The Project Gutenberg EBook of L'Aiglon, by Edmond Rostand This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: L'Aiglon Author: Edmond Rostand Translator: Louis N. Parker Release Date: September 17, 2009 [EBook #30012] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK L'AIGLON *** Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.)
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L'AIGLON
A PLAY IN SIX ACTS
BY
EDMOND ROSTAND
TRANSLATED BY
LOUIS N. PARKER
Copyright 1900
By Robert Howard Russell
The First Act
The Second Act
The Third Act
The Fourth Act
The Fifth Act
The Sixth Act
THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY
The cast as presented by Maude
Adams at the Knickerbocker
Theatre, New York, October, 1900
The Duke of Reichstadt, son of Napoleon I. and the Archduchess Maria Louisa of Austria Maude Adams
Flambeau, a veteran J. H. Gilmour
Prince Metternich, Chancellor of Austria Edwin Arden
Count Prokesch Percy Lyndall
Baron Friedrich von Gentz Eugene Jepson
The Attaché of the French Embassy at the Austrian Court Oswald York
The Tailor, a conspirator William Lewers
Count Maurice Dietrichstein Edward Lester
Baron von Obenaus R. Peyton Carter
The Emperor Francis of Austria Jos. Francœur
Marshal Marmont, Duke of Ragusa J. H. Benrimo
Count Sedlinzky, Prefect of the Austrian Police William Crosby
The Marquis of Bombelles, betrothed to Maria Louisa Clayton Legge
Tiburtius de Loget William Irving
Lord Cowley, English Ambassador at the Austrian Court Rienzi de Cordova
Count Sandor Edward Jacobs
Doctor Malfatti H. D. James
General Hartmann Herbert Carr
Captain Foresti John S. Robertson
An Austrian Sergeant Lloyd Carleton
A Country Doctor Frederick Spencer
His Son Byron Ongley
Thalberg B. B. Belcher
Montenegro Morton H. Weldon
The Chamberlain Charles Martin
An Officer of the Noble Guard, the Emperor of Austria's Bodyguard Henry P. Davis
The Marquis of Otranto, son of Fouche Charles Henderson
Goubeaux Don C. Merrifield
Pionnet {Bonapartist} Henry Clarke
Morchain {conspirators} Thomas H. Elwood
Guibert George Klein
Borowski Frank Goodman
First Police Officer Ralph Yoerg
First Archduke, a child Walter Butterworth
Second Archduke, a child John Leeman
Maria Louisa, second wife of Napoleon I., widow of Count Neipperg Ida Waterman
The Archduchess Sophia of Austria Sarah Converse
Theresa de Loget, sister of Tiburtius de Loget Ellie Collmer
The Countess Napoleone Camerata, daughter of Napoleon's sister, Elisa Baciocchi Sarah Perry
Fanny Elssler Margaret Gordon
Scarampi, Mistress of the Robes Francis Comstock
Mina, a maid-of-honor Edith Scott
An Archduchess, a child Beatrice Morrison
Princes, Princesses, Archdukes, Archduchesses, Maids-of-Honor, Officers, Noble Guard, Masks (Male and Female), Crotian Peasants, Hungarian Peasant, Austrian Soldiers, Police Officers.
The period covered by the play is from 1830 to 1832.
THE DUKE OF REICHSTADT
FROM THE PAINTING BY SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE
THE FIRST ACT
L'AIGLON
THE FIRST ACT
At Baden, near Vienna, in 1830.
The drawing-room of the villa occupied by Maria Louisa. The walls are painted al fresco in bright colors. The frieze is decorated with a design of sphinxes.
At the back, between two other windows, a window reaching to the ground and forming the entrance from the garden. Beyond, the balustrade of the terrace leading into the garden; a glimpse of lindens and pine-trees. A magnificent day in the beginning of September. Empire furniture of lemonwood decorated with bronze. A large china stove in the centre of the wall on the left. In front of it a door. On the right, two doors. The first leads to the apartments of Maria Louisa. In front of the window on the left at the back an Erard piano of the period, and a harp. A big table on the right, and against the right wall a small table with shelves filled with books. On the left, facing the audience, a Récamier couch, and a large stand for candlesticks. A great many flowers in vases. Framed engravings on the walls representing the members of the Imperial Family of Austria. A portrait of the Emperor Francis.
