Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-25
concluded tomorrow !
biographical sketch Of victor Hugo.

Victor Hugo is descended from noble FAM
lily of Lorraine. He was borne at Besancon,
on the 26th Of February, 1902, and is conse-
quently nowi the sixty year of his age.
His father, general Hugo, a volunteer under
the first revolution, distinguished himself
greatly by his services under Napoleon, and
became governor over some provinces in
Spain under the empire. His mother, on the
other hand, was the old royalist Vendean stock
and the traces of this double origin may be
discovered in the works of the poet
Victor Hugo received his early education
in the convent ofthe Feuillantines Here he
received an excellent classical education, to
which he owes much of that elegance which
lends an additional charm to his natural and
most vigorous genius. In 1911 he was taken
to Spain by his father, and there spent year
in school exclusively devoted to the sons of
mobiles; after which he returned for three
years to the convent of the Feuillantines
During the hundred days separation, said
to have been brought on by differences of
political opinion, took place between general
Hugo and his wife, whereupon Victor and his
brother Eugene were placed by their father
in the Ecole Polytechnique. 1t was at an
early age that Victor Hugo manifested the po-
etc power that was in him. When he was
but fourteen years of age he wrote 'Irta-
meme" and two lyric pieces of remarkable
qualities, ''Le Richie ct lie Pauvre," and ''la
Canadienne."
Before 1922 he published several juvenile
pieces, scarcely now remembered. In that
year, however, Lamartine published his
calculations" and the apparition of the vol
ume awakened in the breast of Victor Hugo
a spirit of emulation which was not to be kept
down. That very year he produced a vol
r. a.
the old classic form was not quite thrown
aside, may be discovered traces of that ro-
mantle spirit which became the prevailing
characteristic of Victor Hugo's writing. This
volume announced the poet in all the strength,
richness, and brilliancy of his genius. 1t
raised Victor at once to the highest rank of
modern poets, position which he has since
nobly maintained.
Little by little he was laying aside the class
ic style and forming one of his own; while
animated by the growing liberalism of the day
he was grouping around him cenacle OF
young men, after his own heart who regarded
him as their centre and their chief Among
these were Saint Beuve, the two Decamps,
and Boulanger. 1t was in 1927 that he first
dared to open combat the ltteratl of the old
school, to whom his drama of 'Cromwell" was
an open defiance. The appearance of this
work was the signal for the commencement of
the animated contest between the classic and
the romantic schools, which ragged for many
years.
In 1928, Victor Hugo published "Les ORR
entales," and in 1929 'Le Dernier Jour dun
Condamne." The former was remarkable for
the richness of its literary color and the pro-
digious vgor and fecundty Of expression
which it manifested; the latter, as psychol-
ogical study, proved the possession of the Sc
verest powers of analysis. By some this was
regarded as his chef deuvre, before the ap-
pearance of "Les Miserabes." twas loud
and striking protest against the right which
man arrogates to inaict capital punishment-a
protest which Victor Hugo has never lost an
opportunity of repeating, regarding as he does
the abolition of that arrogated right as among
the highest and most imperative duties of our
civilization. After this appeared the dramas
"Marlon Delorme" and Hermann" in which
he pushed to extremity his quarrel with the
classicists.
The revolution of 1880 drove Charles X.
from his throne, and Hugo (too much of a
poet to be consistent politican) was on the
side of the revolution. "Marion Delorme''
was played at last; but Gle Rois' Amuse" was
interdicted in November, 1882 In vain did
Hugo combat the accusation of depriving
Francois |. of his dignity. In 1881 appeared
his great romance (the greatest and most pop
ular of his works for the last thirty years.
"Notre Dame de Paris" In this romance he
displayed treasures Of style, of imagination, of
antiquarian knowledge, and of powers of de-
scription which raised him to the very fore
most rank of romancers.
Since the appearance of 'Notre Dame de
Paris" Victor Hugo has confined himself to
poesy and to political brochures, until the APP
pearance of the extraordinary book which is
now moving the world. Several reasons for
this have been alleged among others that
he had been induced to make a contract
with publisher upon terms very advantage
GUS to himself, that he would allow the latter
to publish all his romances for certain peri
cd. We believe, however, the simple truth to
be, that he has been for the last thirty years
engaged in forming and perfecting the work
which he'has intended to be the browning glo-
ry of his life.
When Louis Philippe was on the throne, he
raised Victor Hugo to the peerage, and the