12. Marquis de Sade. Cent onze Notes pour La Nouvelle Justine. Collection “Le Terrain vague,” no. IV. [Paris, 1956.] Small 4to, 158 pages (unnumbered).
III. PRINCIPAL UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS
1. Œuvres diverses (1764–1769). Contains the one-act play Le Philosophe soi-disant; the epistolary work Voyage de Hollande; various letters, couplets, etc. Until the discovery of this notebook, Sade’s earliest writing was thought to date from 1782.
2. Les Jumelles ou le Choix difficile. Two-act comedy in verse.
3. Le Prévaricateur ou le Magistrat du temps passé. Five-act comedy in verse.
4. Jeanne Laisné, ou le Siège de Beauvais. Five-act tragedy in verse.
5. L’École des jaloux ou la Folle Épreuve. One-act comedy in vers libres.
6. Le Misanthrope par amour ou Sophie et Desfrancs. Five-act comedy in vers libres.
7. Le Capricieux, ou l’Homme inégal. Five-act comedy in verse.
8. Les Antiquaires. One-act comedy in prose.
9. Henriette et Saint-Clair, ou la Force du Sang. Prose drama in five acts.
10. Franchise et Trahison. Prose drama in three acts.
11. Fanny, ou les Effets du désespoir. Prose drama in three acts.
12. La Tour mystérieuse. Opéra-comique in one act.
13. L’Union des arts ou les Ruses de l’amour. A play in alexandrines, prose and vers libres. In the Catalogue raisonné of 1788, this work was to comprise six parts and a final Divertissement. In the extant manuscript, the Divertissement and one play, La Fille malheureuse, are missing.
14. Les Fêtes de l’amitié. Two acts incorporating prose, verse, and vaudeville.
15. Adélaïde de Brunswick, princesse de Saxe, événement du XIe siècle. Novel.
IV. PRINCIPAL UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS EITHER DESTROYED OR NOT RECOVERED4
1. L’Égarement de l’infortune. Three-act prose drama.
2. Tancrède. One-act lyric play in alexandrine verse with music interspersed.
3. La Fille malheureuse. One-act comedy in prose.
4. La Fine Mouche. Tale.
5. L’Heureux Échange. Tale.
6. La Force du Sang. Tale.
7. Les Inconvénients de la pitié. Tale (first draft).
8. Les Reliques. Tale.
9. Le Curé de Prato. Tale.
10. La Marquise de Thélème. Tale (first draft).
11. Le Portefeuille d’un homme de lettres. Of this projected four-volume work, there exists eleven historiettes published by Maurice Heine, an avertissement, the Voyage de Hollande previously cited, and various fragments.
12. La Liste du Suisse. Historiette.
13. La Messe trop chère. Historiette.
14. L’Honnête Ivrogne. Historiette.
15. N’y allez jamais sans lumière. Historiette.
16. La justice vénitienne. Historiette.
17. Adélaïde de Miramas, ou le Fanatisme protestan. Historiette.
18. Les Délassements du libertin, ou la Neuvaine de Cythère.
19. Les Caprices, ou un peu de tout. Political work.
20. Les Conversations du château de Charmelle. The first draft of Les Journées de Florbelle.
21. Les Journées de Florbelle, ou la Nature dévoilée, suivies des Mémoires de l’abbé de Modose et des Aventures d’Émilie de Volnange servant de preuves aux assertions, ouvrage orné de deux cents gravures. This immense work, contained in over a hundred notebooks, according to Lely’s estimate, was burned by the police at the request and in the presence of Sade’s son, Donatien-Claude-Armand.
Notes
Notes for Must We Burn Sade? by Simone de Beauvoir
1 From Sade’s “Last Will and Testament.”—Eds.
2 The aging Sade ordering baskets of roses to be brought to him, smelling them voluptuously and soiling them afterward in the mud of the gutters with a sardonic laugh: present-day journalists have taught us how this kind of anecdote is manufactured.
3 Jean Desbordes: Le vrai visage du marquis de Sade, Paris, Nouvelle Review Critique, 1939.
4 Klossowski is surprised by the fact that Sade bore his father no ill will. But Sade did not instinctively detest authority. He admits the right of the individual to exploit and to abuse his privileges. At first, Sade, who was heir to the family fortune, fought society only on the individual, emotional level, through women: his wife and mother-in-law.
