By the direction of the First Consul a very pretty little theatre was built at Malmaison.  Our usual actors were Eugene beauharnais, Hortense, Madame Murat, Lauriston, M. Didelot, one of the prefects of the Palace, some other individuals belonging to the First Consul’s household, and myself.  Freed from the cares of government, which we confined as much as possible to the Tuileries, we were a very happy colony at Malmaison; and, besides, we were young, and what is there to which youth does not add charms?  The pieces which the First Consul most liked to see us perform were, ‘Le Barbier de Seville’ and ‘Defiance et Malice’.  In Le Barbier Lauriston played the part of Count Almaviva; Hortense, Rosins; Eugene, Basil; Didelot, Figaro; I, Bartholo; and Isabey, l’Aveille.  Our other stock pieces were, Projets de Mariage, La Gageltre, the Dapit Anloureux, in which I played the part of the valet; and L’Impromptu de Campagne, in which I enacted the Baron, having for my Baroness the young and handsome Caroline Murat.

Hortense’s acting was perfection, Caroline was middling, Eugene played very well, Lauriston was rather heavy, Didelot passable, and I may venture to assert, without vanity, that I was not quite the worst of the company.  If we were not good actors it was not for want of good instruction and good advice.  Talma and Michot came to direct us, and made us rehearse before them, sometimes altogether and sometimes separately.  How many lessons have I received from Michot whilst walking in the beautiful park of Malmaison!  And may I be excused for saying, that I now experience pleasure in looking back upon these trifles, which are matters of importance when one is young, and which contrasted so singularly with the great theatre on which we did not represent fictitious characters?  We had, to adopt theatrical language, a good supply of property.  Bonaparte presented each of us with a collection of dramas very well bound; and, as the patron of the company, he provided us with rich and elegant dresses.

—­[While Bourrienne, belonging to the Malmaison company, considered that the acting at Neuilly was indecent, Lucien, who refused to act at Malmaison, naturally thought the Malmaison troupe was dull.  “Hortense and Caroline filled the principal parts.  They were very commonplace.  In this they followed the unfortunate Marie Antoinette and her companions.  Louis XVI., not naturally polite, when seeing them act, had said that it was royally badly acted” (see Madame Campan’s Life of Marie Antoinette, tome i. p. 299).  “The First Consul said of his troupe that it was sovereignly badly acted”. . .  Murat, Lannes, and even Caroline ranted.  Elisa, who, having been educated at Saint Cyr, spoke purely and without accent, refused to act.  Janot acted well the drunken parts, and even the others he undertook.  The rest were decidedly bad.  Worse than bad—­ridiculous” (Iung’s Lucien’s, tome ii. p. 256).  Rival actors are not fair critics.  Let us hear