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400 FORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.
Peleus, a very old opera, the mufic of which is but indifferent, notwithftanding the pro-
duction of an Italian, but remarkable on account of its being rehearfed on the evening
of the memorable day on which the revolution took place in 1772, at-which rehearfal
the King was prefent till eleven in the evening, evincing the greateft tranquillity, and
apparently intent on nothing but the opera, fo much fo, in fhort, that many perfons who
had heard a rumour of it, could not be perfuaded it would take place on the morrow.
For the chief feats at the opera you pay thirty-two fkillings. Provided you have no
feat in the boxes, it is ufual to fit in the pit; but a foreigner of any notoriety eafily ob-
tains a place either in the box of the minifter of his nation, or in fome other. In the
winter on thofe days on which there are performances, the King fups at the opera, with
a great company, and thofe {trangers admitted to his fociety, are con{tantly invited. He
has referved for his own ufe avery elegant apartment there, in which is a painting by
Deprés, (an artift of whom we fhall fpeak as we proceed:) it reprefents the Emperor
Jofeph and the King of Sweden in the church of St. Peter, at Rome, with the Pope of-
ficiating. A number of figures are very ftriking likenefles.
‘The theatre is handfome, and the coup d’ceil it affords very pleafing; the ftage is
large. This building forms one of the fides of the north-fquare, and has a very fine ef-
fect. ‘The palace of the Princefs-Sophia Albertina, the only one who has apartments
without the palace, is oppofite, and in architecture perfectly correfponds. The capitals
of the columns of the front are of iron, founded by 4/plund. In the veftibule are to
be columns of granite, now polifhing near the north-bridge.
The French theatre is only comparable to one of our provincial ftages; but fora
Frenchman it mutt be pleafing to meet with performances of his nation, in the very:bo-
‘fom of the north. M*** was fora long time the principal actor at this theatre, and it
was imagined that the unmeafured bounty of the King would have induced him to re-
main, but M*** has demonttrated, that fenfe and confiderable talents can be united to
a corrupt heart, and the fouleit ingratitude. His behaviour towards the King, and the
manner in which he left Sweden (to pace the boards of the fifth play-houfe in Paris, )
would have difgraced any one but himfelf, They play on Wednefdays and Fridays at
the French theatre. On the other days of the week, in the fame houfe which is built
of wood, is very mean, and very inconvenient * ; the company of national actors per-:
form ; this company was lately compofed under the aufpices of His Majelty, and has al-
ready arrived at a fingular degree of perfection, the fhortnefs of the time confidered 5
the King interefts himfelf greatly in the improvement of the a¢tors, to which circum-
ftance the fpeed of their progrefs is to beattributed. Coftume is always rigidly attended
to among them, and their drefles are very good. They perform both tragedy and co-
medy. For the chief places at them, as well as the French performances, you pay
twenty-four fkillings. ‘The latter company, fince the death of the King, has been dif-
mifled.
The fourth theatre may be compared to that of our boulevards, as,well for the place
itfelf, as the company which refort to it; at this they play trifling pieces and comic
operas.
a fummer they only act once ina fortnight, as almoft every body at this feafon is in
the country ; this is but a flender privation.
During carnival a mafqued ball is given every Friday, at leaft this was the cafe during
our refidence there; the price of a ticket of admiffion is twenty-four fkillings. You
cannot enter the theatre unlefs in a mafk or domino, but may go into the upper boxes,
* It was deftroyed in 1792. h
whence
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