, 1877-12-27
VICTOR HUGO.
Celebration Of the Revival of His
Tragedy OF "Hsrnant."
4 brilliant Assembtage of I.lterattcurs..
Speech Of the Great Poet,

4 bf1laihhL Assembl&ge or L1terntteUrB.ss
Speech Of the Great Poet.
casrssponftnet Ftu FORK 1rttsnf,
LONDON, Dec fl.-Therc IL graceful fash
Ion among the French Of celebrating great
dramatic triumph by q dinner, to which are
bidden tho author, tho artfsts who haye inter.
pretet1 his work, few friends pcrchance, aud
sometimes even the critics WHO hayc pronounced
judgment upon Il. The manager Of tho theatre
Is tho host. Rut The sutllor may also assume
this rsrt and this Is what Victor Hugo has done
this week IN Ills own brilliant Apd hearty var,
In recognition Of Ills debt to those who have
helped to make tho rerivat of "Hcrnsni" at
tin Theatre F1ancats IN event in tho history of
thc French stage only less. important tlsn lts
astt production forty-seven yctss ago. Yuu
havo lately been reading French account OF
dinner given by tho American colony In
Paris to Geu. Grant. Most OF vhnt
can tell you about this Hugo dinner
comes from French sources also, and oifera
contrast to tho other, complete Ia nearly every
point; 4 contrast which ! will leave the reader
70 dra" Tor himself. Thcy were both given at
tho Grand Hotel.
To assemble 100 ParIstans Of various opinions,
says Theodore dc DanvIlc. and keep them to.
Rether Tor four hours under the influence OF a
single Idea, 1ovc for great art and admiration
Of great gonfut-to do that Is to achieve
e1sf d'2uryx. This Victor Hugo did on gundsy,
pray do not ho shocked because It was on
Sunday, but bear In mind that Paris is.not bos-
ton, nor rrnnec the United States. sun,lay Is
the sccepted dny throughout that country for
solemnitics Of all sorts; from racc for the
Grand PEx dc Par1s Il, general election to as.
certain the will of the country in order that tlIe
President 1,fe Of the 1sepublIs; may the better
tn, knoM how to oyessomG i, Forgive the toucl, Of
were rigtlly excluded from tic dinner, to which
tho people OF all politics and Of NJ politics wero
asked With equal freedom. Victor Hugo de-
scst6es himself a.
which tho press, without distinction Of party,
has given to "Hcrnant" on Its third rpproduc.
tion: ie never cared for exceptions to bis gen
cralizatlons, and perhaps never heard of the NJ
papers directed against him. Nor were theT atl
represented At ttis dinner, though some Journal
Of each party and fraytton of party had its del
scaic present.. Emi' dc g!sa1d'a, Henri o. Pcac,
Lockrov, are namcs which may Or mav not
bo generally recognized IN America. There
we're literary EcrsonaEcs i4ke Emile .Augtet,
tegouye, Daudet, Arseno !loussayc.. Leconte
!letzei; actors from the Theatre Fraucas, who
lave share In the performance of I" Elcrnapt',:
Worms, who has tnaae himself famous BY bis
"Don Carlos" aud Mounos ,sulis, who has
role; and Perrin, tho accomplished manager;
last of all, and first Of all, and tho only woma1,
amou: tte guests, Sarah Bernharlt, wt,osp
Do"o Sos may bc said to staud midway, ~
ess hsnsere, SasxSep s hef sI % y,
which last ts tho most 1nishcd piece
: ssaoel sssn 1s's tSe 9spee fss s':ssss s,sse
sat on Vistor nssos tight; !ttis Gcolgs . Huso,
"L'Art d'etre Grand Petrc," faced the white.
ha!rcd poet at the bottom Of the table. Moth
Ing could 6e prettier than that; nowhere, per- :
haps, but 10 Francc, ard nowhere In Francs but
At poets banquet, would child hare been III
TINT position. 1t 10 impossible ~ say what
would betafl tho man who IN England, should
attempt suei, 1nn9yations as thcse npoa tho asiG
to be SURE, was not public; It was Viltor Hugo
receiving his friends in the Urand Hotel, b.
