VI. Some Remarks on César Bibotteau

Balzac himself tells us that he began to write César Birotteau on November 17th, 1837, and that it was finished, printed, and published by December 15th of the same year. This leaves about a fortnight for the actual writing of the novel, but it must be remembered that the subject had been in Balzac^s mind some four years previously.

It appears that César Birotteau had a prototype called Jean Vincent Bully, perf umer and inventor of the world-famed Vinaigre de Bully, whose shop ^La reine des fleurs ' was the meeting-place of royalist conspirators before the Restoration. In 1830 his shop was sacked by the mob and he was utterly ruined. He then became an assistant in the office of the paper Rénovateur and

xxiv CÉSAR BIROTTEAU

soon after of the Quotidienne. For fifteen years he denied himself almost the necessaries of life to pay his creditors, and he died in the Hôpital de la Charité. Birotteau facing his creditors is no other than Balzac himself striving ail his life to pay off the enormous debts accumulated against him. To posterity this analogy has assumed a still higher significance, for was not Balzac, like César, called away before he could f uUy enjoy the fruits of his labours ?

W. E. DELP.

Sydenham, June, 1908.