The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-08-23
SOME MEMORIES OF PARIS.
Arscnc uoussnyc's RecoiIcctions of
Hair u Century Men nnd Women of
tho second Empire--Napoicon ana
E"gcnic -GiidSd uchemiawtsm smd
tho Nights OF Lifcrsturc.

E"geutc-Gtidsd uohesntaWtsm aud
tho Nights OF Literature.
Under the title "My Confessions Recol.
lections OF Half Century," NJ. Arsone
lloussaye has brought out In Paris the last
four volumes Of his "reminiscences. NJ
Iioussayo is now in his SEVENTEEN year. He
was born In 1915, and made his Partisan
debut as litterateur in 1886. Ills talent,
his eccentrci,ies, aud the friendship Of many
prominent men, foremost among whom are TO
be cited Jules Janin, Theophile Gaulier, and
Jules Sandeau, soon assisted him TO celebrity,
although it is TO I've noted that his reputation
is rather local than national. His poetry,
his novels, his halfhistorical, halfromantic
works commend themselves more strongly 10
the Partisan reader than 10 the public at
large. NJ. lIoussaye's brilliant and graceful
style, his ability as an art critic, and his
dallc wit have nevertheless had general
recognition, aud his two hest known books
:" PHILOSOPHERS ct Condolences and I" lie
Quarante ct Unieme Fauteuil'--are likely
TO be reckoned with the most praiseworthy
specimens Of the light literature Of the age.
AS a business man he appears TO have shown
as much cleverness as writer he was APP
pointed manager Of the Comedie Franchise
in 1919, that institution being at the time In
debt to the amount of 500, 900 francs, and
when his administrative term expired in 1856
he left the theatre prosperous and with
record OF extraordinary artistic as we'll as
material success. During the past forty
years nj. lioussaye has always lived more or
less In the public eye. The Emperor Ma.
poleon liked him, and he was personally
popular with the foremost literary men aud
artists Of the day, rs we'll as with the live
lest society Of the period. His "Confes
sions F" rehearse the principal incidents of his
variegated existence. They will not add
greatly to his reputation, although written
in the same fluent and sparkling measures
as his happiest achievements, but they will
| repay perusal by some chapters of genuine
| interest aud worth, and will scarcely DO laid
| down unfinished 10y the person that, reading
to some extent between the lines, wishes 10
realize what gay life was IN Paris between
| 1850 and 1870. Much that M. Houssays has
printed concerning his own conquests mars
his Confessions" and their narration
would be greeted with q shrug by the most
indulgent Auglo-Saxon audience. On The
other hand, many hundred of the 1000
pages, of his "Recolleotions".--a especially
those passages describing the gilied Boz
hemian days of men who have since become
part of the history of the century, and his
brief pen pictures of statesmen, painters,
clothed in the language of the writer. A
review of the CONFESSIONS" and even
copious extracts, necessarily do them scant
| justice. Still translated excerpts from the
most interesting parts Of NJ. Housewives
latest work will at least have The advantage
of acquainting the English speaking reader
with its character and that of imparting
some of the very readable IL not very i'm
portant information, far more felicitously
conveyed in the Parisian's easy and glitter
ing prose.
NJ. Houssaye's most prominent parsonage
is, of course, Napoleon III, and TO study
of the dead sovereign goodly share of one
of the four volumes is devoted.
"Napoleon Ill.," says Houssaye, "lived
in y perpetual dream. lie was born to dwell
in silence and In solitude rather than in the
din and splendor of the Tuileries. | have
seen him at the Elysee and at Saint Cloud
seeking out tree and not a man. On many
days he never awoke at all he was n SOM
nambulist and subject to Authorizations.
This is why when people stood in his pres
eHce they asked of themselves whether he
was still there. Yes, he was there. Often
he appeared not TO hear, because he an
swered not. But on the morrow lie proved
to you that he had heard distinctly. He
thrust the cup from reality, even when the
| Sup was hut tlhSeu WIFI DltteTneSS. lie
| loved everything from afar, even woman
kind. When he was at table he ate heartily
and drank tolerably, but without knowing
whether the cooking was good or the wine
| of a genuine stock. When lie went to the
Bois de BoulOgne 1t always seemed as il he
were there for the first time, 80 few faces did
he recognize. lie saluted with his hand,
bnt not with his mind. Hence it was those
about him often said: What can he he
thinking Off His political enemies wrote
that he only thought of betraying France.
On the contrary, he only thought of making
France great and invincible. IIe desired
that everybody should be rich and that the
fowl in the pot spoken OF by Henry w
should be chimera no more. For the
tyrant had q heart of gold. The dread of
reality, while it raised him into the cloud
land of reverie, kept him away from truth.
Therefore it was that after the celebrated
Congress Of Paris he committed none but
capital errors. Therefore it was that, hav-
ing declared that the empire was peace, he
waged war for the sake of others. He fan
cied himself still Carbonaro when he made
Italy nation. He was still q believer in
the strength of the Latin races when he
wished to have an Emperor crowned in Mex
leo. He did not perceive, so blind was he,
that while he strove to govern the world he
| cav udt dV6TlaStlHg
who did not even awake at Sedan, was q
sort of ice-bound hell, paved with good in
tentions. He partook Of de- Saint. Pierre's
| longing for perpetual peace. Ha gathered
inspiration from all the reformers who plan
ned the happiness of nations. He retained
| in his soul the generosity of Queen Hortense
| and of Josephine, his mother and grand
mother. He never refused aught except to
himself. That man who had so many enc
mics was not his enemies enemy. TwOdays
after the coup d'etat he thought Of the am.
| nesty. He read " Les Chatiments +" without
faltering in his admiration for Victor Hugo,
lie desired TO enrich Lamartins-anothe
dream. He forgave the acts of treachery of
those who surrounded him because he made
allowance for q proportion of evil while he
wished that good should prevail. People
spoke OF his leaden eye and even of his stu.
pidity, which was at one time legendary,
but beneath mask of impassiveness lie con.
csaled the fire that consumed him. lie was
hardly ever the man of action OH guard at
the gates of the Louvre as at the gates of
France. AS has been said, he believed In
his star, In the superior government of
things, rs Bossuet puts II. That man who
loved adventures and feared nothing bore not
audacity on his face. At first sight hs was
not Thought capable of llling an important
pN.' ho wan SHatit ho Walkou Dhlly, nb
did not shine; nothing about him appeared
endowed with life, neither his hair nor his
eyes nor his mouth. Yet when speech or
smile animated him You felt that he was
man. On horseback particularly he broke
his bonds and acquired sorns majesty. At
table, too, he looked we'll, for he was all bust.
When he donned his uniform he had some
what the air of oonqueror. Noone doubted
his bravery. In that strange life of his one
scarcely detects here aud there his will, so
much did he waver between yes and no. Like
painter impressed with the idea Of gran
denr and beauty, he aspired to everything.
But he stopped short at the sketch, not be-.
ing gifted as are the masters of the world
Hence his personality, which he wished to
he glorious, will remain In half tint history
will only devote TO him pages wherein the
shadows will cover the light"
NJ. Iloussaye discourIss as follows concern
ing the Rmpsror's marriage;
"The day ON which the rumor gained cur
reney that Napoleon III was about to wed
Mile. do Montijo was day OF surprise for
Paris. Everybody hoped that for lack OF
foreign Princess lie would have had the
| patriotism 10 marry q French woman,