Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-12-21
LITKwAMK sEIsCKLLAnx.

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Alfred De Vfgny and Jaeeb GrIran.
These two illustri. as men of lsttefs, Wko hsv
recently died, merit Especially The iomer) per
than passing nelies.
Alfred De VIgny WAS not only a great but
I good EreuChmAH; not merely q man Of letter
but nan Of hsnoF. Bot Oaly was he giitse
| with genius, bat he was blsssod with an isienst
/ power q application, sna an Industry which
u9tkiuR could tire.
| He also deserves the es.esm Of all irus litsra
Try men in Europe and this csuutr7-frKt. feI
his attempts 70 introducs Shakespeare into
France; ard second, for bis indefstiyable eff,rt,
In behalf Of the law Of copyright
SKETCH OFTHg LIFE OF ALFRED De vIGEY.
Alfred De YigEy was boTn at Loehss, on n,
/ % b of March, 1893. he Issued from a nsble
family. His father vas 3 retired cavalry sap
tain, who took gallant part in he Seven Years
I War BE was denied a fslher's care; the pre-
| mature l1Es Of hsr husband threw he whols eur
dNn Of her sens education upoz Madame De
Vguy. Shs faithfully discharged the ties; for
the exsessivs zeal with Hheh she pressed hiIB for
ward In his studies, although Il may be eensursd
As E lack ef judgment, was avi8ense Of the in
teTest she took IN hsv boys Advancement He
was never cut Of masters hands HIS mother
excused herself, when warned by her family
that ske WAS killing shs boy, By sadly saying:
Il knew thst excessive labor is wearing away
his body and making hiH cheeks pale. bat new
G-dsys 3 msn must s0mpleie his education Be-
fore his seventeenth year, sine8 after this ago ghe
RmFsToT takes him 80 bis bastls-feds, and
books-and often his pRrenis-nevsr see him
again" When ORs remembers Alfred de Wig
Ay's youth and msnhood, the wonder is, not that
ne died sc early, but that he lived 10 attaia his
thIss-Ena-sixtioth year
When he was swelvs years cid he eould rsad
ThHeydides and TAcitus, spoke luglish and
I.AiiaA was coed historian, and no bsd ulRth-
emstigisa. In tbose inperisl days Mathematics
were the royal read to isTOrs, for the whole bent
Of education 70 make military men.
Alfred de Viguy l0ngsd to schisvs military
distinction. BE Wss destined 70 the army But
before be was old en0agh 70 bear arnE the EN-.
piTe fell. SaeiEg :hal no lagTels weTa to bel
gained, he resigned his esaIsllsion ana dsyoss6
himself Sc ii,eIatuJo.
1. BAD long been his sclscs. Whenever EarAi-
sea 3Uties left nina master OF Ais tims he voual
ssetsR 70 On6 Of .h6 pr6iio librEriss OF Paris I
and stUdy fer hVugs Like ali gfsa. wlissrg, he /
did not Intentionally make letters his profession
1s YVES l1Tsed iu!O hls av0estion by power
which, though slew, was irresistible, His dra ]
=H0rt in verse was Bsruphrese Of soma Pas /
ssges Of 81. ARgustins's Confession which /
p
ander The Abbs GaiisTa's eye. Wh0, delighted 4
Eils them, showed them 10 Madame do Vigny /
The paotber's heart thIobbed with Joy, and sac 4
Es led her son Wish-"AliTs0, you viii be-
poet, wsA't you, dArliRgf" The boy OF tbir- /
ieen blushe6 "A Poat! poet, Bosher dear /
sstf Eo-n0-I mean to be a red LANCER 20
In 1915 Alfred de Yigny wrote TIVE limitations /
81 TheOEfitus, which he entitled La Diyade,'' /
and "Syme,a." He caught, yo1ng ss he wns,
q considerable portion OF gbe grace and inEenu-
BUSINESS Of the original These were followed 4
some yeaTs, however, frst elApsed,) by lie
Balm dune Dame Romsine;" ia Somuam-
Due;" La Femme Adullsre;" La NaiFe;"
L Ode au MsheRI;" LA File dc Jsphts,
lie TIsppstG" La Prison" and "DlioTida"
The mere important posms, LIS Dsluge,n
