The record-union., 1899-06-25

All kind Of natures '"rimon of
Athens" 4. !.
There are sort Of mem" 'Mer-
chant Of Venice" l., L
These pair of second causes. Sir
Thomas Browne, 'Religio Medici."
These kind of thoughts-n - Dryden,
Essay OF Dramatic Poesy-"
The centenary OF Balzac'sS birth,
which is to be celebrated at his native
city OF Tours, is causing q renewal Of
interest in whatever relates to Frances
great novelist. What is probably the
rarest and most extensive collection
| Of Balzac relics in the world exists at
Brussels in the mansion of the Vicomte
de Spoelberch de Lovenjoul, Flemish
nobleman, who has devoted many
years and hundreds of thousands of
francs to this labor of love. : OF its
| treasures, which include priceless por-
traits, absolutely unique casts, scores
OF manuscripts, and most interesting
personal effects of the author of La
Coincide Humane" M. Normand, in
ILLUSTRATION MAY 6th) writes as
follows:
1.-THE Balzac collection of NJ de
Lovenjoul is Of extraordinary variety
and richness. With the exception Of
three or four, all the manuscripts Of
Balzac's novels are in his possession.
Here also are the proofs, laden with
| corrections, here the unpublished alter
native readings. here the bundles of
letters recovered after the publication
of The Correspondence of Balzac.' And
fragments; the literary projects, the
sketches in outline; the commence
ments and the ends of novels; admir-
able pages left incomplete; the conf
mencement-often the recommence-
ment-of works never written; in fact,
the whole world of ideas which was
in CESSATION in the fruitful brain when
death came"
Many of the manuscripts had been
sold to M. de Lovenjoul by the families
of those to whom Balzac had given
them Other things were acquired by
him after the sale of Balzac's effects
which took place after the death Of
Nine. de Balzac in 1882. All the fur
niture, it seems, was taken in vans to
| the public auction place; but Won
drous to relate, the literary treasures
Of Balzac's papers, judged to be value
less, were thrown out Of the windows!
Many of the more knowing inhabitants
of the quarter. came to gather them in
the court. An enterprising shoemaker,
among others, took away great guam
tity. Thus the shoemaker played the
part of kindly providence. Me de Low
enjoul discovered him and relieved him
Of bsu r,rioa1cr,c 1ifororv 6pdipo-c tt 10
not often that a shoemaker has so
deserved the thanks of mankind.
To-day all these things are system
atically arranged and classified in the
vast library of M. Lovenjoul. The
Balzac collection is field which it's
proprietor cultivates with religious rev.
erence.
The advent of another newspaper is
announced in London. 1t is stated that
no betting news, murders in detail,
| nor, indeed, anything to blunt the
| moral tone Of readers will appear in its
pages. 1t will be readable without
vulgarity. and will endeavor to reflect
the higher life of mankind. It will open
up a new path in journalism, anticipat-
| ing the time when no single printed
word shall bring a blush to any who
| read"
DIR. Douglas Hyde. the author of the
recently printed Literary History of
Ireland" has in press a volume of the
the Religious Songs of Connacht'' and
a collection Of Irish folks stories trans
lated into French under the title Of