609 



SUE, EUGENE. 



SUETONIUS. 



810 



this campaign he was present at the siege of Cadiz and at the Troca- 

 dero in 1823. In 1825 he quitted the land for the sea service, visited 

 America, Asia, and the coast of the Mediterranean, during which 

 excursions he obtained that knowledge of ocean scenes and sailor life 

 which he has since described with indisputable power in his earlier 

 tales. He was present in 1828 at the battle of Navarino, on board of 

 the line-of-battle ship le Breslau. In 1829 his father died at the age 

 of sixty-nine, leaving to his son an unincumbered estate of 40,000 

 fraiics (1600/.) a year, besides a splendid museum of anatomy, valued 

 at several thousands more, bequeathed to the nation. Eugene Sue, at 

 this time in his twenty-sixth year, renounced the profession by which 

 his family had acquired so much distinction, and to which he owed 

 his fortune. His taste inclining to art, he became a painter, and in 

 that vocation entered the studio of Gudin. About the same period he 

 felt an ambition to signalise himself in literature, and this was gratified 

 by the insertion of some slight articles in the journal recently estab- 

 lished by Emile de Girardin ' le Voleur.' Encouraged by this success, 

 he began to write tales descriptive of sea adventures, publishing in 

 quick succession ' Plick et Plock,' ' Atar-Gull,' and ' la Salamandre.' 

 The two former were rejected by the trade, he therefore published 

 them at his own risk. In 1832 he had already become popular both 

 with publishers and their subscribers. But it would be quite a 

 mistake to suppose that he was an advocate of the July revolution 

 no man at that time could repudiate it more ; wherever he went he 

 was loud in denouncing it. His father's name and his private fortune 

 gave him access to the best company ; he selected the highest for his 

 cultivation, and lived among the old families of the Faubourg Saint- 

 Germain. 



Sue was one of the first to try his skill in framing those historical 

 romances which the genius of Sir Walter Scott had rendered so 

 universally popular. A new market had been opened for the purchase 

 of his, and similar fictions the newspaper feuilletons. Thus his 

 ' Latre"aurnont/ his ' Jean Cavalier,' his ' Commandeur ' were published 

 and devoured, from day to day by the public. His name had become 

 a magnetic charm in the estimation of those speculators, who had once 

 rejected his manuscript. It was presumed that so popular a name 

 was a guarantee for success in literary enterprises ; and acting on this 

 presumption, he was engaged at very high terms, having a reputation 

 for concocting vivid scenes of naval adventure, to write a ' History of 

 the French Navy.' But the speculator in this instance was disap- 

 pointed : the public bought the first volume on account of the name, 

 and refused to buy all the other volumes on account of the work. 

 From 1832 to 1840, Eugene Sue had confined himself to that class of 

 fictions, in which he had attempted to emulate, if not to rival, Fenircore 

 Cooper in sea adventures, and Sir Walter Scott in historical delinea- 

 tions. But at this period the novels of Balzac in France, and those of 

 Charles Dickens in England, had created a taste for. the novel of real 

 life, or as the French call it, le Roman de Mceurs. He therefore 

 resolved to adopt the new style, and to this change we owe ' Arthur,' 

 the 'Hotel Lambert,' and 'Mathilde,' published in 1841 and 1842. 

 Making allowance for those licences in morality, which are too fre- 

 quently found in the current French fictions as well as dramas, there 

 is a skill in the combination of the plot, and a power of description in 

 the incidents, in ' Mathilde/ which his earlier tales did not prepare the 

 reader for. The highest critical authorities have admitted that it 

 exhibits more than one of the qualities of a superior novel. It was in 

 this work that Eugene Sue first started that idea of the moral Howard, 

 going about succouring the poor, redressing wrongs, and chastising 

 the wicked, which he developed afterwards in the ' Mysteries of Paris ' 

 and the ' Wandering Jew.' These two novels originally appeared in 

 the ' Journal des Debats ' and the ' Constitutional,' occupying by their 

 great length nearly three years in the course of publication. Including 

 the interval between the conclusion of the former and the first appear- 

 ance of the latter, the whole of the four years from 1842 to 1846 was 

 taken up with these baleful writings, and the ferment and agitation of 

 the public fancy was excited to the highest degree, without respite or 

 relaxation. The original terms proposed and accepted for each of 

 these fictions, was 100,000 francs (4000Z.) ; but it is understood that 

 they were purposely extended and developed, on account of their 

 unexampled success, and much larger sums allowed for them to the 

 author. They were afterwards republished in volumes, going through 

 many editions, and being translated into most living languages. 

 ' Martin, 1'Enfant Trouve/ appeared in 1846 in the columns of the 

 ' Constitutionnel/ and ' Les Sept Pe'che's Capitaux ' in the same paper 

 in 1847-48. Perhaps the most serious censure passed on his writings 

 was that passed on this last by the author himself when he said in 

 bravado, " that he would show the fair side of all these sins ; " for 

 the work, which consists of seven separate tales, is nothing else but an 

 apology for each and all of them. The first of these tales ' Pride ' 

 is perhaps the master-piece of Eugene Sue ; the second tale ' Envy ' 

 contains one very dramatic scene; but his 'Avarice,' his 'Sloth,' &c., 

 are unworthy of his reputation. 



The ' Mysteres du Peuple,' published in 1852, is the last fiction of 

 any note produced by the pen of this voluminous writer. It is intended 

 as an exposure of all the misery and injustice to which the common 

 people of every country have been reduced in all the ages of the world. 

 After the Revolution of Feb. 1848, Sue, who had abandoned his early 

 conservative principles for extreme democratic and socialistic ones, was 



elected a representative of the Assemble'e Nationale ; but since the 

 election of Napoleon HI. he has taken no part in politics. 



