and "Rome Saved," for the stage, and with superintending the rehearsals at a small private theatre, taking parts himself, after a while, as had always been his custom. It was at this time (February 1750) that he began his acquaintance with the celebrated actor, Le Kain. Voltaire saw him taking a part in a new comedy, and desired that the actor should visit him next day. Le Kain describes the poet's eyes as "sparkling with fire, imagination, and genius. In addressing him I was penetrated with respect, enthusiasm, admiration, and fear. I was experiencing all these sensations at once, when M. de Voltaire had the goodness to put an end to my embarrassment by opening his arms and 'thanking God for having created a being who had so moved and melted him by reciting such very bad verses.'" Voltaire, after advising him against the stage as a profession, offered him 10,000 francs (£400) with which to start in trade as a jeweller, his father's business. Before discussing the question, Le Kain begged to be allowed to declaim to him from Piron's play of "Gustave." "'Give me nothing of Piron's,' cried he, in a thundering and terrible voice; 'I am not fond of bad verses: repeat something from Racine,'" which he did, drawing from Voltaire enthusiastic expressions of delight. For six months the poet supported the actor and gave him his first notions of his art; and, as Le Kain records many years later, "now he calls me his great actor, his Garrick, his favourite son—these are titles which I owe only to his goodness; but that which I adopt in the bottom of my heart is, 'a pupil penetrated with respect and gratitude.'" He goes on to sketch his great friend's character:—
