New-York tribune., 1902-07-05
JULES SIMON.
THE STORY OF HIS YOUTH.
A FASCINATING VOLUME OF LITERARY
REMINIsCENCEs-TH AUTHORS PICT-
UREsQUE NOTES ON SOME OF
HIS CONTEMPORARIES

l RESCeJ Il NOTES ON SOME Or
HIS CONTEMPORARIES
The memoirs of Jules Simon. edited by his
Gustave and Charles Simon, under the title
Of "Premieres Annees" and recently published,
must give great pleasure to every reader inter
ested in modern French literature and its con
spicuous figures The book tells the story of a
Breton boy. with his face set toward Paris, the
city of his dreams; reaching it at last, and be
coming a part of its vivid and tumultuous life,
first collegian. then as professor, journalist
author, politician and statesman. Jules Simon
was a born raconteur. He knew how to set a
fact or incident in just the right light to make
it interesting and picturesque. His style, this
book once more shows, is clear, harmonious and
rich in subtle suggestion His life full of strug-
gle and Illuminated by brilliant success, was in
terwoven with many of the salient features of
the history of his time. and his memoirs
abound in striking notes on French education
and religion, literature and politics. during the
eyentfu years of the reign of Louis Philippe of
the Revolution. and of the establishment of the
republic
In the hamlet of Saint Jean Brievelay the
home of his childhood. there was no school His
only education in his earliest years was derived
from the books he had in some way learned to
read and from the feasts and fasts of the
Church. How large a place the Catholic Church
has filled in the country parishes of France has
never been more distinctly portrayed than in
this book. Later at the college at Lorient and
again at Vannes, priests were his teachers
What did they teach? Latin. and always Latin.
We went in the fifth grade from "T T'Enitorne.
TO Cornelius Nepos, in the fourth grade through
the "MetamOrphoses' and in the third through
the 'Bucolics." In the second grade we began
10 discover the French language. We read De
Lisle and the Genie du Chrstianisme" NJ
lie Neve had audacity to read rhetoricaIly some
extracts from Victor Hugo
genius"
He was bold enough also, for he was really
liberal to read to lie Vieux Habit" of
Beranger.
1T is a shame" said he, that he has writ
not read"
But We came back to Latin as the principal
study, almost the only one. We were made to.
explain the authors word for word and TO
translate them into good French; to recite
beautiful passages, to correct the essays writ
ten upon them, II write extemporaneous
says, and to speak Latin Familiarity We were.
above all, great makers of verse. We knew
scarcely any poets but Virgil and Ovid Horace
was a suspect. We only learned bits here and
there from his works. l remember that I wrote
Latin verse as easily prose, and that a
Latin theme of discourse cost me more effort
than one in French
The work in those French schools was large
ly a work with words-how best to express an
idea in words 1t is easy TO see how the
modern french style mas been moulded.
At the Ecole NOrmale in Paris Simon was
Influenced greatly by the teaching and the
personality of Cousin. To get to this school, he
walked from Rennes, a distance of eighty-four
leagues, he and a comrade carrying his trunk
between them He not sure that he could
pass the required examinations, or where he
should find abiding place He says:
Cousin had a vast apartment in the Sor-
bonne. At long intervals he came at the recess
hour to talk with his philosophers" He had
only step to take. 1t was a 10y for when
he appeared in his gray hat and his great coat
of camlet blue with its triple red lined collar
at the end of the court, planted with little
sckly trees, which playground We
were all grouped about him When he
was there he monopoiZed the conversation,
speaking Of philosophy, Of literature, and even
or politics. without any connection, as II seemed
US, between these subjects and without any
reserve in the opinions which the moment sug-
gested. He was so rich in perceptions and
he had such happy windfalls of thought that
we remained sometimes full Of enthusiasm.
sometimes amused. but always overwhelmed
with wonder and admiration. l suppose he
was not alone of his kind but although |
have known many men who could talk have
never met one Of his force.
The whole account Of his intercourse with
Cousin is most interesting showing Cousin not
only as a great philosopher, but as a master Of
men, "All his fantasies" says Simon-"and
God knows he had enough of them-were, for
US oracles."
Michelet in his chair was not professor. he
was not a historian, he a magician. He
took care to say TO us that he was the par
ticular friend of each one of US, and he was.
We loved him and he loved us. believe ne
had really more influence over us than all the
others The history that he wrote was history,
and. nevertheless, it by turns a romance
and drama
The literary life of Paris at that time is graph,
icaly described:
Paris was ours We had Victor Hugo and
Alfred de Musset in poetry with a whole IL
steation of lesser poets for their escort; BalZac
and George Sand in romance; Armand Carroll
in journalism: Alexandra Dumas everywhere;
General Foy, Benyer. Theirs in the Chamber Of
Deputies; Cousin and Guizot in the Sorbonne;
Lacordaire at Notre Dame; AragO at the OBJ
servatory. At the theatre there was the strug-
gle between Hermann and 'Bernice.' We were
nothing in all that, but were of all that.
Some here in America apt to at
the much vaunted artistic and literary atmos-
phere of Paris Have here anything like the
large and intense enthusiasm a play
or poem that Simon describes? He thus re-
cords the effect Of the publication of Quinets
"Ahasuerus'
We were very much impressed with the first
announcements of 'Ahasuerus." Michelet came
at 3 o'clock TO give his lecture. He had on his
smoke colored frock coat that knocked against
his knees, and a great octave volume flaming
new under his He rapidly crossed the
study hall; his classroom at the end. quite
a small room. white chalk, with one window
draped with white curtain. Besides, a pine
table, two benches. a straw chair badly worn
for the professor, and an old stove that smoked
horribly. / have passed there some of the most
beautiful hours of my life listening to Michelet
and Cousin.
Michelet coming in with his volume found us
all grouped around the stove and very much
persuaded that this book nothing else than
Anasuerus' 1t was "Ahasuerus." 1 see it
still; a blue cover with wide margins a magni-
hcent volume. Mchelet threw il on the table