New-York tribune., 1896-11-15
THE GENTLE ART OF BRAG.
HENRI ROCHEFORT AS A BARNUM.

LES AVENTURES DE MA VIE. Par Henri
Rochefor, Five yoIumes Octave PIP xi' s7S
THE ADVENTURES OF. MY LIFE. BY, Henri
Rochefort. Arranged for English Readers by
the Auihor and Ernfnt y s S'h London n%S 2i s3d
Ncw-York; Edward Arnold.
In the first Of his five volumes NJ. Henri Roche
fort refers to a certain acquaintance Of his
youth who had treated him in those early years
without sufficient consideration Some years
after, he goes to say. when his articles In
the Figaro" and the grand reimbursement" OF
the first numbers Of the "Lanterne." had made OF
him veritabe celebrity. he would meet the
same inappreciatve soul on the boulevards and
would note his confused blush, his unutterabe
shame at having failed to realize what genius
In embryo he had once had the honor Of know
ing. In the fifth OF his volumes NJ Rochefort
alludes to having seen the King Of Denmark and
the Princess Of Wales together at Covent Gar
den. He carefully records that he heard the
Princess say to her father in French. Look.
there is Rochefort" Between the two passages
we cite which Is to say between the begin
ming and the end Of his memoirs this noted
Frenchman launts himself like a peacock and
proclaims in strident tones: II. Citizen Rochefort
am the very biggest man. and have had the
most interesting things happen to me. and
known
world!"
It may as we'll be admitted. at the out
set. that never was there so disappointing a
production as this record OF an adventurers ca
reer Possibly NJ Rochefort would call 1t
the record of patriots struggle against forces
that have been from time to time inimical to
the welfare Of his native land. La Patre'' Is
one Of his fetlches But there is always some
thing fetichistic about NJ. Rochefort. He got
It into his head when he was a boy that the
men and women in the universe were a sad lot
a few of his personal friends being alone
ceptions to the rule He has worshpped that
fetch through long and extraordinarily busy
life. 1t makes rubbish Of his Adventures"
Rubbish. we say. because the epithet belongs to a
book in which 1t is impossible to put any conf
dence when It's whole value should turn upon the
authenticity Of it's facts II. Rochefort's tone Is
SO savage; he trusts so much to memory in mat
ters that demand cautious treatment and ex-
planatory documents; he Is such a lover Of
hearsay; he filings mud calling 1t Justice, with
so much brutality and ill-temper. that the reader
is tempted to throw the whole thing overheard
as worthless. The temper Of the book is that
Of a conceted braggart in rage. The lurid
pages evoke an image OF NJ. Rochefort strlding
up the Boulevard with red flag in one hand
for some one to appear Immediately to be struck
on the head Jnstinctively one wishes gen.
| darme would come upon the scene
He has never been afraid to be himself. Since
to be himself has meant the indulgence in the
first impulse that occurred to him. no matter
what the consequences might be- ne Is not a
noble figure to gaze upon. but he EFFORTS GER
tain respect for his Independence. The life as
a clerk in dry and formal office to which he
was condemned in his boyhood worried him
| and controlled him for time. But when he
was made a sub-inspector Of fine arts. through
the amiability Of an official who had noticed
his work as journalistic beginner. he looked
| upon his new and more congenial appointment.
counted up It's gains In mere money. decided
that the best Of clerical positions was bore
anyway, and wrote the following note: Mon
| sieur le Prefet: / have the honor to give you
| my resignation as Sub-Inspector Of Fine Arts
| of the Town OF Paris. Yours. etc. Then he
| flung himself into work on "Charivari and
other papers Of wit and audacity, Joined Au-
relien schol in his famous journalistic venture.
the Main Jaune." end left his mother to think