The sun., 1899-07-30
VII

We come now to the novels which the author
classified as Scenes Of Military and Political
Life" The group begins with THE Chouans" +"
which. as regards date of authorship is the
earliest OF Baizacs works included in the Ed-
tom DfTnHirP. II depicts the last uprising Of
the toyalists in Brittany. that which took place
In 1913. Victor Hugo has treated Il similar
theme in "'43" But III. Revolution ha grown
milder since the "h Th"rmlor. and. in the
last DAYS Of the Directory. was appaIrnt'y in
no condition to withstand its IN foes
especially Shonli these be aided 10y new up-
rising in the West, Enzac's description of he
state Of things lin rural Brittany in l7!'i re-
manned true for many yenrs thereafter. The
peculiar conformation of the country and the
supersttiOn OF IN" inhabitants excluded all
possibility OF the agGnmeration of individuals
in large towns and Of the advantages 10 be de
rived from the comparison and interchanC" Of
ideas There were not even any villages The
precarious structures that passed for houses
were widely scattered over the country Each
family dwclt In IFS own house As in n desert
The only Soctnl gatherings were the ephcmc cral
ones that took place at th" parish church on
Sundays and holy days. II was in ohrdcnce
t" the voice OF tho priests that thousands IT
the peasants rose against the republic But
they were incapable Of organize fighting and
whereas IN the earlier struggle In NendGn had
tNTn'l bTlRhnluRe INTO war, Erffnny
turned war into hrgandagc The Punishment
OF the princes and the overthrow ~ the n
olic religion We're to the Chounns in l7uo
nothing NOR" than rret"xts for pillage,
and the incidents OF the interncciue con-
test portrayed hy Balznc are marked by the
rough sHvaR"rv Of tn" local customs. A Dark
Afar. the scene Of which is laid in 1903 in the
province Of Champagne. is an account of tn.
mysterious abduction OF Senator. which vas
the outcome Of \ complicated political plot and
led to the execution Of an innocent man The
heroine, Mile. de Cinq-C is young woman
OF extraordinary strength OF character, and
Michu. her devoted servant who becomes the
victim ofthc conspiracy organized by the agents
OF Fouchc. leaves a lasting impression on tho
mind. Nine. de la Ckanterie" is ono OF the
books in which Balzac's respect for the Chris
tian religion is mos; wildly atteStod. A little
knot Of human beings. who have cruelty suf-
fcred iiom the shocks Of the Revolution, have
sought Oblivion Of their private sorrows in the
development NJ n brotherhood Of consolation
over which Nine. de- Ia thantnric presided
Tn" members Of this brotherhood have
thrown all their property into a common
fund. which Is expended in works Of char
ity The story eliminates in the rescue ni the
man who, at an earlier epoch. had been chiefly
chargcahlC with the judicial murder OF the
daughter OF his bcnefactress. The purpose Of
The Deputy from ArciS was to exhibit the
working Of the electoral machinery of 1880
and tho political intriRues provoked by it in a
small provincial town. II should be noted that
only the first part oi this story. as il is rub-
lished in the EdhOn Defujtire. is from Balzac's
pen. The rest Of it was written by Charles
RADON. and published as n serial two years
after Baha"'s death. in Le ConSt,hifiounpl
The Country Doctor. 1.-THE Village Cure"
and The Peasants belong in the category
Of " Scenes Of Country Life" In The Coun-
try Doctor man OF intellect. integrity and
imagination seeks relief from dislIusion and
despair in giving health. comfort and pros.
pertv to the destitute and degenerate inhabi-
taniS Of an isolated and arid countryside This
is one OF the novels in which BalZar is at mains
10 PROFOUND his political views When ". bear
In mind that the following words we're pcnncd
nearly seventy years ago. and recall the subsc-
puent history Of France. we must recognize
them as amazingly prophetic: Universal
suffrage which Is demanded to-day by
thps" belonging to the Opposition which
is called constitutional, was an excellent prin-
cple in the Church, because the individuals
within II were all well-informed discipiuod
by the religious sentiment. imbued with the
same system, knowing very well what they
wished and whittier they were going But the
triumph ot the ideas in aid Of which modern
liberhlsm imprudently makes war on the pros
porous government Of the Bourbons would bo