I cannot tell you how exceedingly delightful this piece is; it is a unison of music, verse, songs, persons, so perfect that there is nothing left to desire.

The girls who act the kings and other characters were made expressly for it.
Everything is simple, everything innocent, everything sublime and affecting.

I was charmed, and so was the marshal, who left his place to go and tell the king how pleased he was, and that he sat beside a lady well worthy of having seen Esther.

The king came over to our seats.
'Madame,' he said to me, 'I am assured that you have been pleased.' I, without any confusion,' replied, 'Sir, I am charmed; what I feel is beyond expression.' The king said to me, 'Racine is very clever.' I said to him, 'Very, Sir; but really these young people are very clever too; they throw themselves into the subject as if they had never done aught else.' 'Ah! as to that,' he replied, 'it is quite true.' And then his Majesty went away and left me the object of envy.

The prince and princess came and gave me a word, Madame de Maintenon a glance; she went away with the king.