Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A — ZCerfberr, Anatole
General
Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A — Z
Cerfberr, Anatole
Balzac, Honoré de, 1799-1850. Comédie humaine
FINOT (Andoche), managing-editor of journals and reviews, times of the
Restoration and Louis Philippe. Son of a hatter of rue du Coq (now rue
Marengo). Finot was abandoned by his father, a hard trader, and made a
poor beginning. He wrote a bombastic announcement for Popinot's
"Cephalic Oil." His first work was attending to announcements and
personals in the papers. He was invited to the Birotteau ball. Finot
was acquainted with Felix Gaudissart, who introduced him to little
Anselme, as a great promoter. He was previously on the editorial staff
of the "Courrier des Spectacles," and he had a piece performed at the
Gaite. [Cesar Birotteau.] In 1820 he ran a little theatrical paper
whose office was located on rue du Sentier. He was nephew of
Giroudeau, a captain of dragoons; was witness of the marriage of J.-J.
Rouget. [A Bachelor's Establishment.] in 1821 Finot's paper was on rue
Saint-Fiacre. Etienne Lousteau, Hector Merlin, Felicien Vernou,
Nathan, F. du Bruel and Blondet all contributed to it. Then it was
that Lucien de Rubempre made his reputation by a remarkable report of
"L'Alcade dans l'embarras," a three act drama performed at the
Panorama-Dramatique. Finot then lived on rue Feydeau. [A Distinguished
Provincial at Paris.] In 1824 he was at the Opera ball in a group of
dandies and litterateurs, which surrounded Lucien de Rubempre, who was
flirting with Esther Gobseck. [Scenes from a Courtesan's Life.] In
this year Finot was guest at an entertainment at the home of
Rabourdin, the chief of bureau, when he allowed himself to be won over
to that official's cause by his friend Chardin des Lupeaulx, who had
asked him to exert the voice of the press against Baudoyer, the rival
of Rabourdin. [The Government Clerks.] In 1825 he was present at a
breakfast given at the Rocher de Cancale, by Frederic Marest in
celebration of his entrance to the law office of Desroches; he was
also at the orgy which followed at the home of Florine. [A Start in
Life.] In 1831 Gaudissart said that his friend Finot had an income of
thirty thousand francs, that he would be councillor of state, and was
booked for a peer of France. He aspired to end up as his
"shareholder." [Gaudissart the Great.] In 1836 Finot was dining with
Blondet, his fellow-editor, and with Couture, a man about town, in a
private room of a well-known restaurant, when he heard the story of
the financial trickeries of Nucingen, wittily related by Bixiou. [The
Firm of Nucingen.] Finot concealed "a brutal nature under a mild
exterior," and his "impertinent stupidity was flecked with wit as the
bread of a laborer is flecked with garlic." [Scenes from a Courtesan's
Life.]
FIRMIANI, a respectable quadragenarian who in 1813 married the lady
who afterwards became Mme. Octave de Camps. He was unable, so it was
said, to offer her more than his name and his fortune. He was formerly
receiver-general in the department of Montenotte. He died in Greece in
1823. [Madame Firmiani.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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