Part 3

The name of Quérard, already of European reputation by his numerous writings, will one day be graven in letters of gold over the portals of every library in the French dominions, as that of the most faithful guide of the librarian devoted to the study of French Literature.[34]

An article in _La Silhouette_ for 30 January 1848, signed “Le Rat,” (_Pseud._ Auguste Vitu) imputed numerous errors to Quérard, and at the word “Rat,” in _Les Supercheries_, he reprints the article, and convicts the “Rat” of numerous errors and shows that he was right. We however cannot but consider that a work like this is not the place for a discussion, which certainly should not have occupied its pages, and doubtless in the second edition all such blemishes as these would have been removed. The Baron de Reiffenberg, though a great friend and coadjutor of Quérard, having contributed many articles to the _Supercheries_, is exposed like all the rest. Quérard says that he much regrets the task imposed upon him, but he should lose the good opinion of the shade of the Baron, if he were not conscientiously to carry out the article. No doubt if the Baron had been alive this article would have been just the same, though at the risk of losing one of his best friends.

The article on Alexandre Dumas, occupying 170 octavo pages, contains the most extraordinary disclosures of literary frauds and peccadillos ever exposed in any nation or in any age. By this article it seems that M. Alexandre Dumas has committed every imaginable literary fraud, and a great many unimaginable ones. This is only a sample, the book from beginning to end is the same, only every one it exposes or discloses is not of such world-wide renown.

In a note at p. 483, we learn that Thackeray concerned himself about M. Dumas and the length of French novels, which he satirically wishes would never end. Almost as a fulfilment of his wish M. Dumas published _Les Mémoires d’un Médecin_, which the circulating libraries announced would be in 80 volumes.[35]

Here we find that those extraordinary and popular works _Les Trois Mousquetaires_, _Vingt ans après_, _&c._, are not written by Alexandre Dumas, and much other interesting information relative to the works themselves. But disappointment borders on disgust when we learn that we have been cheated into thanking M. Dumas for _Monte Christo_.

An Index to the Article is given, and one of authors “whom M. Dumas has snatched from bad society to introduce into good;” in all 73.

Quérard began the second edition, under the following title:—_Les Supercheries L. D. G. des E. F. de toute l’Europe qui se sont déguisés sous des anagrammes, des astéronymes, des boustrophédons, des criptonymes, des initialismes, des noms littéraires, des pseudonymes facétieux et bizarres, etc., découverts ou non; des auteurs apocryphes, etc. Précédé d’un introduction intitulée “Des Supercheries littéraire anciennes et moderne, plus particulièrement en France.” Par &c. avec le concours de bibliothécaires et bibliophile Français Belges, Suisses, etc._ But death carried him off when the first part only was published. The articles instead of 9430 would have been about 30,000.[36]

There is probably no necessity for a work on literary frauds in so caustic a style as Quérard’s, but that there is ample scope for such a work in English literature there cannot be the least doubt. Some of our pseudonyms are the most grotesque, some are harmless, some absurd, and some infamous.[37]

We trust that the second edition of the Supercheries will be taken up by one of France’s numerous talented bibliographers. But do not let it be an expurgated edition; if there are passages which the editor might think would be better softened down let him not touch it. Let Quérard speak. The editing should be confined to revision and correction. The reflections in the second cannot be more severe than in the first edition, and the worst complaint he had was only that of a second-rate writer, who said that Quérard had falsely ascribed a pseudonym to him, which was partly true. Quérard himself says:—“_L’Auteur tenait beaucoup, et non sans raison, à publier lui-même ses matériaux si laborieusement rassemblés, et, qui pouvaient plus tard tomber en des mains étrangères à la science de toute sa vie qui n’hésiteraient pourtant point à les éditer, malgré la conviction de n’y rien entendre, si nous pouvons en juger par ce qui se passe journellement sous nos yeux._”[38]

So entirely was he absorbed by his laborious studies that our learned bibliographer never gave his own interests present or future a passing thought, so that from the time when he first made known his talents to the world in 1827, up to the date of his death he was constantly in a most precarious position. The years 1845 and 1854 were worse than any others.

