New-York tribune., 1874-10-22
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

roNruNr-BERANGER--AN THE REST OF THE
LONG LINE,
tyaoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuSE'l
BosroN, Oct. 20-A plenty of books are writ
ten with which nearly impossible 10 find any fault
other than that you don't anything about thep'
Their style we'll enough their statements are reason"
BILE, there s point of attack only-they bore you
IL Is doubly delightful after a few experiences OF tns
sort 10 come upon volume OF $50 pages when mas o
dull mage from beginning 10 end. Such book Is lho
French Humoriss. from the Twelfth to the Nihe'oo"'
Century" which Roberts Brothers nave no"' 80
for publication The author OF TINS wolh 10 "
Resant Al. A. of Cbnst's College, Cambridge he pe
gins with 1.-The Chansou of the twelfth century, anu
ends with Berapger; and tells the tale OF satire ana
numor among that people who first broke through tue
backuess of Middle Ages and learned how to speak,
write, and sing "Frenchmen have nowhere SHOWN
their character than in their satire TheY are 1ohd
of calling it the esprit gaNi0S tracing back the VEN OF
xayety light heart. and keen perception to those OLD
ancestors who, after ALL have left them but little OF
their blood divided as Il is among Romans Franks, and
Normans."
French satire has OF rudeness or haired
The French type satire and humor has according 10
Mr.. Besan preserved one unbrOken character from
generation TO generation. The poets OF the cnahsohs
and the paroiies Guyot. the Grumber; Rutebeuf the
Trouvere; VllOn. the Ribaut; Clement Marot' hipe-
iais Passerat aud Pithou, SAINT Amant, La Fontaine
all down 10 Beranger. have quality in common the
esprit gauOls. They are always goodtempered' wrap
their javelins in flowers and give you their poison IN
sparkling wine and they don't get rage unless they
are about to commit suicide. But they rreverent;
they have convictions; they are full OF amman
spirts they love life the old Greeks loved it, and
they are like children for mockery, mischief and light
ness OF heart
To trace the course of succession of light hearts
and bright wits through the centuries has been MI
Besaus pleasant task He his LISTS not quite so fu
az might be- both there must be limits to every
volume or people would live long enough to read
H. and because he had already written in previous
book most that he had say abOut the men OF the 18th
century. stage still large, and 1t is crowded
with figures The action is constant and The interest
uDbroken.
How they all sing and drink, and love. and feast. and
rhyme and, end how they all repent-hese men
of humori
They are all alike When the last hour comes they
send for the priest and patch up hasty peace with the
ceives all these the easiest terms gives them
the kiss OF mother who only laughs at the foles OF
her children and promises them before they go 10 peu
forgiveness and whole holiday for the morrow.
With the fifth chapter we have come down to Rabe-
iais The common notion Of Rabelais. derived partly
from Pope's famous lne and partly from his being
called the Cure of Meudon" is Of jOvial priest but
be was cure for only two years. out OF long life OF
seventy. He had passionate hatred OF monks, and
fierce scOrn for those abuses in the Church against
which Professionalism the reaction But TO speak OF
him moral teacher alone, would be TO ignore the
overwhelming droery Of his character; while to set
him up mere merry yandrew, would be 10 forget the
underlying earnestness OF his purpose. His father was
innkeeper, who wished 20 make OF his
ecclesiastic, ana so sent him, IN 1893,
when he ten years OF age, to the Benedictine
monks of Scully. RibeIas did not get abso-
uteIy emancpated from mOnkish rule until he was
past 40: and meantime. he had learned to hate his
brethren with all the fervor of his intense nature.
fla
author 30 years Of age Like Swift he shows no
signs OF passion but unlike Swift he does not write
h an when the passion OF hs youth has had time
TO itself. Passion not swift's nature
it killed in Rabelas Not single woman except
poor Badebec in his boOks-a whole half OF humanity
absent from his mndor this. too. we must thank the
monks The discipline of the converts succeeded In
kipg all side OF their victims nature. He not only
loved but he never even contemplated the pos
ability of love- The critical account which Besant gives
of the writings of Rabeais long and full Ii is per
haps of the merits of this volume that it
Affords complete and critical idea OF the works OF
all the men OF whom II treats.
Montague born iD 1885, Is the next grand figure in this
procession OF the ustous He was the descendant OF
long line of country gentlemen. He had genius for
friendship. and he loved La BoGte with love passing
the love OF When he SO years of he mar
ned but he evidently did adore Madame. Cato"
he says. "hke ourselves, dsgusted with his wife"
Aud again. Marriage is like those birds that
out, and those that out want
to get 10" When he IS years of age he began to
TO write Essays He had good many disturbances,
besides his wife's temper such as civil wars which
frightened mm illness which attacked him. aud the
coming of the plague. from whic6 last, indeed be ran
with AZ lie might. But IN the midst of all these
distractions the Essays went on. He published the
third when he was 55 years Of age; and when
Paris 10 bring IT out lac tell in love with Mad
emoselle de GOurnay.
Murlp dp hpn
read the Essays TIL che had conceived ardent at
tachment for heir author Hearing that he wasn Paris
abe sent him a message OF compliment He called on
her again and again. and drank in the nectar of this
worship 10 which he was unaccustOmed l look" he
says "to else in the world" He had to be sure.
daughter aud wife, but tDey did not count. The tie
between him and MademOlsele seems TO have been in
aoceut enough ho gever He gave her the tiIs Of his
adopted daughter which she wore as crown OF honor
through all the rest OF her life.
lie quite reached his sixteth year. DEATH which
ne had always so bitterly feared, found him day,
and queDched love and laughter aud kindly vanity all
together HIS mother survived him for nine years, and
his lived years after the husband, who had been
intensely conscious Of her defects SO intensely con-
scOus OF his merits aud OF all the pains and joys
OF living, bad gone-who knows whitheri
The pages devoted 10 critical estimate Of Montaignes
work are admirable.
In the first place let us rid ourselves OF the
notion that M1naigne had any object 10 view He had
None. lie conceived tue idea OF writing down his
1hougn,s s obseryatGaS, his rreer,iv4S the results
OF his OWE experience. 1t vas al experiment Tie dig
ny Of tTsIure just then occupied with ancient iear
ing suS aisG?ysFsd general laeas MAJ nc; yet
ordinary humanity. Montague TOOK the man OF whom
be knew most-himsef-the creature which was TO
him tue most interesting object In the world,
and then began 10 group round this central
Bgure all thoughts Influences events, accidents and
habits which had accumulated during his lifetime. The
NJ an stands before for contemplating an iln
mense pile things, his own Suppose you had
spread before you all the things you had bought