CAUSE they wcrc too numerous for hts own
hunsc.
Al dessert,
yIcTon HUGO sroKB As FOLLOWS:
lmako ~ apology fas quoting In full. It Is
every word gold:
n.k permission Of Hr guests to drink to tholr
an hero A. the dobtor Of Jou ali. and begin
hy III expression Of thanka. For their presence.
their hSip. thcs syaarathelic support, thank tne
wtttcra, the ofIy regulations, which surround ms,
thank, th tho person Of III honorable director,
esatp1y u ny M # e"nassss Il ona nj ths
other end; thank NJ doas and walnut coadlutnss,
thuso excellent art!s:s whom the public nightly
will prunonnco no name. for shontd hare 10
nan,s them Al: Nevertheless Turning to MIle.
sarah nesnhatdtl permit nc. Inadauc. to make an
exception which Junr SEE Auth0f1zes-more than
that. commando.
T., You h,ve sh9wn I.ur.elf not only thy rival, but
Niue Dorval. Mme: Fayart, wEo wsrs your r' pisds. %
cessoss IN tho rolls OF bong Sol,
90 fn1hst. ! have tho ri9bt to s1y--1 who,
,afpas:sd nd eeipsed Gs. MIR. ri. I. saue saue
glory; you art. 9useo Of your own right; twico |
Hasss ss'ss queen b5sou' OeAutr and queen by your
xThcn bending over and kissing the hand Of
II THANK roo, uApAAH;"
ias st phaass ruled teouFh tie
Gus old man 70 the beautiful and brill!ant
young actress. Then scsnntRg;
Gentlemen, what !. this Eashe.tns' III \ slm. !
saa festival. II .s1l 1s1 .l~.y. leals veeaas
even Inland above Ill tn-stof,ny aud diaicult |
times. I
Not single word sha, bs sstd hors which can bo |
thought to contain IN elluson to sny oasr passion
than that passion for tho ideal aud for the absolute
We aro In region OF tranquility. We meet on |
Tho ealu, summit .hafs puFs spirits dwsll, Thsfe
AE6 atofu14 AROUND u.s. but not au0nY u,
X good that the world Ut literature should ctat
ltx luminous and Cloudlsss ray upon the political
world. It IL good that our peaceful domain should
offer TO the regions Of pefpis1itY this grand e1an-
plo OF concord and this buAptlf1l spectacle of /
llsre meant to stop, bat yopr applause sucour.
ages mo 70 20 on, and will ray word or two
mote. 4
Gcntlsmsn, It mI age, It IL rsrs for man not to
havs-not to end By havlnx-s aztd ides. u1ed |
Idea IL like xsd star; tle dsrtoe tho night the
tuore brightly the Rtar shtnss.
It'll tho sxnlo With tha Idea.
NY Idea appears to uss with al tho mora gplondoF
bscau4e &ho period through which w aro pnav,pR |
il toe more gloomy. vii! tal you what thai idcs |
s,-
...-... Ir II rKAcK.
All my ttfo long. ft0m shs beginning Of my youth
70 thla old sge With which my CAREER will soon |
rloae. hare had ons ead In viaw only, pacldcA-
sonlst pAcitcatton Of hearts. Ny dspum' would ]
have been no more WAT, no more 14tet the nations
Vi the world devoted wholly To labor, 10 tnduaty,
to vel! being, to pfo2ress, TO psospsEty By means
This irr&m / shall continue to dream, 1hatavsr
the tttels n the past OF tho future and 10 my lsst
bfeAth shall strive, without yielding for oue tno.
mont 70 desps!k, to make IL . FesAtJ.
Cornctllc, tho old cosleille the gfeat CoFnsills,
feu1tnI himself hnAr leath bFpRthAd mt thlA en-