JUNE 1, 1866.

OUR CONTINENTAL CORRESPONDENCE. PARIS, April 13, 1866. AN election to fill a vacant seat in the French Academy has given rise to an exciting contest. Its result furnished another example of the truth of the old saw," There is many a slip between the cup and the lip." A few days since it seemed beyond peradventure that M. Henri Martin would be elected to fill the seat vacated by M. Dupin's death. And yet he not only was easily defeated, but he has come out of the contest with his reputation injured. Ludicrous errors have been discovered in his "His-operation be quickly and neatly performed. Now, tory of France." I postpone until my next letter further reference to them, as it is understood he is preparing a reply to these allegations. The new academician, M. Alfred Auguste Cuvillier Fleury, was born in 1802. He graduated at Louis le Grand College (where he was bursar), and in 1819 he won the first prize of rhetoric at the competitive examination of all the colleges of Paris. After leaving college, he spent two years under the roof of Louis Bonaparte (ex-King of Holland and father of the French Emperor), who lived first at Rome and then at Florence. Upon his return to France he became a master in Sainte Barbe College, which he quitted when the Duke of Orleans (afterwards Louis Philippe) selected him for the tutor of the Duke d'Aumale. When the latter attained manhood, he made his old tutor his private secretary. His position at court opened to M. Cuvillier Fleury the columns of the "Journal des Débats." From 1834 to the present day he has been attached to this influential newspaper. He owes to it and to the steady fidelity to the fortunes of the Orleans family his election as a member of the French Academy, for his literary works are singularly meagre. They consist entirely of his contributions to the "Journal des Débats," collected in the form of volumes. His pen has slipped more than once, and M. Sainte Beuve took, four or five years since, malicious pleasure in collecting these awkward stumbles, which still serve to raise laughter here. M. Victor Hugo is said to be his bitter enemy, and these two lines in "Ruy Blas" are alleged to be one form of the poet's vengeance: Une duegne, affrense compagnonne

Dont le menton fleurit et dont le nez trognonne." M. Cuvillier Fleury and M. A. Trognon made themselves very conspicuous, between 1833 and 1838, in attacking M. Victor Hugo, not in print, but by epigrams in conversation, which were repeated to M. Hugo, and which he neither forgot nor forgave. M. Cuvillier Fleury is the fourth writer on the "Journal des Débats" who has a seat in the French Academy.

M. Alex. Dumas, Jr., has written a novel of the school of Fanny and Mme. Bovary. It is now in the printer's hands. The editor of one of our newspapers wished to purchase the privilege of publishing it in his feuilleton, and made the author such magnificent offers that he half consented to allow it to appear in this form, although he entertains an aversion, grounded in reason, against this fragmentary form of publication. Reflection led M. Dumas to see his novel contained scenes which ought not to be laid before a family audience. The editor tried to persuade him to rewrite these scenes and to lower their tone, that this objection might be obviated. The author, after copying his first manuscript, persisted in his refusal, and wrote the following letter to the editor:

“Powerful Artaxerxes! I am obliged to refuse your presents. These are the reasons: The work you are good enough to ask for your newspaper is a dramatic narrative. Its title ['Clemenceau's Case, an Accused Man's Memoir'] shows this sufficiently. But, at the same time, it is especially a sort of

