r-He weLL read mason li""-I:~I=-•I cl••'ILei,=:-,•• Dear Reader, This book was referenced in one of the 185 issues of 'The Builder' Magazine which was published between January 1915 and May 1930. To celebrate the centennial of this publication, the Pictoumasons website presents a complete set of indexed issues of the magazine. As far as the editor was able to, books which were suggested to the reader have been searched for on the internet and included in 'The Builder' library.' This is a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by one of several organizations as part of a project to make the world's books discoverable online. Wherever possible, the source and original scanner identification has been retained. Only blank pages have been removed and this header- page added. The original book has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. 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Please do not assume that a book's appearance in 'The Builder' library means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. The Webmaster ~ .. SA .L A MAN D E R • _. j . *"';:t ."f ~;..~ A NAVAL ROMANCK. , .~,:,., ~~!,)~~~7S.~~' t ,.~-J-i :lY EUGENE SUE, ,..""... ", .. TO JO'lnalus OF PAIlIS," IC MATILI)A," .. ~ D11!f0TDt" "TIll: I'I:lIIIA.S BL17EDlJU)," lI:'I'e. ,-';,.' ., r'}'i . , ~" .. all u~ ;:. ; ._ ,.' .. ~ .,'~ '" ;Y,\ '·;:.~i;8J~1 ui . TJlA.N8LATED FROM TItt FRENCH, ft ' HENRY WILLIA_!( HERBXltTt ..f~': : '-a:-~.,.~; ___ 0I' ." .a...u",.. wnu.," "~"'~C!D .......... .re. _,::-:,"~ ! ...... ,J • -'" / --i- \'L '~(-i '. .; ..~, ...... aeconliag te an Aot of OOqrell, BY :T. WINO~lId'l'lIlt., , Ia tile ... " ... of the 8.u~m Diltrict of N.w Tork, in the year 1"'. ~,1"" 1," "~I ~1 /"".IU .// ~ r... ,.: .. " .: :-11:.:- .... _ r>: ki~ ~'-i;'~' Lu)~ ~\"- ,.'_'_' -..: • ';'e" ~/ .. ~ .' ~,,:".t.'~-iJtJ.~.' - <.;,~r:\~l >:<.:1!;' I't b",.";~" •.,, Digitized by Google 10..(") Lt" -0') TRANSLA·TOR'8 PREF4Cl. IN taying beftmJ the pubHc uotber wOrk ., .... he, .... r _ BDglish dl"88l,it will be, perhapa, dMirable to.y a r.w warda ..... the work itselF in my own person. It cannot, of COU'l'8e, ~ expected that a translator Mould either ,OaiD• «rift with, or be au.weraDle for, all the ~DI of the author, whole thougbts he transposes into a language other than~ whaniD they were first embodied. Suoh an expeotadoo would be alike unreuanable, and impoaible to be realized; (or so variously are the minda of -'I men OODItituted, that it i.t rare to find-two thinkers, even of those aareeing in their general view of any subject, who will not differ irreconcilably on fifty matters or lubordi. nate detail. Much more is thii likely to be the oase, where points are iIlvolYeCI01 subtle moI:ality and metaphysical researob_'" is in some IIDrt the &aot with regard to the Salamander. It will' be seen, that, ,in his preface to this work, Mr. Sue, in reply to some attacks, previously made, on the alleged immorality of his writiDp. eaters upon a long and elaborate defence, on grounds which it is wmeces• eary here to anticipate, farther than to say, that although his arguments' are very specious, some of them appear to me to be 'exaggerated in .. preesion, and others not altogether sati~factory. In my opinion, that which constitutes the moral or immoral tendeDOy of any book dealing with scenes of vice and pasaion, is not the narrative, 80t the plot, not the fictitious story o( the hero' or heroine, but tha tone and spirit of the delineation. Thus it would be, in my opinion, a poor defance for a work, describing in. seductive and (ascinating language licentious. ness and vice--drawing the most glowing pictures of the 801\eat ain-to _y that the hero, lapped in bliss, and cradled in voluptuouan8ll, duriDg three or four octavo volu~es, is killed in the last paragraph. Digitized by Google tv While it would be a very absurd accusation against another, to show that a character who has been depicted as hideous and hateful, through the prevalence of sin-whom we loathe as we read-is rewarded in the end by the mistaken, or corrupt, admiration of the world. The truth is, Ithink, that