5 Aline et Valcour.
6 Philosophy in the Bedroom.
7 Since the present essay was written, it has been proved that Sade was not actually the author of Zoloé, and the French publisher of Sade’s complete works, Jean-Jacques Pauvert, has withdrawn the work from his catalogue. None the less, since Napoleon lacked the findings of this recent scholarship, it is very possible that Sade’s presumed authorship of the pamphlet did in fact contribute to his reincarceration.—Eds.
8 Sade’s confessions do not corroborate Rose Keller’s testimony on this point.
9 See especially Jean Paulhan: “The Marquis de Sade and His Accomplice,” which appears in the introductory section to The Marquis de Sade: The Complete Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Other Writings. New York, Grove Press, 1965.—Eds.
10 Philosophy in the Bedroom.
11 Ibid.
12 Aline et Valcour.
13 Cf. Sade: “. . . it is horror, villainy, the appalling which pleases; well, where are they more emphatically present than in a vitiated object? if ’tis the filthy thing which pleases in the lubricious act, then certainly the more filthy the thing, the more it should please, and it is surely much filthier in the corrupted than in the intact and perfect object.”
14 Pensée cited in Maurice Heine: Le Marquis de Sade, Paris, Gallimard, 1950.
15 It has been maintained that Sade does not endorse this statement since he puts it into the mouth of Le Chevalier. Le Chevalier, however, merely reads a text of which Dolmancé, Sade’s mouthpiece, admits he is the author.
16 This policy of all or nothing is found among present-day Communists. They repudiate bourgeois charity; and there are many who, on principle, refuse any private help to the needy.
17 The similarity with Stirner at this point is striking. Stirner also condemns “vulgar” crime and extols only that which makes for the fulfillment of the ego.
18 See Maurice Blanchot: “Sade,” in the introductory section to The Marquis de Sade, The Complete Justine.—Eds.
Notes for Reflections on the Novel (1800)
1 Edmund Wilson: The Bit Between My Teeth, A Literary Chronicle of 1950–1965. New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1965, p. 206.
2 Gilbert Lely: La Vie du Marquis de Sade, Vol. II. Paris, Librairie Gallimard, 1957, p. 277.
3 See The Marquis de Sade: The Complete Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Other Writings. New York, Grove Press, 1965, p. 133.
4 The Bastille logbook, in its entry for July 2, 1789, notes: “The Count de Sade shouted several times from the window of the Bastille that the prisoners were being slaughtered and that the people should come to liberate them.” (Ibid., p. 100.)
5 Lely, op. cit., Vol. II, p. 349.
6 Maurice Heine: Le Marquis de Sade. Paris, Librairie Gallimard, 1950, pp. 262–262. Heine relates the fate of the four remaining stories: “One (Les Filous) was reserved for possible inclusion in another work; another (Les Infortunes de la vertu) was expanded into a novel; and the two others (Séide, conte moral et philosophique and l’Epoux complaisant) were suppressed by the author.”
7 D.-A.-F. de Sade: Historiettes, Contes et Fabliaux/Dorci. Paris, Jean-Jacques Pauvert, 1957.
8 Lely: op. cit., Vol. II, p. 564.
9 Pierre Klossowski: Sade mon prochain. Paris, Éditions du Seuil, 1947.
* * *
1 The English term “novel” derives from the French nouvelle (short story) and the Latin novellus, the diminutive of novus (new). But Sade, in his etymological and historical ruminations, is referring of course to the French equivalent, that is to the term roman. It might have ma
de more sense, in translating, to use the English “romance,” a cognate of the word around which Sade theorizes. But in English this word has become too colored, and limited to a certain type of frivolous fiction. Throughout this essay, therefore, for Sade’s roman the term “novel” has been used.—Tr.
2 Actually, the various Romance languages retain in general only a few words and expressions from the language native to each region prior to the advent of the Latin. In French, less than a hundred words can be traced back to the Celtic.—Tr.
3 That is, the Merovingian and the Carolingian.—Tr.
4 Hercule is a generic name, made up of two Celtic words, Her-Coule, which means Sir-Captain. Hercoule was the name given to a general in the army, and thus there were a goodly number of Hercoules. Mythology subsequently attributed the amazing feats of several to one. (See Histoire des Celtes, by Peloutier.)