anatomico-physiologico-social study, which cannot be laid before the public except under some particular conditions. There is surgery in the book, and I am anxious the operation should succeed. The surgeon's great art is to uncover a wound, burn or cut it, and throw back the sheet on the patient before he has time to utter a scream. The surgeon must interest, instruct, move the persons present; he must not revolt them. There is no harm in his curing the patient to boot; but this is not the all-important point; the essential thing is that the 'Clemenceau's Case' is really an operation. When once it has been commenced it cannot be interrupted. A portion of it cannot be postponed to the next day, while the wound lies gaping before the reader's eyes. It would be more than painful, more than awkward-it would be unhealthy. When such a book is to be laid before the public, it must be brought out unpublished, all at once, exactly like An Accused Man's Memoir,' with all the arguments together. It necessarily contains delicate and difficult confessions, which may be made by a wretch in peril of death, who thinks no one hears him but his lawyer-that is, a confessor charged with defending his honor and life-but which he cannot tell every body. It is even an indiscretion to communicate his story to separate judges, as I am going to do. It would be treachery to divulge it in a widely-circulated newspaper taken by families in confidence, and which ought not to wound the scruples of home. You know-it is a case for its application-the phrase used by all newspapers in giving an account of a crime: Our reserve can be understood. The accused is now in the hands of justice.' In publishing this rather strange history in a periodical sheet, I should certainly incur the reproach of marring its meaning, object, and morality. I should have no excuse but the large amount of money you offer me-a wretched excuse. If, despite all my precautions, my work still shocks some susceptibilities, I should prefer going honestly astray, and not having forced my work on anybody. A book is read only by him who wishes to read it. Let come what may, I can from this moment reckon on the sympathy of your paper, which perhaps will be delighted at the fatal moment at the saving I made it. Receive, great tempter, with my thanks for your flattering proposal, the assurance of the Christian sentiments one owes his neighbor more than ever in this Passion Week, and lead me no more into temptation. A. DUMAS, JR."

I condense an interesting notice of M. Jules Simon, whose later works are in every hand. You know his earlier works were metaphysical (the best of them was his "History of the School of Alexandria"), and were addressed to a smaller audience.

M. Jules Simon belongs to the interesting family of men who have acquired lawful reputation less by their own discoveries than by explaining and diffusing the important discoveries of other people. Obliged to be-not picturesque, eccentric, or paradoxical, but-moved, that is, moving, clear, accurate, these men (Thiers, Guizot, Villemain, Arago, are among them) will have few or no images in their eloquence. This is the reason M. Jules Simon writes in an easy, fluent, unadorned style. Sprightly, original, in the ordinary sense of this word-i. e., having a dash of humor and irony-M. Jules Simon keeps these qualities for private life. Narrating with charming manner and with a husky voice which commands attention, he is the most serious of droll story-tellers and the drollest of grave men. Loving politics more than anything else, he of course gives good dinners, accompanied by a plenty of laughter. Those who have heard him imitate

JUNE 1, 1866.

