Chancery Lane, Aug. 1850.
MINOR NOTES.
Poem by Malherbe (Vol. ii., p. 104.).—Possibly your correspondent MR. SINGER may not be aware of the fact that the beauty of the fourth stanza of Malherbe's Ode on the Death of Rosette Duperrier is owing to a typographical error. The poet had written in his MS.—
"Et Rosette a vécu ce que vivent les roses," &c.,
omitting to cross his t's, which the compositor took for l's, and set up Roselle. On receiving the proof-sheet, at the passage in question a sudden light burst upon Malherbe; of Roselle he made two words, and put in two beautiful lines—
"Et Rose, elle a vécu ce que vivent les roses,
L'espace d'un matin."
(See Français peints par eux-mémes, vol. ii. p. 270.)
P.S. KING.