SUETO'NIUS (CAIUB SUETONIUS TRANQUILLUS). The few parti- 

 culars which are known of the life of Suetonius are derived chiefly 

 from his own writings and from the epistles of his friend the younger 

 Pliny. 



The time of his birth is not known, but as he states that he was a 

 young man (adolesceus) twenty years after the death of Nero, the 

 time may be fixed approximately. Ho also says that his father was 

 Suetonius Lenis, a tribune of the thirteenth legion, and of equestrian 

 family (' Oth./ 10) ; and that he was in the battle of Bebriacum, in 

 which Otho was defeated by Vitellius. It has been remarked that the 

 name Lenis signifies the same as Tranquillus; but it is said, that 

 instead of ' Lenis/ some manuscripts have ' Lsetus.' There are extant 

 several letters from Pliny the Younger to Suetonius, the son, from 

 one of which (i. 18) it appears that Suetonius was then practising at 

 the bar. In another letter (v. 11) Pliny urges him to publish some 

 works which he had written. At the request of Pliny, Trajan granted 

 Suetonius the Jus trium liberorum, by which he obtained all the pri- 

 vileges of those who actually had children, and was freed from the 

 disabilities imposed by the Lex Julia et Papia Poppsea on those who 

 were married and had no children. He was Magister Epiatolarum to 

 Hadrian, but lost his office at the same time that Septitius Clarusi 

 who was Praefectus Praetorii, and many others, were dismissed by 

 Hadrian on the ground, which is very obscurely stated, that they had, 

 without the emperor's permission, conducted themselves towards his 

 wife, Sabina, with more familiarity than was consistent with the 

 respect due to the Imperial family. (AeL Spark, ' Hadrian,' ii.) 



Nothing more is known of Suetonius. His friend Pliny calls him. a 

 most upright and learned man, whose character rose in his estimation 

 the better he became acquainted with him. Suetonius was a volu- 

 minous writer ; a list of his works is given by Suidas (v. TpdjKv\\os) 

 as follows : one book on sports or pastimes among the Greeks ; two 

 books on Roman games and shows ; one book on the Roman year ; one 

 book on the notes or marks used in writing ; one book on the ' Res- 

 publica ' of Cicero ; a treatise on proper names, and the forms of 

 garments, shoes, and other articles of dress ; a treatise on words of 

 bad omen ; two books on Rome and its institutions and manners ; a 

 work in eight books on the Cassars from Julius Caesar to Domitian, 

 which is still extant ; and a Stem ma or Genealogy of illustrious 

 Romans. He also wrote a work on kings, in three books ; a work 

 entitled ' De Institutione Officiorum ; ' a work on the Praetors, the 

 eighth book of which is quoted by Priscian ; and a work ' De Variis 

 Rebus.' 



The only complete work of Suetonius, which is extant, is the ' Lives 

 of the Twelve Caesars/ now printed in twelve books or parts, but 

 sometimes distributed into eight books, as appears from Suidas, and 

 from several manuscripts. This work comprehends, as already 

 observed, the Caesars from C. Julius Caesar, the Dictator, to Domitian, 

 both included. It has been conjectured that the first part of the Life 

 of C. J. Caesar is wanting, because it begins rather abruptly with the 

 events of his sixteenth year; but the conjecture has nothing else to 

 support it. The biographies of Suetonius are peculiar in their con- 

 struction. He does not strictly follow the chronological order of 

 events. There is no attempt at rhetorical ornament or effect : the 

 style is characterised by correctness, brevity, precision, perspicuity, 

 and simplicity ; there are no idle words. There is an air of impartia- 

 lity about the whole work, from which a reader derives greater confi- 

 dence in the truth of the narrative, than from the laboured pictures of 

 Tacitus. Vopiscus calls him a faultless and most impartial writer, 

 and a lover of brevity. The vices of the Caesars are stated circum- 

 stantially and drily, as facts well ascertained. These biographies 

 abound in facts. Indeed their chief merit consists in being a most 

 copious source of materials. Accordingly the style has been appro- 

 priately called by La Harpe anecdotical. That Suetonius was a 

 learned Roman, as his friend Pliny states, is apparent from his work. 

 He seems to have had a competent knowledge of the antiquities and 

 the constitutions of his country. Like Tacitus, he frequently mentions 

 the legislative enactments (Senatus Cousulta) which were passed under 

 the Caesars, but neither is he nor any other Roman historian always 

 a safe guide in such matters. The work of Suetonius does not affect 

 to be historical, yet it comprehends a brief notice of all the public 

 events which happened in the life of each Caesar. It is a valuable 

 work for the early Imperial times, and if used judiciously with the 

 other authorities, it might form the basis of something like a satis- 

 factory history of this period. He consulted official documents, and 

 availed himself of sources of information which are now entirely 

 lost. 



The editions of the ' Lives of the Caesars ' are very numerous. 

 About fifteen editions were printed before 1500. The oldest edition 

 that bears a date is that of Rome, 1470, fol.,by G. A. Campani. One 

 of the best editions is that of Isaac Casaubon, fol., Paris, 1610. 

 There is a small useful edition, with a selection of notes, by J. Schild, 

 8vo, Lugd. Bat., 1647, &c. Among the other editions of Suetonius 

 are those of J. G. Graevius, Oudendorp, and Ernesti. A list of the 

 editions is given in Schweigger's ' Handbuch der Classischen Biblio- 

 graphie/ Leipzig, 1834; see also Biihr's ' Geschichte der Romischen 

 Literatur/ 1845. The ' History of the Twelve Caesars ' was translated 