all depends on the manner in which the vice is delineated, arid~he si~ described'; nOt 'in the rate of the·'ftOOtiousper. BODages,whom no reader supposes to have & real existence. That book which paints vice alluringly, which aims at exciting passions by warm and luseious description, which makes the sinner charming, which leads (the r__ r ato" with him in willing and well. pleased society, which,makes. you sympathize with the pleasures,.and .regret the sufferings of a corrupt and wicked character-is itself corrupt=-wtcked-c-dangerous, . and demoralizing. -When;' on.the other hand, the plan of the work is 80 managed that the reader is revolted by the sin, hates the vicious character, and feels all his sympathies excited in behalf of virtue; all his interest elicited by the good per~onages of the tale-that book is good per se, and its effect upon any mind cannot be other than good.likewise. Judged by the application of this test, t~e Salamander is, unquestiona• bly, a book of moral tendency; andJt does not, in my opinion, signify one iota whether the moral characters of the tale are the sufferers, and the guilty the successful parties :-Because, no attempt is made to palliate or justify the guilt, nor any to depreciate the virtue; becau e the bad personage is described, throughout, as positively hateful and disgusting through the very excess of his wickedness; and, because, though in the end, he is made to receive the adulation of a corrupt society, we ar clearly given to understand that the judgment is unjust, and the society corrupt; so that the judgment of the reader is in no wise affected thereby, nor his mind in any danger of demoralization. I do not"however, agree with Mr. Sue, in the idea that the work is more moral, because of the termination ;-though Iam afraid Icannot but admit that-it i more probable; for it can hardly be denied that the world, although it may frown upon crime, does, for the most part, smile on wealthy and polished vice; and, however largely it may talk of its love for virtue, does not extend consideration to humble and unostentatious merit. Digitized by Google Ta.ANSL.ATOa'S PREFACE. v 1think that the book would have been more agreeable, had the villain been made by the artist to undergo some shameful and unusual penalty; although it may be said in reply, that the impression of disgust and dis. like is left on the reader's mind the more strongly, from the very fact that he goes unpunished=-thia being, Ipresume, the result at which Mr. Sue bas aimed in the treatment or the story. There are~ perhaps, one or two seenee neither very probable nor very pleasing;' but sa much are they connected with the interest or the aarra. tive, so thoroughly are they interwoven in the tissue of the tale, that it would not have been' possible to remove or alter them, even had Ideemed it the duty of a translator to deviate intentional(y from the meaning of the author. Theae passages are, however, redeemed so nobly by the beauti. ful reflections which succeed to and arise from them; and so strikingly centrasted by the exquisite delineation of paternal affection, of pure and angelic love, and devotion the most touching and sublime, that they are, perhaps, necessary to the plan of the work i~lf. In the Salamander will be found, perhaps, the first germs of the author'. opinion and theory with regard to the puniahment and suppression of crime, and the encouragement and promotion of virtue, which have become so widely spread, and generally known, through the Mylteri81 of Paris. H. appears to have been desirous in this, and some othera of hia earlier talea, of oalling the attention of the public to the very inadequate puniahment• or, perhaps, I should rather say, the total absence of any punishment• either from the judicial tribunal, or the reprobation of society at large, for crimes of a peculiar order. And thence, Ipresume, it was hia object, having aroused indignant feelings by the exhibition of rich and courtly scoundrels, pampered, and fawned upon, and honored; while poor and homely virtue goes unfriended and unoared for; to s_uggestthoughts tend.