In 1845, the brothers Daguin, publishers of the _Littérature Française contemporaine_, bought a number of French classics, expurgated in favor of the methodist protestants, which swallowed up the capital their father had left them two years before. One of them seeing that the bankruptcy of the firm was imminent (it effectually disappeared the same year) put himself in a position to continue the _Littérature contemp._, though without the slightest knowledge or preparatory study, required for such a work, of which in fact he was only the publisher. The agreement Quérard had made with him in good faith, but which was only an extract of one Messrs. Didot had imposed upon him, received a most perfidious interpretation, as we have seen above, for the author was unjustly though legally deprived of the result of his own labors: of the emanation of his brain. He appealed, but only made the case worse, the judges confirmed the award of the arbitrator, and mulcted him not only in damages and interest, but in the costs with a stipulation that he was to be arrested if he did not pay. M. F. Daguin desirous that every one should know the sort of man he was, pressed Quérard with unheard of severity, and pushed his barbarity so far as to get him condemned to five years imprisonment at Clichy. Luckily the information had been improperly laid; there was a flaw in the instructions, and Quérard was freed after _only_ three months imprisonment. But he had to pay this man who had deprived him of his means of living, 1600 francs, more than he received for editing a volume and a half of his work. The cowardly indignities of the publisher, who in one of his letters has the impudent hypocrisy to say that he had been lenient with Quérard, and had not prosecuted him to the utmost rigor of the law, did not cease there. Knowing that he had effectually deprived our bibliographer of every means of establishing his rights, he put the finishing stroke to his perfidy. In the preface of Vol. VI. of _La France Littéraire_, Quérard promised a supplement to that work when finished, to include all additions and corrections, from 1700 to 1842. To deprive him of this resource, the publisher no sooner possessed himself of _La Litt. Française Contemporaine_ than he altered its plan, and introduced additions which _were totally out of place_. Then the _Supercheries_ and the XI. Vol. of _La France Littéraire_ appeared, and as each new part was published, so was it pillaged to ameliorate and supply the defects of the publisher’s book. Thus nearly 1200 articles whether belonging to the original plan or not of _La Littérature contemporaine_ were stolen from the former to enrich the latter. The only answer to the author’s complaints was that “_Les Supercheries_ of Quérard belonged to everybody!”

_Un Feuillet pour les Supercheries littéraires dévoilées de Quérard; par S. P. Y. de Moscou_ [_Serge Poltoratzky_] _et J.-M. Quérard_. In _Bibliographie de la France, XXXVII. année. Paris. Pillet aîné, 1848._ 8ᵛᵒ.

(XIV.)—_Bibliographie la Mennaisienne. Notice Bibliographique des ouvrages de M. de la Mennais, de leurs réfutations, de leurs apologies, et des biographes de cet écrivain. Troisième édition augmenté. 1850; 2 fr. 50 c. (1st ed. 1849; 149.)_

This pamphlet was extracted from the SUPERCHERIES, with additions.

The Biographie La Mennaisienne presents a lamentable spectacle. We have a Priest, first orthodox, then sincere, and anon gradually inclining towards apostacy and impiety, choked with pride and spleen, up to the very day when the verse of Tartuffe could be applied to him:—

“Voilà je vous l’avoue, un abominable homme.”[39]

(XV.)—_Omissions et bévues du livre intitulé “La Littérature Française Contemporaine,” par M. M. Louandre et F. Bourquelot, ou Correctif de cet ouvrage, avec cette épigraphe: Male parta, male dilabuntur. (Première livraison). (Bon.-Chr.)_ 1848, 8ᵛᵒ.; _xx._ 33, 2 fr.; L. P. 4 fr. Double columns, with two lithographs.

_Réponse aux calomnies que M. Quérard a dirigées contre moi dans son dernier pamphlet intitulé Omissions et bévues de la L. F. C. (signed F. Daguin.) Paris._ 1848; 8ᵛᵒ.

M. Félix Daguin, after having agreed with M. Quérard for the continuation of his FRANCE LITTÉRAIRE broke his agreement without any real (or rather avowable) motive and then obtained the services of M. M. Louandre, and Bourquelot, men of talent. M. Quérard’s absence however very soon became apparent. Everybody had not his intrepid capacity for exploration, nor his incessant desire for exactitude, qualities which no vices of editorship can obscure. M. Quérard attributes the errors in the continuation of his work to the publisher, rather than to the gentlemen who edit it. He takes up the work where he left it, and carries on his revision slowly but surely. The errata of the second volume is perfectly frightful. It is evidence to which there is no reply. To an argument of this kind there is no opposition but silence.[40]

(XVI.)—_Encyclopédie du Bibliothécaire. Prospectus 1850._ Another under this title:—_Encyclopédie du B. de l’homme d’études et du bibliophile Français. Dernier Prospectus—spécimen 1851; r. 8; 24._ We then have 8 pages of the names of 382 subscribers; he had eventually 800, but had determined not to publish under 1000.

