Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-23
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY the Booklopey


The general reputation of Francois
| Villon as a scamp is made specific by
D. 3. Wyndham Lewis in his Francois
Villon" The thesis OF Theophile Gautier
that Villon was the original from whom
Rabelais drew Panurge can be accepted
at least inaginatively after reading Mr..
Lewis biography. Brought up by a
sanity relative, Master Guillaume de
Vilon. the child Francois had every OPP
portunity to be respectable and law
abiding. After entering the University
of Paris he continued to live with his
wise and kind relative in the cloister of
St Benoit, but biackguardism seems to
have been born in him. A skeleton key
enabled him to come and go at night
when the usually watchful Master Gull
laume was asleep. His villainies led
him several times to the foot of the
gallows, from which he escaped only
through undeserved good fortune. His
early methods of obtaining food with
out work are described by Mr.. Lewis.
who has taken his account from Villon
own piquant verse, in which seven
lessons are given. Lesson shows forth
the method of obtaining. free and for
nothing, fish, tripe, bread. wine and
|
nique for each article Master Fran
co.'s, parting from his band, proceeds to
| the fish market near the Petit-PQnt.
where he selects a panier full OF the
| best, saying that the bearer will be paid
on delivery. He accompanies the fish
porter with his burden over the bridges
and across the Parvis to Nctre Dame
where he finds. as expected, confessor
in the cloister receiving penitents. Step
ping softly aside and telling the fish por-
! ter to wait moment, Master Francois
| approaches the Confessor, who is at the
moment disengaged, and pulling pious
face explains that he has with great
difficulty brought his nephew with him.
a moody, negligent youth, too fond of
money. whom he desires the father to
confess and shrive forthwith. Certain
| ly.' answers the confessor. and Master
Francois. stepping out, seizes the panier
OF fish from the porter, at the same time
telling him there is one inside who will
settle with him. The simple porter en-
| tiers, and Master Francois evaporateS
| into thin air with his fish"
X \ 4
"The way of getting bread" Mr.
Lewis comments rs as easy as selling
a rubber plantation situated in Ice
! land TO smart financier of Capel
!
himself to be the grave major-domo
| of a family MADE up for the purpose,
no doubt, by a fripier in touch with the
| band. goes to the baker and orders five
! or six dozen rolls. When half the
number have been placed in the basket
he stops the baker abruptly, saying that
! the bread is required at once and that
| the porter must deliver what he has
and return for the remainder. The
| porter sets off with his basket, accom-
panied by Master Francois, and they
come presently to the gate Of a great
| house. where Master Francois orders
the man to set down his load and
hurry back for the rest. 1t is not
! repue. The method of getting
! free wine has for a background the
| famous tavern of the Pomme de Pin,
whose landlord, Robin Turgis. is con-
! slant butt of Villon's, and a large
| creditor also. Villon takes two large
! brocS or pitchers, fills one of them with
! fair water and proceeds to the Pomme
| de Pin, where he orders at great length
a jug of white wine. The impatient
| drawer, to put an end to Master
| Francois flow of bons pr0pos. fills one
| of the pitchers with Baigneux which
done, Master Francois inquiries leisurely,
/ WHAT Nult Is bAldt! 06'6iiCuNs &c
| plies the drawer Master Francois i'm
| mediately waves it aside. Take it
away Take it away! I won't have It,.
Are you a jolthead? Empty my pitcher
| at once, 1 sayi ! want good Beaune,
! and nothing else AS he speaks. and
! subtly. Master Francois hands back the
pitcher containing the water, and thus
gets away without the least trouble with
a flee pitcher of Baigneux." With flsh.
bread and wine provided, only good
, roast remains to be found. The
method of getting roast Tor nothing
Is also simplicity itself. once rehearsed
Master Francois, stopping haphazard by
cookshop, begins cheapening me
! niece of roast meat. To him presently
! appears a surly stranger, demanding OF
| the rotisseur. What is this haggling
| swab playing at?' A loud quarrel
| breaks out Immediately. The stranger
| aims a blow at Master Francois and
| takes to his heels, and Master Francois.
swapping UP the meat unperceived amid
| the hullabaloo, utterS an indignant roar
and runs after him at top speed. Round
| the first convenient corner the chase
comes to an end, and Master Francois
and his aggressor stink off together.
With these youthful beginnings: it is no
wonder that Villon was saved from the
| 2lDDeL Oh MDItlhuCOki ALkeAS A"S~~ S@A-s
by hasty escape from Paris.
! ~ x
! The ioy Of life in garden and the
| trouble of fighting various tropical pests
share the narrative of Sheila Macdonald
! in her book, MY African Garden
This is not book Of gardening infornla-
| ton. but story of English family me
in present-day Africa. The characters
are the Author. the Breadwinner. the
| Twins and Martie, the governess, in ad,
| dition to a number of neighbors ana
servants. Hailstorms and duststorms
menace the garden. but there are also
major adventures and romance.
The Empress Eugene. tragic survivor
of the dramatic Second Empire, is again
| the subject of biography" The Tragic
Empress" by Maurice Paleologue, trans
! lated BY Hamish Miles. The author;
member of the French Academy ana
| French Ambassador to Russia during
| the World War, was the friend ana con
| fidant of the ex-empress during tne
| long period of her life following the
| collapse of her husbands empire. On
| her visits to Paris. Eugene used to oc-
cupy apartments overlooking the Tuile-
| ries Gardens and the site of the palace
which had once been her home. IL
| was during these visits that the CONVEX
| sations took place between her and the
diplomat Paleologue, which form the
basis of this biography.
4 4
persian Pictures by Gertrude Bell
| was first published in 1894 and has re-
Gently been reprinted. 1t is coffee
! ton of essay sketches, all showing
| plainly the fascination exercised upon
the English woman by the romance OF
| Persia. She is peculiarly susceptible 70
| the contrast between the aridity and the
| beauty of the East. yet in this des-
olation turks the hooking beauty OF the
East. A little water and the desert
breaks into flower. bowers Of cool shade
spring up in the midst Of dust ana
glare, radiant stretches Of soft color
| gleam In that gray expanse. Your heart