5 Founder, in 978 A.D., of the Capetian dynasty, the third dynasty of French kings which ruled, through fourteen kings in direct succession, until 1328.—Tr.
6 What tears one sheds upon reading this delightful work! How beautifully is Nature portrayed therein, and how interest is not only sustained but successively heightened! How many difficulties are overcome! Think of all the philosophers it would take to provoke that interest in a ruined girl. Would it be too much of an exaggeration to dare suggest that this work deserves the title of our finest novel? ’Twas therein Rousseau saw that, despite imprudences and oversights, a heroine could still manage to touch our hearts; and perhaps we would never have had Julie without Manon Lescaut.
7 Sade here refers to Restif de la Bretonne, whom he loathed personally as much as he loathed his works.—Tr.
8 This anecdote is the one which opens the Brigandas episode in that section of the novel Aline et Valcour which bears the title: Sainville et Léonore, and interrupts the episode of the body discovered in the tower. Those who have plagiarized this episode word for word have likewise not neglected to copy verbatim the first four lines of this anecdote, which is spoken by the chief of the Bohemians. It is therefore essential for us here to point out to those who buy novels that the works currently on sale at Pigoreau and Leroux’s bookshop under the title Valmor et Lidia, and at Clérioux and Moutardier’s under the title Alxonde et Koradin, are absolutely one and the same, and both have been plagiarized verbatim from the Sainville et Léonore episode, which forms approximately three volumes of my work entitled Aline et Valcour.
9 Sade is, of course, alluding to Justine.—Tr.
Notes for The Author of Les Crimes de l’Amour To Villeterque, Hack Writer (1803)
1 We apply the term “journalist” to an educated man, a man capable of discussing a work reasonably, of analyzing and giving an account of it with sufficient clarity to render it familiar to the reader. But whosoever has neither the intelligence nor the judgment necessary to exercise that honorable calling, whosoever compiles, prints, slanders, lies, vilifies, rants and raves—all of which he does to earn a living—that man, I say, is naught but a hack; and that man is Villeterque. (See his article of 30 Vendémiaire, Year IX.)
2 Here again, of course, Sade is referring to the allegation that he is the author of Justine.—Tr.
3 ’Tis this same contempt that compels me to remain silent with what regards that idiotic, slanderous rhapsody by one Despaxe by name, who also claimed I was the author of that infamous book which, out of deference to our moral code, we must ever refrain from mentioning. Full aware that this mischief-maker was naught but a swindler spewed forth by the Garonne and, for some ridiculous reason, come to disparage in Paris arts whereof he was completely ignorant, works he had never read, and worthy persons who ought to have joined forces and bludgeoned him to death; perfectly aware that this obscure individual, this ne’er-do-well, had with great pain given birth to a few detestable verses, solely with this perfidious object in mind, for whose results the beggar waited as though for a crust of bread, I resolved to let him languish shamefully in the humiliation and opprobrium into which his sorry scribbling had straightway cast him, fearing lest my ideas, were they to linger for even a minute upon so loathsome a creature, might be defiled. But as these gentlemen have chosen to emulate those asses which, when they are hungry, bray in unison, I have been obliged to strike out indiscriminately against them all, in order to still the racket. This, then, is what compels me to lift them for a moment, by their ears, from the slough wherein they lay expiring, so that the public may recognize them by the seal of shame upon their foreheads; after which, having rendered this service to humanity, I boot them both back into the foul sewer wherein their baseness and degradation will keep them wallowing forever.
4 The only work we have, thank God! from this scribbler’s pen is his Veilées, a work he describes as philosophic, though all it really is, is soporific. A disgusting, monotonous, wearisome collection of debris wherein the pedant, ever on his high horse, desires nothing more than to have us—stupid creature that he is—mistake his drivel for elegance, his turgid style for wit, his plagiarisms for imagination. But alas, upon reading him, all we discover are platitudes when he is himself, and bad taste when he plagiarizes others.
