Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-01-12
A VAGUE COMPLIMENT

a fAUUL OOMI IlMENl
How It Failed Of Appreciation BY
the Government.
g.
Boiste, name familiar to philologers
and grammarians, was a celebrated
maker of dictionaries, at which he
worked with an enthusiasm almost I'M
riyaled in that department of labor,
and with degree Of success which
brought him both reputation and profit.
The great Napoleon gave him the post
of royal grammarian; and the hard
working student received this flatter-
ing testimony to his merit just as he
was concluding his grand dictionary
Of the French language. Very sweet
were those concluding labors, and one
may. imagine the pleasure with which
he corrected the last proof-sheets and
complied with the customary form of
sending complete copies to the censor
OF the press. Sweet also were his
dreams that night and the anticipations
OF the fame and the profit that should
accrue. to him from the publication of
the elaborate work which in a few days
would see the light. But, alas! never
was the adage that speaks of "the slip
'twixt the cup and the lip more strik-
ingly illustrated than in the case of
poor NJ. BOiste. He had retired to rest
one night after a pleasant evening with
some literary friends, when, disturbed
by a movement in his chamber, he
woke up to find his bed surrounded by
o posse of gendarmes.
What is it, gentlemen?n said he.
"You have assuredly made some mis-
take. / am Monsieur Boiste, lately
appointed grammarian to the EN-
peror."
"Ahr' said the brigadier in com
mand, 1.-THE very man we want See,
sir; here is the order for the arrest of
Monsieur Boiste, grammariap.n
The order was in due form, sure
enough, and it was but vain to appeal
against it. The poor scholar had to
turn out and dress; and in few minutes
was seated with his captors in a close
carriage, driving rapidly towards the
castle of Yincennes.
Having arrived at the prison, the
astonished captive was not without
hopes that the obstinate silence with
which all his inquiries had been met
during the journey would no longer
be maintained. He now urgently en-
treated to be informed of the reason
for his arrest, at the same time pro-
testing his entire innocence and his
known. devotion to the Emperor The
official at first paid no attention to his
entreaties; but at length, out of re-
spect it may be for the prisoners gray
hairs, condescended to refer to the Or
der of arrest, and after perusing it,
coolly answered: ITO secure the pub
lie safety"
Poor Boiste was no wiser than be-
fore, but only the more perplexed
He was at once led off to a room fast
ened with an iron door and grimly
grated windows, and there he was
shut in, with the prospect of spend
ing months,. it might be years, in tor
turing his brain to discover how it
could be that he, who had passed his
whole life in the harmless avocation
of arranging words in alphabetical or
der, could possibly have compromised
the public safety. ut can not be, p he
said to himself, 'that I am arrested
on account of my book; for it was ex-
amined three several times, was cor
rected and altered both by the chiefs
and the subordinates of the imperial
censorship, and every thing to which
they objected was struck out. "
It was little use spending his days in
conjectures that led to nothing, and
nothing was to be got by indulging in
lamentations; SO he began to exert
himself He drew up memorials con-
tanning the strongest appeals. and nd-
dressed them to all the persons Of in
llututD. Will W4OAAA l1C " do ttl HNehhAtAS
reminding tn ~ all that hesbad really
committed no oTense, and that he only
required to know the charge against
him that he might clear himself
But week after week rolled away
and not one Of his letters was an
swered. At length one Of the unfor-
tunate prisoners memorials fell into
the hands Of Fontanes, the4head Of the
University of Paris. who knew the
blameless character Of the lexicog-
rapher, and had long held him in es-
TEEN. Fully convinced Of the inno-
cenee Of the man, who he knew had
devoted a long life to the completion
Of dry and arduous labors, he watched
for an opportunity Of mentioning him
70 the Emperor. The great Napoleon
happened 70 be in one Of his gracious
nit0ss; he tool from Fontanes tne
captiye's written plea. read it over,