, and only
finished in 1837, under the burgomaster Natalis Van Tricasse. It
had required seven hundred years to build it, and it had, been
successively adapted to the architectural style in vogue in each
period. But for all that it was an imposing structure; the Roman
pillars and Byzantine arches of which would appear to advantage
lit up by the oxyhydric gas.

Pretty well everything was acted at the theatre of Quiquendone;
but the opera and the opera comique were especially patronized.
It must, however, be added that the composers would never have
recognized their own works, so entirely changed were the
"movements" of the music.

In short, as nothing was done in a hurry at Quiquendone, the
dramatic pieces had to be performed in harmony with the peculiar
temperament of the Quiquendonians. Though the doors of the
theatre were regularly thrown open at four o'clock and closed
again at ten, it had never been known that more than two acts
were played during the six intervening hours. "Robert le Diable,"
"Les Huguenots," or "Guillaume Tell" usually took up three
evenings, so slow was the execution of these masterpieces. The
_vivaces_, at the theatre of Quiquendone, lagged like real
_adagios_. The _allegros_ were "long-drawn out" indeed. The
demisemiquavers were scarcely equal to the ordinary semibreves of
other countries. The most rapid runs, performed according to
Quiquendonian taste, had the solemn march of a chant. The gayest
shakes were languishing and measured, that they might not shock
the ears of the _dilettanti_. To give an example, the rapid air
sung by Figaro, on his entrance in the first act of "Le Barbier
de Seville," lasted fifty-eight minutes--when the actor was
particularly enthusiastic.

Artists from abroad, as might be supposed, were forced to conform
themselves to Quiquendonian fashions; but as they were well paid,
they did not complain, and willingly obeyed the leader's baton,
which never beat more than eight measures to the minute in the
_allegros_.

But what applause greeted these artists, who enchanted without
ever wearying the audiences of Quiquendone! All hands clapped one
after another at tolerably long intervals, which the papers
characterized as "frantic applause;" and sometimes nothing but
the lavish prodigality with which mortar and stone had been used
in the twelfth century saved the roof of the hall from falling
in.

Besides, the theatre had only one performance a week, that these
enth