The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-09
A New Volume Given to
the Public.
HIS LAST WORK IN VERSE.
Its Compilation a Matter of Love on
the Part Of Two Talented
Editors.
Correspondence Of The MORNING CALL.

The great literary event of the year in
France Is the appearance of new volume
of poems by Victor Hugo called "Toute la
Tyre" Second series)
Auguste VacQuerie and Paul Meurice are
guardians OF the manuscripts left by Victor
Hugo and it has not been an easy task to
read and classify 100000 pages Of closely
written foolscap. However. guided by
their great friendship for The poet. Msssrs.
Vacquere and Meurice have performed
their work In a most Jealous manner, and
their mission will soon be accomplished.
"Touts la Tyre" is the last volume OF verso
by Victor Hugo and this will only be fol-
lowed by two prose works treating of
history and philosophy.
''TOute la Tyre" Is collection oil unpub-
lished poems written at different periods
of Victor Huso's life. but principally be-
tween 1852 and 1870, that is W hen the poet
WAS in exile. The greater number of the
poems are dated. and all represent Victor
Hugo in the force OF his age, in the fullnr IS
OF his genius. The executors have found
a method for arranging the dates of all un-
dated poems. THIS Is by means of the
hand writing. aud as all Victor Hugo's
ma uscripts are in their possession, the
were seldom corrected, but his handwriting
showed great variation In twenty years.
All that was written before his eylle are In
NJ icroscopical characters, the others are
written In n boldsr style.
The volume comprises seven portions.
corresponding to the seven strings of the
ancient Tyre, and an appendix containing
patriotic poems. There is an infinite vari.
ETY. Of subjects; there are lyrical songs
about God, nature, love; epic poems and
legends, personal illusions and satiri-
cal verses. written with vigorous touch
verses of brasd." as the poet calls them
when he writes: "Et Jsjoute q ma Tyre
une corde d'airain."
Victor Hugo attached great Importance to
the title of each Of his WORKS. For him it was
the synthesis OF the particular color and
idea OF the book. We may say that Victor
Hugo Is the frs. for whom the title of
work possessed an heraldic meaning. The
400, 600 pages OF manuscript found by the
executors of Victor Hugo's will were care
lessly thrown into covers. of which one
bore the word Ocean" tho other the
phrase "Tas de Pierres."
Great was their embarrassment whom
they wished TO give title 10 each volume.
and Messrs. VacGnere and Meurice hest
iated for a long time after the last volume
WAS prepared. Because Of the esprit of
these detached poems they selected the
name 'Tonte la LyIe." This book ap-
pears at a moment favorable to Victor
Hugo, the reaction from which the poets
memory has suffered now gives place TO
admiration. The most advanced. the most
French school-Our young PdrnassienS-n0
longer conceal their worship for Victor
Hugo, whom they qualify with all the
titles Of 'puissant lyrique," Of ''r0buste
evocateur d'epopees," and whom they call
religiOusly lie pere.
Nj. Anguste Vacqnerie. from whom l
have much of ny in ormation, told mo the
other duv that IL AIMEE Terrible is the
only work of Victor hugo that was CON-
posed ct one speeia! epoch. The otter
wOrks are made up OF fragments written
at various periods. Thus. the first series
of "LeGends des Siecles," that dates
from 1859. contains two poems, "Aymeril-
lott and Marriage DC Roland" both
written in 1897. rhe poet wrote most
| while he lived st Jersey and Guernsey,
between 1852 and 1870. Then he began his
work at 5 O'Clock la the morning and STOP
ped for rest only at l clock. In the after
neOn he took promenade In the country,
but while walking lie composed verses.
We shall! never know how many of Victor
Hugo's poems were composed while he
was on the top of Paris omnibuses. The
amount of work done by the poet was
piOdigOuS and for him composition was
extraord inarily easy. Three hundred of his
space Of a few hours. and when we renem-
Der that in addition to the numerous books
printed during his lifetime. Victor Hugo
eft 400, Geo pages OF manuscripts, we wonder
at his powers Of endurance. Between the
years 1880 and 1885 Victor Hugo lived in
the Avenue d'Eylsn (uow Avenue Victor
Hugo. and many times had the hon or of
being present at the poets receptions.
Thursday and Sunday he received his
friends, and one constantly met Jules
Simon, Louis Blanc, Gambetta, Girardin,
CASTELAR,. Arsene Houssaye, Alphonss
Daudet, Lockroy, Vacquerie. etc. Often
the matre read the verses written during
the day, and he always read them as an
author interested in his subjects rather
than as a creator anxious TO display the
beauties OF his work.
Small as was the house, 1t had for me a
special charm. never weared OF study
ing the bust Of the poet by David d Anglers,
This was placed at the extremity OF
glass-covered balcony, and represented
Hugo in all his N anhood's splendor. His
heavy hair is thrown back from his broad
forehead. and his lips above the beardless
chin, have singular expression of power.
1t is the head not of the thinker, but of the
victorious athlete. Even in this work,
dated 1874. one can foreses the serenity
that In after years descended upon this
grand face.
All the furniture In this house had been
in use for years. and one could never visit
Victor Hug3's home without thinking of
the celebrities who had sat in those gilded
bamboo chairs and admired the curtains
of Chinese embroidery on the ceiling or
Gobslin tapestry. Ire poets sanctum
sanc,oium was in the second story, and
that was closed TO all but himself. His
friends know that the floor was usually
heaped with mounds of journals and pam
phlets, that his letters We're always carried
to this room, and thai. when writing, he
always stood before high table.
It was natural that Victor Hugo should
leave the publication Of his manuscri pts to
Monsieur Vacquerie.
This latter brother married Victor
Hugo's daughter. and from his earliest
childhood the editor of Le Rapuel had the
highest admiration for the poet Every
ono remembers the curious line by Vac
qnerie concerning the author of "Notre
Dame de Paris:
Les tours de Notre Dame etaiens PHI dc son n ON
(The towers Of Notrs Dame were the n"
of his name.) Nj. Augusts Vacquerie is a
poet and dramatist OF high rank. His
''Formosa." Hans ct Marie" 'Tragalda-
III n