[235] François René Molet (1734-1802), known as Molé, another player of light-comedy parts, principally those then known as fats and petits-maîtres: fops and dandies. He was an active member of the Comédie Française for forty-two years, from 1760 to the day of his death.—T.
[236] Henri Gourgaud (1714-1809), known as Dugazon, played comic men-servants' parts. He was the brother of Madame Vestris, the tragic actress.—T.
[237] Jean Baptiste Fouchard de Grandménil (1737-1816) gave up the bar for the stage. He excelled in rôles à manteaux or mysterious strangers' parts. He was a member of the Academy of Fine Arts, and professor at the Conservatoire.—T.
[238] Mademoiselle Contat (1760-1813), a very perfect and versatile actress, who created the part of Suzanne in Beaumarchais' Mariage de Figaro in 1784. She married M. de Parny, nephew to the poet.—T.
[239] Mademoiselle Saint-Val the younger. Her elder sister had left the Comédie Française in 1779.—B.
[240] Jeanne Adélaïde Gérardine Olivier (1765-1787), a native of London. A very charming actress; she was scarcely nineteen when she created the part of Chérubin in the Mariage de Figaro, achieving a success almost equal to that of Mademoiselle Contat as Suzanne.—B.
[241] Anne Françoise Hippolyte Boutet (1779-1847), known as Mademoiselle Mars, one of the most famous of French comic actresses. She made her first appearance at the Théâtre Montansier when thirteen years of age, in 1792, and did not definitely leave the stage until 1841, when she was sixty-two. She created over one hundred parts at the Théâtre Français alone, which she joined in 1798.—T.
[242] Jacques Marie Boutet (1745-1811), known as Monvel, an exceedingly intelligent actor. He commenced by playing Mold's parts at the Comédie Française, and in later life made a successful heavy father at the Théâtre de la République. He also wrote a number of successful comedies and comic operas, and under the Empire became a professor at the Conservatoire and a Member of the Institute.—T.
Monvel was the father of Mademoiselle Mars by a provincial actress called Marguerite Salvetat, who acted under the name of Madame Mars, whence the daughter took her stage-name.—B.
[243] Now the Théâtre du Palais-Royal.—B.