Later Queens of the French Stage

LATER QUEENS OF THE FRENCH STAGE



BY H. NOEL WILLIAMS AUTHOR OF “QUEENS OF THE FRENCH STAGE,” “MADAME RÉCAMIER AND HER FRIENDS,” “MADAME DE POMPADOUR,” “MADAME DE MONTESPAN,” “MADAME DU BARRY,” ETC.
LONDON AND NEW YORK H A R P E R & B R O T H E R S 45 ALBEMARLE STREET, W. 1906
TO A. M. BROADLEY



Sophie’s parents belonged to the upper bourgeoisie , and at the time of her birth appear to have been in comfortable circumstances. Her father, Jean Arnould, was a worthy man, whose worldly ambitions were limited to securing a comfortable competence, retiring from business, and purchasing some Government or municipal office and the social distinction which went with it. Her mother, however, had received an excellent education, “which, joined to her natural intelligence,” says Sophie, “rendered her in society the most amiable and interesting of women.” She affected literary society and numbered among her friends and acquaintances Voltaire, Fontenelle, who, a few days before his death, called to show her the manuscript of one of the great Corneille’s tragedies, Piron, the Comte de Caylus, Moncrif, the Abbé (afterwards the Cardinal) de Bernis, Diderot, and d’Alembert.