The San Francisco call., 1905-04-09
LIFE NOT HARD
IN THE BASTILE
Special Dispatch to The Call

| PARIS, April 8.-"The Bastilei"
Heretofore these have been words to be
pronounced with shiver. They will be
! SO no longer, however, if We believe NJ.
| Funk-Brentano, the French historian
! For after years spent in pouring over
the ancient archives, moldy parchments
and tattered records of this famous
fortress and prison M. Funk-Brentano
! has come to the conclusion that much
! sympathy has been wasted on those
who are confined there. The Bastile
was not, he declares in effect, a place
OF terrors, but more a pleasant retreat,
/ where overactive citizens might ru-
inmate in peace, and even in luxury, on
| their duties to the King!
There are those, however who accuse
the historian of attempting to white
wash" the Bastile at the instancesof
the powers that be. Most Of the prison
documents were scattered and torn by
the mob that stormed the fortress in
1889. The remnants were gathered up
and tossed haphaZard into a cellar Ten
years ago M. Brentano was commits
stoned by the French Government to-
! classify and catalogue these papers
There proved to be more than 20 900 of
them. and the task of scrutinizing them
has had serious effect upon M. Bren-
tano's sight-in fact he is nearly blind
Besides having come to the conclusion
that the Bastile has been grossly ma
ligned, the historian claims to have elu-
cidated many mysteries, including that
as to the identity of ''The Man in the
Iron Mask" whom he declares TO have
been Count Mattioli an Italian diplo-
mat. We shall see what Andrew Lang
has to say about that!
By order Of the French Government
too, another of the historic houses in
France is to be saved from destruction
and turned into literary shrine. This
Is the mansion Les Charmette," at
Chambery. where Madame de warens.
Claude Anet and Jean Jacques Rous-
seau had their curious "menage of
j three" of which the great reformer
wrote so captivatingIy in his "Confes-
sions." The French Government has
| voted $4,000 for the purchase of the
J house, which will be added to the his
torical monuments" of the country and
probably will be open by the time
American travellers begin to arrive this
year.
ToLsToY RoAMs WOODS.
According to a correspondent in the
st. Petersburg Novosti, who has lust
! visited him at Yasnaia Polina. Count
Leo Tolstoy has given UP altogether
the reading of newspapers and is now
content to learn from his friends what
Is going on In the world. Tolstoy's in
Jured leg. which he hurt in fall from
MS morse some time ago, Is now almost
well and he is full of energy. He
spends good deal OF time roaming
about in the woods. but finds time for
a lot OF literary work. too and has fin-
ished and is revising three more books.
One OF these has for its hero a politi-
cal criminal who, converted to true
Christianity in prison. goes to the scat
fold with the gospel in his hands.
AS most rededrS know
Heine and his wife, Mathilde. did NOT
exactly recall Darby and Joan. An
echo OF their frequent squabbles comes
IN maurice Bloch's new monograph on
Alexandra Weill who was an intimata
OF the family WE'LL used to boast that
neither the poet nor his wife stood on
ceremony with him, and one day he
received conclusive proof of this. He
was dining with them and a nike was
set upon the table. What is your
candid opinion of this pike ?" Madame
Hetne demanded. Madame. II is