This etext was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By JULES CLARETIE
With a Preface by Compte d'Haussonville of the French Academy
Arsene Arnaud Claretie (commonly called Jules), was born on December 3,1840, at Limoges, the picturesque and smiling capital of Limousin. Hehas been rightly called the "Roi de la Chronique" and the "Themistocle dela Litterature Contemporaine." In fact, he has written, since earlyyouth, romances, drama, history, novels, tales, chronicles, dramaticcriticism, literary criticism, military correspondence, virtuallyeverything! He was elected to the French Academy in 1888.
Claretie was educated at the Lycee Bonaparte, and was destined for acommercial career. He entered a business-house as bookkeeper, but was atthe same time contributing already to newspapers and reviews. In 1862 wefind him writing for the Diogene; under the pseudonym, "Olivier deJalin," he sends articles to La France; his nom-deplume in L'Illustrationis "Perdican"; he also contributes to the Figaro, 'L'Independence Belge,Opinion Nationale' (1867-1872); he signs articles in the 'Rappel; as"Candide"; in short, his fecundity in this field of literature is verygreat. He is today a most popular journalist and writes for the 'Presse,Petit Journal, Temps', and others. He has not succeeded as a politician.Under the second Empire he was often in collision with the Government; in1857 he was sentenced to pay a fine of 1,000 francs, which was a splendidinvestment; more than once lectures to be given by him were prohibited(1865-1868); in 1871 he was an unsuccessful candidate for L'AssembleeNationale, both for La Haute Vienne and La Seine. Since that time he hasnot taken any active part in politics. Perhaps we should also mentionthat as a friend of Victor Noir he was called as a witness in the processagainst Peter Bonaparte; and that as administrator of the ComedieFrancaise he directed, in 1899, an open letter to the "President andMembers of the Court Martial trying Captain Dreyfus" at Rennes,advocating the latter's acquittal. So much about Claretie as apolitician!
The number of volumes and essays written by Jules Claretie surpassesimagination, and it is, therefore, almost impossible to give a completelist. As a historian he has selected mostly revolutionary subjects. Thetitles of some of his prominent works in this field are 'Les DerniersMontagnards (1867); Histoire de la Revolution de 1870-71 (second edition,1875, 5 vols.); La France Envahie (1871); Le Champ de Bataille de Sedan(1871); Paris assiege and Les Prussiens chez eux (1872); Cinq Ans apres,L'Alsace et la Lorraine depuis l'Annexion (1876); La Guerre Nationale1870-1871', etc., most of them in the hostile, anti-German vein, naturalto a "Chauvinist"; 'Ruines et Fantomes (1873). Les Femmes de laRevolution (1898)' contains a great number of portraits, studies, andcriticisms, partly belonging to political, partly to literary, history.To the same category belong: Moliere, sa Vie et ses OEuvres (1873);Peintres et Sculpteurs Contemporains, and T. B. Carpeaux (1875); L'Art etles Artistes Contemporains (1876)', and others. Quite different from theabove, and in another phase of thought, are: 'Voyages d'un Parisien(1865); Journees de Voyage en Espagne et France (1870); Journees deVacances (1887)'; and others.
It is, however, as a novelist that the fame of Claretie will