Pichat was a young man of twenty-eight at that time: a play of his, _Léonidas_, had been received two or three years before at the Théâtre-Français. Taylor extracted _Léonidas_ from the pandemonium he found himself in, and had it put in rehearsal. Talma was cast for the rôle of Léonidas:--not that his supreme intellect was mistaken about the part, which, dramatically speaking, was nothing at all; but in the matter of "business" it contained something fresh to do, and poor Talma, to the day of his death, was ever seeking new worlds, and, less fortunate than Vasco de Gama, he never succeeded in finding them. Besides, it was a very appropriate moment for the playing of _Léonidas_; all Europe was looking towards the successors of the three hundred Spartans. And the new piece, so it was announced in advance, was to be staged with unusual sumptuousness and unheard-of effects. I well remember the first performance of the tragedy of _Léonidas_, wherein one felt the dawn of new ideas, wherein every historic saying which immortalised the famous defence of the Thermopælians was felicitously adapted, and admirably rendered by Talma. One hemistich of the young Agis was Substituted for the written line. Agis wounded, fell, exclaiming-- "Ils sont tous morts ... Je meurs!..." The play met with a most enthusiastic reception, on account of the circumstances under which it was played. It was a splendid success for Talma: he looked like an antique statue descended from its column. After the performance, when the curtain had fallen, I saw a noisy group of rejoicing people rush along the corridor and the foyer, anxious to convey their friendly congratulation. A fine-looking young man, with a face as radiant as a conquering Apollo, formed the centre and was the hero of the group. He was the author of _Léonidas._ Alas! he died only two years later--died before he had hardly lifted the intoxicating cup of success to his lips. But Taylor had at least the happiness of holding out to him the nectar which sweetened his last moments. Without Taylor, Pichat would have died in obscurity, and even though he were but an ephemeral meteor, many people, myself among the number, recollect the brilliant light he gave during his short career! [Footnote 1: It will, of course, be understood that I place my own name and those of my honoured confrères according to the chronological order of the representations of _Henri III_, _Marion Delorme_ and _Othello._] CHAPTER VIII Death of General Foy--His funeral--The _Royal Highness_--Assassination of Paul-Louis Courier--Death of the Emperor Alexander--Comparison of England and Russia--The reason why these two powers have increased during the last century--How Napoleon meant to conquer India Since we have just uttered the word _death_ let us consecrate this chapter entirely to the pale daughter of Erebus and Night.