COUNT VASILI'S "MONDE FOLITIQUE."*

Two facts which render Comte Vasiti's Monde Politique especially attractive, and even original, are that he almost ignores General Boulanger, and that he takes quite a cheerful view of the French nation and its eventual fate, regarding the present troublous period (in which he alludes to Boulanger as a factor, not an originator) as one of transition, and the necessary prelude to a complete renovation and reorganisa- tion of the Constitution. What form this will eventually • Le Monde Paititas Soci‘ti Sc Paris. Par le Comte Paul vasi.i. Paris: Nouvelle Revue.

assume he is as little able as any one else to predict. His

attitude towards France is very much that Of a Frenchman?- -admiration for the numerous qualities of the nation, and extreme indulgence for its equally numerous weaknesses.

This and many other indications—his occasional allusions to England as he plus mareltande des nations, or a terrible voisine, his accurate and striking portraits of the most

prominent political ,Frenchmen, his stroug aversion to IM. Jules Ferry and his policy—give the reader good grounds for assuming that the pseudonym of "Comte Vasili" conceals, if not a French author, at least a , French influence, and that a,

very strong one. Surely it is not the acquired sympathy and solicitude of .a- foreigner that dictates the following passage and accompanying suggestion, a propos of M. Grevy's law :— " Vous avez, voila Francais, une part de culpabilite dans les evenements qua 40142 venez de traverser ; votre crise eat due

votre cosmopolitieme Veers a.vez admis lea &rangers dans toutes lea fonctions De memo qu'autrefois plusieurs

quartiers &ale/it exiges dans lea charges de confiance, la preuve de plusieurs generations desang Ira/lois devrait etre demandee vos deputes, a vos minietres, sun representants de votre gouverne- ment a Petranger et a Messieurs vos gendres. Le patriotisme vrai, celui qui consiste h tout sacrifier a son pays et fait coin- prendre par intuition sea veritables interets, sa dignite, son honneur, ne s'acquiert quo par atavisme. Vous n'auriez pas det dormer votre confience k des metis anglais, italiens, allemands, mulitres qui encombrent vos ministeres, vos chancelleries, vos colonies."

• By-the-way, Comte Vasili passes over the Wilson and suchlike episodes very lightly, or if he alludes to them, he consoles him- self by the belief (shared by so many Frenchmen) that if similar discreditable incidents are not heard of in other countries. it is not because they do not occur, but merely because they

are carefully concealed, whereas in France they are dragged to light and published far and wide. This theory is, of course, so far correct that every one knows that the French pro- fessedly make themselves out worse than they are. But in this profession there is perhaps as much cynicism as real love or desire of truth. And, after all, many of us know through personal experience that this practice of painting ourselves blacker than we ..are is only a way of lowering our moral standard for future convenience. The exaggeration of our actual sinfulness is an indirect but certain way of easing our conscience beforehand, of exculpating our future misdeeds. It is a kind of anticipatory absolution. Comte Vasili refers more than once to the English cant and hypocrisy. He does not see that these evils arise in a great measure from the intense desire in the nation to maintain a high moral standard. Elysee Reclas, the great geographer, has recognised this with an insight and impartiality only met with in great minds, in his estimate of the English race :—

" En resume," he says, "on peat dire quo de tous lea pays civilises, l'Angleterre eat bien celni ole se rencontrent le plus d'hommes conscientieux, essayant de regler leur vie sew leur ideal interieur, sur cc gulls croient etre le bon et le juste. Sous doute is nombre d'hypocrites eat d'autant plus considerable que le respect de la dignite personelle et l'amour dc is Write sont plus en honneur."

But this is a digression, and the more irrelevant that Comte Vasili does not enter at large into differences of nationality or morals, but merely gives a series of sketches of the most interesting and influential French statesmen of the day. In so doing, it is his professed intention to "rehabilitate the haul personnel politique." Therefore, if the aspect of French politics and politicians is dignified in his descriptions, which we read at a time when the names and claims of Boulanger and his adversary are fighting and effacing each other on every available wall and corner of Paris, outrivalling each other in a frenzy of coloured bills and startling declarations, accusa- tions, and refutations, and when in all probability the represen- tation of the most important Department of France will fall to the share of an adventurer, undaunted by any amount of

threatened ignominy where his personal ends are at stake, we must remember that in order to rehabilitate the haul personnel gouvernemental, it is wiser to ignore the side of the French political world that can produce such spectacles.

Henri Rochefort, Boulanger's supporter and trumpeter, is

dignified by Comte Vasili as un indigne et un ruaaneolique, and is made to assume a more heroic aspect than the tone of

his paper or his actions would lead us to invest him with. But if the fidelity of the portrait may be disputed, it is so clever as a literary achievement that we are forced to admire it as a work of art, like certain paintings which do not resemble the model, but possess the individuality of the artist's interpreta- tion thereof. It is perhaps only in his description of Jules Ferry that Comte Vasili displays heartfelt aversion and indig- nation. Of the " opportunist " and violent "anti-clerical," he paints a most injurious portrait :—

