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62 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY,
fon, and a filver toned voice.. .Thofe who would be quite melted, muft fee her in the
part of Gabrielle de Vergis.. For the firft time in my life in a theatre, I felt tears fall from
my eyes. Tragedy, however, is not her fole forte ; fhe plays the parts of fine ladies, mar-
chionefles, and devotees, with the fame felicity. » She has a thorough knowledge of the
world, and all the doors of this place, thofe of the imperial cabinet itfelf not excepted,
are open to her. She is fuch a miftrefs of her motions, thata friend of mine compared
her to an inftrument which plays treble and bafe at the fame time. Indeed, all the mo-
tions of her mouthyeyes, arms, and body, are in fuch thorough unifon with, and fet off
each other fo well, that I do not know to what fhe can better be compared than to an in-
ftrument of this fort. ‘There are not three actreffes in the world to be compared to her;
and fhe is worthy to be, as fhe is, the goddefs of the public’s idolatry. Still, however,
fhe was forced to wait fome time before the public faw her merit. Her aétion, like
Brockman’s, does not pleafe.at firft fight, as that of Bergopzoomer and Lange does. This.
is common to all that is very fine ; you muft examine and compare the parts, before yow
can be ftruck with the beauty and fymmetry of the whole.
Mademoifelle Teui/cher and Mademoilelle Nannette Faynet are the next. Thefe ladies
would be good attrefles if there was no Sakko. I know no other ladies to mention to-
you but Madame Huber, who on and off the ftage enacts the part of a proud, quarrel-
tome, and foolifh wife to perfection.
The whole company is in the pay of the court, and every individual in it, keeps his
falary for life, even when he ceafes to be ferviceable. ‘The higheft falary paid by the
court is 1200 guilders; befides this the principal actors have 600 guilders for fire and
clothes, and what remains of the receipts after the expences are paid, is divided amongft
them. The receipts generally amount to 120,000, and the expences to 80,000 guilders
a year. The fuperflux is divided according to the falaries. “Thofe who have children
endeavour to procure them a {mall appointment as foon as poffible. In general thefe
are given with great liberality. They made Madam Sakko’s hufband (by profeffion a
dancer, but of no manner of ufe), infpector of the wardrobe, with an appointment of
500 guilders; fo the two together have 2300 guilders, or about 250 pounds a year.
The fecond rates have from 800 to 1000 guilders, and the thirds trom 400 to 600
guilders. Jacynel and his two daughters receive 4000 guilders, or about 400 poundsa
ear.
The cabals and intrigues which exift in this commonwealth, you can have no concep-
ception of: every new part makes a quarrel, in which the courtiers take part ; the pub-
lic fuffers accordingly. If this company was under good management, it would be one
of the three firft in Europe. As things now are, authors are greatly injured. When
a play is offered, it is read in the’theatrical parliament, when the majority of votes de-
cides whether it fhall be a€ted or not; the confequence of this is, that a good play is
often refufed, either becaufe fome of the firft actors have no good part in it, or becaufe
they will not leave a good part to another, or becaufe they are not at leifure to ftudy a
new part, or which is ofteneft the cafe, becaufe they, know nothing of the merits. ‘The
author of a new piece, together with a premium, is entitled toa third part of what his
work produces, and may fell the copy. Notwithftanding thefe advantages, new plays
are fo fcarce, that they have been obliged to call in the affiftance of a German opera.
‘The quarrels this daily occafions betwixt the two companies, and the contempt they
have for one another, is truly ridiculous. ‘The Emprefs takes care that the public man-
ners of the actrefles fhall be more decent than they are at Paris.
Upon the whole, the public of this place has as bada tafte as that of Munich. Every
thing here cries out panem et circenfes, and the multitude feem to have no other ree
than
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