The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09

rutIaae ~ nCtivitr mud ~ thipEinO and urillinC
in thnir nermnnen, unity-n work which vii
rnoch Mt lc, Of IN forty enormous volumes. and
win Il, all rrohohiIt,v reroip moon n,ote from
tba d.,tb or m,dnosso M its outhor-,ho huijc,
of a Babel which he intends tn he n mari to nj
mt ous and 10 oyershodow tho ear,h " Toon.
/ other c,r,esronIent no r.lntea. 81 was intro.
Lurad 10 NJ de EnIzor by prGyo4t nL,ut n wcck
oyn. lie rcsl1es rrrr tho ohsorvotorv in n
house over which il inscribed Ia Fla brinuc de
| pAbsnru' This pertinent apipraph dete mined
his choice of an abode. In nv conversation
with him | tried 10 raise him ont ~ his dctcs.
tal'o forms and his m"nlacfous conce ptions o,
human life into the region uf those ahstruss
concentrations where think him supcr.
eminrntly great. II il strange that a
mnn. more conyerSant than an, OF
his contemporaries with the Romance Of
tho Human soul, should So utterly dcgrad. the
| activity Of man hy separating II from all nigh
priurltdc He has written in the Cvllnssurss
Of a strong wit. saving. Let US form men and
gcnii the mrn OF clay. the genii ot smoke: let
re create let us prhpl. III" streets with "A bad
throDg, for Tomorrow We die But the excess
~ his vanity prevented me from drawing any
distinct principle from him. He detained for
an hour IN III" extent OF his labors. which,
when terminated. will consist OF three parts
III" first il TO be the mirror Of human life, OF
lIt Nilll'AcS anu VICES anu distinctions anu
sexes OF tho world: the second. Of which the
PHYS ulogio du Marriage Is a specimen, will
exhibit 10y an elaborate analysis. the priuci-
pies as Bal2ac calls Them. the motives as |
term them. OF social mankind: lastly. The
causes and the efficient generation % human
ideas viii h." unfnlh"d IN 4 book OF more all
stru-c doctrine. II Balzac wants Il title for
his great labor. which. he says. will
reach tO at least forty large octavos.
| shall beg to suggest the parody 81 Dante'S
'Diviua Cbmm"dia for this modern Connie
dia' j. 'Un1 Giri0Ncr-'Ir DlaboliQue Comcdtu
du Si"rt dc Balz1c Alas, my friend. | can
scarce md courage TO laugh a. q theory which
Is dragging down hundreds Of young souls into
its pit with the impure claws Of 4 ghoul.' In
another letter there is m aIlusion tn Victor
Hugo which is likely TO surprise readers in our
da1. The remark is undoubtedly founded
upon heursay. hut it reflects the opinion then
current in certain circles OF Paris societv:
" Hugo has fallen rather low. and is SO mad. so
childish. and 90 blackEuarily that all his ac-
uuaiutauces have rut him, or he them. saw
him at the Bibliuthauue du Roi. hut did
not care to renew our acouaintance," OF
De Nigny. who had lately published "Stel.
To- he says: In the man | find the
same deiirary and graceful an.iripatjon O,
pleasant thoughts which characterize his
book. / mean by this authorization tina, hs
l"uetrates aud ~harmonizas in conversation
with the person whom he listens TO or adj
dresses. Il rare quality when it is in presence
and amalgamated with the insoluhle salt Of
French wit In February he saw Iamartine.
The poet was noarl alone, but it was not the
less Iitficult to d discover the author ofthr Meli-
ta'ious' and the Harmonies' in tho D%oliti,nr
busy with his salt and tobacco monopolies and
his savings banks, Now and then a swell Of
parnass3 an enthusiasm reminds one of that
large uttcrauce Of the earlier gods. and the
isolation in which his POLITICAL creed has
placed him becomes a poe, and a thinker
more than il assists "A dehater AMI