New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-05
Ia NOME ALFERE/.
SOME NEW LIGHT on DE QUINCEY'S
SPANISH MILITARY NUN"
NJ JOSE MARIA DF, HEREDIA'S TkANSI:ATlON
OF THE MEMOIRS OF CATALINA pf
ERAI'SO f.emprre. Paris.

When NJ jose Maria dc IIeredia was elected 10
the French Academy not many months ago-a
Cuban poct educated in Paris and developed
side by side with Paul Verlaine and Catulle
Mendes Stephane Maarme and Sully Prud-
homme-it was observed with surprise that for
his induction into the company Of the lmmortals
he had needed only single volume Of sonnets
entitled LES Trophies" The ease with when
this book had won him his entrance has been
EXPLAINED over and over again. Re has been
d, scribed az the most mastery pOetcal crafts
man in France: sonnetteer whose exquisite
delicacy and polish In the manipulation OF the
Frcnch language could only be matched by going
back to the prose Of Flaubert. Lately NJ de
Heredia has made his appearance in print
again. and this time the vehicle hc has chosen
is not only prose but the prose Of another writer
He has published in the dainticst form to be
achieved by Partisan press n translation ~ the
memoirs written In 1924 by Doha Catalina dc
Erauso. the nun Of martial celebrity whose per-
sonality fascinated De Quincy and. through the
latters famous portrait Of her has fascinated
three generations Of English readers. The valuc
Of their translation t. English literature is nota-
Bile as will be recognized by every one who re-
calls Mr. Masson's notes 10 De Quincy essay
in his collected edition Of the latter's works.
Mr. Mason writing a year or two ago, was no
better acquainted with the original memoirs OF
Catalina than was De Quincy. writing his we'll
known essay for "Tat's Magazine" In lSf7
De Quincy based THE Spanish Military Nun"
on sketch entitled Catalina de Erauso' which
NJ Alexis de Vaon had published in the Revue
des Deux Mondes" for February Il. lN7. VI.
de Valon had in turn drawn his data from
certain Historic de la Monja Alfercz Donna
Catalina de Erauso. escri;a por ella misma'
which a Spanish exile in France. NJ. de Ferrer.
had published chez Dldot" In 1929. The edition
of NJ de Fcrrer was taken from copy made
especially for him from the original manuscript
in the archives in Seville. It is obvious. there
fore that De Quincy took his materials AT some
thing Ike third or fourth hand. and It Is no
wonder that the splendid piece Of rhetoric H.
wove Of them leaves much to seek when ques-
ton Of authority has been raised. NJ. de- Heredia
un wittingly sheds light upon this element In the
history Of De Quincey's work Tnwittingly. be
cause he says not a word about De Quincy in
either his preface or his Note loFraphquo."
and is plainly unaware that me theme with
which ~ is dealing was once incorporated into
an English masterpiece. II IS difficult. hlweyer
to resent his ignorance Of production SO familiar
To educated Engl,shmcn and Americans. Censure
is swallowed NJ IN gratitude FOR the appearance
at last Of the original story ~ Catalina. a story
which has been excessively rare. NJ DC Ferrcr's
edition long ago became n hibiiographi-a Gu
rosity. and the French version brought out by
Bassange I'm 1870 after VI Dc Forrcr's original
Is said by VI tc HercIla 20 he ovon more i'm
possible 70 find VI ic fierelia himself has
taken the utmost pains t. establish his text
and has hunted up everything connected With
T.. Though he ignores De Quincy he mentions
Dc Valon's ca-lv transcript, and even notes that
tho interchangeable Duchess d'Abran'cs wrote an
article about Catalina I'm 1889 Best ~ an he
has traced some contcmporaneous Documents
He mentions "Reaclons' = the exploits - Caia-
Ira published IN 1925 AZ Madrid hy Bernari!no de
Guzman. and AZ Seville by simon FaNardo Juan
Perez Dc Moninlvan. he says. the rro'fge . Lopc.
made Catalina the heroine ~ a cpmciy la
Monja Alferez" which was played ~ court H.
quotes from letter written a, Rome In 1920. hy
pietro della Vale vivid description 4 the nun.
After careful investigation - manuscripts IN
Spanish archives he accepts as unqucstionably
authentic the text ~ VI lie Fcrrcr. tex which
was itself fortified by extracts from bapusmal
and convcntual registers royal DEGREES AMI
other reliable documents The translation given
ne therefore, by W. de Uercdin an accomplished
literary artist IL perfect equivalent f0r what
tale.
And now who Catalina de Erauso7 In
De Quincey's essay she is figure of cp'cal sig
nihcance the heroine - such succession ~
adventures. through battle. shipwreck. famine.
disgrace and honor that the English author
poured all the resources u his Imagination and
skill at her feet The essay Is too we'll know t,
need even a synopsis here. But II Is interesting
10 check De Quincy with the nuns narrative I'm
one hand II * not eplcal but It contains the
raw material for an epic Catalina had less Of
the Bayard in her than De Quincy would have
us believe. but Still she n marvel among
men, 10 say nothing Of yemen. She had moth
ing OF Joan ~ Arcs eVaiiation but she h1l
quite as much courage. she was quite as brave
a fighter. and she gave and took some 81 the
lcadllest blows that military annals anywhere
record: and unlike the blows with which Is
made familiar In the picturesque literature 60
which Caiallna's memoirs belong hers are un-
the blows Of actually. There ls no
braggadoca in ner story. Defoe. lie Sage.
pucvedo were great writer's and 10 make go a.
1uaintance OF Lazario de Tonnes. Guzman De
: ifarache Vano Gonzalez. Pablo de SegoViL |
Mol Flanders and Gil Bias is 10 enlarge ones |
experience in the sphere II reality. But Catalina
Is the unique picara. the unique representative
II race which Quevedo for instance. could IN |
ierprot but for whom she alone could speak |
with absolute authority. from the depths Of
A human soul She is passonately living fig- |
nre She speaks as she acted. with incompara-
bic directncss and rapidty. Her memoirs says |
NJ. de IIeredia. written with hand more deX- |
ferrous with the sword than with the pen.
onished her contemporaries. They astonish 10 |
his day. and well they might.
III tomba." writes Catalina, curtly, when she |
touches upon the usual issue Of combat be- |
ween herself and one Of her enemies. and then |
she proceeds with the business of her story az |
hough the killing Of man were regrcttabe. |
)ut. nevertheless. the most natural thing In |
he world Only once does her nerve ever |
rembe, and then under conditions calculated |
o make the most reckless vince. on the heights |