There was in this behavior such a complication of iniquity and
brutality, that the public, notwithstanding its animosity against
me, which was then at its highest, was universally shocked at it,
and many persons who insulted me the preceding evening, the next day
exclaimed in the open theater, that it was shameful thus to deprive an
author of his right of entry; and particularly one who had so well
deserved it, and was entitled to claim it for himself and another
person. So true is the Italian proverb: Ch'ognun un ama la giustizia
in casa d'altrui.*
* Every one loves justice in the affairs of another.
In this situation the only thing I had to do was to demand my
work, since the price I had agreed to receive for it was refused me.
For this purpose I wrote to M. d'Argenson, who had the department of
the opera. I likewise inclosed to him a memoir which was unanswerable;
but this, as well as my letter, was ineffectual, and I received no
answer to either. The silence of that unjust man hurt me extremely,
and did not contribute to increase the very moderate good opinion I
always had of his character and abilities. It was in this manner the
managers kept my piece while they deprived me of that for which I
had given it them. From the weak to the strong, such an act would be a
theft: from the strong to the weak, it is nothing more than an
appropriation of property, without a right.
With respect to the pecuniary advantages of the work, although it
did not produce me a fourth part of the sum it would have done to
any other person, they were considerable enough to enable me to
subsist several years, and to make amends for the ill success of
copying, which went on but very slowly.
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