You understand music? If you haven't got Massinger, you have nothing to do but go to the first Bibliothèque you can light upon at Boulogne, and ask for it (Gifford's edition); and if they haven't got it, you can have "Athalie," par Monsieur Racine, and make the best of it.

The next was Athalie of Racine.

Mlle Georges performed the part of Athalie and gave me the perfect ideal of the haughty Queen.

The interrogating scene between Athalie and Joad was given spiritedly, but the rather abrupt and uncourtierlike reply to the Queen's remark, "Ils sont deux puissans dieux""Lui seul est dieu, Madame, et le vôtre n'est rien" excited a laugh and I fancy never fails to do so, every time the piece is performed.

The Phédre and Athalie of Racine are certainly masterpieces, and little inferior to them are Iphigénie, Andromaque and Britannicus, but in the others I think he must be pronounced inferior to Voltaire; as a proof of my argument I need only cite Zaïre, Alzire, Mahomet, Sémiramis, l'Orphelin de la Chine, Brutus.

He took a journey to Switzerland, where the beautiful Frau Peyermann occupied his heart long enough to inspire him to the scene in "Athalie," and to his song, "The Artist's Declaration of Love."

He and his wife Sophie decided that Timéa should live with them as an adopted child, and at the same time attend on their daughter Athalie as a waiting-maid.

Athalie and her mother treated the poor girl with scornful contempt.

On the advice of his friend, Lieutenant Katschuka, who was betrothed to Athalie, Timar purchased the sunken grain next day when it was put up for auction, buying the whole cargo for 10,000 gulden.

Lieutenant Katschuka had declared all along that he could not marry Athalie without a dowry, and when the wedding day arrived, Brazovics, unable to face his creditors, and knowing himself bankrupt, penniless, and fraudulent, committed suicide.

In his heart he had long wearied of Athalie, and looked with desire on Timéa.

Am I to tell him that I hate him, I who owe everything to him, and who brought him no dowry but a loveless heart?" Timar learnt from Athalie, who lived in Timéa's house, of this reply, and felt more in despair than ever.

Athalie, attracted by the shouts, went to the temple, and was killed by the mob.

(Racine's tragedy of Athalie, queen of Judah, must not be confounded with Corneille's tragedy of Attila, king of the Huns.)

This king of the Huns, usually called "The Scourge of God," must not be confounded with "Athalie," daughter of Jezebel and wife of Joram, the subject and title of Racine's ches-d'oeuvre, and Mdlle.

It is to her, and her taste for the stage, that the world owes Esther and Athalie, which Racine wrote for the girls of St. Cyr. Madame de Maintenon wished to see one of Madame de Brinon's pieces.

She considered that Racine alone of writers had reached perfection, and that only oncein Athalie.

With Racine, especially, Voltaire was constantly coupled; and it is clear that he himself firmly believed that the author of Alzire was a worthy successor of the author of Athalie.