New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-28
RAI.ZAC IN ENGLISH.


CESAR BIROTTEAU BY HoSORE DE- BALzAC. PIP
4Ol Boston: Rot erts Brothers
Ip the Rise ana Fab Of Cesar Birotteau the cen
trail motive is the exhibition OF heroiSm III everyday
lite In the treatment Of this motive BaIac eN-
cced and il is this above all which renders hI~
obnoxious TO the cynical school which holds that
there is no heroism anywhere, that it is bad
form to postulate it, and that all attempts to
describe human nature from Any but the lowest
point Of view are to be condemned as romantic
Balzac knew better. In his strongest works he has
drawn freely from that eXhaustless fGnd OF quiet
herolsm which supports public morals and the
higher life of society. In the Pere Go1ot, IN
"Ctsar Birotteau' in Eugene Grandet,' IN the
GLvs dams Ia Vallte" in the illusions PerdueS'
in the Parents Pauvres,' and in many other
stories the secret of the interest he inspires OF the
power and weight of the narrative lies largely IN
The naturalness with which he represents the
accomplishment of heroic tasks and duties under
discouragng conditions Nor is there in his heroes
any touch of that extravaganza, that theatrical
pose which we associate with the old rOmancers.
No writer is freer from the fault of putting his
characters on stills. No writer has untOlded the
dispositions of his persOnaCes with more consum-
mate skill the skill namely, which suggests self
development.
Cesar Birotteau is a perfectly nipple, familiar
character. From the first his defects are shown as
clearly as his virtues. He is a commonplace man of
business a storekoeper full Of petty vanities IL
noraur. open 10 gross 1attcry, capable OF being
deceived to his ruin by scoundrels in short abound
ing in foibles Withal he is loving and faithful
husband and father, and has been educated to
commercial integrity which in the end restores his
broken fortunes. The story of bis prosperity is
typical as is also that of his fall. Thousands and
tens OF thousands Of merchants have so risen and
SO sunk And even when he is developing his
strongest traits when, crushed by the weight Of
his debts he doggedy devoes the rest Of his life to
the desperate task of Tepayng his creditors he is
not represented as unnatuTaly exalted. The real.
the pathetic herOism of the man Is shown III his
weakness The blow Of his bankruptcy has really
broken his heart. He is only kept alive by the
hope of dscharging his debts-nO longer Liabilities
for he has passed the court and received his acqu
lance. But the simple honor of the man takes no
account of this formal enfTanchsement. He does not
even think about it. much less discuss it, lie only
secs the fact that he has incurred debts and that
half of these debts remain unpaid. Broken IN
spirit weakened still further by the enforced separa
ton from his courageous and loyal wife fainting
daily and hourly under the burden he has con-
demned himself to carry, 1t is not anything
Gromantic in this figure that touches us ii Is the
profound simplicity OF its humanity, the genius
with which its inherent nobility is made to appear
almost by indirectiOn.
Undoubtedly the vivid realism of the whole mice
en- some adds greatly to the effect Of Bifotteaus
heroic conduct There Is not character In the
story whose geDuneness remains a moment doubt
full. Whether their portraits painted with the
elaboration of Meissonier they described
With few bold strokes, they live before us equally
Constance and CesariDe Brotteau, Anselme
POpipot, Ferdinand du Tillot, Molineux, Claparon,
the Kellers Nucingen. ROguin, the Rsgons,
Pillerault Gandissart, FinOt, even the old market
woman. Mother Mabou, each and all actual
human beings, who speak and act and think accord
hog to their kind whom we all recognize and COM