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    THE SALE OF ZOLA'S BOOKS * Vizetelly On ...

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    '•Jmfcft __ . ¦ - '¦ . - -. - -- ~ ¦ - ¦...

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    . \ 1348 The Publishers Circular jcow * ,. * 8 g $

    The Sale Of Zola's Books * Vizetelly On ...

    THE SALE OF ZOLA'S BOOKS * Vizetelly On October surrendered 31 , before to the his Becorder recognisances , Mr . ^ fe & ry to

    answer an indictment charging him with pub-I the lishing subj an ect ob -matter scene libel of . the The indictment book which was formed an

    English translation of a French novel , aid entitled The Soil / The Solicitor-GeneralMr . Polandand Mr .

    , , Asquith conducted the prosecution ; Mr . B . F , Williams , Q . C ., and Mr . Oluer were counsel for

    the defence . The Solicitor-General , in opening the case , referred to the case of * The Queen v . Hicklin' in

    which Lord Chief Justice Oockburn laid it down , that the test of obscenity was whether the 1 tendency " — - ^^ ~ — ^ k * g of the - ^ ¦ ^ ^ h matt - ^ ^ — - ^^ er ^ v ^^ b charged ^ m ^ *»^ " ^^^ W ^^» ^ H ^ h ~^^ ^«^ n ^ ¦ as ^ . V ^ P *^^ obscenity ~| ~ ^^^ ^^|^ ^^ ^¦ mm * 9 ^^^ m > ^ " * ^^» was ~ ^^ r- ^^^^

    to deprave and corrupt those whose minds wereopen to such immoral influences and into whose hands the publication miht fall . In that ^ case a

    g Protestant society had collected and published ' certain passages from Roman Catholic books , with the ¦ object ¦ -mr -mw of calling vmk attention rffe to the

    - - — — —— — —— ^^ — - ' - ^ -m ^ - *» . ^ ^^ *^^ r a ^ w -m ^^^^^^ v *^ »* ^ m ^ ^^» * F ^^ ^^ ^^ V ^^ ^^ ^ — - ^^ supposed errors of fcjie Eomish Church ; but it was held that the object of the publication had

    nothing to do with the matter . The Solicitor-General pointed out also that it had been held

    that if anyone published a report of the case containing the lained of he

    wotild be liable to passages be proceeded comp against , and tne the fact tact th that at it it was was merely merelv the the rep renort ort of of the the

    case would not be a justification . He would read the tne extracts extracts trom from the the book book complained comr ) lained of of . and and if if

    anyone took the opportunity of publishing , the passages in a report of the caseor otherwisethe

    , person doing so would be plainl , y liable to , the same ^ penalty ry " — —— — — / as *¦¦* " ^^ the »• " - " ¦ ^ i ^ defendant ¦* - «* ^^ ^ b _ ^^ ^ «¦ x ^» K ^ V » Tr ^^ if Jk *• the VAJ , ^^ verdict » ^^ A > ^ . ^ . » , X ^ W ^

    say look shoul that at d be the if adverse passages they saw to him complained in . a It volume was of for . one He the isolated did jury not to

    passage of an immoral tendency that would be lisher a sufficient of the justification book as being for guilty indicting of the a misde pub - -

    in meanour works . of Undoubtedly a medical kind there , intended might be for passages perusal

    of or medical medical men men and and students students , which which would wonIrl not not be h *> collected subject — — — ~— — - ~ - to in —— a a » prosecution *— book •« - v *^ r —« . and vw « . j » . *^» , published m , but v * m ^ ^ . a . fcj , if Jkjivx the ^ - ^ for xvi ¦ passages , the ij . a \_/ purpose m * J ttX were Mv / Ov

    indictment readers of ministering they . would It - to had Mt the undoubtedl been depraved suggested t y be taste subject that of in casual to our an

    ™^ ^* ~~ ~ w - ~ - *• . M , ^^ -- *~* . v ^ -r v ^ ^ - * jl * p K- » v ^ te ^ ;_ v «/ k ^ */ v > ^> fc vi . J C ^ V l ^ JL A . JL \_/ LAX literature and in that of other countries there were great works whose authors were ised

    tained as _ being certain king V s immora f cfc in literature l and is indecent , which % expressions works recogn

    con-, _ ___ _ „_ _ . .. « . . •__»¦» - »_ . _> w _ , _ v « . m v . _ JLA ^ ViWVVAi . J V _»__ , Iw / JL V ^ OOlVliOi . Jt that tnat was of 01 true two two that or or three three in our hundre hundre literature d d veara , s especially a . cm . there t , hp > in rp yearago

    , .. were iud judgment e : ment passages as as to to what what which was was might nt fit tor for conflict circulation circulation with but but their that that

    , had was been entirel deal y a t different with in the question case of , and 'The one , , Queen which v . Hicklin f / where the ^ suggestion was ff MIU dismissed

