Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/914

* CLAQUE. 804 CLARE. applause, and tlius giving the public a false notion of the iinpression it has made. In piin- «'il)le, the claque has existed from time imme- morial, since the friends of authors and actors would naturally he expected to assist with their appreciation; and tears and laughter in an audience are well known to be infectious. As a i)aid institution, it is traditionally counted an invention of Nero's time. According to Sue- tonius, the actor-emperor had a body of .5000 stalwart applauders, whose example "the public Avere expected to follow. It was in Paris, however, that the claque was first regularly organized into a trade. It is said to have owed its suggestion to a trick of the poet Dorat, who distributed free tickets to his dependents upon condition that they ap- plauded. About ISiiO two men named Porcher and Santon regularly established the business of insuring dramatic success {I'assiirance des £iicces dramatiques) by supplying the theatres with as many 'claqueurs' as the authors or man- agers thought each piece would require. Since their day various chefs de clutiiie have gained importance in a position which recpiired dis- crimination and tact. They have relations di- rectly with the management of the theatres, and commonly attend the last rehearsals of a piece, in order to study it in advance, and receive in- structions as to the points where demonstra- tions are expected. Their assistants are, as a rule, picked up merely for each occasion. The main body of the claque sits generally near the rear of the middle of the parterre, beneath the chandelier, from which they have been called chevalkrs du lustre. Others are distributed in different parts of the house, according to their particular functions, which illustrates how mi- nutely the art is organized. Thus, the connois- seur is bound to learn the play by heart, and call the attention of the audience about him to the fine points; the rieur or riyolnrd must laugh at every jest; the pleureur ('weeper') has to manifest his sensibility at the moving passages. This last part is generally assigned to women, in whom the freqvtent use of the handkerchief seems most natural. The chatoiiilleiir ('tick- ler'), on the other hand, endeavors, by dis- tributing bonbons, theatre-bills, etc., and by lively conversation, to keep his neighbors in good humor; and, lastly, the bisseur calls 'bis!' with the utmost enthusiasm, at the conclusion of the specified pieces of music. The following incident, which found its way into the newspapers on the occasion of the death of the famous French actress Rachel, shows the ludicrous seriousness with which the members of the claque view their singidar profession: Mademoiselle Rachel had just created a new character in a modern [ueee, and during the first evening was lovidly applauded. The next, however, she thought her recejition by no means so warm, and she complained that the claque did not do its duty. Its leader, on hearing of Rachel's dissatisfaction, wrote to her as follows; "Mademoiselle — 1 cannot remain under the oblo- quy of a reproach from such lips as yours! The following is an authentic statement of what really took place; At the first representation, I led the attack in person not less than thirty- three times. We had three acelanuitions. four hilarities, two thrilling movements, four renew- al Is of applause, and two indefinite explosions. In fact, to such an extent did we carry our ap- plause, that the occupants of the stalls were scandalized, and cried out A la portc! My men were positively exhausted with fatigue, and even intimated to me that they couUl not again go through sui'h an evening. Seeing such to be the case, 1 ajiplieil for the manuscript, and, after having profoundly studied the piece, I was obliged to make up my mind for the seccuid representation to certain curtailments in the service of luy men, 1 applied them, however. only to MJI. , and if the ad interim ofliee I hold affords me the opportunity, I will make them ample am'ends. In such a situation as that which I have just depicted, 1 have only to re- quest you to believe firmly in my profound ad- miration and respectful zeal ; and 1 venture to entreat you to have some consideration for the difficulties which environ me." In, spite of the comic side of the business, the public is gen- erally hostile, and there have been actual riots owing to ill-timed efforts of the claque to over- come popular disapproval of a play. Occasional eft'orts liave been made, with partial success, for the abolition of the claque; but it still common- ly prevails, and plausible arguments are urged in its justification. The allegation that, in London, theatrical ar- tists and managers are obliged to endeavor to insure success by means of a similar institution is strenuously denied, although there, and in Germany and the United States, similar-artifices, not so publicly organized, are practiced to some extent. CLAR'A. ( 1 ) A character in Otway's adapta- tion. Cheats of iScapin, corresponding to Hya- cinthe in Moli&re's Fourberies de «SV</;)i/i. (2) Ferdinand's mistress in Sheridan's The Duenna. CLARAC, kla'rik', Charles Otiion Fr£d£- Eic Je. B.pti.ste, Comte de (1777-1847). A French artist and antiquarian. He sui)erintended for a time the excavations at Pompeii, of which he gave an account in Foiiilles faites d I'ompei (1813) ; was a member of the French Embassy in Brazil; and on returning to Paris was made keeper of the Museum of Antiquities in the Louvre, of which he published a catalogue. Others of his works are Manuel de I'hisioire de I'art chez Ics aucicns (1847), and Musce de sculpture antique ct moderne ( 182f)-.5'2), The latter, an inventory of all the principal monu- ments in marble and bronze preserved in the various museums of Europe, is still consulted by archteologists, and has been valuable for its promotion of the study of antique art in France, CLARCHEN, klcrK'en, A country maiden in loVe with Eginont, in Goethe's Egmont. After his death she poisons herself. CLARE (Tr., ])lain; Welsh clawr; connected with Gk. KXrjpot, kleros, lot). A nuiritime county in the Province of Munster, Ireland, bounded north by Galway and Galway Bay; cast and south by the Shannon and its expansion, Lough Derg, separating it from Ti])perary, Limerick, and Kerry; west by the Atlantic (Map: Ire- land, B 4). Area, 1204 sqtuire miles — more than half being arable, and only a small part in wood. The surface is mostly hilly, with some mountains, bogs, marshes, and rugged pastures. The southwest third of the county forms part of the ilunster coal-field. Fine sheep and cattle are raised on the pastures. There are fishing