New-York tribune., 1901-11-10

LES Chatfrnents'' in new light-that Of a
philosopher. The posthumous work comprises
2e9 pages. chiefly written during exile. They
touch upon religion. philosophy, art. literature.
love. women. history and politics. together with
nleditations the soul, God. creation, and on
the infinite In the chapter "Reverie Sur Bien"
Victor Hugo dscloses a state of mind like that
of Tolstoy. His meditations philosophy
somewhat after the style of Pascars
Thoughts" The terse paragraphs comprised
in -''Tas de Pierre remind one OF Rochefou-
cauld's maxims. the whole forming a sort of
literary and philosophical statement summing
up the poets experiences and wisdom and giving
his final expressions of literary criticism and
religious philosophy. The character Of this re-
markable volume "Postscriptum de ma Vie" is
best illustrated by the following Citations:
Death is a change of garments. Soul, you are
clad in shadows: you will be clothed In nSht'
Catholics, you wish to carry your BODY with
you into the other life. This would be as II you
would go to a banquet wearing stained
threadbare coat.
When q woman speaks to you. watch her
eyes, to what they say.
It is strange to think that after eighteen CEN
turtles Of progress liberty of mind has been pro
claimed, but not liberty of heart Neyertheiess,
to love is not less right OF mankind than TO
think.
In the present condition of the laws of West
ern civilization marriage is failure IL IS
generally based on interest not love 1t is usual
ly a mere contract. not a mystery. 1t is a
form of prostitution, not a celebration 1t IS
slavery, not expansion tepanouissemenD; hence
that revolt of love qualified as adultery
In many instances what we call marriage Is
adultery and what we call adultery Is mar
riace
The poem of woman abides through the his
tory of mankind and then bursting fotth
into sublime songs. two of the most beautiful OF
which are Mary, Mere de Dieu. and Jeanne
dare, Mere du Peuple, two virgins who nave
ia
other France
A republic like that of the United States OF
America, made Of only one principle. accepts
with calm all struggles and shocks OF thought
Even in the most grandiose or the fercest forms
every liberty of the human mind may without
peril make there its most formida BILE leaps Inc
bulls are huge in bulk: the elephants are enor-
nous; the lions are gigantic but the arena Is
Of granite.
that kills a nberator"' defends itself. Liberty
that kills a Iiberator commits suicide.
The strength of barbarian nations depends
upon their youth, and disappears with II Inc
strength of civilized nations depends upon their
intelligence. and develops with it. There Is no
instance of a barbarian nation at once old anu
powerful. It becomes civilized or dles- VI 'ne
first case Russia is an example OF the secoha'
Turkey
The appearance of 'Postscriptum de ma We
in its modest coffee colored paper covers is the
great event of the present book season. and has
renewed the famous controversy whether or not
Victor Hugo was philosophical thinker-a
quality denied him by Nisard. Eeuiilot, Pont-
martin Lennaire, Faquet and Brunetiere
volume of poems, entitled "Derniere Gerbe,
which will be the last work ever to appear bear
ing the signature of Victor Hugo will be on sale
on February &c the centennial anniversary OF
the poets birthday. which the government has
decided to celebrate by a national commemora-
ton of imposing ceremonies, in which all French
writer's, painters, sculptors. dramatic and lyric
artists and the masses of the people to
participate
Other new books are: LES Braves Gems" by
Paul and Victor Marguerite, published by Plon-
Nourrit, a graphically written story OF the IA
nous charge Of the French light cavalry divi-
sion at Sedan, commanded by the authors
father, who was killed while leading 1t. and
which ELECTED from the veteran King William,
gazing at the heroic but useless sacrifice. the
expression. "oh. les braves gensr' La CO.
lonne," by Lucien Deserves. published by
Stock. an anecdotaI history of the Commune:
-Maitresse Ducroy," by Jean de la Hire, the
first of a series of popular ronances illustrating
the beauties and perversities, the crimes and
caprices of the eighteenth century; Mousse.
by young writer. Leopold Aujar, published by
Fasquelle, Odyssey Of sailor lad Of the
F. ench merchant marine; La Russie en- Pales-
tine" written by a former French consul in
Palestine and published by Andre, an opportune
publication, calling attention to the rivalry of
France and Russia in exercising religious pro-
lection in the Holy Land
Nine. Maurice Sand, the lately deceased
daughter-in-law of the great novelist. has left
a number of George Sands letters for publica-
ton. 1t is understood that they deal with her
two principal love episodes with Alfred &c
Musset and Chopin.
'L'Enigrne," a play in two acts by Paul
Hervieu produced at the Theatre Francais on
Tuesday, is a genuine success, and does not be-
lie its title, the enigma being TO discover which
Of two sisters~in-law is the guilty wife. The
action passes in a chateau in Touraine. Leonore
and Giselle are married to Gerard and Raymond
de Gourgiran, two brothers, whose ideas con-
cerning conjugal propriety are ferociously puri-
tanical The families have been dining together
with an aged cousin, the Marquis de Neate, an
other member of the party being Vivarce, an
attractive young Partisan. The marquis. when
left for moment alone with Vivarce, tells him
that the previous evening he had noticed him
leaving the outbuilding in which he is lodged
for the house, and only returning after a long
interval. The marquis warns his guest that the
brothers are not be trif1ed with and that their
f,1ry would be terrific. Vivarce denies that his
conduct has been suspicious. and the whole
party having reassembIed. the marquis, II
by chance reads from a newspaper account
Of a matrimonial drama in which the husband
kills his guilty wife. GiseIle starts a discus
sion maintaining that whatever the woman
may have done the husband had right to kill
her The brothers violently express the con-
trary opinion
The second act opens in hall shrouded in