The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-11
SOME NEW hooks.
Zola

SOME NEW BOOhS.
Zola.
In volume OF some $50 pages Mr.. E. A
vIzETELLy has undertaken to chronicle
the chief incidents In the life OF the late
Emile lola. Novelist and Reformer (Johr
: Lane). Capacious as the book is, no pad
ding would have been needed even hao
the author confined himself TO a bare re-
: cital Of the facts, in a career exceptionally
Sstrenuous and prolific. or course, how
~ever, no estimate OF lola could pretend
to be adequate il it were not critical as well
ne biographical No man OF letters In ouI
time has provoked more criticism than
did the author of the ACKNOWLEDGMENT
series, and some account Of IL is indispens-
able. Inasmuch, too, as the time came
when lola the novelist was efiaced by the
s.reformef the biographer is right In DEEM
ling IL essential to trace the circumstances
under which humanitarian passions awoke
sand were developed In his heart.
= Comprehensive as the narrative aims
to be, it can hardly be described as exhaust
i've. Az the book is intended mainly, If not
exclusively. for British and American read
ers, the author treats some subjects much
emore briefly than he would have treated
them had he been addressing French
audience Thus, although he mentions
all the plays written by lola, he does not
Center on any extended discussion OF his
Views respecting the stage, or Of his influ-
icnce, direct or Indirect, on the French
5theatrc. Then again although Ioln's con-
snection with the Drnyfus case Is the capital
Sfact in the last stage of his career, fun
exposition Of the affair is not attempted.
land those who wish for more information
are referred to tho authoritative work by
NJ Joseph Reinach. Following the ex-
ample set bv Mr. Vi2otcly. we shall here
ray comparatively little about the novel
isl and the rrforn"r, r"servinE most Of the
space at our disposal for deineation OF
the man. and especially Of the principal
Incidents in his earlier life. concerning
which but little is generally known,
Whether or no, the Italian word lola is
simply n variant of Iola, which, in re-
stricted sense, means n clod Of earth. there
ia no doubt that the name Is borne by vari-
o,is localities in Tuscany, in Emilia and in
Lombsrdy. There IL reason to believe that
the family 70 which the novelist belonged
may have been one of the LON bardan Zolas,
for it was long CONNECTED with Brescia,
which Lombard city passed for time I'M
der Venetian rule. Among the collateral
kinsmen Of his progenitors was Giovanni
Battista lola, one of tho Christian martyrs
of Japan in the seventeenth century, who
subsequently was placed among the saints
of the Roman Catholic Church. Another
kinsman was the Abate Giuseppe lola
who toward the close of the eighteenth CEN
fury became professor in the University
of Pavia. Emile's immediate progenitors
belonged to a branch Of the family which
had established itself at Venice and had
become noted for men OF the sword. as the
branch which had remained at Brescia had
been distinguished for its churchmen.
The Zolas of Venice held military rank
under the last Doges, then under the Cis-
alpine Republic, and eventually under
Napoleon a. King OF Italy. Ono OF them,
who became Colonel OF Engineers, married
a young girl Of the island OF Corfu, which
had been subject to Venice since the close
OF the fourteenth century. She introduced
Greek element into the lola blood. Among
her children was son called Francesca In
his earlier years. but known as Francois
after he took up his residence in France.
Born at Venice in 1898. he entered the royal
military school of Pavia at 49, and two wears
later became a Lieutenant. He served
with his regiment under the Viceroy, Prince
Eugene Beauharnais, and after it was in
corporated in the Austro-Italian forces
remained with il till 1920 when he resigned
from the army and became a civil engineer.
While employed in Upper Austria he took
part in constructing the first tramway line
laid down on the Continent of Europe
Before the end OF 1880 he was in France
writing to King Louis Philippe respecting
0 scheme for the fertilization of Paris. In
the following spring he communicated with
the French War Office on the same subject.
and at the same time solicited an appoint
ment in the Foreign Legion in Algeria,
The latter request was granted. and in July,
1891, FRANCOIS lola entered the Foreign
Legion as n Lieutenant. There seem to
have been some Irregularities in the accounts
kept by him as company officer but ac-
cording to the testimony OF the Commander
in-Chief, the Duke of Rovigo, there was no
deficit, no judicial complaint was brought
against Lieut. Zola, and his resignation
was accepted. There may have been some
imprudence on his part, or infringement
Of cast iron military regulations, but the
life OF high rectitude led by Francois lola
IN after years, the tenor Of his correspond
ence with Marshal Soult, to whom all the
facts We're known, and the favor shown him
by King Louis Philippe, to whom his case
was submitted. all tend to prove that
whatever may have been the exact nature
of his delinquency it, was far less grave
than his sons enemies have alleged.
Returning to France, Francois Zola
resumed the profession Of civil engineer
and in 1889 married young girl, FRANCHISE
Aubert. the daughter of retired provincial
tradesman who had settled in Paris. Their
son, Emile, was born on April 2, 1870, on
the fourth floor of a house in the Rue st.
Joseph, narrow, lane-like street, within
a stones throw Of the Bourse. Near the
spot where lola was born Moliere and
La Fontaine had been buried. Touching
this curious coincidence, Anatole France has
remarked that the laugh which Moliere
cast over human vileness, the light arch
ness OF La Fontaine, were never Zola's.
1t as with deep earnestness that he stripped