75 - HUGO (Victor). Autograph letter to Noël Parfait. Marine Terrace [Jersey], “August 7” [1855]. 1 p. in-8, address on the back, on thin paper with faint marks, left margin trimmed short.

HUGO (Victor). Autograph letter to Noël Parfait. Marine Terrace [Jersey], “August 7” [1855]. 1 p. in-8, address on the back, on thin paper with faint marks, left margin trimmed short. HUGO REMOTELY SUPERVISED THE PRINTING OF HIS COLLECTION *LES CONTEMPLATIONS*, which was to be published in 1856. Noël Parfait, a Republican in exile in Brussels, served as an intermediary for Victor Hugo—who was in exile in Jersey (1852–1855) and then Guernsey (1855–1870)—with the printers who were producing his works in Belgium: he proved to be of great assistance both practically and literarily, as his proofreading was particularly meticulous. This letter is interesting because it demonstrates that the Belgian printing predated the Parisian printing of the first edition of *Contemplations*, whose title bears the name of the publisher Michel Lévy in Paris or, more generally, his name accompanied by that of the publisher Laurent-Antoine Pagnerre, also in Paris. “It’s quite a joke. Today I received the last two printed sheets, two sous. Isn’t this little bundle of sous amusing? So please send me the proof on the book’s paper. Perhaps it will return to its original price, one sou. I’M PLAYING ALONG WITH MRS. VICTORIA AND MR. LEOPOLD [a reference to his attempts to reduce his postage costs between Queen Victoria’s England and King Leopold I’s Belgium]. Is it being printed in Paris? How? Who’s reviewing the proofs? Is it you, dear friend? THERE ARE A FEW ERRORS ON THE FIRST PAGE, ONE SERIOUS ONE FOR WHICH I AM TRULY TO BLAME: “sort” instead of “soir” in “Lise,” the last stanza. That one will require a correction slip. IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO REPEAT THESE ERRORS IN THE PARIS EDITION. What needs to be done about this? Please let me know. Would you be so kind as to forward this very urgent letter to Hetzel [the publisher Jules Hetzel] as quickly as possible? – You are a charming man; we are very fond of you here.”