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eminent people, say he has great talents for imita- drunk or sober, his speech and his pen sully every tion. He has lived for the last twenty years on the subject to which they allude. Justice need not Place de la Madeleine, surrounded by books. It is fear error when it punishes such men with all the in this library, which has invaded his drawing- severity of the law." He was sentenced to thirty room, he locks himself up every morning. His door days' imprisonment. Baron James de Rothsis closed to importunate visitors; but it is so fre- child has 40,000 volumes and a great many rare quently opened to beggars, that he is often led into and precious MSS. in his library. . . . M. d'Arbois excesses of concentration to regain lost time. He de Jubainville and M. Hirr have received the Lewrites seated, but he thinks on his legs. He may gion of Honor. . . . It is stated in a French newsoften be seen walking on his balcony. M. Jules paper that J. Fenimore Cooper's novel, "The Spy," Simon loves books. He has a great many of every was translated into Persian and published at Ispahan sort, not only moralists, historians, and economists, in 1847. I never before heard of this translation. but novelists. The characteristic of his library is, Is it in any American library? . . . The French all books in it are well bound. The majority of episcopacy is taking ground of objection to the probooks seen in French libraries are in paper covers. posed new translation of the Holy Bible into French. Old French grammars state that the French al- . . . M. Thiers and M. Guizot crossed the Channel phabet contains only twenty-five letters. Recently, in the same steamboat the other day as they went "double V," as the French still call W, has acquired to Claremont to pay the last tribute of respect to freedom of the tongue through the influence of wag- Queen Marie Amelie. While crossing the Channel gon, whist, whiskey, drawback, warrant, Walewski, M. Thiers discussed seamanship and navigation in Welles de Lavallette, Koenigswarter. The "Moni- all its particulars. M. Guizot listened to him imteur," the official newspaper, has just had a con- patiently, and at last, unable to bear his old adversiderable number of type of this letter made. It sary's garrulity longer, rose and went forward, is to be hoped the French may henceforward cease saying, loud enough for everybody to hear him: to call the Bard of Avon M. Villiams. He would be "When he gets through navigation I hope he will strangely sanguine who reckoned that these Chinese climb to the top of the mainmast!"... The streets of the West will come to understand foreign nations which are to be demolished to make way for the or events out of their territory. This incredible new Avenue de l'Impératrice contain houses conseries of mistakes is to be found in one paragraph nected with literary history. Pierre Corneille died of the "Moniteur" of the 8th April, 1865: "The in the house numbered 18 Rue d'Argenteuil on 1st celebrated geologist, Agassiz, is going to Egypt, to October, 1635; Piron lived for many years in the make a scientific excursion at the expense of the Rue des Moulins, and died there in 1773; Abbé de Boston merchants. Its object is to demonstrate the l'Epée taught the first mutes by his system at No. truth of Agassiz's theory of glaciers. He will study 14 Rue des Moulins; Reveillère Lepaux lived in the Cordilleras attentively, in company with eight the Rue des Orties, and Saurin died in Rue Therese or ten persons attached to his mission, and who in 1781. . . . It is said M. Taine has abandoned, represent the most important scientific societies in at least for the present, his voyage to America. . . America." M. Littre is seriously ill. Homer, in the twelfth The 1st edition (5,000 copies) of M. Emile Augier's Book of the Odyssey, describes the sea-nettle (is la new comedy, "La Contagion," was sold the day it pieurre, which figures in M. Victor Hugo's last novel, was issued... It is said we will soon have a scan- anything else?), although, oddly enough, M. Vicdalous lawsuit between the Imperial Library and tor Hugo says, in "The Laborers of the Sea :" "Orone of our learned literary men to recover leaves pheus, Homer, and Hesiod were able to create only toru from old MSS. confided to him. . . The Coun- the chimera, God made the sea-nettle." M. Hugo cil of State have delivered an opinion adverse to takes particular pains with the author's note and the claim of the Duke d'Aumale and Messrs. Mi-autograph in the presentation copies he sends out. chel Levy for the return of the printed copies of the former's "History of the Princes of the House of Condé." M. Catulle Mendes, a young poet, has married Mlle. Judith Gautier, a daughter of M. Theophile Gautier, and herself an authoress: she writes critical articles on art and translations from Chinese, in which language she is versed. The groom's "witnesses" were M. Le Conte de Lisle, the poet, and M. Villiers; the bride's were M. Turgan, the editor of "Le Moniteur," and M. Gustave Flaubert, the author of "Mme. Bovary and Salammbo." M. Dudevant, captain of the firemen of Nohant Vicq, distinguished himself in a fire in his village, and has received a medal from the government for the gallantry he displayed. This M. Dudevant is none other than M. Maurice Sand. You know Mme. George Sand's lawful name and title are Baroness Dudevant. Her husband is still alive. . . . M. Victor Cousin has returned to Paris from Cannes in excellent health. . . . During a recent criminal trial here two youthful assassins said they got the idea of the manner of committing the murder of which they were found guilty from a novel, "Le Fils du Supplicié," by a man named Boulaberd. The latter was recently tried for being drunk, quarrelling with hack drivers, and insulting a hack inspector. The prosecuting attorney said: "This drunkard, who calls himself a literary man, dishonors both the title he assumes and the profession he exercises. He is hostile to all moral laws;

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The notes and autographs are all written on bits of paper, after having first been written in rough draught, and are then transmitted to his publishers here. They paste them in the presentation copies, and deliver the latter. M. Jules Janin's copy contains a note in verse, M. Theophile Gautier's contains a quotation, M. Alex. Dumas's a souvenir, M. Paul Meurice's an affectionate greeting, M. Vacquerie's a word of God speed, etc.

