Part 2 (2/2)

On being asked by his publisher for soht be useful in advertising it, Victor Hugo wrote: 'It is a representation of Paris in the fifteenth century, and of the fifteenth century in its relations to Paris Louis XI appears in one chapter, and the King is associated with, or practically decides, the _denouement_

The book has no historical pretensions, unless they be those of painting with some care and accuracy--but entirely by sketches, and incidentally--the state of morals, creeds, laws, arts, and even civilization, in the fifteenth century This is, however, not the most important part of the work If it has a ination, caprice, and fancy' Nevertheless, the author has underrated in certain respects the value of his oork Powerful as it is froinative point of view, it is no less reether a hness and careful construction in regard to such details may be recommended to less accurate writers in the field of historical romance Paris, with its myriad interests, is vividly represented by one to whoiven up its past as well as its present Whether we see life beneath the shadow of Notre-Dame, in the Cour des Miracles, the Place de Greve, the Palais de Justice, the Bastille or the Louvre, it is all the saiven life and vitality to all it has touched

The gipsy girl Es creation, has been compared with the Fenella of Scott, the La Gitanilla of Cervantes, and the Mignon of Goethe But she has a character of her own distinct from all of these

In her history the power of love is once more exemplified, and if round her centres the finest pathos of the work, so also is she its noblest glearace and beauty It has been said that love et his studies, his clerical character, his reputation for sanctity, to court the favours of a volatile Bohemian

'Love for this sae Quasier of Notre-Dame, and transforms him into a delicate monster, a devoted humble worshi+pper of the Bohe eyes, the object of adoration to these singular lovers, is herself hopelessly attached in turn to a giddy-pated captain of the guard, who can afford to love no one but hi effects, the writer has been compared with the painter Martin There is an alives the work a Ree of the cathedral by the banded beggars and vagabonds of Paris in the night is one not readily effaced from the memory; and this is equally true of the terrible intervieeen the infatuated eons of the Palais de Justice; of the weird scene of the Fete de Fous in the Hall of the Palace; of the Alsatian picture of the exa the thieves in the Cour des Miracles; of the execution of Esmeralda; and of the fearful fate of the i upon ether in one miserable chain the priest who is prepared to sacrifice all that is sacred in duty for love, the heartless soldier, and the trusting maiden As to the _dramatis personae_, the _Athenaeum_, observed, 'No character can be o than the interesting, generous, and high-irl Esmeralda The character of Phoebus de Chateaupers, the bold, reckless, gay, gallant, good-teendarreat skill The Archdeacon Claude Frollo is a striking specimen of those churchrossest superstition to the ion to acts of the blackest perfidy There areothers, our old acquaintances in Quentin Durward, Louis XI, Olivier-le-Dai Provost, Tristan l'Herour, in anie, this ill continue to hold a unique position ast symbolical and historical romances

_Notre-Dame_ was assailed by the majority of the Parisian journals, but in the minority warmly in its favour were to be found so the style of the work, Sainte-Beuve said, 'There is aall that should be said; there is a striking keenness of observation, especially is there a profound knowledge of the populace, and a deep insight into lory, whether he be abond, _savant_, or sensualist Moreover, there is an unexarace, ether a worthy presentantic s of the nys of the she-wolfto deliriu and wielding of everything just at the author's will'

Alfred de Musset, while unable to take in the scope of the work, acknowledged that it was colossal Jules Janin remarked that 'of all the works of the author it is pre-eenius, his inflexible calmness, and his indomitable will are most conspicuous What accues! What a gathering together there is of ruinous passion and bewildering incident! All the foulness as well as all the faith of the Middle Ages are kneaded together with a trowel of gold and of iron

At the sound of the poet's voice all that was in ruins has risen to its fullest height, reanio has followed his vocation as poet and architect, as writer of history and rouided alike by ancient chronicle and by his own personal genius; he hasout their notes; and he has made every heart of the population, except that of Louis XI, to beat with life! Such is the book; it is a brilliant page of our history, which cannot fail to be a crowning glory in the career of its author' Finally, Eugene Sue wrote: 'If the useless admiration of a barbarian like myself had the power to express and interpret itself in a manner worthy of the book which has inspired it, I should tell you, sir, that you are a great spendthrift; that your critics rese on the prodigalities of the great nobleer in their hearts, ”I could live during le day”'