Notes for Florville and Courval, or The Works of Fate (1788)
1 “Ah, my friend, never try to corrupt the person you love, the situation may get out of hand,” a sensitive woman once said to the friend who was bent upon seducing her. Adorable woman, allow me to quote thine own words, they describe so aptly the soul of the woman who, a short while later, saved this same man’s life, that I should like to engrave these touching words in the temple of memory, wherein thy virtues assure thee a place.
2 Let the reader keep in mind the phrase: a woman unknown to me, in order to avoid any confusion. Florville still has further losses to endure before the veil is lifted and discovers to her the woman she saw in her dream.
Notes for The 120 Days of Sodom (1785)
1 Prior to transferring the final draft to the scroll, Sade had prepared copious notes; this doubtless explains the speed with which he transcribed the material onto the roll of paper.
2 The Marquis de Sade: The Complete Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Other Writings. New York, Grove Press, 1965, p. 144.
3 Les 120 Journées de Sodom, ou l’École du Libertinage, par le marquis de Sade. Édition critique établie sur le manuscrit original autographe par Maurice Heine, À Paris, par S et C, aux dépens des bibliophiles souscripteurs, 1931–1931.
4 Ibid.
5 Lely’s reservations center around the exaggerated emphasis Sade placed, in The 120 Days, upon the coprophilic aberration.
6 Lely, op. cit., Vol. II, p. 334.
Notes for Oxtiern, or The Misfortunes of Libertinage (1800)
1 Cited in Lely, op. cit., Vol. II, pp. 394–395.
2 In letters to Gaufridy, Sade relates that Le Jaloux corrigé ou l’École des Coquettes—which is apparently another title for the play earlier rejected by the Comédie-Française, Le Boudoir ou le Mari crédule—was accepted by Le Théâtre-Italien; that Le Criminel par vertu had been taken by Le Théâtre du Palais-Royal; and that his Atélis was accepted by Le Théâtre de la rue de Bondy. As Sade was to learn, however, there could be many a slip between the acceptance and the performance.
3 Pierre Bourdin: Correspondance inédite du marquis de Sade, de ses proches et de ses familiers. Paris, Librairie de France, 1929, p. 298.
4 Guillaume Apollinaire: L’Œuvre du Marquis de Sade. Pages choisies. Paris, Bibliothèque des Curieux, 1912, pp. 41–42.
5 Lely, op. cit., Vol. II, p. 389.
6 Which was: Oxtiern ou les Malheurs du libertinage.
7 Or eighteen, if one counts the early Le Philosophe soi-disant, which Sade did not include in his Catalogue raisonné.
8 Cited in Lely, op. cit., Vol. II, p. 390.
Notes for Ernestine, A Swedish Tale (1788)
1 Gustavus Vasa, having seen that the Roman clergy, by nature despotic and seditious, was encroaching upon Royal authority, and tha
t by its ordinary vexations was ruining the people whenever restraints were not placed upon it, introduced Protestantism into Sweden, after having restored to the people the great wealth and lands which the priests had taken from them.
2 It is worth while recalling that in this Revolution the King had cast his lot with the popular party, and that the Senators were against the King and the people.
3 Though Sade uses the terms amant and amante in referring to Herman and Ernestine, it is obvious their relationship is platonic and pristine. In translating, we have none the less used both “lover” and “paramour”; they should, however, be understood as Sade intended them.—Tr.
4 Norrköping is a wholly commercial city. Consequently, a woman such as Madame Scholtz, in a town of this kind, would, as the head of one of the most prosperous businesses in Sweden, wield considerable influence.
Notes for Bibliography
1 See the “Bibliographic des Œuvres de Sade” drawn up by Robert Valençay in Les Infortunes de la Vertu, Paris, Les Éditions du Point du Jour, 1946.
2 In a letter of March 6, 1791.
3 An earlier edition of The 120 Days, edited by Dr. Eugen Dühren, was published in 1904. The version is so riddled with errors, however, that Maurice Heine’s 1931–1935 edition must rightly figure as the original edition of this work.
4 Numbers 1 through 17 represent works mentioned in the 1788 Catalogue raisonné; numbers 18 through 20 are works seized at Sade’s publisher, Massé, on 15 Ventôse, An IX; number 21 is the projected ten-volume work burned at the Préfecture de Police after Sade’s death.
Marquis de Sade, The 120 Days of Sodom and Other Writings
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