ead and re-read, seen and seen again, than this "Bataille
de dames."

BENJ. W. WELLS.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote A: Criticism of Scribe may be found in Brunetiere's "Epoques
du theatre francais;" Weiss, "Le Theatre et les moeurs;" Matthews,
"French Dramatists," p.78; Wells, "Modern French Literature," p. 353.
Lanson, "Litterature francaise," p.966, is perhaps unduly harsh. For
contemporary criticism of Scribe see Sainte-Beuve, "Portraits
contemporains," ii., 91 and 589.]

[Footnote B: It originated in Italy as a pantomime with songs, which in
seventeenth-century France became what we now call "topical." It is of
this that Boileau says, "_Le francais, ne malin, forma le vaudeville._"
Later the pantomime yielded gradually to dialogue, and the vaudeville
was tending to farcical opera when Scribe gave it a new direction.]

[Footnote C: "Valerie" (1822) and "Le Mariage d'argent" (1827), both at
the Theatre Francais.]

[Footnote D: For the serial publication of one of these, "Piquillo
Alliago," he received from _Le Siecle_ $12,000.]

[Footnote E: Among them "La Juive," "Fra diavolo," "Robert le diable,"
"Les Huguenots," "Le Prophete."]

[Footnote F: Manifested most clearly in his "Histoire morale des
femmes."]

BATAILLE DE DAMES

UN DUEL EN AMOUR.

COMEDIE EN TROIS ACTES

PAR

SCRIBE ET LEGOUVE.

First represented at the Theatre Francais in 1851.

PERSONNAGES.

LA COMTESSE D'AUTREVAL, NEE KERMADIO.

LEONIE DE LA VILLEGONTIER, SA NIECE.

HENRI DE FLAVIGNEUL.

GUSTAVE DE GRIGNON.

LE BARON DE MONTRICHARD.

UN SOUS-OFFICIER DE DRAGONS.

UN DOMESTIQUE.

_La scene se passe au chateau d'Autreval pres de Lyon, en octobre,
1817._

BATAILLE DE DAMES.

ACTE PREMIER

Le theatre represente un salon d'ete[1] elegant.--Deux portes laterales
sur le premier plan.[2]--Cheminee au plan de gauche.--Une porte au
fond.--Gueridon a gauche.--Petite table et canape a droite.

SCENE I

_Au lever du rideau_, CHARLES, _en livree elegante et tenant a la main
des lettres et des journaux, est debout devant un chevalet place a
gauche du public_. LEONIE, _entre par la porte du fond_.

CHARLES, _regardant le tableau pose sur le chevalet_. C'est charmant!...
charmant!... une finesse! une grace!...

LEONIE, _qui vient d'entrer, apercevant Charles_. Qu'est-ce que
j'entends?... (_Apres un instant de silence et d'un ton severe_.)
Charles!... Charles!

CHARLES, _se retournant brusquement et s