The publisher had some doubts of the pecuniary success of the novel, but these speedily disappeared, as edition after edition was called for In the course of a year only, eight large editions had been disposed of, and the number of editions which have been issued since that tiinally, that he had ain, M Gosselin soon had reason to arrive at the conclusion that he had ether with other publishers, he now pestered the author continually for ive theth by their importunities he furnished the titles of two stories he proposed to write, which were to be called the _Fils de la Bossue_ and _La Quinquengrogne_ The latter nanation of one of the towers of Bourbon l'Aschembault, and in the novel the author intended to co the art of the Middle Ages Notre-Daeon

Victor Hugo wrote at this time his ad, vivacity, and humour--but he never proceeded with the two projected novels _Notre-Dame_ remained for many years the only romance in which the author revealed hisinto i, and of realizing a dead-past age as though it were that of the actual and the living

CHAPTER VI

'MARION DE LORME' AND OTHER DRAMAS

That despoticbeen driven from his throne by the Revolution of July, 1830, there naturally followed the reo was at once applied to by the Comedie Francaise for his drama of _Marion de Lorme_, which had been in enforced abeyance But when the political reaction was an absolute certainty, the sensitive o shrank from a demonstrative triumph It is true that he was now in the full tide of ress and liberty were crystallized and h crudely formed, and based upon sentienuine and disinterested, and his chief feeling at this later period was not one of hatred of the King, but rather of rejoicing with the people

However, after a year had elapsed from Charles's fall, there was no reason why a drae simply because it contained an historical present ive the play to M Crosnier, for the theatre of the Porte St Martin; and he also entered into an agreement to write yearly torks of i performed at the Porte St Martin, but on the conclusion of its run _Marion de Lorme_ was produced, with Madae in that of Didier Difficulties as usual were thrown in the way of the new play, but it eventually triumphed over them The journals, nevertheless, were hostile, the _Moniteur_ especially so, affir re and commonplace, and more full of eccentricities, than this piece One critic asserted that the character of Didier was taken froo's play had been written first Those friends who foro and Dumas conjointly, now divided themselves into two parties, one of which persistently assailed the writer of _Marion de Lorme_ Frohts on its first production, but the performances were afterwards resumed Itthan that of o had never so truly shown hie of vision, nor so wide a field of judgic incident which occurred not long after the representation of this play affected the poet deeply Ast the war, whose race and origin are indicated by his naranted them by the Duke Ernest was taken seriously ill, and the distracted parent rushed to the house of Victor Hugo, exclai, 'You alone can save hi man was already dead; and a painful scene took place in the chao and the mother 'The unhappy woman, who had but this only child in the world to love, would not believe that he was dead He was but cold, she said; and she threw herself on his bed, encircling him in her arms in order to impart warmth to the corpse She frantically kissed his marble face, which was already cold Suddenly she felt within herself that it was all over; she raised herself, and haggard and wild as she was, though still beautiful, she exclaiht by the side of the o to awaken by his genius many personal attachments and enthusiasms such as that felt for him by this ill-fated youth; and these attachthened and deepened by subsequent friendshi+p

In 1832 the poet wrote his _Le Roi s'Aainst this play that it presents an unredeemed picture of vice and licentiousness It has 'overstepped all bounds,' wrote one critic; 'history, reason, nity, and refinement, are all trampled under foot The whole piece is ht, and the most noble characters are slandered and vilified The play is entirely void of interest, and the horrible, the ether into a kind of chaos' As we shall see, Victor Hugo traversed the whole of these and siments

Baron Taylor secured the play for the Theatre Francais, Triboulet being assigned to M Ligier, Saint-Vallier to M Joanny, Blanche to Mademoiselle Anas, and Francis I to M Perrier A preliout, the Minister of Public Works, in whose department the theatres lay The Minister first demanded the manuscript, then sent for the author, and finally wrote that the Monarchical principle in France must suffer from the author's attacks on Francis I, which would be taken as being levelled against Louis Philippe The poet replied that the interests of history were to be consulted before those of royalty, but he denied that there was anything in the piece reflecting on Louis Philippe The play was produced on the 22nd of November, andIt was partly damned by the defects of the actors When the curtain fell upon the last act, and it was felt that the play had failed, the leading perforo answered haughtily, 'Sir, I have a rather higher opinion of my play now it is a failure'

