The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-31
A CALL ON ERNEST RENAN.

in His Paris Home.
Paris Letter in New York World.
In company with an English gentleman whom
met at Sir Edward Maets house, in Berlin,
and who is the nephew of one of the most distin-
grished English diplomatists called M.
Ernest Renan. at the College de France. NJ.
Renan occupies an apartment on the second
floor, looking out on the quadrangle in front and
on gardens behind. The local color note is
given at once ON entering. The ante-cham Der is
full OF books and of old-time PORTRAITS. A few
flowers make il gay, and it is bright. as is also
the face of the little Breton girl who ushers US
into drawing-room.
N. Renan, she tells US, is at work. but will
presently attend upon u.s. Will we sit down.
1t is a charming room for US. tired of the
gauds of modernity. Old-fashioned furniture
and portraits of last centu ry folk, tapestry and
books. Charles Reades rooms were like this at
Magdalen, or my tutors at New College. 1t is
the drawing room of some wealthy presbytere
in France or of Monsigneur of Tours. There ia
a red haired, suffering sitting in this room
who is talking to Nine Renan about the wealth
er. and who it seems. is an English baronet.
Presently the door opens and III. Renan comes
in. He is in shippers, unsidy OF dress, and his
hair is In admired confusion. But what an in
tellisence of face. and what courtly manner!
1t is the model of the courtier able of the Re
eency days in France. His voice is low and has
that purring caress which is ecclesiastical
equipment and gained by the whisper of the
confes sional and of the boudoir. To look at the
room while listening to that voice takes one
back a century or two. 1t might be Mazarln at
the Paais Royal.
MY friend. who did not speak French. con-
verses in English with Mime. Renan while sit
at Nj. Renans side. When the red haired bar
onet had gone we spoke of books.
"You are very kind, you are very kind, sir, +"
says to me this the first scholar of Francs when
I tell him that his .'Vie de Jesus" has long been
a livre de chevet with me. and such is his sim
plicty in his greatness that he really is pleased
sr,y nleager tribute. and he puss his beautiful
little white hand, carefully attended to
that of marquis of the Faubourg st. German.
mine and talks
az have great work before me-" he says, land
must complete my history of the jews. Oh,
yes, am deeply interested in that people. What
is my opinion of Judaism you will have read in
my Life of Christ It is difficult work for the
cloud, and it is with reason that the first centu-
ries have been called the dark ages l should
like if time permitted, to write the history of
the Greeks after the fall of the Eastern Roman
empire 1t is a subject of very great interest to
me. But what colossal undertaking! What
researches it would involve! For point of
history perhaps is documentary evidence more
Yes, have heard OF that hobby idea of
certain English theologians that the English
race is descended from the lost tribes of Israel.
1t is. however. perhaps theory which is un-
worthy of study.
mo, am not man of one book, a homo
unius libri. 1t is a foolish epigram, a paradox-
cal mot q esprit am one or many DOCKS, as.
du reste, you see. / think that the scholar can
not be surrounded by too many books. I
hardly answer your question what one book I
should prefer if had to make choice of
book and abide with it. / think, however that
/ should choose the Holy Bible, which in every
sense Is the Book of books. l have heard of
those who say they would prefer Homer. 1t is
a matter of prediction, but even poetry and
apart from all other points of interest, l think
tho Bible still the Book of books. And, OF course,
as historian of the Jews, the Old Testament,
which is their first history, is to indispen-
sable Yet, on the Homerjquestion, am one of
the Separatists 1t is for a collection Of bal
1ads-the work Of many, not of one man. have
heard this controversy about Shakespeare, but
/ can hardly venture opinion, as have not
studied the question. I we'll acquainted
with the works of Bacon. and have a profound
admiration for his scholarship and for his style
'Zola? Nay. Monsieur, you must not ask
about him, for think nothing about him. 1t is
low, far away, beneath. 1t is the mud, and
pity for French literature. / have horror for
what is coarse. At Pompeii all that coarse
secreted and hidden away. 1t is pity
do not do the same in these days. confess I
cannot understand how the French, SO lettered,
so scholarly and so full Of taste. can tolerate
such horrors as the modern novels"
'Maitre," said. rising, sit would be crime
to trespass longer your time. We have al
ready kent you too long from your work. Vita
brevis. sed ars -"
Long. very long. Perhaps too long for US
who are DID, said NJ Reuan.