The successful book of the fortnight is a novel, "A Divorce," which appeared first in the feuilleton of "Le Siècle;" it is by André Leo, the pseudonym of Mme. Champseix. Mme. George Sand is evidently her model. . . . M. Ed. Thierry, the manager of the French comedy, is correcting the proof-sheets of an essay on the domestic history of the French comedy in Moliere's time, which will form the introduction to the curious register kept by Lagrange, and which is now soon to be published. . . . It is said M. Sainte Beuve has recently discovered a considerable collection of unpublished documents relating to the history of Port Royal. They have led him to re-write entirely his history of this celebrated establishment. I suspect this rumor is a little exaggerated. . . . M. Ernest Rénan's "The Apostles" has appeared; it is one 8vo. volume, and forms the 2d volume of his "History of the Origin of Christianity." It embraces the history of Christianity from A. D. 33 to A. D. 45, that is, from our Saviour's death to St. Paul's missions. It is stated

JUNE 1, 1866.

on authority 100,000 copies of his 1st volume have | he had gone on a second exploring tour to discover been sold. Messrs. Edmond and Jules de Gon- traces of Sir John Franklin and his crew), and write court have in press an art novel, "Langibout's a book, he-Mr. Childs-should publish it. Dr. Studio," and a "History of Art from 1840 to 1860," Kane did return, wrote the book, and Childs & Pewhich will contain a great many portraits and anec-terson published it, selling nearly 70,000 copies dotes, and stories of the gay and sombre sides of painters' and sculptors' lives here. . . . The 2d volume of the French Emperor's "Life of Cæsar" will be published in the latter part of May. It will contain thirty maps admirably executed; and there will be numerous notes to the text. G. S.

NOTES ON BOOKS AND BOOKSELLERS. SKETCHES OF THe Publishers-GEORGE W. CHILDS. -The books published by the firm of Childs & Peterson, now solely represented by George W. Childs, are more important in cost and merit than in mere number. The amount which they realized for their authors has been unusually large, and the position which Mr. Childs now additionally occupies as newspaper proprietor is another reason why he should receive personal notice in the series of papers to which this belongs.

Mr. Childs, a native of Baltimore, now about thirty-seven years old, came to Philadelphia at the age of fourteen, and entered the bookstore of Mr. P. Thomson, then situated at the northwest corner of Sixth and Arch Streets. He continued there for four years, when, though not of age, he began business on his own account in a small place corner of Third and Chestnut Streets-one-half of the office in the great building now occupied by his own cashier and assistants in the business management of the "Public Ledger," of which he now is proprietor. At that time, nearly twenty years ago, he had made up his mind to own the "Ledger," and frankly stated his determination to the proprietors. He never once abandoned this purpose, and the writer of this article has frequently heard him speak of it, years before he succeeded in realizing it. One is reminded in this successful pertinacity of Warren Hastings' resolve, before he left England for India, to repossess himself of the manor which had passed from his family.

within a year, and paying a royalty of one dollar on each copy. They subsequently purchased the stereotype plates of the "First Grinnell Expedition," by Dr. Kane, improving it by the addition of many new illustrations, a fine steel portrait of Franklin, and a sketch of his life by Mr. Allibone. The three volumes of Kane's "Arctic Explorations" were attractive from the interest of the subject, the adventurous humanity of those who designed and carried out the search after Franklin, and, in a literary point of view, for the earnest simplicity of Dr. Kane's journals. The numerous illustrations, too, from Dr. Kane's own designs, were valuable; those on wood were engraved by Van Ingen & Snyder, and those on steel, consisting of finished views by Mr. James Hamilton, the eminent marine painter, from other sketches by Dr. K., were executed under the superintendence of J. M. Butler, of Philadelphia. The work is still in demand-the more so, perhaps, because the author died, a martyr to humanity and science, not long after the publication of the second and concluding journals of his "Arctic Explorations." Uniform with this publication was a splendidly illustrated volume," Brazil and the Brazilians," by the Rev. J. C. Fletcher, who had been U. s. chaplain at Rio Janeiro, and for a time acting secretary to the American legation there, and assisted by the Rev. Dr. Kidder, long a resident in Brazil. Of the first edition of this costly work 5,000 copies were sold.

