The French Author and Public Relations 1635–1778

THE FRENCH AUTHOR AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 1635-1778 ROBERT FINCH When we think of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French literature, we think of authors. We forget that two literatures existed, one with authors, one without, the latter ranging from almanacs to arithmetics, from works on the care of the horse to penny dreadfuls. Printed on poor stock roughly stitched into blank blue folders, these were sold in immense numbers all over France. No privilege was required, the contents having been always in the public domain.' The corporation of printers and pu],. lishers valued this authorless literature as chief source of revenue. It had guaranteed their survival through the wars of the sixteenth century; with the coming of peace, its profits restored the printing on good paper of wellbound books, whose covers showed title and author. Damaged colleges and monasteries called for editions of the Church Fathers, erudite commentaries , reprints of the classics. A few of these were in Greek, the rest in Latin which, incidentally, in France was the language of science until 1665 and of diplomacy until 1714. Private homes called for books in French. Of these, the first half of the seventeenth century saw an increasing Bow, until, by 1675, Paris, with a population of 300,000, had ninetytwo private libraries of more than 4,000 volumes each, a number of which were by living French writers. Meanwhile, the writers themselves were meeting in groups everywhere, in Paris and the provinces. Their purpose was to renew the academic traditions held in the sixteenth century by the infonnal Academy of tl,e P!eiade, the Academy of Poetry and Music, and the Palace Academy. These had believed that, if they explored the rational diSciplines, an inspired enthusiasm would fuse their self-attained knowledge with a higher knowledge and thus enable them to improve France and, eventually , the world? The new groups of writers were aware that such notions had angered the University and that the Academicians had been dispersed by the Catholic League, which considered their status as selfappointed mystic theologians unorthodox. They were also aware that now, fifty years later, the same notions would be obnoxious to the prime minister , Richelieu, who not only was using other ideas toward the developUTQ , Volume XLDI) Number 1) Fall 1973 2 ROBERT FINCH ment of a French nation but looked with disfavour On unofficial gatherings . They therefore met in secret. Concern for the amelioration of mankind was balanced by the desire to improve their Own situation. As authors, they had no rights. The corporation gave little for a manuscript, usually stipulating that the author pay in advance for his book's production. Royalties were unheard of. Until the end of the seventeenth century, few writers dreamed of making money. Boileau condemned those who, preferring gain to inspiration, tum divine art into mercenary craft.' Corneille and Racine, because they sought to sell, were called lovers of lucre. It was taken for granted that La Bruyere should give his work to a publisher for nothing. The one author who might earn a living was the dramatist, provided he became attached to either of the two regular theatres. But these offered a pittance outright, or a fraction of reccipts, and with only two playhouses, frequent change of spectacle, an average run of two weeks, and nO means of checking takings, the dramatist was consistently cheated.' In order not to starve, he, like any other writer, had to find an additional occupation. Not a second metier, since that of author did not count. Two practices were followed. The first was to secure appointment as absentee member of an abbey or priory or both, from which, without having taken orders or made vows, the author derived a living or livings. This brought him the title of abbe, the wearing of a gentlemanly habit, and freedom to write, either independently or in a well-te-do family where he was welcome for his wit and, if need be, could augment his income. By the eighteenth century, it was a COmmOn saying that if one knocked at every house on both sides of any fashionable Paris street and asked for the abbe, he would always be forthcoming. The...