At the rise of the curtain a group of elegant ladies is discovered at the further end of the room. Two of them are seated at the piano, with their backs to the audience, playing a duet. Another is at the harp. They are playing at sight, amid much laughter and many interruptions. A lackey ushers in a modestly dressed young girl who is accompanied by an officer of the Austrian Cavalry. Seeing that no one notices their entrance, these two remain standing a moment in a corner. The Count de Bombelles comes in from the door on the right and goes toward the piano. He sees the young girl, and stops, with a smile.
The Ladies.
[Surrounding the piano, laughing, and all talking at
the same time.]
She misses all the flats!—It's scandalous!—
I'll take the bass!—Loud pedal!—One! Two!—Harp!
Bombelles.
[To Theresa.]
What! You!
Theresa.
Good-day, my Lord Bombelles!
A Lady.
[At the piano.]
Theresa.
I enter on my readership—
Another Lady.
[At the piano.]
The flats!
Theresa.
It's thanks to you.
Bombelles.
My dear Theresa! Nothing!
You are my relative, and you are French.
Theresa.
[Presenting the officer.]
Tiburtius—
Bombelles.
Ah, your brother!
[He gives him his hand and pushes forward a
chair for Theresa.]
Take a seat.
Theresa.
I'm very nervous.
Bombelles.
[With a smile.]
Heavens! What about?
Theresa.
To venture near the persons of the two
The Emperor left!
Bombelles.
Oh, is that all, my child?
Tiburtius.
Our people hated Bonaparte of old—
Theresa.
Yes—but to see—
Bombelles.
His widow?
Theresa.
And perhaps
His son?
Bombelles.
Assuredly.
Theresa.
Why, it would mean
I'd never thought or read, and was not French,
Nor born in recent years, if I could stand
Unmoved so near them. Is she lovely?
Bombelles.
Who?
Theresa.
Her Majesty of Parma?
Bombelles.
Why�
��
Theresa.
She's sad
And that itself is beauty.
Bombelles.
But I'm puzzled.
Surely you've seen her?
Theresa.
No.
Tiburtius.
We've just come in.
Bombelles.
Yes, but—
Tiburtius.
We feared we might disturb these ladies
Whose laughter sings new gamuts to the piano.
Theresa.
Here in my corner I await her notice.
Bombelles.
What? Why, it's she who's playing bass this moment!
Theresa.
The Emp—?
Bombelles.
I'll go and tell her.
[He goes to the piano and whispers to one of the
ladies who are playing.]
Maria Louisa.
[Turning.]
Ah! this child—
Quite a pathetic story—yes—you told me:
A brother—
Bombelles.
Father exiled. Son an exile.
Tiburtius.
The Austrian uniform is to my taste;
And then there's fox-hunting, which I adore.
[To Theresa.]
So that's the rascal whose extravagance
Eats up your little fortune?
Theresa.
Oh!—my brother—
Maria Louisa.
The wretch has ruined you, but you forgive him!
Theresa de Loget, I think you're charming!
[She takes Theresa by both hands and makes her
sit beside her on the couch.]
[Bombelles and Tiburtius retire to the back.]
Now you're among my ladies. I may boast
I'm not unpleasant; rather sad at times
Since—
Theresa.
I am grieved beyond the power of words.
Maria Louisa.
Yes, to be sure. It was a grievous loss.
That lovely soul was little known!
Theresa.
Oh, surely!
Maria Louisa.
[Turning to Bombelles.]
I've just been writing; they're to keep his horse—
[To Theresa.]
Since the dear General's death—
Theresa.
The—General's?
Maria Louisa.
He'd kept that title.
