention 
to the ftudy of her part. She did not 
even difdain the advantages to be reaped 
from tradition, and ‘being poffeffed of 
grace, gatety, and a perfect knowledge of 
the meaning of the author, fhe was ini- 
mitable in the comedies of Moliere, equal- 
jing, nay often furpaffing, Mademoifelle 
d’Angeville her model; and it is difficult 
to fuppofe, that fhe can ever be excelled 
in thofe characters which the herfelf may 
be faid to-have created, fuch as that of 
the Englifhwoman in the Deux Pojfies. So 
great indeed was her reputation, for know- 
Jedge, and critical correétnefs in her art, 
that when Caz/bava compofed his treatife 
on comedy*, he vifited her frequently, 
and rarely left her apartment, without 
treafuring up fome of her obfervations. 
Joly, to an uncommon degree of viva- 
city, united a mind, at once geritle, bene- 
ficent, and amiable. Shewas fond of the 
contemplation of nature, and loved J. J. 
Roufleau with that paflionate attachment, 
which demonftrated the exquifite fenfibi- 
lity of her heart. She wifited his tomb at 
Ermenonville, and, ina tranfport of ad- 
miration for this philofopher, fhe placed 
the firft civic wreath on his monument ; 
- 
* 66 Art de la Comedie,” 
Account of Mary Elizabeth Foly. 
. < [April 4, 
it- was a garland of oak, carved in bronze, 
with the tollowing fimple infcription : 
THIS CROWN WAS PRESENTED 
IN 1788, 
TO THE MANES OF 
J. J. ROUSSEAU 
MARY JOLY, A WIFE AND A 
MOTHER*. : 
This charming woman was net exempt 
at times from chagrin and misfortune; 
for jealoufy and the cabals of a theatré 
often difturbed her tranquillity. In ad- 
dition to thefe, fhe was imprifoned during 
the period of terror, along with the other 
performers belonging to the Comedie Fran- 
cazfe; her health, which was before ex- 
tremely delicate, became affected by this 
rigorous treatment, and fhe was attacked 
with a pulmonary difeafe, that conduéted 
her to the very brink of the grave. 
She however appeared afterwards at the 
new theatreof the Odeon, where her talents, 
of which the fpe€tators were afraid of 
being deprived, received a new tribute of 
applaufe. At length, finding her end 
approaching, fhe dedicated all her hours 
to the inftru€tion of her two daughters ; 
and when the public beheld her for the 
laft time in the character of the Fairy, 
in the Oracle, the elder of them appeared. 
in Lucinde. On this occafion,fhe appeared 
lefs defirous to maintain her own reputa- 
tion, than to procure attention to her 
child ; and this beft of mothers was fo 
overpowered by her feelings, that the pro- 
grefs of her malady increafed daily, and 
death fnatched her away from her friends, 
her family, and the public, at the age of © 
thirty-feven. aa hve 
So gentle-and amiable was her charae- 
ter, that, during a marriage of twenty 
years duration, fhe was never known tohave 
oppofed her own will to that of ker huf- 
band; and fhe feemed to place the 
whole of her felicity in that of thole 
around her. : 7 
Her corpfe was carried to Poligny, in 
the department of Calvades, and was in- 
terred in a {pot which fhe was exceedingly 
attached to. The neighbouring inhabi- 
tants repaired in crowds to the funeral of 
their friend : her tomb was dug out of 
the rock on the fide of a fleep mountain, 
to which they. have given the name of 
Miont-Foly ; the proceflion was numerous, 
and the municipal officers thought proper 
by their attendance to give it the appear- 
ance of a public funeral. 
Of the five children of Mary Elizabeth 
Joly, one, only ten months old, was car- 
ried 
BY 
