Life of Mozart

BEAUMARCHAIS' "FIGARO." 75nounced his seignorial rights, and, instigated by Figaro, his gratefulsubjects come to petition him to honour the first wedding which hassince been celebrated by himself placing the wreath on the head of thebride. The Count cannot refuse the petition, but begs for a few hoursdelay, in order that the ceremony may be rendered more brilliant.Figaro in the meantime is plotting a double intrigue against the Count,with the co-operation of the Countess, who has been kept informed of allthat is going on by her devoted Susanna. Her relations to Figaro andSusanna, and her ready acquiescence in a design to recall her husbandto a sense of his duty by means of a trick, keep us in mind that theCountess Almaviva is the Rosinaof the " Barber of Seville." She lovesher husband, and has a full consciousness of her own dignity ; but thecircumstances of her early life, and of her marriage with CountAlmaviva, have left their indelible impress upon her. Figaro warns theCount, who has gone hunting, by an anonymous letter that a rival hasmade an assignation with the Countess ; he hopes that jealousy willdivert his mind from the wedding. On the other side he assures him ofSusanna's intention to keep her appointment in the garden ; Cherubino,who has been allowed to delay his departure at Figaro's intercession, isto be disguised so as to take Susanna's place at the interview. Thepage comes to be dressed ; all at once the Count knocks, having hurriedhome in jealous haste. Cherubino slips into the inner room, of whichthe Countess locks the door ; as the Count is plying her with angryquestions Cherubino throws down a chair ; the Countess explains thatSusanna is within, but refuses to allow her to come out, or even toanswer, and will not give up the key. The Count, enraged, secures allmeans of egress, and drags the Countess away with him to fetch an axeand break the door open. Susanna, who has been concealed in analcove during this scene, proceeds to liberate Cherubino ; he, finding noother exit available, springs through the window into the garden, andSusanna takes his place in the cabinet. The Count returning with theCountess, determined to employ force in opening the door, she confessesthat the page is in the inner chamber, whereby his rage is still furtherexcited ; to the astonishment of them both Susanna steps forth. TheCountess soon collects herself, and explains that their only intention hasbeen to punish him for his want of faith, and that Figaro wrote the letteras a preliminary to the trick; the Count is forced to sue for pardon,which he obtains with difficulty. Figaro now enters with the informationthat all is prepared for the wedding, and being taxed by the Countwith the letter, denies all knowledge of it, and is with difficulty broughtto understand the position of affairs. This danger is hardly over whenthe gardener enters, half tipsy, with the complaint that some one hasjust jumped from the window of the cabinet upon his flowers ; Figarodeclares that he was there with Susanna, and had jumped into thegarden from fear of the Count's fury. The gardener says that hethought he had recognised Cherubino, but hands Figaro a paper which