Project Gutenberg's With Zola in England, by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly

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Title: With Zola in England

Author: Ernest Alfred Vizetelly

Release Date: January 10, 2004 [EBook #10670]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH ZOLA IN ENGLAND ***

Produced by Dagny, and David Widger

WITH ZOLA IN ENGLAND

A STORY OF EXILE

TOLD BY

ERNEST ALFRED VIZETELLY

TO
VIOLETTE AND TO VICTOR
TO DORA AND TO BOTH MARIES
DEAR WIFE AND ROMPING DAUGHTER
I LOVINGLY INSCRIBE
THIS LITTLE BOOK

He begged for Light! . . Lo, Darkness fell,
And round him cast its stifling pall!
In vain he clamoured! Ev'ry Hell
Poured forth its fumes to drown his call.

He cried for Truth! . . Lo, Falsehood came,
In robes of Impudence array'd,
Polluting Patriotism's name,
Degrading Honour to a trade.

He asked for Justice! . . Lo, between
Him and the judgment-seat there rose
The Sword of Menace, ever keen
To smite the braggart War-Wolf's foes!

Light, Truth, and Justice all denied,
He struggled on 'mid threat and blow--
A brave Voice battling by his side--
Till Error's minions struck him low.

Yet is his faith not dead, nor mine:
O'er deepest gloom, o'er worst distress,
Ever the mighty Sun doth shine
Aglow with Truth and Righteousness.

The blackest clouds are rent at last;
And the divine resistless flame
Through all, some morn, its blaze shall cast,
The Wrong disclose, the Right proclaim!

E. A. V.

February 23, 1898.

[Printed in 'The Star' on the morrow of M. Zola's condemnation in Paris]

PREFACE

All that I claim for this little book, reprinted from the columns of 'The
Evening News,' is the quality of frankness. I do not desire to check or
disarm criticism, but I have a right to point out that I have performed
my work rapidly and have largely subordinated certain literary