Mid-November 1870:
The Capitulation
Comedy by Aristop. Hanes
Classical stage. Orchestra (Square in front of Hotel de ville). The thymele representing an altar to the Republic, at the same time serving as prompter’s box, stands over an opening to the égouts. The classical steps leading from two sides of the orchestra up to the stage represent a grand balcony of the town hall, the rest of the building has been removed, this balcony alone being sufficient for the government. Directly above it, just air; all that is to be perceived of Paris are the spires of the Pantheon and Notre Dame. On either side of the foreground on the orchestra level stand statues of Strasbourg and Metz. — Daybreak. — Head of Victor Hugo ascending from depths of thymele (prompter’s box). He is sweating and groaning. By wandering all the égouts of Paris he has found the way in under the besiegers. He greets his sacred city after his long banishment and describes the thrill of bliss that has just affected him on this way to his home. But before making his public entry he is just going to take another look at some most dreadful sewers because he thinks he has heard wonderful voices, like the grunting of pigs; feeling deeply and sympathetically drawn to them, he believes he might there light on the real inner voices of the sacred city which interest him both as writer and as patriot. Hearing military music approaching in the distance, he shrinks back, listening hard.
Chorus of National Guard marches on, headed by band: singing in 6/8 march time. “Only the Republic: Republic for ever; Republic — blic — blic: Rerepubul — pub — pubbulreplic!’ etc. They dance around the altar to the Republic gesturing as in the cancan (muskets in their arms, bear-skin caps on their heads). Hugo sobs with bliss and emotion. — March to the two statues. The bouquets which the guards carry on their musket barrels are laid before the statues. Songs of homage for Elsace etc. Hugo beside himself with enthusiasm, tries to emerge but, to his alarm, is held fast from below: ‘Who is holding me!’ Answer through speaking tube: “The true spirits de la France.’ Hugo ‘Ha! As I anticipated!’ Disappears. — The chorus gathers again around the thymele: complaining that, hearing no sound of cannon, they smell treachery. They confess to being in need of courage, and the cannonading outside the forts never fails to fill them with it. (An old deaf chorus leader always misunderstands.) Call for the government. — Finally J. Favre and J. Ferry appear on the balcony. They embrace. General jubilation. ‘Oh, if only there were now a proper cannonade!’ Why isn’t there? Ferry forgives Favre for not being able to speak for emotion; apart from which he has sobbed himself completely hoarse in his parley with Bismarck, added to which there had been the great indignation at his impudent demands. He was really quite done for! — Tumult and general rage at Bismarck’s impudence. ‘What, would he have Strasbourg.’ Renewed hymn to tune ‘Strasbourg, oh thou beauteous city.’ Ha, the insolent one. — Forward, to Strasbourg. — Let us send them encouragement, but above all, encourage ourselves: therefore let there be a cannonade. — Ferry: ‘But how are we to get to Strasbourg? — We can’t fly through the air, can we?’ — Nadar’s voice: ‘Why not?’ He appears on the balcony with an enormous wrapping around him, at first filling all with terror. He reassures them: he is the protective spirit of the air of the French; he will save France if he is made government councillor. Gambetta springs out from behind the balcony. ‘None of that! I alone am the saviour.’ Both come to an understanding. Nadar reveals himself to be a balloon; after having previously asked the chorus to blow him up; bellows are distributed: cheerful chorus during blowing up of balloon. Nadar, as inner voice of balloon, calls upon Gambetta to climb in. He climbs in. The two Jules embrace. ‘Oh, for a cannonade now!’ They watch the flight of the balloon: it becomes trapped on Notre Dame. Gambetta reports what he sees. ‘The Prussians are completely and utterly defeated; the Strasbourg garrison is chasing them over the Rhine!’ — ‘Oh, for a cannonade now!’ — The balloon frees itself again: Nadar’s voice quarrelling with Gambetta; they get caught on the Pantheon. The chorus demand to know what can be seen. What about Metz? — Gambetta furious with Nadar; what’s he to say now? — Ah! Yes. — There, Metz! All the Prussians killed! J ubilation of Bazaine; they’re now slaughtering 5000 oxen and are in good heart. — Chorus: Oh, glorious, fifty-fold hecatomb! How sweet to the tutelary gods of the Republic must be the savour of that! Would that we only had something of it; if only the aroma which here is becoming ever more unusual. ‘Can you smell anything, Gambetta?’ — Gambetta: ‘Delicious!’ — Chorus: Let us into the balloon: Nadar! Nadar! — Gambetta ‘Citizens, that can’t be done — Just a little more renunciation! Republicans, be virtuous! (Balloon swinging this way and that.) Chorus ‘Tell us, what do you see now! Don’t you see any oxen for us too? — Gambetta: poised above the thymele: ‘Oh, more than that! Cattle for slaughter by the hundred thousand; right around the whole holy city!’ — Chorus: “Well, drive them in here.’ Gambetta: — ‘Just be patient! The slaughterers are after them already! Coming from south, west and north.’ He depicts the approaching people’s armies taking the Prussians in the rear and causing dreadful carnage amongst them. Exhortations to virtue, renunciation! Prophecy of immeasurable happiness. — Chorus: ‘But why no cannonade then? The balloon continues to travel around. General delight. The Jules embrace. —
Hugo, followed by Flourens and Ledru-Rollin etc., climbs up from below. With fearful cries of woe they interrupt the chorus’s joy. ‘Citizens, you are betrayed!’ Treachery! Treachery! You are being told lies out of the air; we have come the right way, through the vitals of the city: my poetic wonder-gaze has enabled me to find the égouts through the whole of France to Strasbourg and Metz! Treachery! Strasbourg has surrendered! — Dreadful consternation and rage! — Imprecations. Statue of Strasbourg smashed. — Hugo emerges and seats himself on the thymele. — Flourens climbs out after him: “That is not yet all! Metz has capitulated!’ — Dreadful outburst. ‘Bazaine! Ha! Judas! Blackguard!’— Metz gets smashed. ‘Where is Gambetta?’ — The balloon has slipped away towards the rear. — Ledru-Rollin: ‘ — The army of the Loire defeated, Garibaldi — gout. All betrayed! Bonaparte! Tropmann!’ — Rising anger! Chorus: ‘Ha! And still no cannonade! — Cannonade! Cannonade!’ — Hugo: in the highest ecstasy, prophesying and carrying all with him. There sits the enemy! Favre has collapsed in a faint; Ferry guards him. ‘Up! Storm the Capitol!’ Cannon! Cannon! — In the distance a fearful cannonade! Chorus terrified: ‘God! The Prussians!’ Hugo: ‘Prussians nothing! I — I gave the order: they’re firing from Mont Valerien, into the blue! — Balcony stormed: Hugo and companions appointed government. Ferry and unconscious Favre are dragged down and stuffed into prompter’s box. — Constant cannonade. Enormous joy? Red Republic! — That is not enough for Flourens: Black Republic! — No state at all! No society — that would be something! — Voice from air: all the better for the church! We’re with you! — ‘Who spoke?’ Hugo: I don’t know, but certainly a genius of France, inspired by me.’ — Great clamour in the air. Nadar’s voice: ‘That damned cannonade! I’m burst!’ The balloon drops uncertainly to earth. Gambetta grabs a rope and swings to the spire of the Pantheon. From there, through a megaphone, he surrenders. He warns people to take care. Out there they are surrendering to the Prussians. Thiers is there! — Shouts of rage! Ferry and Favre climb up out of the égout. They embrace, having found the means for deliverance. Ferry: ‘Citizens, to red we would not object: but black? Do you know what that means!’ He describes the horrors of a fight to the death: everything in Paris would then be ruined, and never more would one be able to go to a theatre. Powerful response! Hugo played out and soft! — ‘France, rescue your writer!’ It’s these whom I found down there, they have led me too far astray. — Ferry takes courage: the Chorus agrees with him: Hugo faints. Nadar, again recovered, rapidly inflates himself and floats towards the Pantheon to pick up Gambetta. — General cry. ‘We want theatres again! — Yes! Also little suppers’ etc. — Flourens etc. are seized. — As Ferry and Favre are carried back to the balcony, an Offenbach melody is heard from below. Offenbach appears by the prompt box as trumpeter. The Prussians have discovered the underground ways: Offenbach sent as negotiator. — Agreeable effect of this. Offenb. declared international, one who belongs to the world: these Germans one doesn’t mind. To him they surrender: Gazing deeply, Hugo recognizes in him the bond of civilization-fraternity and recommends his proposals. Gambetta, floating in air, opposes. But soon Offenb. is followed from the depths by the ladies of the ballet with Frau Therese. General amusement. Unhappy ones! It was you who banished civilization. We are bringing it back to you! — Surrender! Surrender! —
General fraternization.