The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-30
yANrrY or LIrERARr L1oNs.
The Frankness of the Frenchman and the
Moroseness Of the Briton.

The Frankness of the Frenchman and the
Moroseness Of the Briton.
New York Graphic.
There is a nameless charm about the open
vanity of Frenehman, especially Of French
literary man whose little coteris regards him as
a lion or a god with a small, small g. 1t is the
innocent vanity of child who has been washed
and brushed and put on a new dress 1t has
nothing of the morose jealousy of the English or
Scotch or American literary lion, who poses in
indifference while secretly devoured with the de-
sire of recognition and attacked with bilious
fever at the very shadow of a supposed rival
Carlyle hated every living contemporary
male or female. Buiwer in his early days
hated Tennyson. Tennyson resented criticism
as wound. Lewes carefully removed adverse
criticisms from the sight of George Eliot Dis
raeli stamped Hayward, his severest literary
critic, as the type of all critics-the man who
had failed in literature and art. 1t was scien-
tific stab, and Goodwin Smith rushed into print
at once, eager to resent an imputatiop that was
never intended for him, but which he violently
and ridicuously claimed as his own. Charles
Reade was more famed for his libel suits than
for his novels, bringing every one before the
courts who dared say boo to his geese And
SO the catalogue might be continued ad minimum
illustrating certain coarseness and unworthy
jealousy on the part of English men Of letters
But, to use the old saying they
manage these things better in
France Perhaps the French academy.
of French letters. helps to clear the air and Gre
ate a necessary eamaraderie among literary
Frenchmen The Academy is only open to
| Frenchmen of established literary renown
| whatever be their thought or mode of thought
| SO long as its expression is accepted as worthy
| of French classic So, clericals and atheists
sit cheek by jowl, and discuss matters as of old
| in the Athenian groves, where no faith was
| At all events, there is less literary jealousy
among French than among English men of let
| tiers But the French vanity is delicious
Alexandra Dumas pere prided himself as much
! on his cooking as on his novels. Later in
! life he employed company to finish the novels
! Of which he gave the ground plan, and to
which he contributed tho finishing strokes
| that stamped them with the brand OF Alexandra
/ Dumas ct Gle. He would not acknowledge his
/ son. the present Dumas, until the latter forced
himself on his notice and proved himself worthy
| Of his sire by writing the Dame aux Camellias :
better known in the English world as Camille
! That story, drama and opera has made and
wrecked the fortunes Of more Heading ladies'
! and prime dome on the dramatic and operatic
I stage than all dramas and operas put together
/ After the publication of the story Dumas fills
woke, like Byron, to find himself famous. He
| was still young and complained that he could
1 not walk the streets Of Paris without being
\ andibly pointed out as the author of the ssDame
! aux Camelliasp Consequently.in Frenehman's
! fit he for time ceased walking IN the streets.
4 Voltaire that essence Of the typical modern
| Frenchman, proclaimed that vanity was the last
1 passion that deserted us. while he exempliHed
| the truth IN his own person. He was vain to the
4 though he quafed tho nectar of the
gods Nine. dc Stael, who for her intellect was
banished from France by Bonaparte. was deci
| dedly ugly; but like Enrran, one forgot her uRli
ness In her wit She acknowledged that she
would give half her intellect for the gift Of beau