The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-08
SOME >TW BOOKS.
Chsteaubriana's Memsiss.

We have formerly directed attention 10
the first four volumes OF The Memoirs
OF Chateaubriand" translated by Alexander
Teixeira de Mat,os, (Putnams). The NTH
and sixth volumes. which are now published.
complete this excellent English version
OF the famous Mcnet-es dOufye fon.be.
We call the version excellent because al
though a perfect translation OF . MASTER
piece OF French literature is scarcely at
tainabl the present attempt to reproduce
the prose Of F-,ateaubrland u 'ar less faulty
and inadequate that might have been ef-
pccted Il was, In truth, q colossal TASK
which the translator undertook, and he
deserves high communication for the large
measure Of success which he has undoubt-
edly achieved. A. we have previously noted
the present version Ia complete In 10 far
that no effort has anywhere been made
at compression or condensation; nor has
single passage been omitted without the
insertion Of footnote pointing out exactly
where the omission occurs We should
mention. however that all that portion OF
Chateaulrands account OF the career OF
Napolcon which touches the period during
which the author was not himself residing
In France is left out a. being of historical
This portion. nevert helsss, the present
publishers intend to bring out later as
supplemental volume to the memoirs
The longer quotations from the French or
Italian poets, besides the few poems oy
Chateaubriand himself, which are 70 DE
found in the original text. are also exoiudea'
Omitted likewise. are one or two passages
which without being immoral. we're re-
gardcd by the translator as exhibiting a
little too much Of the esprit oduiois to prove
acceptable to English and American tastes
The translator was anxious, he tells us,
that no, line should appear which would
prevent the universal reading OF no fine
work. The period covered by the last two
volumes, which are now before US. oeglns
in February, 1929 when Chateaubrla1d was
the French Ambassador at Rome, and ends
on Nov 10, ls4i. when the author believed
himself To Ike on the edge Of the grave,
although, rs matter of fact, he lived nearly
seven years longer, dying on July 4, is%s.
Nine. Recamier survived him nearly a
year, diving on May II. iS4a. in the seventy
third year Of her age.
In the $50 pages here presented the reader
il likely to lnger longest ON the last thirty.
in which the author sums up his hfe, sets
forth his ultimate conclusions and en-
oeavors to forecast the world Of the future,
Before marking some OF these weighty
and cha a 1terisitc utterances, We would
note the authors comments on three OF
his contemporaries whose careers were
widely different. TO wit. Lafayette, Tai
leyrand aud Geor &c Sand
Writing in 1894. the year in which La
fayette died. Chateaubriand recognizes that
he must have been unjust In spsaking
OF him in former days when he depicted
afiyette as a sort Of double-faced, double
famed ninny. He had needed more than
forty years. he says, to discern in Lafayette
certain qualities that had been persist
emily denied him. He expressed himself
in the TT bun, with the ease and In the tone
Of we-brel man His life was unblem-
ished; he was affable. obliging and gen
erous Under the Empire. he behaved
robly. and lived q life apart; under the
Restoration he was less dignifled. He
stopped 40 far as TO allow himself to be
called the Grand Old Man Of the auction
rooms o. Carbonarism and the ringleader
OF petty colspiracies, glad a. he Was TO
escape from justice at Belfort, like vulgar
adventurer The fact is recalled In .
foolnote that Lafayette was mixed up in
military COT spiracy at Belfort In 1921.
Continuing, g. q eaubriand says: In the
early stages OF the Revolution, he LA.
fayettel did not mix with the cutthroats:
he fou ght them by force Of arms, and tried
to save Lcus XVI: but, though abhorring
The massacres. Obliged though he were
to fy from them, he found words Of praise
FOR scenes in which heads were carried a.
the eads of pixies
Chateaubriand holds that II Lafayette
became illustrious. IL was because he man.
aged O live through the revolution and to
live 10 long thereafter There IL a repu-
ta,ion which bursts forth spontaneously
from cannon, and Of which death in
creases the splendor by arresting the talent
in youth; there IL another sort OF reputa-
ton which IL the offspring Of age. the back
ward daughter 81 time; without being great
" itself. II l. great through the revolution
in whose midst chance has placed Il. The
bearer ~ that reputation, by the mere
fact 81 his existence, IL mixed with every
thing; his name becomes the sign or the
banner 81 everything; NJ de Lafayette will
ir the National Guard To the end VI time
By All extraordinary sncc, the result Of
his actions was often In contradiction with
his thoughts A. a Royals, he overthrow
in i7ss a royalty eight CENTURIES old: a.
Republican he created In lsso the royalty
II the bhrricads-. he gave Philips Iof
Orlnansi the crown which he had taken
from Louis XVI Moulded - he was With
.yen,s. when the alluyiuin % our ME
fOrtune~ shall have boooms consolidated
he inass VIII Il. found ,hcrtlsicd in
tho revolutionary dough Chstsaubriand
Hdis thai the oyaii a. which Lafayette
Ie1..vui la Ga. unilsd state. Va isi. 81.
hAho.si lls fanlS IA a singular dssros. a
PAL ~ tis perofai.un 20 Edward Ever.ii's
Addf..- q wri'Im- 10 here Reproduced
flnaily, O,a,..ubftAld dlsnls-ss I.sfly.
sats Sith tho as--sTilps that hs had oaly
siss lasa. aud. unfsrt unstaly To- him
u sas thai - his crnu.y, ilis hklty ~ tLsi
id.a uInrliiu,sd las snIa's u served hiin
30 hnuas'. I,fss.ais1 hlia ffss,n Lsskils
a. nsif "f lrii - Lim Ls sslksi siiL .
Efiu fisp al0ns . sinEls l1s Ls Asna,sd ail
eiiitIui faliifF uhi1 siaalasss, 49, t--slss
g. 80 thu.n iiu' is-aar be- 40 hsi e.