    , -- — -w . -w « . _» - ^ » J «_» g ^ wl »» VIJ . VTJLJ . UIOIUIOO ^ U as CM / iJ being objection no , excuse it would . If not there in was the least anything degre in e the be appncaoie applicable to to the the hlthy filthv book book which which hp he hplrf held in in his "his

    taken hand which . from had It been was diffe ¦ ¦ rent chosen not parta one , but , two of vi they , the or had three work 21 passages in passages ,

    several fore tion , them some ™ T ~ of * — ' ——— its of of --. « . pages . them - a .. » .-w . « book - > - /** . long s Y ~* written There % ^ iJk . t passages /* L > . was with uai \^ , no extending fy a question -rm ~ wholesome H . XJLX \ ques M over UlvSO be - -

    purpose of teaching or with an innocent purpose of _ , — amusing . ^ ^ to ~ p- ^ , end « , « . ^ , t r ^ > u *^ . t w this ^ a ^ . a «^ book p ^ x ^ V ^ AA . was WTIAO'JUAVM Qlthy J from JL A V / JLJJL begin > fl * fi £ * * P - ,

    ning . He did not believe there was ever ( collected tial between scenit 3 was covers found of a book the so much

    k \ - ^ ° ^ y ain page s of

    comp this book lained , and of , he after thought he had the ^ iead jury wouLd the passages be of opinion that every There sy | J lM !§ le of not wliat he had said in

    was it which justified contained . any frfeerary ^ s genius a passage or tbe exa pression sinerle scene of any described elevated which thought could . There be was pointed not

    to as being free from vicious suggestions and o ^ sceiie JXLJ Mr . . William VV expressions XlHaillB s » said aiU . that VjIUXV iixo his ujlicuu client , , acting auviug u "MW pon "

    bis advice , desired to withdraw Ms plea of ' Kot guilty these , books ' and . to p There lead was Guilty no ' doubt to having that published the work

    which formed the subject-matter of the indicteven intimated ment in contained the were discharge very passages of disgusting a publi which c and duty the unp to jury have leasant had to

    listen to . He would remind his Lordship that these works were works of a great French author .

    The , Solicitor-General : A voluminous French author .

    The Mt . William Recorder s : : Of A popular an author French who author ranks . high k * the literary men IT of France . Mr . Vizetelly - — — - __

    had among ^^^^^^^ 4 ^^ ^^ pleaded ^^ K «^ 4 ^^» ^^ ^^ ^ W ^^ guilty ^^^ k ^ ^ Jh V ~ ¦ ~ to ^ * this ^^ ^ P * ^ i ^ charge ^ ^»^ f ^^ t ^^^ V ^ V , and ^ - ^^—^^ ^ therefore - _— — — ^ . it v was v « imf not for him to contend fc that hnr these ¦ works - ~~~ ~—*¦* ^ ^ ^^^ 1 * ^^ r ^^ «^ ^/ ^ k J ^^ k ^^ # b ^»^ v ^^ ^^ r ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ v ^ ^^ r ^^ ^ f ^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^ ' ^^ ^^ ^ " ^ ' — ' — —

    were not obscene . That being so , Mr . Vizetelly would undertake at once to withdraw all those

    translations of M . Zola ' s works from circulation . Fora long time these , works had been

    publishedone of them had been published for four years without any intimation that there was any

    objection to it . This book , ' The Soil , ' had been prosecution published V for was a instituted , year or no more exception , and until was taken this

    Jll f ^^ ^ i ^ * - ^ ^^^ ^^ T WW ^^ ^» ^^^ ^ fc ^ M V V ^^ MT ^^ ^ k ^ b ^^ V ^^ ^ ^^ Vtf ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^ b ^^ ^^ T ^ |^ ^ fr ^ k ^^^ ^ fe ^ H ^^ V ^» ^| T ^^^^^^ * * ^ n~— ^ ^ r ^ — ^^ — , to the publication of it . He understood that the Solicitor-General did not ask that any

    imprisonment should be inflicted . The Solicitor-General was very glad that a

    course had been taken which not only would result in stopping the circulation of the books in questionbut which carried with it an

    undertaking that , Mr . Vizetelly would be no party to the circulation of other works of M . Zola . He would like to point out that after this warning

    proceedings under the Act of Parliament would be taken in the event of any other person attempting to circulate these books . The question

    of punishment was for the Court , but he did not ask that Mr . Vizetelly should be sent to prison . Mr . Vizetelly asked that witnesses might be

    called to speak to his character * but The Recorder said it was not necessary . The Recorderaddressing Mr . Vizetellysaid :

    There is a great distinction , between this case , and ' The Queen v . Hicklin —~ - ^™ . ' There the object of

    — ™ —^ BB ^™~ ¦ ~^"" - *^ ¦¦ ~ r " ^^ ^^ r * v »« . » ^^ ^^ W ^ - ^^ m ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ h ¦ ' ^¦^ ^ w ^ i - ^^ - —1 | — - ^^ ^^ ^ f ^^ ' ^^ ^ the publication was po doubt extremely good , but it was held , and very properly so , to be

    no answer . This book has been published for the sake of gain , and it is not necessary for me to say that " m— ~— ^~^ ^ v it r ~ ^* was " * ^ ^ i ¦ deliberatel ^ i ^^ i . ^^^ ^^ ^ w «^^ r- ^^^ « . v ^ t ^^ p w —i . ~ ^ n y v done ^ b ^^ b ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ in ^ ni a . . ^ order — ~ qvp . ^^ ib ^ i ~ i ^ to ^^ ^^^ deprave ^»^^ b . ^ b' B ^* *¦* ^ # ^ F V ^ v ^

    the minds of persons who might read the books . In my opinion they are of the most repulsive description . They are not of a seductive or a

    fanciful character , but repulsive and revolting to a the good last character degree . ^ Therefore -which you , when say and a man which who I has am

    quite prepared to admiji you deserve—finds that the opinion is entertained by the authorities that they otherwise otherwis are of than thftfi this p / srnrft descri « n himself hi p mself tion , he as as . could hav havft jnot e don ilnne do e

    and undertake , to express withdraw them from you Circulation , Tha The t sentence is the great / is that object of be » ueh fined art ^ inquiry 100 ancl as enter this .

    into your own recognisances you in £ 20 (> to kefei ) the

    peac « and to We of good behayi ^ nr «^> r 12 montliB . .

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), Nov. 1, 1888, page 1348, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_01111888/page/10/