New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-30
GuiZOt's Old ge.
From Appleton's Journal :


Francis Guizot passes every month =
week at his home in Paris. It is a small.
old fashioned building, on the corner Of
the Rue Destouches and the Faubuurg St.
Honore NJ. Guizot bought tbs residence
sixty wears ago, and it is still one OF the
architectural relics of the age OF Louis %N,e
during whose reign it was buil:e Every
thing looks old-fashioned in ito and there is
hardly room but would furnish an eXcees
| lent subject for genre paintero
entered it the other day IN compliance
with request from Nj. Guizot, who desired
| to ascertain from Inc some fdcfs in regard
| to the literature of Spain during the six
| teenth century. l found him seated i'll his
truly unique library. Imagine a small,
square room, furnished in the true rocco
STYLE and with two curious bay windows
looking out upon small garden, laid out
exactly as If Vatican had bad a hand in it.
All that was wanting was that the veneer
able old man himself should be dressed in
the costume of the eighteenth century. and
the illusion that mad been suddenly trans
ported into a scene Of 100 years ago would
have been complete.
But NJ Guizot, although it was early IN
the morning, was already dressed in the
faultless suit of black, in which one always
finds him, whether at his desk, in his fam
lily circle. or in his ,tdutcaI at The French
Academy.
He received me with the utmost kindness.
Time has dealt gently with the grand old
man. More than eighty-fve years have
passed over his head. and yet he stands
erect and his eyes, which seemed to fash
out supernatural fire during his great
speeches in the Chamber, were as brilliant
as if he were youth OF twenty.
| congratulated him on his good looks,
and he ssid:
'.Yes, thank Heaven, l am in good health.
l walk five miles every day, and | am a
hearty eater. l don't think vet of dying"
he added, gaily, Il have SO much to do get.
MY History Of Spain is not half finished"
Guizot has long been at work upon this
"History OF SPAIN which is to be issued in
ten large volumes He showed me some
cahiefs of his notes, and asked my opinion
l gave it. without cOncealing my surprise
at his wonderful memory. Dates, so EN-
barrassing to most minds, did not bewilder
him in the least. said that Juan TrugilIpr
the novelist, had lived in the middle Of the
seventeenth century.
"Pardon me-" said NJ. Guizot, che lived
from 1914 till l649.'
The notes for the Spanish history have
been collected by this indetatigah!. 40. ."r
for nearly twenty years past, and admired
the beautiful and firm chirography OF the
manuscript VI. Gu'zot writes a firris bold
hand. and he always uses. small. heavy note
paper. without lines. read the first page
of the fifth volumeo and found not the
slightest alteration.
l observed that his was something very
rare with authors.
'Lord Byron" said M. Guizot. was f..
mon. for the excellent condition of his
manuscript. 1t hardly ever happens to me |
to make change in what l write for the
printer. and. strange to say. in case page |
is lost can rewIite it almost exactly as ] !
penned it first"
had always heard that NJ. Guizo: was a !
very early riser. and l asked him what his |
favorte hours Tor rising wereo
~ never write after two o'clock in the I
afternoon. rise at six. take a cup OF coffee. |
glance over the morning papers. and then !
20 to work. At ten | stop and lunch. At
two am done. and take walke-generally a |
very long walk. l do not go very fast. but |!
there is hardly an old acquaintance ct mine |
who can keep step with me"
The conversation returned to his work on |
Spain. and be told me that he had studied |
the Spanish language at The age of seventy |
two, and had taught it then to his grand. |
children. | inquired about the latter, and |
the happy grandfather became fairly enthu- |
siastico He assured ME that his constant |
intercourse with the little ones had given |
him some of his best Inspirations HI. |
History OF France related to nv Grand. |
Children, mas MAO a most SXLrdo.G.1n
success. One hundred thousand copies !
have been sold thss tar, and Iii. demand
continues unabateds
NJ. GuiZos is very we.lthy. and for the
larger portion OF his riches he is Indebted
to his peuo He has always colnraudes: 'he
iarges. copyrights. ana sculd not have
his lavish expenditures " bile
he was Prime Minister of France had he
not had shis never failing resource Sinc..
the French government has concluded
treaties with most of the European gov
ernmentso NJ. Guizot has received heavy
sums from foreign publishers. As literary
it deserves to be mentioned that
he is the onl, French author no receives
A copyright from Turkish publisher his
:" History of Civilization" having been REQ
Gently translated into that language
NJ. Guiznt showed 'me the o4ia-fooking
book, and he expressed his regret that he
was not familiar with the language: for,
among the fruits of his studies, now extend
ny tor almost seventy years, is his aston
shing familiarity with so many languages.
lie speaks English .s an EDglishp,an. Ger
nan a. G-rmaB, and was hardly able to
letect the slightest accent in Lis pronuncia-
ion Of Spanish.
l am sure he is the most remarkable old
uthOr of our times, and he bids fair to i've {
0 his one huadredth birthday -