ughter of Charles I. of England, attended by Princes, Dukes,
Marquises, and Counts, with their quick-witted, sharp-tongued, and
independent spouses. The highest and noblest of France came to stare at
Fouquet's magnificence, to wonder at the strange birds and beasts, and
to admire the fountains and cascades. After a walk about the grounds,
the august company were served with supper in the _chateau_. Vatel was
the _maitre d'hotel_. The King could not conceal his astonishment at the
taste and luxury of the Surintendant, nor his annoyance when he
recognized the portrait of La Valliere in a mythological panel. Over
doors and windows were carved and painted Fouquet's arms,--a squirrel,
with the motto, "_Quo non ascendam_?" The King asked a chamberlain for
the translation. When the device was interpreted, the measure of his
wrath was full. He was on the point of ordering Fouquet's instant
arrest; but the Queen-Mother persuaded him to wait until every
precaution had been taken.

After supper, the guests were conducted to the play. The theatre was at
the end of an alley of pines, almost _al fresco_. The stage represented
a garden decorated with fountains and with statues of Terminus. Scenery
by Le Brun; machinery and transmutations by Torelli; stage-manager,
Moliere; the comedy, "_Les Facheux_," "The Bores," composed, written,
and rehearsed expressly for this occasion, in the short space of fifteen
days. This piece was put upon the stage in a new way. The ballet,
introduced by Mazarin a few years before, was the fashion, and
indispensable. As Moliere had only a few good dancers, he placed the
scenes of the ballet between the acts of the comedy, in order to give
his artists time to change their dresses and to take three or four
different parts. To avoid awkwardness in these transitions, the plot of
the comedy was carried over into the pantomime. This arrangement proved
so successful that Moliere made use of it in many of his later plays.

The curtain rises upon a man in citizen's-dress (Moliere). He expresses
amazement and dismay at seeing so large and so distinguished an
audience, and implores His Majesty to pardon him for being there without
actors enough and without time enough to prepare a suitable
entertainment. While he is yet speaking, twenty jets of water spring
into the air,--a huge rock in the foreground changes into a shell,--the
shell opens,--forth steps a Naiad (pretty Mademoiselle Bejart, a
well-known actress,--too