LEONE LIONI, (a swindler) | CAPTAIN BRULART, (pirate

* All these are characters taken from the romances of the day most in vogue, wearing their own dress and using, as will be seen from notes, almost exactly their own language.

Scene a confused medley of Swiss cottages, and houses of ill-fame-Of Pirate vessels, and cachemered boudoirs -Of sepulchres and banqueting rooms-In the back ground Venice surrounded by rocks; and the Morgue enshrined in bowers of roses.

Enter Leone Lioni-Lioni is dressed in a long robe of pale green silk, embroidered with large arabesques of gold and silver.† Enter opposite a Galerian in chains.

Galerian (with arms folded and a meditative air,)—Who, Sir, are you ?

Lioni.-I Sir!-I am a man endowed with

† See description, in "Leone Lioni." Un homme vêtu d'une longue robe de soie vert pâle, brodée de arges arabesques d'or et d'argent.

extraordinary faculties*—I have all talents and all seductions: if I am present at a concert, I sing and play better than any of the musicians. If I deign to pass an evening in a small and quiet circle, I enrich by the most beautiful drawings the ladies' albums.

I sketch in an instant portraits the most graceful, and caricatures the most caustic. I improvise too and declaim in all languages. I know every dance in Europe, and dance them all with an enchanting perfection. I have seen every thing, judged every thing, understood every thing; in short (stroking his chin) I have read in the universe as if it were my pocket-book.

* Il est certain que Leoni est un homme doué de facultés extraordinaires. Vous savez qu'il a tous les talents, toutes les séductions. S'il assistait à un concert, après s'être fait un peu prier, il chantait ou jouait de tous les instruments avec une supériorité marquée sur les musiciens. S'il consentait à passer une soirée d'intimité, il faisait des dessins charmants sur les albums des femmes. Il crayonnait en un instant des portraits pleins de grâce ou des caricatures pleines de nerve; il improvisait ou déclamait dans toutes les langues; il savait toutes les danses de caractère de l'Europe; et il les dansait toutes avec une grâce enchanteresse; il avait tout vu, tout retenu, tout jugé, tout compris; il savait tout; il lisait dans l'univers comme dans un livre de poche.

Galerian.-Ah! I see from the description, you are the keeper of a hell in St. James's Street.* I am a philosopher and a moralist.† No man who has not nearly escaped hanging can be one. Oh! (with an enraptured air) the delights of virtue! The pure, the incomparable happiness of that beatified state of the soul which plunged in an earthly elysium.... (Here the Galerian speaking and walking rapidly across the stage, and evidently forgetting himself, uses Lioni's pale green silk robe as a pocket handkerchief.)

Lioni.-Oh! Juliette! Oh! my robe!

Galerian (melancholy and as if suddenly awakened from an agreeable delirium.)-Pardon, Sir, alas! talking of virtue made me think I was again in the galleys.‡

Enter Governess leading in a beautiful young

Princess.

To the Galerian.-Sir, you seem an honourable man, do us a service!

* Lioni is a cheat and swindler.

+ See Lelia-the character of Trenmor, the Galerian. + Lelia. "Vous ramez trop vîte, Sténio, vous m'arrachez une bien chère illusion. Ce brouillard me trompait; ce froid du soir, et surtout ce calme religieux qui était en moi, me faisaient croire que j'étais au bagne."

Princess Claudia (with enthusiasm.)—Yes, Sir

do me a service!

Galerian.-Madam, is what you ask strictly

accordant with virtue?

Governess.-Strictly Sir.

Princess Claudia.-Strictly Sir.

together.

Galerian (with one hand to his brow, the other gathering up his chains)-Say on, madam. Governess, (with proper dignity)—Sir, my duty to this young lady's parents, my duty to her, but more than all, my duty to myself brings me here to tell you that my pupil desires to be seduced.*

Galerian shakes his head.-Pity me, ladies!

I am a St. Simonian, and I swore to the father' yesterday—abstinence for a month. Princess Claudia.

Perhaps, Sir, (pointing

to Lioni) that other gentleman—

Lioni, (holding out a hand covered with jewels) One hundred and fifty thousand francs, if you please! That's what my beloved Juliette paid me, I assure you, not a farthing less.†

[While the Governess and the young Princess are consulting together, there appears a good

* Lelia, scene between Stenio, Governess and Princess Claudia.

† See Leoni.

looking young man, with a Brutus wig and top boots, leading by the hand a couple of young ladies, in a deshabille of the Roman empire in the time of Tiberius.]

Governess starts.-Oh! Monsieur Barnave, can that be you?

Barnave.-You have said it, madam.

Galerian.-And those young ladies? (aside) opera dancers I should say-ah! then they must be virtuous.

Barnave.-These young ladies are the daughters of Sejan.*

Governess.-Good God, M. Barnave, how came you by the daughters of Sejan ?

Barnave.-Ah! madam, I see you do not know my forte. Such things are always happening to me. I was walking in the Tuileries, composing for the national assembly, somebody touched my arm, another would have thought it was his mistress-but no; the truth struck me at once; "here," said I," are the daughters of Sejan!"

Princess Claudia to Governess, and examining the daughters of Sejan with attention.)-Are those the daughters that were

Barnave (overhearing.) — Precisely, Mademoiselle. Read the last edition of my Memoirs, page 273.

* See Barnave, by M. Janin.