Theresa.
Ah, I understand!
Maria Louisa.
I weep.
Theresa.
That title was his greatest glory.
Maria Louisa.
One cannot know at first all one has lost;
And I lost all when General Neipperg died.
Theresa.
Neipperg?
Maria Louisa.
I came to Baden for distraction.
It's nice. So near Vienna.—Ah, my dear,
My nerves are troublesome; they say I'm thinner—
And growing very like Madame de Berry.
'Twas Vitrolles said so. Now I do my hair
Like her. Why did not Heaven take me too?
This villa's small, of course; but 'tisn't bad;
Metternich is our guest in passing.
[She points to the door on the left.]
There.
He leaves to-night. The life at Baden's gay.
We have the Sandors and the pianist Thalberg,
And Montenegro sings to us in Spanish.
Fontana howls an air from Figaro.
The wife of the Ambassador of England
And the Archduchess come; we go for drives—
But nothing soothes my grief!—Ah, could the General—!
Of course you're coming to the ball to-night?
Theresa.
Why—
Maria Louisa.
At the Meyendorffs'. Strauss will be there.
She must be present, mustn't she, Bombelles?
Theresa.
May I solicit of your Majesty
News of the Duke of Reichstadt?
Maria Louisa.
In good health.
He coughs a little; but the air of Baden
Is good for him. He's quite a man. He's reached
The critical hour of entrance in the world!
Oh dear! when I consider he's already
Lieutenant-Colonel! Think how grieved I am
Never to have seen him in his uniform!
[Enter the Doctor and his son, bringing a box.
Maria Louisa.
Ah! These must be for him!
The Doctor.
Yes; the collections.
Maria Louisa.
Please put them down.
Bombelles.
What are they?
The Doctor.
Butterflies.
Theresa.
Butterflies?
Maria Louisa.
Yes; when I was visiting
This amiable old man, the local doctor,
I saw his boy arranging these collections.
I sighed aloud, Alas! would but my son,
Whom nothing moves, take interest in these!
The Doctor.
So then I answered, Well, your Majesty,
One never knows. Why not? We can but try;
I'll bring my butterflies!
Theresa.
His butterflies!
Maria Louisa.
Could he but leave his solitary musings
To occupy his mind with—
The Doctor.
Lepidoptera.
Maria Louisa.
Leave them; come back; he's out at present.
[To Theresa.] You
Come, I'll present you to Scarampi. She's
The Mistress of the Robes.
[She sees Metternich, who enters L.]
Ah, Metternich!
Dear Prince, we leave you the saloon.
Metternich.
Indeed,
I had to come here to receive the Envoy—
Maria Louisa.
I know—
Metternich.
Of General Belliard, French Ambassador;
And Councillor Gentz, and several Estafets.
With your permission—
[To a lackey.] First, Baron von Gentz.
Maria Louisa.
The room is yours.
[She goes out with Theresa. Tiburtius and
Bombelles follow her. Gentz enters.]
Metternich.
Good-morning, Gentz. You know
The Emperor recalls me to Vienna?
I'm going back to-day.
Gentz.
Ah?
Metternich.
Yes; it's tiresome—
The town in summer!
Gentz.
Empty as my pocket.
Metternich.
Oh, come now! No offence, you know, but—eh?
Surely the Russian Government has—
Gentz.
Me!
Metternich.
Be frank. Who's bought you? Eh?
Gentz.
[Munching sweetmeats.]
The highest bidder.
Metternich.
Where does the money go?
Gentz.
[Smelling at a scent-bottle he has taken out of his
pocket.]
In riotous living.
Metternich.
Good Heavens! And you're considered my right hand!
Gentz.
Let not your left know what your right receives.
Metternich.
Sweetmeats and perfumes! Oh!
Gentz.
Why, yes, of course.
I've money; I love sweets and perfumes. Yes,
I'm a depraved old baby.
Metternich.
Affectation!
Mere pose of self-contempt.
[Suddenly.] And Fanny?