After De Grisi came a host of clever magicians, among whom may be mentioned Döbler, whose principal trick was the lighting of one hundred candles by a pistol shot; Philippe, the first European performer to present the “bowls of gold fish” and the “Chinese rings”; Bosco, expert in cup and ball conjuring; and Comte, ventriloquist and expert in flower tricks. Comte was the most distinguished of these artists, being noted for his wit and audacity. He was a past master in the art of flattery. The following good story is told of him: During a performance at the Tuileries given before Louis XVIII, Comte asked the king to draw a card from a pack. The monarch selected the king of hearts, by chance, or by adroit forcing on the part of the magician. The card was torn up, and rammed into a pistol.
“Look, your majesty,” said Comte, pointing to a vase of flowers which stood upon a table in the center of the stage. “I shall fire this pistol at the vase and the king of hearts will appear just above the flowers.”
The weapon was fired, whereupon a small bust of Louis XVIII appeared instantaneously out of the center of the bouquet.
“Ah,” exclaimed the king to the conjurer, in a slightly sarcastic tone of voice, “I think. Monsieur Magician, that you have made a slight mistake. You promised to make the king of hearts appear, but——”
“Pardon me, your majesty,” interrupted the conjurer, “but I have fulfilled my promise to the letter. Behold, there is your likeness!—and are you not the acknowledged king of all our hearts, the well-beloved of the French people?”
The king bowed his royal head benignly, while the assembled courtiers made the salon ring with their applause. The journals next morning reported this little scene, and Comte became the lion of the hour.
Comte was in the zenith of his fame when a new performer entered the arena of magic—Robert-Houdin. One day the following modest handbill appeared on the Parisian bulletin-boards:
Aujourd’hui Jeudi, 3 Juillet 1845.
PREMIÈRE REPRÉSENTATION
DES
SOIRÉES FANTASTIQUES
DE
ROBERT-HOUDIN.
AUTOMATES, PRESTIDIGITATION, MAGIE