LE MALADE IMAGINAIRE.

The Cercle Francais will present its fifth annual play this year in Brattle Hall December 10 and 14 and in Copley Hall, Boston, December 12. The dress rehearsal, open only to members of the Cercle Francais, will take place Monday, December 9, in Brattle Hall.

The play chosen for this year is the last play written by Moliere, "Le Malade Imaginaire," which was performed at the Theatre du Palais Royal, February 10, 1673 by the Troupe du Roi, the official title of Moliere's company. The great dramatist himself played the part of Argan, the malade imaginaire, both in the comedy and in the burlesque Faculty Convocation at the end of the play.

The other Moliere plays that have already been performed by the Cercle Francais are "Les Precieuses Ridicules," "Le Bourgeois Gentil homme," "Le Mariage Force," and "Les Fourberis de Scapin."

As this is the last week before the regular performances, every effort is being exerted towards getting the men in perfect shape by Monday. The cast is being coached daily by Professor de Sumichrast in the spacious hall of the Colonial Club; the ballet dancers are practicing daily in the G. A. R. assembly room under the supervision of V. Munro '96; while the finale, the ceremony of the conferring of the doctor's degree is being arranged so as to be one of the most impressive parts of the programme. The latter, unique in character, will be both imposing and ridiculous. At the end of the play the idea is suggested to Argan, the malade imaginaire, that it would be convenient and, above all, a cheap plan to be made a doctor himself. This idea strikes him as a clever one and he desires to be initiated immediately. Thereupon the ceremony takes place, which is full of mock pompousness from beginning to and. The leading figure is the Praeses, or President of the Faculty, a dignified official who, with a sonorous voice, drawls out the Latin formulas. Two other doctors add their opinions in the same manner, and then, the bachelerius, or doctor-elect, makes reply. During these ceremonies there are continual interruptions of approval from the chorus, signified by gestures, clapping and the following formula:

Bene, bene, bene respondere

Dignus, dignus est intrare

Nostro in corpore

Bene, bene respondere.

There are to be two ballets, one of eight Moorish girls and the other of four watchmen and four musicians. In addition, there will be a special dance by V. Munro '96 and F. S. Hoppin '96. The first interlude will begin with a farcical serenade by polichinelle (corresponding in a way to the English buffoon). He will be interrupted by the entrance of four watchmen who will arrest him and execute an appropriate dance. Then four musicians will enter and dance to the accompaniment of their inharmonious musical instruments. Finally the watchmen and musicians will join in a merry dance. The Moorish-girls who will dance at the end of the second act will be dressed after the luxurious Egyptian fashion. They will execute an entrancing Moorish dance prepared by V. Munro '96.

A. Hyde '96 has written the music for the first ballet. C. L. Smith '97 has composed an overture and the march-music for the final ceremony, and J. A. Carpenter '97 has written the music for the second ballet and for Cleante's song in the second act.

CAST OF THE PLAY.Argan, H. Schurz '97.

Beralde, H. G. Gray '97.

Cleante, M. E. Stone '97.

M. Diafoirus, S. L. Pitts '97.

Thomas Diafoirus, F. Kinnicutt '97.

M. Purgon, G. Hills '97.

M. Fleurant, G. Calkins '97.

M. de Bonnefoi, F. Gratwick '97.

Angelique, E. G. Knoblauch '96.

Beline, G. Ward '98.

Toinette, W. H. Cram '97.

FIRST INTERLUDE.Polichinelle, W. Read '97.

Watchmen, W. E. Felton, G. K. Danny, G. B. Hanavan, S. Coffin.

Musicians, W. D. Cotton, F. A. Burlingame, W. T. Jones, C. L. Smith.

SECOND INTERLUDE.Moorish girls, H. B. Fenno, C. P. Prescott, J. C. Whitfield, H. H. Hill, R. L. Scaife, W. J. Osborn.

FINAL CEREMONY.Bachelerius, H. Schurz '97.

Praeses, A. Z. Reed '97.

Primus Doctor, W. H. Lowell, L. S. S.

Secundus Doctor, F. S. Plumb '99.

Mace bearers, W. A. Parker '96, Stoughton Bell '96.

Doctors, Surgeons and Apothecaries, R. H. Stevenson, A. W. Stevens, G. Scott, C. P. Adams, W. H. Herschel, P. A. Hutchinson, L. F. Sise, W. A. Aspinwall, H. Robinson, J. Carret, R. T. Fisher, A. D. Brown, L. B. Preston, S. C. Cutler, J. E. Gregg, R. B. Sprague, A. A. Bryant, F. Outerbridge, F. D. Braman, H. von Briesen, V. Taylor.

The Boston performance of the play will be under the patronage of the following ladies:

Mrs. F. L. Ames, Mrs. J. A. Beebe, Mrs. G. B. Blake, Mrs. A. Cochrane, Mrs. B. W. Crowninshield, Mrs. H. R. Dalton, Mrs. C. Fairchild, Mrs. E. N. Fenno, Mrs. J. C. Gray, Mrs. E. S. Grew, Mrs. H. L. Higginson, Mrs. R. C. Hooper, Mrs. H. S. Howe, Mrs. C. E. Inches, Mrs. D. P. Kimball, Mrs. B. J. Lang, Mrs. C. S. Sargent, Mrs. J. M. Sears, Mrs. R. H. Stevenson, Mrs. N. Thayer, Mrs. F. Wells, Mrs. B. Wendell, Mrs. A. Whiteside.

The Cambridge, performance will be under the patronage of Mrs. C. W. Eliot, Mrs. L. Agassiz, Mrs. G. P. Baker, Mrs. L. B. R. Briggs, Mrs. L. Carr, Mrs. M. Emery, Mrs. W. W. Goodwin, Mrs. J. P. Hopkinson, Miss Horsford, Mrs. C. E. Hubbard, Miss Irwin, Mrs. W. B. King, Miss Longfellow, Mrs. F. G. Peabody, Mrs. C. E. Pickering, Mrs. W. E. Russell, Mrs. N. S. Shaler, Mrs. De Sumichrast, Mrs. J. G. Thorp, Mrs. H. N. Wheeler, Mrs. J. W. White.

The proceeds of the performance, after the payment of expenses, are given by the Cercle to the fund for the maintenance of the Library of the French Department.

Tickets are on public sale at Thurston's.