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Theatine

in Church history, any member of a congregation of Regular Clerks, which derived its name from Theate (now Chieti), a fortified city of the Abruzzo, of which John Peter Caraffa, one of the founders of the Congregation, was bishop. Associated with Caraffa were St. Cajetan, Paul Consiglieri, and Boniface de Colle; the first steps toward the formation of the new congregation were taken in 1524, and in the following year it was approved by Pope Clement VII. The object of the founders was the promotion of spiritual life among Christians and the removal of irregularities among the secular clergy. The members took the three vows, and practiced rigid poverty, for they even abstained from asking alms. In the popedom of Caraffa, who was elected in 1555, and took the title of Paul IV., the congregation spread over the continent, but is at present confined to Italy .

THÉÂTRE FRANÇAIS, or COM- EDIE FRANÇAISE, the theater in the Palais Royal, Paris, in which the classical drama of France receives its most perfect and artistic representation, dates from 1680, when Louis XIV. combined the actors of the Hotel Bourgogne and Molière's company, and gave them a special organization and a yearly subvention of $2,400. In 1770 the theater was established in the Tuileries, in 1782 was removed to a new building where the Odéon now is, and after the troublous times of the revolution was finally established in the Palais Royal. The present constitution dates from 1803. The committee of six, presided over by government officials, names the sociétaires (the actors and actresses who belonged to the staff) and the less permanent pensionnaires, superintends all financial arrange- THEBES ments, makes a point of reproducing from time to time the really great French plays, and sits in judgment on new plays submitted. The subvention is now $48,000.

The Théâtre Français is remarkable for perfect study, artistic dignity, and harmonious ensemble. THEBAINE (named from Thebes, in Egypt, from the vicinity of which comes some of the opium of commerce), C19H21NO3; thebaia; one of the less important bases existing in opium; obtained by treating the extract of opium with milk of lime, washing the precipitate with water, and, after drying, exhausting it with boiling alcohol. On evaporation a residue is obtained, from which ether dissolves out the thebaine. It crystallizes from alcohol in quadratic tablets, having a silvery luster, tastes acrid, and is extremely poisonous. It melts at 12.5°, is insoluble in water, very soluble in alcohol and ether, and is colored deep red with sulphuric acid.