(No. 14.)—Bro. Victor Hugo At Home.

( No . 14 . )—BRO . VICTOR HUGO AT HOME .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JUNE 20 1863 .

Twenty years ago , when our second decade was not very far advanced , we first heard the name of Victor Hugo , and we remember Avell our boyish puns upon his name , which found expression in " you come" and " you go . " It was in 1848 that

our father , during a visit to Paris , met this distinguished Frenchman , dining once or twice at his residence . On the return home of our parent , we heard much of M . Victor Hugo—of his courtesy , his princely entertainments , aud the nobility of his

principles . At that time M . Hugo was undoubtedly—not even excepting M " , de Lamartine —the greatest man in France . Idolised by the nation as a leader , and honoured by everybody as an author , his power was almost unbounded , and

it is something to be able to add that his influence Avas exercised on behalf of universal peace and for the good of the people . The collapse of the Republic is a story which is familiar to all ; but it is due to M . Victor Hugo to say that the

termination of that epoch Avas brought about through no act of his own . He was neither identified with the vagaries of the gifted , but erratic Lamartine ,

and others of the same class , who brought the ^ Republican Government into contempt , nor , on the other hand , Avas he an adherent of the Napoleons . At the coup d ' etat M . Hugo left France , rather

than submit to the Empire , and he has ever since maintained the most determined hostility to Napoleon III ., addressing him still as " M . Louis Bonaparte . " We confess that Ave do not sympathise with this fruitless opposition to a state of

things which , on the whole , has proved highly beneficial to France ; but we can scarcely Avonder at M . Hugo's attitude , and he certainly deserves credit for relinquishing the honours which would await his submission to the reigning dynasty , in

order to maintain his principles pure and undefiled . It is not generally known that Victor Hugo belongs to the French nobility , having been created a viscount by Louis Phillippe ; but , like the late Lord Brougham , Avho Avished himself a commoner

again , and never Avould sign his name other than plain " Henry Brougham , " M . Hugo believes that

" The rank is but the guinea stamp , The man's the gowd for a' that , " and consequently he never assumes his title .

In the first instance M . Hugo took up his residence in Jersey ; but he caused some offence there by the severeness of his strictures on the meeting of Queen Victoria and the Emperor Napoleon III . at Gherburg , which resulted in his

removal to the sister island of Guernsey . As an illustration of the fact that greatness is , after all , only comparative , Ave may mention that , as we entered the harbour at Guernsey , Ave asked the reigning ruler of the quarter-deck of the

steamer if he could tell us which was Victor Hugo ' s house . His reply was , " Don ' t know him , sir—never heard his name . " This reminded me of the anecdote related by Mr . Roebuck , M . P ., of a Hampshire labourer who had never heard of the Duke of Wellington .

In Guernsey Ave met Avith some peculiar opinions with regard to M . Hugo . One old gentleman informed me " that if everybody had their rights , Victor Hugo would be King of France . " Another worthy had reason to believe that the great poet

had committed murder and was an exile to avoid execution ! Considering that there are actually Englishmen who openly pronounce "hanging too good " for Mr . Gladstone , it is not unlikely that there are in France some who would say the same

of Bro . Hugo , even though he has studied " murder as one of the fine arts , " according to De Quincey . The residence of M . Hugo has become famous throughout the world . Hauteville , or literally Higher-tovm-house , is approached through sundry narrow , dark , and disagreeable streets , and is in its front appearance exceedingly gloomy . The

first thought we had on viewing it Avas , that Mark Tapley , who never could be jolly except under the most unfavourable circumstances , would have been highly delighted with it as affording a glorious opportunity for the exercise of his peculiar forte .

The interior of the house is filled with curiosities of art and workmanship , valuable no doubt in themselves , but scarcely conducive to English ideas of comfort . From the back of the house the prospect is magnificent and calculated to imbue

even ordinary minds with great thoughts and noble purposes . If the resources of nature were needed to assist the genius of M , Hugo , here they are in perfection . The room iu which the poet has Avritten so many of his works is situated at

the top of the house Avhere , as he grasps his pen , he may look around and drink in the inspiration which God has revealed in His Avorks . Victor Hugo is a smaller man than Ave expected .