OUR CONTINENTAL CORRESPONDENCE.
PARIS, November 12, 1866.

M. PERROTIN, who has just passed away from among us, cannot be dismissed in a single line. He was de Beranger's publisher. He, like nearly all eminent men of the present day, was born on poverty's litter. His father was a chimney-sweep. He often said he had no bed, except an old bag filled with wooden shavings, until he was past eight years old. His father and mother lost him intentionally in one of their tramps. He was found by a nail-inaker weeping bitterly by the road side, and taken home. The nail-maker's wife was thrown into a fit of great ill-humor by the appearance of another mouth at their board, and she vehemently scolded her husband for his stupidity. He soon abated her anger by saying: "Old lady, Pluto is dead, you know, and this child can take his place at the wheel." Pluto was the dog who turned the nailmaker's wheel. The child was ordered to turn the wheel from morning till night. He did so until black and blue from head to foot with the blows he had received from husband and wife. Tired of the scurrilous tongue of the wife, and the black bread thrown to him as if indeed he were but Pluto, he slipped away one night. The unknown had fewer terrors for him than the known. When he was fifteen he entered the army as a private soldier, followed Napoleon to Russia, was made prisoner, and did not return to France until 1823. Young Perrotin determined to devote his attention, energy, perseverance, and knowledge of the world to the publisher's business. He had just married. His wife brought him $2,000 dowry. De Beranger was then beginning to sing. His publishers were Messrs. Beaudoin. They had not great confidence in the permanent success of the work, which was quite natural; for then the Bourbon family seemed to be firmly seated on the throne-the imperial dream had faded away apparently forever; besides, the very form of the songs appeared extremely perishable (delicacy is often mistaken for weakness). Messrs. Beaudoin Brothers were anxious to get rid of the balance of the edition which remained on their shelves. Young Perrotin had the greatest confidence in the work, and when he found the copyright on sale, offered his wife's whole dowry, $2,000, for it. Messrs. Beaudoin Brothers at once accepted the offer. Perrotin borrowed money, went to England and had engravings made to illustrate the songs. The new edition had a great sale. Perrotin advertised it everywhere, distributed as presents a great many copies to influential people, and sensibly increased the poet's reputation. Of course these transactions introduced Perrotin to de Beranger, and when the poet wrote new songs Perrotin published them. De Beranger said in after life: "I chose Perrotin because he was poor, an old soldier, and an honest man. Besides, he has filial affection for me." The government of that day feared the effect of these songs, and of the increasing popularity given them, and instituted legal proceedings against Perrotin and the poet. Each of them was sentenced to a year's imprisonment and 100f. fine. This confinement made the two friends more intimate than ever; it introduced their names to everybody in France, and gave de Beranger's work the flavor of forbidden fruit. Great as was the accession of popularity the poet received from his prosecution, the sale of his works was less than would suspect who was unacquainted with the of France at that period of time. The want PEN ANd other vehicles than carriages drawn Poems. Erade any great circulation of books, and edges, $5 50. aders in those distant days were few It may almost be said there were

then no purchasers of books, except circulating libraries. Nevertheless, the sale of de Beranger's works must have been considerable, for he left an estate of $16,000, which he could not possibly have accumulated after he made his well-known contract with Perrotin in 1834. This contract is inexplica ble. By it de Beranger sold all his works in fee simple to Perrotin, in consideration of an annuity of $160 to himself for life, and to Mlle. Judith Frère, his mistress, for life, should she survive him. How de Beranger could have consented to this sale, or how Perrotin could have accepted it, is a matter of astonishment. They both had before them accountsales for at least ten years. De Beranger had all of Dr. Franklin's shrewdness (he resembled Franklin in many particulars). Perrotin had a reputation for liberality. Nevertheless, for $3,520 paid in twenty-two annual instalments of $160, Perrotin became the owner in fee simple not only of all c de Beranger's published songs, but of his Last Songs, Biography, and Correspondence. Perrotin, now master of the works, redoubled his efforts to extend the sale and popularity of de Beranger's works. He brought out editions of all sizes, prices, and shapes. He employed the best artists to illustrate them. He made $200,000 by them, which was a great deal of money for the France of 1834-60. The copyright still belongs to his heirs, and they will probably make $600,000 or a million of dollars by it.

As soon as he found himself growing wealthy he increased de Beranger's annuity to $600, and he anticipated every wish of de Beranger, and allowed him to lack nothing, as the poet himself confesses in a letter addressed to Perrotin, in 1847: "Twelve years since, my dear Perrotin, thinking of the oblivion into which I believed my songs would speedily fall, I sold to you all my songs, written or to be written, for the modest life annuity of $160. You hesitated to accept this bargain, which seemed to you to be unfair to me. It would, indeed, have proved so with anybody but you; for, despite my predictions, as the public continued its kind feelings towards me, edition rapidly followed edition. You thereupon voluntarily, and several times, increased this annuity, which my signature gave you the right to leave at its original amount. You did even more than this. You have not ceased to lavish on me the expensive offices and the delicate attentions of an affection which I may call filial. The magnificent edition you announce to-day, although your business does not require it, is a further effect of your affection; it is a sort of artistic glory you would give my oli songs, an enterprise which I thought I ought to disapprove when I considered what expense and trouble it would put you to. (De Beranger goes on to authorize him to publish seven or eight songs which were not to appear until after the author's death; then he adds:) I hope the public will see in this petty larceny, committed on my posthumous work, nothing but a token of gratitude given by the old song-writer to his faithful servant. I add, that nearly twenty years of good feeling between a literary man and a publisher is a spectacle unfortunately so rare, since the invention of printing, we may both of us be equally proud of it."

All this is very well; still, had Perrotin the true respect for de Beranger's dignity and independence, he would have given him a proper annuity, and not supplied its deficiency by presents. When one reads an account of their relations one cannot help thinking of a showman and a favorite monkey.. who, besides his reguiar food, receives all sorts of tid-bits when his master is in good humor. Mile. Judith Frère's death preceded de Beranger's some months. Perrotin became his sole heir. The estate