The Project Gutenberg EBook of Vautrin, by Honore de Balzac

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Title: Vautrin

Author: Honore de Balzac

Release Date: October 28, 2005 [EBook #6861]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VAUTRIN ***

Produced by Dagny; and John Bickers

VAUTRIN
A DRAMA IN FIVE ACTS

BY

HONORE DE BALZAC

Presented for the first time at the
Porte-Saint-Martin Theatre, Paris
March 14, 1840

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

It is difficult for the playwright to put himself, five days after the
first presentation of his piece, in the situation in which he felt
himself on the morning after the event; but it is still more difficult
to write a preface to _Vautrin_, to which every one has written his
own. The single utterance of the author will infallibly prove inferior
to so vast a number of divergent expressions. The report of a cannon
is never so effective as a display of fireworks.

Must the author explain his work? Its only possible commentator is M.
Frederick Lemaitre.

Must he complain of the injunction which delayed the presentation of
his play? That would be to betray ignorance of his time and country.
Petty tyranny is the besetting sin of constitutional governments; it
is thus they are disloyal to themselves, and on the other hand, who
are so cruel as the weak? The present government is a spoilt child,
and does what it likes, excepting that it fails to secure the public
weal or the public vote.

Must he proceed to prove that _Vautrin_ is as innocent a work as a
drama of Berquin's? To inquire into the morality or immorality of the
stage would imply servile submission to the stupid Prudhommes who
bring the matter in question.

Shall he attack the newspapers? He could do no more than declare that
they have verified by their conduct all he ever said about them.

Yet in the midst of the disaster which the energy of government has
caused, but which the slightest sagacity in the world might have
prevented, th