'Meise," and Elos," Same afierHaTd He drew
4 EN- frOm the Bible, which, all his life long,
vas HE favoTits book. 81 knsH the B. ible by
leart," ne says sonsWheTe. This book and |
we're 80 inseparable. that during my loagest
nArCbss it never quilted mo" "E9a" is the
brightest jewel Of hi poetiesl eoTonei; il is the
tory Of the lOYe al aR angel and lest spirit;
here sre many beautiful passages in il. j and
Noise" "Le Dsluga,' and "Dol0Tids" were
Written in 1873; they wero not published untll
oma years atierwsTd. Helena "Ile Cor"
Madame Dc Soubise," La Fregsto," Les
ArHsnts de EculrleTsRuy," aud ''PaTis" WtTo
vntlen between 1925 aud 1881. HiF Sdmirabis
lovel Cine AAgs" (trOm which Sir B. B
Iytton drew something Of "Riehelieu," IS be
lssss in the preses} he wrote in the Pyrensas;
le had askod a. fsVer 70 De transferred 70 one
f She regiments oTeerod 10 Spain during the
rmsd intervsRtion Of france to restore the
Iourb bons 10 the Spanish throne; his regiment
vAs, an fortunately for bis tastes, placed in the
eserve a0rpsi 70 oocnpy the dall hours Of camp
lie he wrote "Cinq Mars
Just before hs published this admirable pie
are (tuch il is, although Riehsiisu Is painted
Vith tee dark c9lOrs,) Of ths reigR 81 LoHis
I'LL, Count Alfred De Figny married an
1HElish woalan
Il was nos audl after be had publishel
Cinq Mars" that he met n. ds LAma.uae
nd II. Victor Hugo. They we're introduced
D each esher in the drawing room Of ii. Alex
RdTe Soumse. They were extremely cordial
, sssh ethsr, and the AequAintanes npeDa5
at0 An kffsetiOnste friendship, which lasted be-
lgsen all three of them until Alfred de Vigny's
cath. As they parted that night, N. Victor
hugo said to hinl 'Js vOEs sepsts iei e0mbiss
siBs EIOG:-Et fTGtrss Et0e, ttscids sidsra."
Alfred &c Yigny's next efJrt was to intro
noe Shakespeare 70 his e0Rntrymon. He
razslated "Olhslle," and il Was PiAysd st the
'reneh Comedy, with q most WFstehed cast.
be truth is, the French cEnnst play Shake
DeaIs.
De Yigny wrots In 1885 his fgsrviluds ct
,randezF Nilitaires," 70 demonstrate bow fatal
.iliiary institutions are TO nations true glory
ad freedom He was elected member ct the |
'renah Acsdsmy upon the death Of Btienne.
isunf Mole replied 70 his reception speeeh
ns was deemed By his friends to kays defended
.iehelieR's memory with un1aTTAHtable aspsr-
y. Alfrea do Fgny refused 70 pay 10 Louis
philippe ths- visit oi usage paid By every new
aeEher ef the Ffsnoh Academy. In 1888 be
ublisheS In the RsRHe Gss Dsse AeHdcs hiE
Poemes Philos0phiquss," which were colby re-
evsd by the public Their reception aisoonT- |
geS him. and he never Published anything aloEo
1 is said he leaves great many WORKS IN ND
rkieh viii nov be published de ixbeYed in
essanty, Shishy at night; for yoars he saver
Isns 70 bed anti sunrise, No aushoE ever Is
ored more essieHOusiy than be did 70 secure
aih0Fs' rghss in sheir WoTksi and great deal I
regret was felt in literary circles ihal bis
ema did not appear in The reeeuE proceedings.
sid under thB auspices Bt tae Govern HaaBl, fur I
ae better pTOteclien Of aaghofs ProPerEy. Ha 1
7Ss then too III g. stiSha the faeetlng OF the
olnuaissi5n chosen 70 hs alra into this sghlecii
Ht u was leit that ssms reference shsHld be
lsdo 70 the hEme Of SO loog aud Esaloas a la.
sTsE in tho harvest ei copyright II
No man ever upheld the dignity Of letters
lers psfsinaeiCgsiy han he aid literary msa ]
isIs his hTsthfen his purse, his advice. his In
aenoe, wsrs always a. their service. IL was n |
Ehe procured n. Ths0doTe de Bknvills pea- [
l0n Of ihTes hundred dellaTs ron tbs Govern- !