The _Mariage de Figaro_—Its Composition—Difficulties Encountered in Getting it Produced—It is Played at Grennevilliers—The First Representation—Its Success—_Institut des mères nourrices_—Beaumarchais at Saint Lazare. Several years before Beaumarchais had written in answer to the question,—“What gives you so gay a philosophy?” “The habit of misfortune, I hasten to laugh at everything so as not to be obliged to weep.” So now in 1778 after seeing Deane recalled, his own service ignored, and jealousies aroused even among the ministers themselves he turned from all this bitterness, to develop in his own inimitable way, the gay scenes of his _Mariage de Figaro_. “In this piece,” says Gudin, “the combinations were so new, the situations so varied that one would be tempted to believe that such a work would have absorbed all the faculties of the mind of its author during many years, but for him it was only a relaxation from the many and diverse affairs in which he was engaged.” M. de Maurepas said to him one day, “And how, occupied as you are, have you been able to write it?” “I, M. le Comte! I composed it the day when the ministers of the King had sufficient leisure to go together to the Redoute.” “Are there many repartees equal to that in your comedy? If so, I answer for its success,” retorted Maurepas; for just the day before all the ministers had gone in a body to spend several hours at one of the new and fashionable pleasure gardens of Paris known as the Redoute. But having written his play was very far from having it produced, for the daring boldness of the author since the marvelous success of his first comedy was known not to have diminished. The authorities rightly suspected that the new play would contain even more pointed criticisms upon the existing social order than had the _Barbier_. To be produced in public it must first pass the censors and have the approbation of the king. La Harpe has said of this play, “It took much wit to write it—but not so much as to get it played.” Letters given by Loménie show that already in October, 1781, the actors of the Théâtre-Français had seen the piece and were discussing with Beaumarchais the distribution of the parts. The author had appealed to the lieutenant of police to name a censor and asked as a special favor that the play should not leave his office. Six weeks later Beaumarchais learned that the king had read his play and that it had been condemned. Madame Campan in her Memoires speaks of the incident. Marie Antoinette who had always liked and protected Beaumarchais said to the King, “Will the piece not be played?” “Certainly not,” answered the King, “it is detestable. Why, the Bastille would have to be pulled down if that were allowed!”