New-York tribune., 1903-01-25

trations from Contemporary sources. In Six
Volumes. Vols. and VI. Octave, PIP. w.
l26; vii, 332 q. F. Putnams Sons.
The four volumes which formed the first in
stalment of Mr.. Teixeira de Mattos's transla-
lion of the Memories D'Outre-Tombe,' pub
Ished last Nav carried the record down to the
late twenties and the embassy to Rome. The
fifth and sixth volumes, now before u.s. COM
plete the work The former opens with Chateau
BRAND still in the Eternal City. The latter
closes with appendices which include some pages
by NJ. Edmond Bire, traversng the seven years
still left to the poet when he finished MS
memoirs with the words: 1T but remains 1or
me to sit down by the edge of my grave; and
then shall descend boldly, crucifix i'll hand, to
Eternity" The translator and editor has done
his work well. Through his editorial care the
six volumes form finished monument 10
great personality rich in instruction on every
phase of a remarkable career. These later
pages ere like their predecessors full of vivid
sketches of historical personages, constantly
enliyened with piquant anecdOte, and sufused-
as all the writings of Chatea ubriand are suf-
fused-by his intensely romantic temperament
He was always a poet and he was always a
master of literary artiflce. In the opening chap-
ter Of the fifth volume occurs his letter 10
Nine Recamier dated February II, lS29), on
the burial of the Pope. In the text the letter
is given as it was written; in the footnote we
have il as the author modified it for publication
1t is interesting contrast the two for the
light they throw, when taken together, on
poet in his workshop, so to say; on master OF
rhetoric developing a. piece of writing from its
first spontaneous form to one in his eyes more
fitting to the theme We give the earlier and
the later versions in their order:
I have seen Leo XII lying in state. with his
face uncovered on paltry state bed, amid the
masterpieces of Michael Angelo; have at
tended the first funeral ceremony in the Church
of St. Peter. few old Cardinal CoInmissarles'
no longer able to see, assured themselves with
their trembling fingers that the Popes coihn
was well nailed down. BY the light OF the
candles rningling with the moonlight the coffin
was at last raised by pulley and hung up In
the shadows, to be laid in the sarcophagus OF
Plus VII.
They have just brought me the poor Pope's
little cat; it is quite gray and very gentle, like
its old master.
have attended the first funeral ceremony
for the Pope in the Church of St Peter. 1t was
a. strange medley of indecency and grandeur.
The strokes Of hammer mailing down popes
coffin some interrupted singing, the mingling
of the light of the candles and the moon; lastly,
the coffin raised by pulley and hung in the
shadows, to be laid across door IN the Sar-
cophagus of Plus VII, whose ashes made room
for those of Leo XII. Can you picture all this,
and the ideas to which the scene gave birth?
The letter gains in literary style through the
writer's manipulation of it. But miss, and
regret the allusion to the poor Pope's little
cat The literary craftsman that Chateau
BRAND showed himself to be in this episode is
felt throughout the memoirs, and for this reason,
no less than for the matters of human and his
torical interest in the book, it is tempting to
quote, and quote and quote again. But we
have availed ourselves sufficiently of this privi
lege in dealing with the earlier volumes, and
so must be content with only more frag
ment. AS he reaches the end of his narrative
Chateaubriand asks, "WiI the work inspired
by my ashes and destined for my ashes be ex-
tant after me? 1t is possible that my work
may be bad; 1t is possible that these Memories
may fade into nothing seeing the light; at
least the things which l have told myself will
have served to begue the tedium of those last
hours which one wishes and which We know
not how to employ" He continues:
I have known public and private life. 1 have
four times crossed the sea; L have followed the
sun in the East, touched upon the ruins of
Memphis. Carthage, Sparta and Athens; have
prayed at the tomb of st. Peter and WOrShipped
on Golgotha. Poor and rich, powerful and weak,
happy and miserable, man of action, a man
Of thought, l have placed my hand in the
century, my mind in the desert; effective
istence has shown itself to me in the midst of
illusions, even as the land appears to sailors
in the midst of msts. If those facts spread
my dreams, like the VarniSh that preserves
fragile paintings, do not disappear, they Will
mark the place through which my life passed.
In each of my three careers L placed i'm
before r1VSef. AS a traveller |