New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-09

PORT TARASCON The Last Advcntures VI u'o
lated BY Henry James. Illustrated BY hossl myr-
bach Montegit, Biccr and Montenard. $40, PIP.
49, Harper ~ Brothers
This really sumptuous edition Of Daudet's Fort
Tarascon" Is a fitting honor paid to the fermina-
ton of a unique and delightful work of humor.
The adventures Of Tartarin Of Tarnscon. at his
home in Provence, and in the Alps, and as lion
killer in Algers, are known in the four corners oil
the globe today. Tartarin has introduced new
element into literature. and the inimtabe art OF
AInhonse Dardet has familiarized us all with this
aentlc. delicate and playful satire upon and ex-
argcration of the Provencal foibcs and character
istics so that the good people Of Tarascon, their
club their social ways. their common habit OF
"embroidering" the truth, their poetic tendency
70 idcalize their surroundings, the gravity
with which they make believe" like the
Warehouses, and oil their quaint and droll
traits, are as real as anything can be in world
Of illusions. Tartarin has described himself with
Incompatible accuracy as +" Don Quixote in Sancho
Panza's body That is the keynote to his
character Sitting in his bachelors home at
Tarascon, the little white house with the green
blinds among his poisoned arrows, his COLLECTION
of arms, and his library Of travels smoking his
pipe and meditating deeds Of derring do, his
Southern Imagination has mastered circum-
mighty hunter he would be if he could. subtle
and exquisite touch, illustrating completely the
Tarasconese temperament, is the acceptance OF
Tartarin by his fellOw-townsmen at his own i'm
arinative estimate 1t is as natural TO them as to
him to confound things dreamed Of with things
| done They OF course know that Tartarln has
| never really killed any lions or fought any
! desperate duels or had any wild adventures; but
| has lie not a baobab" tree? There is his col
| lection of arms, too And can such stories
rs he tells at the club be told by any one but a
great man? So they recognize and glory in his
| distinction. and he becomes the first man OF
| Tarascon.
Still glory has its responsibilities, and presently
I, is borne in upon Tartarn that If he Is TO MAIN
| tain his proud pre-emnence he must have some
| solid ground to stand upon he must in word,
prove the Justice of his pretensions. This con-
sideration is the source Of all his woes. for IN
| truth the Sancho Panza in him is desperately
| averse from exertion and danger, cares nothing
for glory and only desires to go Oh leading the
comfortable. quiet, well-fed life Of Tarascon
The Don Quixote side OF him cries Cover your
self with gory!, The Sancho Panza side re-
niles Cover yourself with iannel!" The con-
test is long and painful, but the necessities OF
the case triumph over Sancho Panza, and Tartarin
| goes forth on his adventures. The drollery oil
! his mjshaps is enhanced by the fact that while
constantly "embroidering" facts on his own side,
| he believes literally whatever others tell him.
| Always hoaxing, he is forever hoaXcd' Ills
native vanity and habit Of exagseratlng MS own
capacities moreover, perpctually expose him 70 or
deals which brighten and distress him horribly, yet
which he dare not shrink from lest he should lose
| his reputation. So he goes on only escaping non
one snare to fall into another but-at least In
! the two first parts of his MISUNDERSTANDING
on his feet at last and able to return in triumph 10
| Tarascon TO establish his name as great noh-
SLAYER. and to win added fame as an Alpine
climber In Tartarin In the Alps we see now
these Tarasconese yield to the fascination OF
their own habit of embroidery, III the ho'A
! which the wicked Bompard plays upon the
simple Tartarn in regard to the management OF
the Swiss mountains. Under any other condi-
lions Bompard's imaginings would seem too crude
and wild to deceive child; but this is the
Tarasconese character, and therefore Tartarin
credulity is perfectly natural.
| At last however the illustrOus Tartarn meets
his fate There was really reason why ne
should not have gone on from book to book
| through Decameron Of adventures, but Nj
Daudet has concluded to terminate his career
and however this decision may be regretted, there
| is no appeal from it. In Port Tarascon' grea'
final hoax includes the whole population OF Iaras
con- and unhappy for himself, Tartarin Is the
instrument by which this fatal hoax is operated
| A nefarious pseudo Duke of Mons comes along
makes the heros acquaintance, and discourses
him of a certain paraiisaical island in the lndia1
Ocean, to be had for song. possessing every
earthly blessing and advantage, ana maze y,
Nature for the most wonderful colony ever hear'
Of Needless to say, Tar,arin is on fire at once
,l,lo afta
not venture to lessen the interest Of the reader by
co much as limiting at all the marvellous things
which spring from this grand colonization scheme
SuAice Il 10 say that for time Tartarin is in hi
glory that he is Governor of Port Iarascon
that he takes himself very seriously, ana tha'
when the collapse comes, and he finds himself a.
home again, prisoner, charged with high crimes
and misdemeanors. all his popularity gone, HI
townsmen arrayed against him, and every dream
of his life dissipated-the poor fellows spir'
breaks and the end is near
We are inclined TO think that one Of the mos
deIciously humorous scenes in the book Is Una
NJ the trial of Tartarin and Pascal0n for frau'
and violation of the laws on emigration Herr
tho Tarasconesc habit of embroidery finds fire.
scope There are over 200 witnesses. and ever,
one contradcts himself and all the others. Tn
examples given Of what NJ. Daudct calls " the In
| yentive genius Of the Tarasconlans, their uncon
scious and imperturbable mendacity," are Ger
tainly supreme of their kind. Thus, during hi
examination, being asked whether he wrote Ger
5 tain letter Tartarin suddenly raised 10 hea'e'
his outstrctched hand Il swear before heaven an
, all the company that | never wrote q word o
! that letter. Then the judge causes the lette
10 he handed to the witness "Tartarin took it
looked at it, then replied quite simply Oh, yes
see IL is my hand. did write it. but couldn'
lust remember" The judges were from tn
, north and did not understand the ways Of Tarss
. cen After good deal of this kind Of testimony
' Il was Just the same for oil Of them-no one n
membered anything about anything'-we are nc
b surprised to read that the judges turned wal
sat COMPOUNDED and bcwildered at this appearance
5 Of fragrant bad faith, unable, In their characte
= Of men OF the North to make the allowance ndii
$ pensable in the case Of the South-to make