Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-10-21
ALExANDJSE
DUMAS pEJSE
By Alexander Jessup, Lift. D.,
Editor Of the "French Men Of Letters
Series

OF the tfencn Men OF Letters
Series.l
- TRANCE simllarities between
those phenomenally popular works
Of fiction, General Lew Wallace's
"Ben-Hu and SienlSlewiczs "Quo /
Vadis," have Just been discovered
- in a forgotten book by the great
French romancer Alexandra Du-
mas. himself the author Of two of the
worlds most popular works of fiction, The
Three Musketeers'' and The Count Of
Monte Cristo." One will look in vain forI
any mention of this book In the encycIo-
paedias or libraries" OF literature, eVsnl
in those of the most extensive character.
Millions OF persons have read The Three
Musketeers" and Monte Crlsto," but who,
has even heard OF "Acte, a Story of the
Days OF Neror Yet this forgotten book
really contains the gist of both Wallacssl
and Sienkiewicz's celebrated novels.
| have not been able to discover that
Lew Wallaces favorits diversion consist
cd In the reading Of French dotion: never
theless the smilarities that exist are al
most unexplainable, 30 close are they.
Most authors read up In the books of
period remote from our own times as
the days OF Nero. Even Conan Doyle, in
writing OF such a comparatively up to
date period as that of the Cavaliers and
Roundheads. which he depleted In his
Micah Clarke 10 said to have "devoured''
several hundred books treating of that
time ''Ben-Hur' reveals careful prepa-
ration. 80 the strongest sort OF circumstan-
tial evidence would incline one 10 the be-
lief that Lew Wallace had made consider
able use OF "Acte."
Let me not be misunderstood. do not
accuse Lew Wallace OF plagiarism. No
one should definitely accuse an author OF
plagiarism unless proof positive exists In
support Of such accusation. especially
when he IL no longer with US 70 answer
such q charge.
But while DO not accuse him OF piagiar-
Ism for fear of tradueing the memory of
All Innocent man, "Ben-Hur' and "ActS"
exist side by side. and every one " At lib
srty to draw his own conclusions. I have
already drawn mine. "Acte," which hAs
never been translated into English and
which has been almost lost sight Of even
in France, IL. l understand, soon 70 appear
In English with the imprint Of leading
American publisher. presume Il will. now
that II has finally been brought into the
light OF publicity. have as big run" as
either OF Its limitations, ''Ben-Hur' and
''Quo Vadis." It Is in several respects su-
psrtor to either. In the sheer art OF tell
Ing a story" In q way to interest . large
number OF readers Dumas II surely the
best man of the three. Just as 1.-The plays
the thing so In work OF fiction the
story's the thing Of chief moment Some
recent writer's Of hction-I might name
Emile zola-ssem to have forgotten this.
THE POWER OF "ACTE."
The writer OF the present article hap
pened to be making some researches in the
French literature OF the thirties and fortes
OF the nineteenth century. In connection
with the editing OF the French Men of
Letters" series. and one day came across
TINS passage written BY N. Hippolyte
Parlgot:-
Scott could not have written the first
two hundred pages OF 'Aote.' Keenan, who
wrote OF the martyrdom of Blandina,
would not have been ashamed of them
Tacitus, suetonius and 81. Paul are the
authorities for his facts. Dumas does not
proceed single step without q document
on which to take his stand. Nero's
trtumphal entry into the free cities through
breaches made in the battlemsnts by the
citizens, his Golden House. his colossal
statue the enormous portlcoes. the suppers
At Baiae, the games In the circus. the night
OF Slas with the beasts, the 'Estrade du
Prince, the letters from Gaul, which in
terrupt the games-in short the whols
story. including Nero's night and his death
in the villa OF Piancus-ls drawn from the
most authentic sources. And with what
grace with what wealth OF imagination
does Dumas make this prodigious epoch
I'VE again before our eyes! AS he unfolds
khe story with consummate art all tn se
pictures, brought together with such Law
ibh expenditure OF lntollectual force, be-
come one living whole. Of which We our
oelves form . part. We glide with sporus
over the lake. bordsred by vast stretches
OF turf, whore, In the midst OF ArtlnciaI
ruins, wild beasts disport themselves az
n In an Africsn desert. We penetrats be-
meath the thick gloom OF pines ana syca-
morOs. whose dense foliage deadens the
plaintive cries OF the Christians crowded
together In the adjacent prison. We gake
on the Emperor god. Luclus the Bea utiful
the golden bearded. as, clad in white tunic
and crowned with olive. he lanKuIdly re-
poses on his couch. singer and master ~
the world, until We are compelled 10 nov,
before me grandeur OF the imaSlnation
that can thus infuse life into dry docu-
msnts and restore monuments thai lin
has crumbled into dust. Guided by ths,
passage ths tracing of the story was a
comparatively easy matter.
DumaR researches for his play ''cals-
ulA." which was produced at the 1rhAAtrs
FrancAis on December u. 1881. had Ia
him TO study Nero, whose remArkabIe ca
rssF greatly interested him. Finding q
heroine In Nsro's frsedwomAn ana mis-
treas. Acts. he decided 60 write a NJ
tesieal romance IN which Nero Gnd Aete