"Bouvier's Law Dictionary," of which the twelfth edition, revised and much enlarged, is now in the press, was another successful publication, on which $40,000 have already been paid for copyright. Another original publication by Childs & Peterson, which has justly obtained the highest reputation, is thus noticed in Trübner's "Bibliographical Guide to American Literature: "In this list [of eminent American scientific writers] we must not omit In 1849, being then in his twenty-first year, Mr. mention of a remarkable American woman who has Childs was admitted to partnership with Mr. Ro-achieved signal success in the science of astronomy, bert E. Peterson (the firm was R. E. Peterson & Co.), who, in fact, may be justly termed the Mary Somerat the northwest corner of Fifth and Arch Streets. ville of the United States. Hannah M. Peterson, Soon after the firm became Childs & Peterson-a the only child of the late Judge Bouvier, received nominal change, for the partners were the same; her early training from her father, was first introthe principal business management was undertaken duced to the study of mathematics by her very and successfully executed by Mr. Childs. The first accomplished husband [spoken of above], and has book they published was "Peterson's, Familiar since cultivated the study of astronomy with success. Science," of which 200,000 copies have been sold. Her great work, entitled 'Familiar Astronomy,' has It was adopted in 1851 as a text-book in the public won her the applause of leading men of science on schools of Philadelphia, and also of Brooklyn. It both sides the Atlantic." was based upon a book, written by an eminent English scholar, which was not well adapted for this country in many points, and was defectively arranged. Mr. Peterson, a gentleman of high culture (he had been admitted to the bar, and is now a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and graduated M. D. from the University of Pennsylvania), made the necessary alterations and additions, and succeeded so well that the Rev. Dr. Brewer, author of the book, warmly thanked him for the improvements, and publicly signified his approbation thereof. In successive editions the book has been made to keep pace with the most recent discoveries in science, and there has latterly been incorporated with it, as a suitable appendix, occupying 150 pages, Professor Pepper's "Scientific Amusements for Young People."

Being a personal friend of Judge Kane, Mr. Childs obtained a promise from him that should Dr. Elisha Kent Kane return from the Arctic regions (whither

Mr. Childs suggested and planned Judge Sharswood's edition of "Blackstone's Commentaries," two volumes, royal octavo, with very valuable notes, emphatically the American edition, which is now a text-book in all the law-schools of the United States. He planned and published "The National Almanac and Annual Record," and edited the first volume for the year 1863. This is a work of great merit, on account of the accuracy and great fulness of its statistical information. A forthcoming work, on which he has spared no expense, also undertaken at his suggestion and on his pecuniary outlay, is Lossing's "Illustrated History of the Civil War," in the preface to which the author warmly acknowledges his obligations to Mr. Childs. Indeed, that gentleman's relations with his authors have been uniformly agreeable, for he never has had dispute or difficulty with any of them, and retains their friendship to this day. One of them, certainly, ought to feel grateful to Mr. Childs-we allude to

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INTERESTING TO "ILLUSTRATORS."-Mr. John Camden Hotten, London, has just issued a priced cata-second volume was to be published. It will contain logue of a curious and extended collection of English and other portraits, of views, seats, old buildings, antiquities, etc. of all the English counties, with Ireland and Scotland, together with a large number of miscellaneous engravings after the great masters of the various schools. He also advertises copies of a number of the works illustrated by Doré, including the Rabelais, which was one of the first publications containing his designs, and is now quite scarce.