[18] "La Débâcle," Paris, Charpentier and Fasquelle, 1892, 18mo, 620 pages; one hundred and seventy-sixth thousand in 1893; two hundred and seventh thousand in 1903. Illustrated edition: Paris, Flammarion, n. d., 4to, 527 pages; illustrations by Jeanniot; ninety copies on India, Japanese, and Dutch papers. The Bavarian Captain Tanera attacked the book in "Le Figaro," September 19, 1892, and his communication was reprinted by Lemerre, 8 pages, 8vo. Zola's answer to him, "Retour de Voyage," was also published by Lemerre, 1892, 18mo, 21 pages; forty copies printed, all numbered, those bearing odd numbers being on Dutch paper. [19] Abbreviated from Sherard, _l. c._, p. 251 _et seq._ [20] It paid him £1,400 = about $7,000. [21] "Le Docteur Pascal," Paris, Charpentier and Fasquelle, 1893, 18mo, 390 pages; some copies on special papers; eighty-eighth thousand in 1893, soon after publication; ninety-fourth thousand in 1903. [22] A translation of the address in question (made by the present writer) appeared in "The New Review," No. 50, July, 1893, under the title of "Life and Labour." Besides expounding the gospel of work, Zola answered the writers of Brunetière's _coterie_ who had started the nonsensical cry of the "bankruptcy of Science." [23] The writer holds several letters written to him by Zola at various times, expressing similar reliance on his judgment. To print them all would be to exaggerate their importance. The above will suffice as a specimen. [24] Mr. Petilleau has also been for many years President of the National Society of French Masters in England. He is French professor at Charterhouse. [25] Sir Walter himself related that when "L'Assommoir" came into his hands he sat up all night to read it, unable to put it down until he had reached the last word. [26] Vizetelly met him at Calais. [27] From a draft of the French text. [28] "National Observer": "Realist and Ranter," October 14, 1893. Pp. 551-552. [29] See notably the issues of October 14 and 28, 1903. [30] See Édouard Fournier's "L'Esprit dans l'Histoire," Paris, 1860, p. 229. XI A CRITICAL GLANCE 1893 Zola's short stories--His early novels--His sense of poetry and his realism--Poetry and science--The futility of literary dogmas--The law of change--The influence of science on literature--Why Zola became a novelist--His attitude towards life and his fellow-men--The Rougon-Macquart series--The order in which it was published and the order in which it should be read--"Rougon-Macquart" and "Robert Macaire"--A survey of the volumes--Their human and animal characters--Great variety of their contents--How they were prepared--Zola's alleged ignorance--His handwriting--His style--Some fine pages--Some blunders--Various critical remarks--The series as a whole--A living psychology--Some remarks on translations--A glance at Zola as a playwright.