The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-06-15

ncse-he sat erect in the carriage as if he
were on horseback in the Van of ten battal-
ions, dressed in neat blue, and with stock
about his throat to mold up his collar. We
arrived at the chateau, and he introduced
me to the Duchess and tn. four infants.
Heavens, such youth grace, loveliuess!
The Duchess was not over thirty, and the
loveliest of her sex, the children angels.
How shall l describe the library, when
have already exhausted my store Of adject-
tives? Ten thousand volumes, one hundred
portfolios Of engravings, and not book,
not print, but had its history Old chroni>
cles, in veIlum, editlones principles, their ORR
ginal bindings carefully restored, artist
proof engravings from BURNS whose touch
is consecration-it was treasury. And
such a lively family! And cellar full of
such wine as appeared on the table at din
ner!
''Duke, you are happy man'' l cried,
as the Duchess handed me cup of coffee,
when could take no more wine, Lafts
though it was. The Duke sighed ssAlmost
NJ. Goujet," said the Duchess, laughing;
sbut one thing more is needed to complete
the happiness of NJ. Saint Emilion-' s.And
that is ga copy of the princeps edition
of Francois Villon," saidthe Duchess, laugh
ing. 81 assure you, Bibliophile Jacques,
my FRIEND" said the Duke, rousing out of his
abstraction, 81 do not need anything more
to put the capstone to my happiness, but if
only could recover a princeps Villon-you
will see have all the rest, Marot, Ronsard,
the chroniclers, the missalists, the roman
cers-the absence of Villon does beyond
doubt make void-but, as you see, am
happy. so long as Madame the Duchess and
the children-but still, will give you a
thousand crowns and all expenses paid if
you will but recover for me the long lost
Villon!" s'My dear Duke I cried, 81 de-
dictate myself to that work. You can count
ON me with assurance. 1t may be six months
it may be year; but will surely find you
Villon." The Duke gratefully pressed
my hand, the Duchess pinned a rosebud ups
on my coat and said was gallant man, as
she led the way to the drawing-room.
When my visit was at an end, put Para
disc behiud me and returned to Paris, after
writing two sonnets, expressive of my sen
timents, in the album upon Madame the
Duchess's little boudoir table, and ex-
changing snuff bones with the little Able
Surin, Madame's disecteur and the Dukes
fast friend and librarian. The first thing |
did, after going to my stall, was to visit the
national library and the Mazarin library
also, and look at the copies in ALL quarto,
one in sheep, moth eaten; two in vellum, a
title page missing from one, but each in true
mocaronic style. "Franscois Villon, Poe
Sizes" 1889. Bless@ exit. Edito j. Carolo."
consulted all the biographies; J. Carolus
was not noted as having published any but
this one book at Blois, nor were his success
sors mentioned. The street, of the shop was
not given. l went to Blois. l searched
through all the musty archives of that an
cient city. There were j. Careluses, J.
Chasles, J. Charles plenty, notaries, mer-
GERS, shop keepers, goldsmiths, wine sellers,
a string of names through four centuries,
but the Carroll booksellers were not, nor the
Caroll publishers. did not despair. l
took the Caroluses in order, as far as they
were extant in the fifteenth century. The
eldest and most respectable branch of the
name was the notary family. There were
records of deeds executed by Johannes
Carolus from 1850 down to lib, in a con-
tinuous series; Johannes Carolus for a hum
dred years, then Jehan Carries, Charles,
Charles, indifferently, always at the house
II Rue de Tours. After l7l3 this house
was occupied by the Fripiers, notaries
still. until 1918, when it was pulled down to
give place TO the Restaurant du Midi, Mar
tin, cusiner l searched the records still
further. In 1909, Jean Fripier married
Jeanne Charlotte, sole daughter of Maitre
Jean Chas;es, rotary. 1t was likely, then,
that Triples Was Chasies's successor in the
female line Who knew anything about the
old house No. II Rue de Tours. What had
become of the furniture, the books, the rub
Dish! There had been an auction sale, Mar
tins old scrvent told me, and | found the
books of Brunei, auctioneer OF that part of
Blois for hundred years, he and his an
cestors. IN the books a page containing the
sale bill of articles Knocked down on Feb
ruary /, ISIS. lone lot Of books to Gordon
nier, Paris: one lot of books to Baron Vign-
aux; ditto Maitae Fripier. hls: ditto. Nine
Salntonge: one lot waste paper and manu-
script rubbish aud odd volumes, Piesse .
| continued my search, hunting each lot
down. Cordonnier, an antiquarian book
| seller, like myself, had bought all the law
books, none others: Aaron Vignaux. a col
lection of songs and vaudevilles. with orig l.
nal music, curious, but nothing to my pre-
sent purpose; Fripier hls. only Theology
Nine. Sainionge, ditto. Who was Piesse.
What did he buy. Piesse was a rag and bot
| tie man, who lived in Tours. kept car,
dragged by dog. HUNTED Piesse up: he
was dead, but his son lived, in tumble
down cellar in Tours. close by the River
Cher. A sot OF sixty years. his face all
abloom with Nantes brandy. his hand pail
-ied- an incommunicative rogue, under the
ban Of the police. and fearing them. He
would tell me noshing-for money mol
naus b, else. When at las; left the house
a slattern woman, with haggei face, fol
lowed me around the corner. asked me If
meant Piesse any harm, what / wanted &c
find out. AMI woull pay for information
there was nothing to eat in the house Salts
6ed on these points. she told me to come
again 81 night, at 10 clock. s.Piesse viii
| be drunk then
| When did come. the woman let me up
stairs into wretched garrett ..P:e-se,'
she said, '.and his father. for all the wrecs
ron see around you. were men Of method
They kept close book. Here, on this shelf
is what remains Of the rubbish bought at til,
Fripier sale There is memorandum, o.
one last will. sold TO Matter Nicsle, so