This is a work so vast that the life of one man would have been insufficient to execute it unaided. A long list of co-editors is given, comprising all the bibliographical talent of France.

This prospectus suggested M. M. Denis and Pinçon the idea of their very excellent _Nouvel Manuel de Bibliographie Universelle. Paris._ 1857; 8ᵛᵒ. A microscopical miniature of the one Quérard dreamt of, and one day would have published, we believe, had he lived. A comparison with the table of Brunet’s great work will generally prove to the advantage of the former. It was to have been in 15 royal octavo volumes, of about 800 pages each, double columns, with engravings; six specimen portraits are given in this prospectus; each volume 25 francs.

(XVII.)—_Notice des travaux Bibliographiques de M. J.-M. Quérard, de Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), (né le 25 Décembre 1797), avec les jugements portés par les critiques._ No title-page. _Paris_, 1850; 32. Includes Nos. II., VII., X., XII., XIII. There are thirteen pages of critiques on this work quoted. XIV., five pages of critiques quoted, and XVI.

(XVIII.)—_Les Plagiats Reiffenbergiens dévoilés. Extrait du tome IV. des “Supercheries Littéraires.” Paris._ 1851; 8ᵛᵒ. 39; 2 francs. Only 50 copies printed.

(XIX.)—_Notice sur les études littéraires, historiques et bibliographiques, de M. Bajot. Paris._ 1852; 8ᵛᵒ.; 16.

(XX.)—_Notice sur M. Serge Poltoratzky bibliophile et bibliographe russe, membre honoraire de la Bibliothèque Impériale publique de Saint-Pétersbourg. Paris, imprimerie de W. Remquet et Cie. successeurs de P. Renouard, rue Garancière, No. 5, Novembre 1854; 20. Signed J.-M. Quérard._ Only 100 copies printed. An extract from Vol. XI. of L. F. L. Not in double columns.

_Moucherat de Longpré. Problème littéraire definitivement résolu en 1854, par M. Quérard._[41] An article upon this subject by that noble-minded Russian, M. Serge Poltoratzky.

In 1854, the son of a man of ninety-three having disputed the right of the author of _Les supercheries littéraires dévoilées_, to extract from the _Moniteur_ of the time a notice of his father, delayed judgment for two years, and prevented the completion of Quérard’s work, and finally imposed upon him the circulation of an extra sheet containing an historical falsehood. Not only was the printing suspended, but the printers who were pestered by the incessant demands of the son, wanted to be rid of so troublesome a customer as Quérard. They therefore required an authority to receive for _three years_ the pension allowed the bibliographer by the minister of public instruction, to cover the expenses of printing which were then due. It was then, when deprived of every means of support, as he had been in 1845, always of course reckoning on the sympathy of his habitual readers, that he founded in 1855 a bibliographical Journal entitled after his own name:—

(XXI.)—_Le Quérard. Archives d’histoire littéraire de biographie et de bibliographie française. Complément périodique de la France littéraire. Par l’auteur de La France Littéraire, des Supercheries Littéraires Dévoilées, etc. etc. (Mottoes:)—Arrière, camarades et ereinteurs; mais à nous les hommes de vrai savoir et de conscience.—Ceci est un livre de bonne foi.—Montaigne. Paris, au bureau du Journal, passage Dauphine, escalier_ H. 1855-6; 8ᵛᵒ; 587—II. 648. The index, pages 645 to 648, vol. II., is frequently wanting. This, unfortunately, turned out another bad speculation for its unlucky editor. An article of several pages is devoted to this journal, in the _Bulletin du Bib. Belge_, XI. 145; 246, XII., 151.

As this work is almost a supplement to his others, and contains some valuable articles not elsewhere, we give a summary:—

