New-York tribune., 1909-06-26
BLUEBE4RD.
4 Monster Made admirable bg M.
AnatOle France.

Paris June 10.
The evanescent skepticism of NJ. Anatole
France has never been expressed in more fas-
cinating or more harmonious prose than in
the four 'contes merveilleux"-each translucent
with delicate irony-which are grouped to-
Eether under the title Les Sept Femmes
de Barbe-B -Bleu,' just brought out by the
Librairie Calmann-Levy The familiar tale of
"Bluebeard" is so transformed by the authors
magic wand as to make it appear that the hero
instead Of a monster, a veritab bic martyr.
His seven successive wives made him victim
OF refined moral torture, by means Of vanities,
vices and cupdities. defty presented by the au-
thor Of the "Jardin d'Epicure'' in the forms in
which they are often assumed by the smart So
ciety Of our time. BIuebeards seventh wife
causes her husband to be stabbed in the back
by her lover, and marries the murderer The
two as soon as they become rich-for she has
inherited Bluebeard's vast estates-live yirtu-
Gus and respectable lives. Another Of these
wondrous tales relates how a great European
King in order to cure wasting disease is or
dered by his physician to wear the shirt Of a
man who is really happy. a long search en-
sues for the happy man, but when he is at last
found he does not own shirt, so the King IS
no better off than before. These fantastic tales
are embroidered with the silken skeins of NJ.
Anatole Frances scoff1ng, doubling, yet con-
vncing, philosophy and aesthetic irony.
The Comtesse Du Barry has fruitful. impair
tial painstaking biographer in NJ Claude Saint
Andre, The beautiful pecheresse is at least en-
titled to Justice NJ. Saint-Andre and NJ.
Pierre de Nolhac, who writes the preface 10
Madame Du Barry. d'apres Les Documents
Authentiques,' just published by the Librairie
Emile-Paul, show that she was the victim
of a camarila OF courtiers composed OF
the partisans of the Due de ChoiseuI and Nine
de Pompadour. Those who knew Nine Du
Barry moralists grands segneurs, courtier5
and revolutonists"-agree in depicting her as a
sympathetic figure" The Prince de Ligne who
10 the last faithful friend of the IA
vorite. and also Talleyrand both considered
her a woman Of great refinement and much
more noble hearted than Ia Pompadour."
A1irabeau testified TO the strong. generous char
acter'' OF Nine. Du Barry. The Emperor Of
Austria Joseph II paid her a visit at Lou
veciennes. Voltaire spoke OF her as a most
maligned woman. Nine Vigee- Lebrun. La
Tour and Nine. Labille- GUARD held her
in esteem, did also Pajou. who made her
bust in marble The calumnies of Choiseul were
exaggerated by successive writer's. especially by
the Goncourts. who based their information
upon the fancifui tales Of Capehgue and Dumas
In the opinion of NJ de Nolhac. the most highly
reputed authority all that pertains TO the
personal souvenirs of Queen Marie Antoinette,
the great ladies and royal favorites OF the court
of Louis XIV, NJ. Claude Saint-Andre has rem
dered good service 10 history by destroying the
.pueriIe and false ideas" concerning Nine. Du
Barry imposed upon the public by the Con
courts. The book is brimful of bright and anus
ing episodes and adventures. GLIB.