Anne Francoise Hippolyte Bontet Mars, a French actress, born in Paris, Feb. 9, 1779, died March 20, 1847. She was the natural daughter of Jacques Monvel, one of the first actors of the day, and a provincial actress named Mars-Boutet, and made her appearance upon the stage in her childhood. At 14 years of age she filled what the French call roles d'ingenues, and when somewhat older attempted with success jeunes amoureuses; but she made no decided impression upon the public until her personation in 1803 of a deaf and dumb girl in the Abbe de l'Epec. The grace and feeling which she evinced on this occasion created an enthusiasm in her favor, and soon after the retirement of Mile. Contat in 1809, she assumed the position of the first comic actress of the day. For the last 30 years of her professional life she was without a rival on the French stage in genteel comedy, every new part attempted by her being a success down to that of Mile, de Belle-Isle in Dumas's drama of that name, produced in 1839, in which, although GO years of age, she appeared like a young woman of 20. She took her leave of the stage in March, 1841. Although some of her greatest triumphs were achieved in the plays of Victor Hugo, Dumas, and other modern'writers, she greatly preferred the dramas of the old school, especially the comedies of Moliere and the pieces d'intrigue of Murivaux. Her personations of the fashionable lady or coquette of the old regime in these works are among the most cherished traditions of the French stage.

Her figure, voice, action, and toilette were alike admirable, and in the expression of her countenance she invariably conformed to the spirit of the scene. She amassed a considerable fortune, and the latter years of her life were passed in a sumptuous retreat, where she daily received visits from persons eminent in litera-ture or the arts. She left an estate valued at 800,000 francs to a son 50 years old at her death, whom during the greater part of her life she had persistently refused to see.