Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-12
Famous Literary Mysteries
WILLOW. THE "GUTTER GENIUs.

S.
 Who was Francis Villon? That is the name by which the great French genius of the gutter is known to literature. It is a name he adopted for more reasons than one, and was one he used as writer. He had many others that he appropriated at various periods of his life, for he was of such a villainous character that he was all most constantly in trouble, and assumed one name after the other to throw the authorities off the track.
 The real name of the man who won great fame as a poet in the fifteenth century has never been ascertained. It is said that he assumed the name Francis Villon because his friend and benefactor was named Guillsume l. e. Villon. It was Guillsume who roolt the young renegade into his home and tried to reform him, recognizing his wonderful genius.
 About all that is known of his early life was that he was born in Paris of poor parents. His boyhood days were spent in the low taverns of the city. among the riff-raff of the under world. In spite Of the marvellous gen jus that he exhibited in very early life he seemed to be most at home among the sordid criminals, where he exhibited as much iniquity as they did. He fought, stole caroused and killed with ruffians, and he would then turn around and write such wonderfully beautifully and musical poems that even his besotted comrades koved them.
 The first murder that was laid at his door was that of priest, whom he stabbed to death in the streets of Paris while returning from a drunken revel Through wealthy friends who were admirers of his genius he secured a pardon Hardly had he emerged | from his hiding place when. he became embroled in fight in cheap tavern ] of Paris, and was so badly used up i that he fed from the city out of dis grace at his appearance.
 | Then he became a student at the 1 College of Navarro. It is supposed that his object was more for the nur- pose of robbery than for the acquir- | ing of further education. Only 9 short time after his arrival the treasure | chest of the college chapel was broken 1 open. A band of student-thieves were 1 arrested and one Of them gave evi- dence that the ringleader was Villon, and that he was planning further rob- berries.
 Villon was put to trial and then sen | tenced to he hanged. As he lay in
 
 of his greatest poems. a grim, wonder ful bit of verse entitled "Ballade of the Hanged" Again his friends secured his release. Finally he was caught robbing a church and was imprisoned for the crime Of sacrilege. For this crime Villon owed his release to a general goal delivery at the accession of Louis XI. Free once more his wild 1 spirit of adventure seemed to desert him, and he wrote the Grand Testa- ment" the work which has immortali- zed him. He was thirty years old al this time.
 Here the next mystery of his life begins. What became of him? In the autumn of 1462 he is found, broken ir health and spirits. living in the clois ters of Saint-Senoit His dissipation 1t would appear. had undermined hi. health. and it Is said that he diet there of consumption in 146S. Certain historIsns doubt this fact and believed that he lived number of years there after. but If such he the case nothinl definite was heard of him after 1463
 Tbe obscurity. unhappiness and tn evil repute of Villon's life would no be in themselves a reason for tn minute Investigations to which th events of that life have been subject
 ed. but his peelcal work is of sucl extra ordinary quality. and marks sucl
 an epoct. Tn the history of Europeal , | literature. that he has been al all time , an interesting figure