[HUGO VICTOR]: (1802-1885) French Poet and Novelist. A.N. in the hand of Hugo to the heading of ...

[HUGO VICTOR]: (1802-1885) French Poet and Novelist. A.N. in the hand of Hugo to the heading of the front page of a letter addressed to him by Pauline de Melin, three pages, 8vo, Paris, 11th April, n.y. [1867/1868], in French. Hugo responds in bold black ink `R[éponse] - Oui. Lire si elle veut Les Pauvres Gens´ (Translation: "R[esponse] - Yes. read if she wants The Poor People"). Pauline de Merlin sends the letter to Hugo asking for his authorization allowing her to perform in the Cercles Plébéiens ("Plebeian Circles") Hugo´s works, stating in part `J´ose vous adresser une prière. Engagée pour jouer dans les cercles plébéiens des scènes du répertoire, je viens solliciter votre autorisation de dire quelques fragments tirés de vos puissants chefs d´oeuvre. Sans doute je serai dans les premiers jours une interprète insuffisante, mais inspirée par le souffle électrisant de votre génie, j´espère monter peu à peu mes cordes à un diapason qui satisfera votre bienveillante indulgence´ (Translation: "I dare to address a prayer to you. I have been asked to play in plebeian circles scenes from the repertoire, I come to ask your permission to perform some fragments taken from your powerful masterpieces. No doubt I will be an inadequate interpreter in the first days, but inspired by the electrifying breath of your genius, I hope to raise my strings little by little to a pitch that will satisfy your benevolent indulgence.") To the third page the letter includes two recommendations to Hugo in favour of Oauline de Melin, written and signed by Philibert Audebrand and by Jules Lermina. Small overall minor creasing and age wear, otherwise G

Philibert Audebrand (1815-1906) French Writer, Journalist and Author.

Jules Lermina (1839–1915) was a French writer.

Les Pauvres Gens ("The Poor People") is a short story by Hugo, included in his work La Légende des Siècles, 1854. The work would later be rewritten by Leo Tolstoy in Russian (1908)