The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-08
PROFITS or AUTHOPc.z,,


.,uthorship is, nowadays, a sodrCe OF profit
when pursued lndustrtouslS by those who
thorouph1y understand It, Charles Dickens has
nrobabIy received a half million for his works,
and his Income is about seventy thousand dol
tars nor wear But he ia a perfect man of busi-
mesa owns all his books, and has them manu-
ioctured for himsef, although ne sells them
through Chapman Il Hall to whom he allows
percentage. Mrs, Stove, for "Uncle TOm,"
neucd a small fortune.
The cmoluments Of Cooper, Irving, and men
OF like rank, were considerable; even Sylyanus
Cobb, Jr., and Mrs, Soutbworth have accumu-
lated fortunes; and the authors percentage from
the sale OF some OF our popular tcho0l books
have the air Of fable. Noah Webster lived for
the greater part OF bir lifetime upon the profits
of his srelingbOOk. The sums obtained by
some lthe French authors for single works are
still more startling. Victor Hugo was paid
$4,000 for Les Miscrables,' and 6S800O for
the copyright OF - single poem; while the
"NOtre Dame de Paris' BROUGHT him $40 OOO
and his other works similarly large sums He
is SAID to have refused 100000 for the copy
right OF his last book Yet he haAked about
ms first work a long time before he found a
purchaser ~ three hundred francs.
Georges Sand realized ten thousand dollars on
each OF her seyenty.6vc volumes OF novels, and
about $4,000 additional on her plays. There
is little doubt that Alexandra Dumas, the elder,
has made nearly million of dollars, and speut
1t. Miss Brandon Is rapidly acquiring a for
tune. SardOu the author of In FdB,tue Be-
nOttOn--a play produced in English in New
~
received tor it, rom the Partisan and provincial
theatres, abou $50, 900. Paul Feval, another
play wright, reccived for La B0ssu, played
here under the name of The Dibes
Motto. S24,WO; aud Tor La B3,s du Did6 e,
$4,000. Besides this. his annual income from
the cOpywrlgbts OF his novels averages Sl2, 900.
POnsard received Sl2,O 900 in advance tor his last
piece. LamaTtinC has received and spent a for
tune, and CON plains now Of poverty, not being
probably worth $50, 000-a pitable case of dpst-
tuition. 50 Eugene Sue received $50, 900 francs
tor his Mysteries of Paris, nearly as much Tor
the "WCndcrng Jew and realized large for
tune from his various works, and spent it as
French authors generally do. Scribe, the
dramatisi left fortune OF $500 00C.
But there is dark side to the picture. The
miserable LIE of Savage, and the equally mise
rable life OF Poe, were due, perhaps, mainly to
the lack of moral principle in the men; but
there are instances even in modern days OF the
sCantness of reward of modern authors. Al
phonse Karr wrote his first novel, popular in
France even yet, and sold it to a publisher for
tNe elVe hundred francs (S240), and took promis-
sorry notes Tor the amount. The notes were
never paid, and the costs of protest, amounting
TO as much more, fell on poor Karr. Another
French writer OF reputation, Sandeau, received
for novels six hundred francs, ono halt in
waters. BerangeT, from whose works MS puO-
hsheTs nCtted a halt million of francs, received
an annuity of less than a hundred and sixty
dollars. HoH ever, Berauger had few wants, and
was so content that it was with difficulty his
publishers could get him 10 take the money
when they raised his annual pension TO three
thousand francs. The elder authors suffered
more than the younger. Thus Spenser was
always in want; CornciIle had au old age of
misery; Tas o had 10 borrow small amounts Of
silver ut one tine to procure food; Camoens,
the great Portuguese poet, died Sin an hospital,
without having n sheet OF shroud to cover him."
Aldrovandus also died in a hospital; Ockley, the
author Of famous "HIstOrY of the Saracens,' "
passed great part OF his life in debtors
prison; Vaudel, the most illustTous poet OF Hol-
land, died in poverty; Cervautes was miserably
poor; Xylander sold manuscript work for n
dinner; the fate of Chattcrlon is universally
known; and Vaugelas, before he closed a life OF
! wIetcheduess, lett his dead body to the surgeons
| for the benefit OF his creditor.