New-York tribune., 1890-03-30
4 POWERFUL BOOK.
BALZAC IN ENGLISH.

SONS OF THE koIL BY IIonorc de Balzac. Trans
lated by KfthaFine Prescott mIo,hai mor'eieS i-"'
pp 40 Boston Roberts Brothers
Many critics have regarded Les Paysans
to which Miss Wormelcy. in her admirable trans
Iation has given the title Sons of the Soil. as
one of Balzac's strongest novels; and 1t cannot
fail TO impress those who read this Englsh Iclucl-
ing of it, Finv or sixty years ago Balzac ilaac
n profound study of the elects produced nS "c
Revolution upon the peasants of the remote prov
i,ces of France and he has here elaborated these
observations in powerful picture Of one oi those
s,ranee disruised but ferocious social wars when
were al the time not only rendered possible p"'
promoted by three potent Influences, namely "'o
sclishncss OF the rich landhodcrs. the land-huhGcr
and stimulated greed Of the peasants ana 'hc
calculated rapacity Of mlddlc-ciasS o"pi'""s'',
craftily using the hatrcds OF the poor 10 ioI"'u
their own plots. The first part ol LES ray s'''
and the only part which was pupiiS"'" "",i"7
tbc authors life appeared under a title taken
from an old and deeply significant proverp- Vui
Terrc Gucrrc"-Who has land has war This tue
was really better one than that finally adop''"'
for though the peasants undoubtedly count Tor
much in the story the mcdocracy, a. hai"''
calls thcnl-that is the consplring oour3cois
usurers and money -sharhs-are at bottom Tie
prime movers and guides, and II Is clear tlla'
without them the bold conspiracy against the
Count Of Nontcoutour must have fallen 10 'hc
ground.
The situation depicted by Bilzac Is remark
able one The Revolution. according TO ms Ne"'
had left the peasants imbucd with the piolou""
conviction that the land was theirs by rIgh', ana
NapoIeon's land measures had confirmed thcm
in this belief II had consequently become
natural for them TO regard all llrgc propfie'ot'
with jealousy, and when such propIi''".S h"'
sought 10 cement alliances with the P'isahIS ~
permitting them TO commit dcpieda'ons uh"c'
color Of cleaning, gathering dead "o"h loI i"''
etc. the only result had been 10 impress 'i"
depredators with the idea that these pckinSs an"
sicalings were among their rights, anu 10 N cN-
crcscd boldly and without r~tralnt III '"'
IMAGINARY case here described. however,, the war
lo,yveon tLe ncasan,s and the landlords was made
marc formidable bv two facts: in the fist place.
the peasants had fixed their hopes upon tie par
titior Of the great estate of Les Aigncs, many Oh
them having gone so far even as TO seicc' me
particular plot OF ground they desired 10 OWL
and in the second place, conspiracy hau pee"
formed by a number Of wealthy rascAH III ul'
bourgeois class 10 get possession of 'hr estate Wy
driving out the owner and then sell II az n pi'"
to the peasants The plots 81 all count nc MON"
contours enemies were greatly facilitated hy thc
shin; woman. who had allowed tie peasants
to devas,a,c her woods. 10 rob lcr harvest fields
and VINEYARDS. and to develop tine convenient
theory that custom had now given tie force oi
law 70 the practise OF these abuses.
This SLIGHT sketch NAV serve Ia show how large
a canvas Bazac prepared. and how complex and
intricate were the agencies and combinations with
which he proposed 10 deal II Is the account OF
a guerilla war conducted by whole countryside
against one great landowner; wa' IN which.
moreover the lawlcSs aggrcsSiOns OF the pf@tni'N
are prompted supported and directed ly an a;na1-
ing alliance between the richest. most nnscrnpu-
ous and most powerful of the neiGhboflnS pro-
yincial magnacs who by conirolling through
family council, the local administration, are III
n position 10 paralyzc resistance 10 their con
spiracy. The working ont Of this deep plot al
fords the author opportunity Tor the lh'I"nu'-
ton Of a whole gallery of marvellous studies
The family Of the Tousahs alone would suffice
to make the reputation of an Ordinary winter.
such insight, such subtlety. such nerve and
vitality characterize them. IT, Is new world
in which they live and move and have Their
being; n world which Is not so much Immoral "a,
as immoral where religion is simply unknown.
not because inaccessible in fact. but because the
Rev0luton still DEGREES the sccpticlsn OF thcSr
people and their hatred and contempt Tor the
Church. Were they thinkers indeed. thcy might
have found in Rizon the renegade monk, proii-
gate and usurer and one of the chiefs Of the
conspiracy against Les Agnes sufficient
reason for mistrust But they are rot thinkers.
and their conduct proceeds upon purely animal
impulses without any shade of ethical suggestion
or influence The native wit and really profound
cunning and discrimination Of these peasants is
tro 4 would
be absurd TO consider them stupid the difficulty
is that they are far too clever. Being
wholly unrestraned by moral scruplcs. they are
able TO employ all their intelligence with single
eye to their own interests, and mcndacltA, ny
p0crisy smooth submissivencss yelling the most
implacabe hatTed, their ordinary instru-
mentalites IL is made apparent from the hfst
that the contest is too oncsided to last long. The
fiery old cavalry general who owns Les Algnes'
cannot cope with the craft, stealth and united
energies Of such formidable enemies lie may
alternately rage and diplomatze. The gentle
Countess may try her hand at the part OF Lady
Bountifu 1t is all one. The peasants take
whatever is given to them with clevcrly assumed
humility. They bow to the DEGREES prohibiting
their customary dcprcdations. But the landlord
ont of sight they curse his impudcncc in trying
to patronze them, and they resume their pi!lagc
with equal minds.
The chapter showing how the Tavern is the
peoples Parliament is striking picture Of this
strange, lawlcss, aggressive peasant life. There
is one man with a conscience at the "Grand-I-
vert" tavern Old Nlseron is noble fellow
and strong foil 10 the Tousads. Lomchon.
Courtecuisse. Bonnehaut. and the rest. There
is high art, too, in the uneasincss caused
among these conscencelcss folk by the presence
%
Somewhere, deep down in their natures there
survives a faint scnsblity To moral agencies
They do not react strongly or pcrccptibly to
these influences but they react. They still feel
dimly that In Niseron's presence their views and