"Jules Ferry eat certainement, de tons vos hommes d'etat, eelui dont le renom eat le miens etabli a retranger. Il a occupe le pouvoir, et jamais sans remplir la France et retranger du bruit de sea actes. Le pouvoir eat le but de sa vie. ll n'a jamais rien invent—pas meme le Tonkin—mais il s'en fit rexecuteur froide- ment passionne. fl lui faut toujours tourmenter quelqu'un, lee prams, lea Chinois, on lea radicaux. 11 a ram° et le visage d'un tortionnaire. fl n'a jamais fait usage du pouvoir que pour des ceuvres de violence et de persecution L'idee de Jules Ferry, (fest le pouvoir, non pas memo pour sea charmes, male pour la faculte gull donne d'apporter atuc autres la plus grand° somme possible de vexations, de tracasseries, et d'epreuves. fl s'est tromp e de sack, il devait naltre an temps du Bas Empire. C'est In Bas Empire qu'il apportera k in France. Déjà il se pose en pretendant. Si la France doit renoncer I an Ebert& es qui serait un malheur pour le monde salter, que du moms elle se remette I In discretion d'un maitre moms indigne. Parmi lea vieux partis dont le retour serait haissable, le pire serait caul des republicains sans principes, pour qui la liberte eat une vieille guitars,' dont rautorite serait une tyrannie, la politique une serie d'aventures temeraires. Que Dieu vous garde de Jules Ferry ! "

We cannot refrain from quoting part of Comte Vasili's description of M. Chesnelong, if only as a sample of the delightful humour which pervades his work

M. Chesnelong traite avec une egale faconde tons lea sujets, bien qu'il prefere lea sujets religieux, et qu'il tienne provision d'homelies. Blois il parle avec une egale facilite de rEglise, des sucres, des acquits-I-caution, des drawbacks, il disserte sur lea finances, sur Finstruction publique, stir lea enfants, sur lea femmes, sur lea vieillards. C'est le Nestor du Senat. Nfais le Sena no suffit pas / son eloquence ; il preside une quantite innombrable de socitites, de conferences, de comites, de reunions. Ii parle partout oil Fon parle, et quand il a quitte les assembles, il parle encore I sea amis en dinant, et en se promenant, et touts parole chez lui est discours. 11 fait le desespoir des orateurs convies I prendre la parole dans une reunion qu'il preside. 11 ouvre en general la séance par une harangue d'une hours et demie. Ii present° le conferencier, il expose lea sujets, il lui trace d'avance tons lea points de son discours, il lea developpe, il lea reprend, il lea retourne. On etait venu pour (Scouter N. le duc de Broglie, et c'est N. Chesnelong peon entend ; puis quand le conferencier a profits de ressoufilement du president pour debiter son merman qu'il eat contraint d'abreger, N. Chesnelong, remis, renconforte par cette interruption, profits de rinstant oa rorateur boit son verre d'eau pour se lever, pour le remercier, pour resumer sea paroles, et il resume en dour heures un discours d'une demi-heure. D'ailleurs il parle bien, avec correction, clarte, energie. Quand il eat possede du diva oratoire (je ne puis parlor du demon I propos d'un si saint homme), son visage, naturellement colore, tourne I rincarnat le plus vif, se bouche s'humecte afin que sea paroles glissent plus rapidement, see gestes s'attiment, il frappe la tribune, il invective, il discute, il refute. 11 ne raanque I son eloquence qu'une qualite, cello d'être rare."

The French Press calls forth Comte Vasili's admiration as being characterised by a literary stamp which no other Press in the world possesses. Strangers, unfamiliar with the language and character of the nation, only see the undignified and inadequate side of French journalism, as displayed by a personal, abusive tone towards political adversaries, and the absence of "latest news." Those who are a little more versed in the French language and morals, with all due appreciation and admiratipn of the clever articles and amount of brilliant literary talent expended daily in the Temps (of which the tone is always unimpeachable), the Figaro, and other daily papers, find it difficult to overcome the disgust aroused by finding in several of these journals occasional short narratives or nouvelles which testify to a very foul imagination. It is a surprise and a shock at the same time that there should be men, and men of talent, who take pleasure in publishing each filth; but it is a still greater shock to find what appreciation they meet with, judging by the large circulation of the papers to which they contribute. Whenever a new and important paper is brought out in Paris, on the list of contributors named in the advertisements, such names as those of Armand. Sylvestre and Catulle Mendes frequently figure among the foremost. Comte Vasili does not allude, further than by a very mild remark on the liberty of the Press, to this side of French journalism, which, however, cannot be ignored, as it is not confined merely to obscure or insignificant papers.

The suppression of the Senate has frequently figured on the electoral programme of different candidates for the Chamber; but, as Comte Vasili remarks, the consent of the Senate itself is the first condition required for its suppression. Furthermore, the moderate Republicans find it to their

interest to preserve the Senate, the large Republican majority it possesses being a sort of guarantee against the enterprises of the monarchists.

It is impossible to give more than a very inadequate idea of the many brilliant and amusing passages which abound in Comte Vasili's character-sketches, whether of M. Clemenceau, " ce visage spirituel qui a toujours l'air de as moquer de in betise d'autrai ;" or of M. Floquet, "qui ressemble I ces bone professeurs I qui suffit letir autorite personnelle et qui n'ont

jamais. besoin de punir." And Comte Vasili adds Tout le caractere d'un president se revels I son coup de sonnette. Dis moi comment tu sonnes, et je to dirai comment in presides.' M. Grevy sormait majestueusement, en gros bourdon; N. Gambetta violemment, en tocsin; N. Brisson tristement, en gins funebre; M. Floquet spirituellement, en carillon."

By any one interested in the present condition and aspect of French politics, the Monde Politigue de Paris will be read with keen appreciation. It is never heavy or dull, frequently witty and brilliant, and always entertaining.