- Performer Name:
- Pradel
- Performance Venue:
- Performance Date:
- Author:
- Date Written:
- Language:
- English
- Publication Title:
- The New Monthly Magazine
- Article Title:
- Foreign Varieties: France
- Page Numbers:
- 12: 208, 400
- Additional Info:
- Publisher:
- Henry Colburn
- Place of Publication:
- London
- Date Published:
- 1824
Text:
[208] A young French poet, who possesses an astonishing facility, proposes to improvise publicly, in French, something very extraordinary,—a Tragedy in five acts, and a grand Opera in three acts. This young man, M. Eugène de Pradel, has but just left Sainte Pelagrie, where he has been imprisoned during five years for political opinions. During these five years he has applied closely to study, and has published several works in prose and verse.
[400] It is now some time since M. Eugene Pradel, a young poet of talent and peculiar facility, announced that he should improvise in French verse before a public company. This advertisement was generally considered as a mere joke:—Improvise French verse,—conquer the difficulties of prosody—of rhyme, extempore, and before a numerous auditory!—the project appeared prodigious and presumptuous. The trial was, however, made last month; and the most unbelieving were convinced that M. Pradel was not only no charlatan, but possessed the extraordinary faculty of improvisation. The subject, drawn by chance from lots in an urn, was Columbus, which he adopted without a moment's hesitation; and announced that he should endeavour to describe the misfortunes of that grand homme, loaded with irons, on his return from America. He immediately began, by placing in the mouth of Columbus the following fine exclamation or soliloquy:—
"Misérable jouet de la faveur des grandes,
Je souffre, je gemis dans un nuit profonde.
Je meurs victime des tyrans,
Et je viens d'aggrandir le monde!"Thunders of applause interrupted the poet. He resumed: Columbus recalls and retraces the day when his disappointed and impatient crew was about to make an end of their leader, and terminate the enterprise; he repeats the addresses and complains of the sailors; he describes their fury, his courage, his prudence; and he expresses all the joy that he experienced, when
"Des oiseaux voyageurs d'une-aile passagère
Vinrent caresser notre mât.
Et le zéphyr sur son nile légère
Apporta jusqu'a nous les parfums de la terre."These lines excited an unanimous burst of enthusiastic approbation, and the applause was continued to the end of the improvisation, which was sustained with equal force and beauty to the last.
Notes:
- Collected by:
- CB