Les Bridel, I. 88. by Ph. Bridel.—La Bibliographie devant les Tribunaux M. de Saint-Albin v. Quérard p. 183.—Bibliothèque des frères Gébéodé.—Coup d’œil retrospectif sur le Zombi du Grand-Pérou, p. 187. II: 328. Livres intéressants pour la France dans la Bibliotheca Grenvillana, p. 189. Les Aventures de Faublas, 388. Sur les Mélanges publiés par la Philobiblion Society, London, 374. Remon Sebon, 447. Indiscrétions d’un vieux bibliographe. Additions aux Supercheries Littéraires Dévoilées, 451. Anagramme et Cryptonyme (Blocquel), 553. Du Catalogue Fortsas, 537, & II., 11. Pourquoi une souscription Quérard, 542. Vol. II. Sur la Famille d’Honoré Balzac, 7. Charles Dickens, Fautes d’impressions, 12. Ouvrages de Quérard 49, 643. Etat des livres et des Bibliothèques avant l’invention de l’imprimerie, 45. Recherches sur quelques écrivains ridicules, 1, Pierre le Loyer—2, Ch.-Joseph de Grave, 3, Le P. Maimbourg, 4, Les théologiens jésuites d’Ingolstadt du XVIe siècle, 49. Technologie Bibliographique, ou vocabulaire de la Bibliographie érudite, 154. Feuillets de l’Encyclopédie inédite du Bibliothécaire. Marguerite d’Autriche, Gœthe, 163. France. Academies, 317. Marie Antoinette d’Autriche, 401-479. Charlotte Corday, 440. De Stael, 507. Montaigne. 522. Biographie, Garneau, Historien de Canada, 172. Le Comte Falloux du Coudray, 241. Les contes de Perrault, 251. L. Curmer, 267. De Tribus Impostoribus, 270. “Le Portrait du Loquettes,” 275. H.-L. Wolff de Spa, 275. George de Tours, 301. Bibliothèque de Racine; de Grolier; de Napoleon, 394. Jean Paul Marat, 489. M. Jozon d’Erquar, 488. Les Clubs de Bibliophiles en Angleterre et les bibliothèques particulières de Londres, 550. La Roumanie, 567. La Famille Guizot, 601.[42]

In _Le Quérard_, he seems first to have used the anagram “d’Erquar,” after a capital explanation of his reasons for publishing parts of the _Encyclopédie_. He uses it again (Vol. 2. 488) to supplement the monograph of Charlotte Corday. We fancy we trace Quérard’s style in other articles, and it is probable that he used other signatures; thus he quietly indulged sometimes in a little self-adulation, which did no harm, and was probably a source of considerable amusement and satisfaction to him.

Unfortunately from the first year it had not the success Quérard required to clear him of his embarrassments. This last reverse induced him to make another attempt with the minister of public instruction. M. H. Fortoul, who was fond of, and sympathised with the industrious, received the timid petitioner, who lived only in his study, and who was much disconcerted by his visit to the Minister, with great kindness. M. Fortoul spontaneously suggested to him that his right place was in one of the libraries of Paris, and promised to give it his serious consideration on the first vacancy. But M. H. Fortoul died:[43] there was nobody to keep the promise he had made. Our unfortunate bibliographer had still to wait and still to suffer! And he did. He waited and suffered to the last.[44]

M. Beriat-Saint-Prix had compassion on the unfortunate and precarious position of our bibliographer, and one of the most worthy publishers of Paris, whose father of old had put fortune in Quérard’s way by sending him to Austria as an agent, M. Hector Bossange, took the initiative at the beginning of 1855 of a subscription in favor of him, who for upwards of thirty years rendered a service by his estimable labors, not only to literature, but to the literary establishments of every country, and who was yet left without reward. M. Bossange was fortunate enough to make Messrs. Didot brothers and J.-B Baillière join in his sympathy, and the announcement of the subscription was sent forth. M. Bossange, who from the year 1825 always gave Quérard proofs of his esteem and friendship, put his whole soul and prodigious activity to endeavor to make it a success. Truly never was bibliographer the subject of so flattering an ovation. In this subscription which was only got up with the view of asking the aid of French publishers, librarians joined with bibliophiles and foreign librarians; and in the list of those who gave Quérard evidence of their regard, we read the names of Germans, Americans, Spaniards, English, Belgians, Danes, Italians and Russians. The absence of several names is remarkable. For instance the library of the _Bibliothèque Impériale_ of Paris is not represented by a single man, whilst in this list we read the names of three Librarians of the British Museum,[45] one of the Astor Library of New York, one of Moscow, and several others; this was unpatriotic, and in flagrant bad taste, to a man whose works had frequently assisted their learning when at fault. The name of the author of the “_Manuel du Libraire_” is conspicuous by its absence.

Quérard now thought he was rid of his embarrassments, but he had not reckoned upon that fatality which seemed to attach to him. The subscription was not yet closed when another misfortune struck him. Under the insignificant pretext of a confusion of names, which neither affected his influence nor his interests, a pious writer who wished to occupy the public mind with himself, summoned our bibliographer before the court for this error, which offended his vanity. This devout man consecrated a fraud, of which he had been guilty, and obtained against our poor bibliographer a decree and costs which amounted to 2000 francs! to be deducted from the subscription already reduced one-half by the debts of the journal _Le Quérard_.

Have we now sufficiently justified the title, as applied to the national bibliograph of France, of “A Martyr to Bibliography?”

