JUGGLER OF NOTRE DAME, THE

(Le Jongleur de Nétre-dame) Composer: JULES MASSENET Book by Maurice LEna, from Anatole France’s story First performance: Thédtre Monte Carlo, February 18, 1902 3 acts. A crown is making fun of Jean, a poor juggler, whose bag of tricks the crowd ridicules. The Prior of the abbey in front of which this action has taken place clears the square, and reproves Jean for his profe ion. He does, however, invite him into the abbey. There Jean finds the monks extolling their various arts, and trying to win him to one of them. Jean is unhappy because of his own lack of learning but the cook, Boniface, later points out that it is not nece ary to be a scholar to worship. This pleases Jean who goes into the chapel in his juggler outfit, and does his pitiful routine as a humble offering to the Virgin. Just when the enraged Prior and monks are about to throw him out, the Virgin raises her hands in benediction over the boy as he dies.