The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-20

W .
Childs is reported as resting comfor-
tably this evening. and the conditions
are favorable. The attending physician
admits that Childs is very sick man.
vIZETELLY, HERO OR MARTYR.
He Introduces Mrs. Stowe and Poe to
English Readers-ZoIa.
Henry vizetelly. who died at Farm
ham. England, last week, was in the re-
gard of many young English artists a
martyr; of many others, a great Gull
prit; of the greater number of the
conservative persons, a good man who
had committed grave error, but
had deserved Indulgence. He was 70
years OF age. He was imprisoned at
10 in Hollywood Jail for having tran
slated Il Assomnloir," Mana" pot
Bouille," and other works of lola. The
cable telegraph takes pains to say
that he had been in feeble health since
his Imprisonment.
He was born in London. His father
was printer Of books, and caused
him to be instructed in the art of
wood engraving. These were DAYS Of
enthusiasm for Republicanism in Eng
lana. The young man was studious.
but with FESTIVE anxiety to express
startling opinions. He was one of the
first artists of the Illustrated London
News. He attained great distinction
by his work for this paper for several
years. but his thoughts were constan-
tiy turned to projects of Matchmaking
IDEAS which were not essentially Eng
hsn. He went into the business of
publishing books on his own account.
IN order that Harriet Beecher Stowe
and Poe might become known in Lon
don. This, at least, is the contention
OF his admirers; of course he had enc
mics, who ever questioned his disin-
terestedneSs.
At all events he introduced the
works of Poe and Uncle Toms Cab
in" to the English. He published
"Evangeline" and Hyperion" with IL
lustrations by Sir John Gilbert and
BIrket Foster, which have retained
their charms and their artistic value.
he decided that the newspaper stamp
lnpost was unJustifiable, and he found
ed weekly newspaper for the special
purpose of combating it, He bore
alone the brunt of the fight, succeed
ing in causing the abolition of the tax.
and then ceased the publication of his
Journal, with the remark that its mis-
sion had been accomplished.
He was correspondent of the Illus
trated London News during the Fran
co-Prussian war, daring, careful bril-
liant-descriptive war correspondent
writing from his personal observation.
ana not,e as some of his colleagues.
from "reminiscences of the HAD Ha
was in Paris during the seige and the
commune, and his letters were everv-
where admired. He remained in Paris
Tor some time after the war, becoming
intimately acquainted with the liter
ature of France. and in 1880 decided to
publish 1t in England. Then came q
series of books which were a reyeIa-
ZION OF the delicate art of the French
vlgnettists Of the eighteenth century.
in such works as Dorat's Les Rails
ers. and Montesquieu's Temple de
Guide; of the luxuriant art of the
romanticists, in such works as Theo-
phlle Gautier's "Mademoiselle de Man
pm; OF the admirable objective art
tave Flaubert's "Salammbo."
His translations were almost perfect
There had never been as faithful trans
cT1puonS OF stories from one Ianguae pa
into another; there had never been
as truly artistic renderings Of French
art into English literary form. and
Vizetelly was encouraged by the praise
Whlcn mis- work commanded for its
technical skill TO attempt to angIicisa
zola's Rouge n-Maoquart.' After tbe
publication of ''L'Assommoir. ne was
warned that he would be prosecuted
if he continued, and in July. 1890 de-
spite the protests of influential neo-
pie, was condemned at the instigation
of society for the suppression of oh
scene literature. to Imprisonment for
three months. Pinero, Walter Resant
Henry Irving, Edmund Yates. Archi-
bald Forbes, and George Augustus
Sala signed in vain monster nett
ton for Vizetelly's pardon. His
books were confscated, his business
was ruined and the indiscreet ACTIVITY
of his friends, more perilous than the
attacks of his enemies, resulted in
deluge of pamphlets detrimental to his
interest. Last year, while ViziteIIv
suffered for having translated the
works of lola, lola himself was lion
lied in London, and those who deemed
it necessary to explain this inconsis-
tency to naive minds explained that
Zcla had a moral aim and Vizetellv
nc other aim than to make money.
But those who appreciated Vizitelly's
conscientiousness as a man of letters
and an artist may not be easily per
suaded that the translator of Zola's
works was less deserving than their
author of respectful consideration for
the motive that actuated him.-New
York Times.