New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-19
SAINT STMON.
COURTIER AND HISTORIAN.

LIS GHAYDs ECRIvAINs TRANCAis. SAINT
SIMON. Far CASTOR Lois-icr. de LAoaIenie
lrancni.e. Paris: Ilachcttc ct Gle. Ncw-iork;
f. ". Cha tenn
VI. BOLSTER Las arranged his Biography Of Saint
Simon very judlcousy. lie divides II into thrco parts.
In the nrs u which hc dcns With saint Smrls lIfc
in tho second his qualities as historian; and In III"
tlErd. hi, position as writer. To know what value
10 attach the Memoirs. II s rcccsary Ia nm
derstsnd rs fuy possible. what manner Of man ia"
writer was and This IS peculiarly IN tho case
u saint simon. III, father had been devoted TO Louis
XIII. who In return mnde his fortune and conferred
upon lin the rank NJ dukc nnd peer. When Louis
KY 10 tic throne Il France. Claude DC saint
simon soon found the Ways Of the new Court iFhsomc.
and feeling that his day was over. he rctvd to his
estates where h9 con- thr chronlc"r 81 Louis XIV and
the Regency reared In II somewhat unwhplesOmc
way; having. that Is 10 say tho company ouly Of his
elders. ln he n peculiar boy. and meyer showed
any Hiding for childish sports At uunutrrllv
carly he crsci himself In questions 81 c0nrt
etiquette and prccoicncc and this I've bc-nnire Of
lifelong hobby. Ills father Ind cuu,cd the herald 10
draw mp papers IN which hi descent from tho Counts
Of Vcnaudois WAS ch'mcd That i 10 ;iv. he was de-
carcd 70 be Of thc lineage Of Clarlcmaane.
VI. Iosscr eNpicesc, tle OPINION Tat this claim
would have withs'ool Inquiry but the Young Saint
simon believed In IT. and al his He be the most
invcicrte scklcr for his right and privileges and
those Of oil dukes and peer lie catered the Court Of
~
lead his OWN armies ostcn'bly at least AMI the mill
tary role The olly one that led TO pcfcrincn,.
saint simon Consequently Joined the army FIST rs q
simple muskot"cr, or private \ little later lie ca a
cnmihi sion. and rose in tlfcc yc1Is 10 the command
OF Il regiment Iu, the service was not all "cDu,cuf
De rose" Louvols was iust th'n creating FOR France
national army. Tic old fcudal system Of military
service was being transformed into the modern system:
and in the process the mobiles had (, Undergo many
ofit. aud frtfif
longer the personal property Of tho colocclr. Promo
ton longer altogether "A question Of favor The
mobiles were required 10 soldiers not merely 10
parade rs gentlemen Saint Simon resented nj these
reforms. and when tho King appointed number Of
bhradlcrs. ard his name was rot Nh the llst. lie re
signed from the army and wcnt home.
Iut hc l,l f1tcntion Of leaving tho cur, as wei,
the army on the contrary he lived thenccforth AT
versatile ~ long as the rclenng sovereign wouh permit
hin. lie ouvcd L0ii. NV, and STAYED under the
Regency until II was inndn plain 70 him that he had
Cuiworn ls welcome All the wears he was chiefly
engaged In examining everything that was Going o., IA
The Courts IN taking stock' Of the people By whom
bc was surrounded. 70 nineteenth ccatnry intel
Cence tho life nj Versailles cnn hnrdlv nppar other
than quite ntolerablc. II above all n mechanical
If. Every hour applied 10 .onc barron fIrc,on
The intent " all this form and ceremony being 10 ,rog
nify tho dignity Of the King. Eyrry night the
courcis gathered about Louis. and lee knew t.cn all
50 well that none could absent Themselves without his
knowledge. lie likcd Saint Simon md thc Ior
never liked him. The King perceived In the duke an
independence If spirit desire 70 rise above the com
mon herd Of courticrs. which d.splcnscd Lin IN foc,
Saint Simon was ill-Htod 10 be- n coriror lie had ,
dangerous habit of saving right ont what hc theo,obt
and le thought among other things that Louis XIV
WIS running Frapcc
The Duke would have been n rcformcr had he known
how but ono Of the causes OF The Revolution Is
frustrated an his efforts TO strike Out scheme OF re
form. Ie really beicvcd-ths noble who knew nothing
Of tie French peopr-that It wond be possible (, call
together tho "Ticrs Eat," ind then connne II 10 rods
cIing tho royal decree. lie thought that the popn,or
body could be prevented from making any use OF the
power placed within IFS grasp; that II would permit
Itself 10 be Treated Ike flock Of children: that It's
obedience and humility could be Implicitly counted
upon; that no danger could possibly arise from sum-
moning 1t. His idea was 10 employ Il as q buffer
between the Government and the pcope n wns IN
have the nominal charge OF the national Gnonccs Ae
the country was already bankrupt. This plan would in
vovc only responsibility, which would be diverted from
the Crown and placed In the popular body II was an
Ingenious scheme, and required for Success only that
The people and their representative should be marion
cites saint simon urged the Regents 10 try the ex.
pertinent but Orleans could not be pursiIaded.
As statesman salntSmon was failure but rs n
historian lie was remarkable N. Boisser fully con.
sidcrs all the suspicious that have been thrown upon
his trusworthncss, and the whole concludes TINT
he may be generally relied upon but that CANTON must
be used with him. lie does not himself pretend To
mpai TALLY. lie frankly declares that he cannot be
impartial in the case Of bis enemies. BESIDES. he "a
clearly q pcssImls II Is always t,c worst side
tnt srikcs him most; always the worst Qualities in
diameter 70 which be gives the henvest emphasis,
With people whom he hates h. employs no measure
and his portraits arc 50 clear and boldly lined that
they remain In the memory But hts Information VII.
as rule. very good ana he appears to have used
every means 10 verify his facts Above all, no Is
Incompatible In the pctnre'qucness and interest OF bis
narrative. and in his graphic skin.
NJ Bolster suggests that the insanitnry condition OF
the palace OF Versailles really caused them and many
other deaths The enormous building was Inhabited
By 5000 people, and had no sanitary plumbing or
sewerage This alone would account for the mortality.