New-York tribune., 1922-05-14
Paris News Letter
By Lewis Galantiere


remarkable copy OF "Los Dieux Ont
Soft" 1t came from the collection
Of the late Eugene Richtcnbcrgor,
which was sold at auction last Novem-
her in the renowned salcsrooms Of the
Hotel Drouot. The owner of this
library had conceived for Anatolo
France an admiration which led him to
gather an absolutely complete and
doubtless unique collection Of the
works Of the master. No less than
120 items were cntalogucd, including
first editions. almost all autographed; z;
studies, newspaper articles, prcfaccs
and notices published in divers peri
odicals and never gathered into book
Of Roucn enriched by pencil drawing
and a note in ink in Frances hand.
This map had served to oricntate the
writer when he was working on his
Jeanne dare"
That Lies Dieux Ont Soif' is thor
oughly documentcd history every one
feels who has read the book. Running
through this precious copy, one is made
aware of the scrupulous care, the
minute research, which went to its com
position. The Richtenbcrger volume
contains about forty autographed pieces
relative to the setting Of the scenes,
the text and the Recommendation of the
novel. 1t includes Photographic SUM
mares of chapters, names of places
chosen for the action and indication Of
historic sources and variants. Not n
line, not word of the story, evidently,
ls guesswork. France writes Robes
pierre. oh Richten, is far more difficult
to get than Marat. For three days !
have been going over the historical and
political parts of my novel. Decidedly,
Danton is nothing but a stuffed fish,
but this skinned cat, Robespicrre, had
certain political intelligence
When Lies Dieux Ont Soif" was pub
lished critics remarked how much its
principal scenes gave one the impress
sion OF prints and paintings of the time.
Houses and streets, costumes and colt
lures were represented by lines and
colors so precise that the author
seemed to have lived with his charac-
ters in their period Spiritually he
did as much, for he spent entire days
at the Cnrnavalet Museum, drawing
with his own hand maps, clothes, Brot-
teauX's garrct and the scenes he so
admirably painted in words for his
readers. Anatole France is, by common
consent Of all sober critics who have
resisted his poisonous charm, a super
fetal writer. Nevertheless, he seems
to have given them in this novel a
beautiful example of the literary con-
science
Cruelties to Children
WI EDoUARD LEWIS recently pub
ished Manuel des Prcnoms," vol
une of 800 pages, provides an interest
ing footnote to the history of the
French Revolution in its chapter on
"Prcnoms dc IAN H."
Ey the law Of September 90, 1899.
certain functions of the village cure
were transferred to public officials. and
at the same time the old calendar gave
place to the we'll known and short
lived seasonal denomination. Tho re-
suit as touches the baptism of infants
vas of the same order as thai which
comes into being with wars and other
Though less glorious) manifestations
OF the superiority of human intclli-
gcnce. Yesterday we had j. Pershirg
Rosenbaums and Woodrow ". Ladro-
ncttis; the innocent French children
suffered a more horrible fate.
Flower names had been rare in
France. Here and there one encount-
cred Rose, Violette or a Mareue-
rite; suddenly the woods became filled
with Anemone, Tulipe, Ocillet, Reseda,
Ancolie, Jonquille, Geranium and Fleur
d'Orangcr. A wealth of medicinal
herbs produced at the baptismal font
Bourrache, Cam omille, Corandrc, Pull