Next day the play was suspended, the reason given being that it was an offence against public morality It appears that a number of devotees of the classical school had persuaded the Minister that a dra was not to be tolerated on the very day after the existing monarch had hiy for regicides, etc Victor Hugo was not the man to be thus crushed without an effort to save his drama In the first place he issued athe plot of the piece, and denying that it was immoral Then he entered a civil suit before the Board of Trade to compel the Theatre Francais to perform _Le Roi s'Amuse_, and likewise to compel the Government to sanction the performance The trial opened in a densely crowded court, st the audience They had been attracted by the announceo's speech was applauded by a band of very sympathetic listeners, and on its conclusion M de Montalereat an orator as he was a writer, and that if the doors of the theatre were closed against hiiven against the poet, and for the Minister M Paul Foucher, describing the scene on the night of the first performance of _Le Roi s'Amuse_, observed that while the whole theatre was in an uproar, and Hugo's na voices, 'the author's face exhibited no sign of despondency at the failure anythe struggle His Olympian brow had withstood the tempest with the firmness of a rock, and after the curtain fell, he went to offer his thanks and encourage, ”You are a little discoht; but you will find it different the day after to-uine about his play; nevertheless, it was not destined to be repeated'

The poet's enemies now caused him considerable annoyance on the subject of his pension He had ceased to receive the 1,000 francs granted him by Louis XVIII out of his privy purse, but still received the 2,000 francs allowed him by the Home Minister In reply to the recriminations of the Ministerial journals, he wrote a letter to M d'Argout, showing that this pension was clearly granted to hirounds, quite apart froer, and thus stated his reasons: 'Now that the Governard what are called literary pensions as proceeding frorant takes froe pretension of the Government serves as the basis to the soeh no doubt incorrectly, iined to be in your hands; as it is also of importance to her region than that in which this kind of warfare goes on--without discussing whether your pretensions relating to this indemnity have the smallest foundation, I hasten to inform you that I entirely relinquish it' The Minister replied, taking the poet's view, that the pension was a debt due fro that it should still be reserved for hio never took it up froers held aloof from the dramatist, and when he wrote _Le Souper a Ferrare_, which title was afterwards changed to that of _Lucrece Borgia_, no one was eager for it But this attitude changed after his speech at the tribunal, and M Harel, director of the Porte St Martin, sought for and obtained the play Admirable representatives were found for the chief parts, Frederick Le that of Grennaro, Delafosse that of Don Alphonse d'Este, Madees that of Lucretia, and Maderoni Meyerbeer and Berlioz coiven by the Princess Negroni Only one person was allowed to be present at the final rehearsal, and that was Sainte-Beuve

The critic was playing a double part towards the dramatist, hom he had been out of sympathy for some time past, and it is recorded that at the close of the rehearsal of _Lucrece Borgia_ he warratulated the author upon his dra reports everywhere that the piece was an utter absurdity! 'It was solely due to his treachery and infa of the day on which the piece was to be perfor, several newspapers announced that they were in possession of the plot, and that the whole production was in the highest degree obscene, depicting orgies terrible and indecent beyond conception'

Great interest, notwithstanding, was st those who iht seats was General Lafayette The representation was a triu was talked about in Paris but the new play The monetary success was equal to the literary and dramatic The receipts for the first three performances amounted to 84,769 francs--a su M Harel'sto two of his o predicted that _Le Roi s'Amuse_ would one day prove to be the principal political era, and _Lucrece Borgia_ the principal literary era of his life He had purposely presented defor monsters to humanity, one could not fail to excite interest and perhaps sympathy 'Physical deformity, sanctified by paternal love, this is what you have in _Le Roi s'Amuse_; moral deformity, purified by ia_'

Hugo was fated to be the victiard to almost all his draia_

Froht and complacency, M Harel, the director of the theatre, passed to one of studious neglect and insolence He took off the play, and then dereed to write for hied the dramatist to a duel It would have taken place, but M Harel thought better of the affair, and apologized, whereupon Hugo agreed to give him his next piece M Harel remarked upon the whole incident, 'You are probably the first author to whoer has said, ”Your play or your life!”'

_Marie Tudor_, produced in Noveo It was concerned with a queen, a favourite, and an executioner, a trio as coe The dramatist had noo difficulties to contend with In the first place, the partisans of Du reports respecting Hugo and his attitude towards Durew alarained currency 'I hear on all sides,' wrote one of them, 'that your play is more than ever a tissue of horrors--that your Mary is a bloodthirsty creature, that the executioner is perpetually on the stage, and several other reproaches all equally well founded' Hugo reh he arned that the presence of the executioner on the stage had been given as the ord to those who intended to hiss the play The piece was produced in due course, and Madees looked superbly and acted well But the author's ene contest between those who forreatly admired it, and those ere resolved upon its ruin The first night left the result dubious, but the piece continued to be played beyond the tie success On its withdrawal, all the relations between the author and the Porte St