This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891 Excerpt: ...He was uniformly successful, and Fortune had evidently chosen him for her own. Enterprising and full of confidence in his talent and savoir-faire, Lully, having formed a friendship with Moliere, did not hesitate to appear as a comedian and to perform in the pieces that were represented in the great dramatist's theatre. In 1669, he took the rdlt of Pourceaugnac in the piece of that name, and the Mufti in " Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme." Certain writers, contemporaries of Lully, foremost among whom must be mentioned the great Racine and the no less illustrious La Fontaine, have passed a somewhat harsh judgment on the composer's character. It is true that he sometimes showed himself a most abject sycophant in presence of the nobility at court, and especially before the king. But what courtier was not humble in presence of the sovereign of that court? Still, in spite of his humility before the great, Lully did not completely lose his dignity. On certain occasions his retorts to influential persons at court, and even to the king himself, were characterized by remarkable boldness. Two examples may be given to show the droll and daring humor of the celebrated composer. It happened, one day, that the Marquis de Louvois, the powerful minister of Louis XIV., taunted Lully with having secured the king's friendship solely by his talent for buffoonery. To this the musician, drawing up his head proudly, made the fearless reply, "Zounds! you would do as much if you could!" Again, at the first performance of " Armide" at Versailles, Felix Clement tells us, some unforeseen difficulties prevented the raising of the curtain at the appointed time. The king, becoming impatient at the delay, sent one of the officers of his guard to inform Lully of his d...