BIN, Stlvain, who has just died at the age of 79 from the effects of 'a chill contracted after acting in' the open air, was the typical "heavy father" of the French stage. The whole of his long career was asgociated with the Comédie Francaise, which, ungratefully enough, treated him as a veteran lagging super? fluous on the stage and tried to make him retire prematurely. He was obliged to bring an action im defence of his rights, and won it, with the result that he resumed his place at the Comédie and had tha satisfaction of figuring at a triumph hal farewell performance when the Proper time came for him to leaves He went on acting, travelled alt over France and died in harness.
Beginning as the young lover, ho played every kind of role at the leading State theatre, where made his first appearance in 1878, ud interpreted not only classical but modern plays with equal dis tinction. His Pere Lebonnard in Jean Aicard's play ranks most popular creation. As teacher at the Conservatoire, he did 'a great deal to from another generation of actors and actresses. married Louise Hartmann, one of his pupils, who survives him. She, too, joined the Comédie Francaise and Accompanied him on his num! erous theatrical tours, Silvain was not only an actor but a poet of no mean talent. Long. after the age at which most mem have abandoned creative effort, ho' set to work, with the assistance of a scholarly friend, to translate twat Greek plays into French verse, and they were produced at the Odeon with Silvain in the leading role: Few men have set a more consist= cent example of devotion to a pros fession.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.