JULIETTE DROUET’S LOVE-LETTERS
TO VICTOR HUGO
THE NEW FRANCE, Being a History from the accession of Louis Philippe in1830 to the Revolution of 1848, with Appendices
By Alexandre Dumas. Translated into English, with an introductionand notes by R. S. Garnett.
In two volumes, Demy 8vo, cloth gilt, profusely illustrated with arare portrait of Dumas and other pictures after famous artists.24/-net.
The map of Europe is about to be altered. Before long we shall beengaged in the marking out. This we can hardly follow with successunless we possess an intelligent knowledge of the history of our Allies.It is a curious fact that the present generation is always ignorant ofthe history of that which preceded it. Everyone or nearly everyone hasread a history—Carlyle’s or some other—of the French Revolution of1789 to 1800; very few seem versed in what followed and culminated inthe revolution of 1848, which was the continuation of the first.
Both revolutions resulted from an idea—the idea of the people. In1789 the people destroyed servitude, ignorance, privilege, monarchicaldespotism; in 1848 they thrust aside representation by the few and aMonarchy which served its own interests to the prejudice of the country.It is impossible to understand the French Republic of to-day unless thestruggle in 1848 be studied: for every profound revolution is anevolution.
A man of genius, the author of the most essentially French book, both inits subject and treatment, that exists (its name is The ThreeMusketeers) took part in this second revolution, and having taken partin it, he wrote its history. Only instead of calling his book what itwas—a history of France for eighteen years—that is to say from theaccession of Louis Philippe in 1830 to his abdication in 1848—he calledit The Last King of the French. An unfortunate title, truly, for whilethe book was yet a new one the “last King” was succeeded by a man who,having been elected President, made himself Emperor. It will easily beunderstood that a book with such a title by a republican was not likelyto be approved by the severe censorship of the Second Empire. And, infact, no new edition of the book has appeared for sixty years, althoughits republican author was Alexandre Dumas.
During the present war the Germans have twice marched over his grave atVillers Cotterets, near Soissons, where he sleeps with his brave fatherGeneral Alexandre Dumas. The first march was en route for Paris; thesecond was before the pursuit of our own and the French armies, andwhile these events were taking place the first translation of his longneglected book was being printed in London. Habent sua fata tibelli.
Written when the fame of its brilliant author was at its height, thisbook will be found eminently characteristic of him. Although a historycomposed with scrupulous fidelity to facts, it is as amusing as aromance. Wittily written, and abounding in life and colour, the longnarrative takes the reader into the battlefield, the Court and the Hôtelde Ville with equal success. Dumas, who in his early days occupied adesk in the p