(XXII.)—_M. le Baron Modeste de Korff, directeur en Chef de la Bibliothèque Impériale publique de Saint Petersbourg._ 1856; 8ᵛᵒ; 8.

He sometimes spells Korff—Korf.

(XXIII.)—_La Famille Guizot. Monographie bibliographique. Paris. L’auteur, rue Mazarine 27._ 1857; 8ᵛᵒ; 32.

Notices extracted from _Le Quérard_, and signed by Quérard.

(XXIV.)—_Un Martyr de la Bibliographie. Notice sur la vie et les travaux de J.-M. Quérard, auteur de la F. L., Supercheries L. D. etc., etc., suivie de la liste générale des personnes qui, en Europe et en Amérique, ont pris part à la souscription Quérard en 1855. (Extrait du tome XI. de la France Littéraire) Paris, l’éditeur, rue Mazarine, 27._ 1857; 8ᵛᵒ; 15 + 8.

The “notice” begins on page 5, and ends at 15, and is subscribed:—_Un compatriote et ami du Bibliographe Mar Jozon d’Erquar_ [anagram of Quérard]; then follows:—_Pièces dans la souscription-Quérard lettre des Promoteurs_.

It is signed _Ambroise-Firmin Didot, J.-B. Baillière, Hector Bossange et fils. Dated, Paris, 15 Nov., 1855._ From the _Feuilleton de la Bibliographie, de la France, 23 Nov., 1855_. Then follows:—_Pourquoi une souscription Quérard?_ signed by the latter and extracted from _Le Quérard_ of Dec. 1855. We then have:—_Liste générale de M. M. les libraires, bibliophiles littérateurs et bibliothécaires de l’Europe et de l’Amérique qui ont pris part à la souscription proposée par M. M. F. Didot, J.-B. Baillière, et H. Bossange et fils, en faveur du Bibliographe Français J.-M. Q. pp. 8_.

It is headed by the Emperor of the French 500 francs. The last name is “Watts (Thomas).” It amounts to nearly 4,500 francs.

(XXV.)—_Une question d’histoire littéraire résolue. Réfutation du paradoxe bibliographique de M. R. Chantelauze: le comte Joseph de Maistre auteur de “L’antidote au congrès de Rastadt.” Par l’auteur des S. L. D. Paris, l’auteur, rue Mazarine, 27. Lyon: Marius Conchon, libraire, rue Impériale, 15. 16 Juillet._ 1859; 42. Not in double columns.

Notice on _La vie et ouvrages du P. N. Grose. Par le P. A. A. Cadrès._ _Paris_, 1862, in the _Bulletin du Bouquiniste_ of Aubry. Paris, 8ᵛᵒ. p. 202.

He continued the _Feuillets de l’Encyclopédie (inédite) du Bibliothécaire_ (_E. H. A. Gaullieur_) in the _Bulletin du Bouquiniste_ of Aubrey. Paris, 1863, p. 371, et seq.

(XXVI.)—_Retouches au nouveau Dictionnaire des Ouvrages Anonymes et Pseudonymes de M. E. De Manne par l’auteur Des Supercheries Littéraires dévoilées. Paris, chez l’auteur, Quai Saint-Michel, 21. Juillet, 1862_; 8ᵛᵒ; VIII. 46 double columns, 4 francs. De Manne’s came out in May.

We advise any one who wishes to get an idea of these corrections to go through the six pages of errata at the end. Well may Quérard call De Manne an amateur bibliograph, when he allows such errors and defects to appear.

Dr. Petzholdt praises these “Retouches” very highly.[46]

“As for the Dictionary of M. de Manne, the “Retouches” comprises a table of authors, and a considerable errata of great ability, which will be precious for those who possess the work. This shows that M. Quérard does not consider the work of De Manne beneath his notice, as he takes the trouble to make it complete.”[47]

(XXVII.)—_Monographie Bibliographique._ (Half-title). _Les Robespierre. Monographie Bibliographique. Par J.-M. Q. Paris: L’Éditeur, Quai Saint-Michel, No. 21. Mars, 1863. 8ᵛᵒ; 44; 4 francs._ Double columns. It has no index.

Extracted from Vol. XII. of _La France Littéraire_. 100 copies printed. Comprises 320 articles.

“A little masterpiece, the perusal of which will greatly interest amateurs of historical researches. M. Quérard does not limit himself to the titles of books, he considers it necessary to know the contents. Thus arise certain prejudices against him. If he had written in more measured terms of authors his superior merit as a bibliographer would, we doubt not, be generally appreciated; for to him we owe several works which are among the best published in France.”[48]