Translations:CP 03007/30/en: Difference between revisions

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<ref name="n1"> The letter from Nicolas Cottin has not been found. Indeed not a single letter from Nicolas Cottin to Marcel Proust has ever turned up. Only two letters from Proust to Nicolas have been published to this day (CP 02123; Kolb, X, no. 66, and this one). On the other hand Philip Kolb found four letters from Proust to Céline Cottin (CP 01854, CP 01923, CP 01996 and CP 02972; Kolb, VIII, no. 110 and 179; IX, no. 71; XIV, no. 83). Nicolas Cottin was born in Brouillat, commune of Marizy (Saône et Loire), 30 January 1873 (register of births n° 6, Marizy, 5 E 279/11, online, image 3). First of all he was the Proust family valet, subsequently Marcel's valet, who then sometimes employed him as secretary (see his portrait by Paul Nadar in 1914). As a matter of fact, despite Cottin's poor spelling, Proust dictated at least one letter to him (CP 02277; Kolb, XI, no. 13) and numerous pages of drafts for his novel (see Anthony Pugh, "Sur le copiste de la première dactylographie", BIP, nº 31, 2000, p. 23-30 ; see also L'Agenda 1906, Introduction, note 19). Céline, as Céleste Albaret would be later, was interviewed later about her recollections. In 1954 she recalled Nicolas's participation in Proust's writing in these words: "His pages were scattered everywhere. My husband collected them together for him using a little stapler. Sometimes Nicolas would even make corrections to what he wrote. [...] Monsieur would dictate phrases to Nicolas that he had forgotten."</ref>
<ref name="n1"> The letter from Nicolas Cottin has not been found. Indeed not a single letter from Nicolas Cottin to Marcel Proust has ever turned up. Only two letters from Proust to Nicolas have been published to this day (CP 02123; Kolb, X, no. 66, and this one). On the other hand Philip Kolb found four letters from Proust to Céline Cottin (CP 01854, CP 01923, CP 01996 and CP 02972; Kolb, VIII, no. 110 and 179; IX, no. 71; XIV, no. 83). Nicolas Cottin was born in Brouillat, commune of Marizy (Saône et Loire), 30 January 1873 (register of births n° 6, Marizy, 5 E 279/11, online, image 3). First of all he was the Proust family valet, subsequently Marcel's valet, who then sometimes employed him as secretary (see his portrait by Paul Nadar in 1914). As a matter of fact, despite Cottin's poor spelling, Proust dictated at least one letter to him (CP 02277; Kolb, XI, no. 13) and numerous pages of drafts for his novel (see Anthony Pugh, "Sur le copiste de la première dactylographie", BIP, nº 31, 2000, p. 23-30 ; see also L'Agenda 1906, Introduction, note 19). Céline, as Céleste Albaret would be later, was interviewed later about her recollections. In 1954 she recalled Nicolas's participation in Proust's writing in these words: "His pages were scattered everywhere. My husband collected them together for him using a little stapler. Sometimes Nicolas would even make corrections to what he wrote. [...] Monsieur would dictate phrases to Nicolas that he had forgotten." (Paul Guth, "À l'ombre des Marcel Proust", Le Figaro littéraire, 25 September 1954, p. 4.) It seems that he had just as little appreciation of his master as he had for his writing, because he told Céline: "It's annoying, but you'll see, he's going to be somebody" and, after the publication of Du côté de chez Swann he said: "His words are just as annoying as he is. But you wait and see, after he's dead he'll be a success..." (Céline quotes her husband in two interviews. See Paul Guth, op. cit; et S. Ch.-M., "À la recherche de Combray. Céline – gouvernante de Marcel Proust – nous décrit la vie intime de son maître", La Tribune de Lausanne, 11 September 1960, p. 13). For an example of Nicolas Cottin's handwriting, see the added manuscript pages in the typescript of Du côté de chez Swann (NAF 16730, f. 5-6 r.). Also it seems that Proust thought of Nicolas's father, Lazare Cottin, for the character of Bloch's father, as revealed by two explanatory notes in Cahier 57: on a paperole in f. 47 r. and  on f. 64 r., in an addition in the left margin (see RTP, t. IV, Esquisse LXVII, p. 971). For details in the civil registry about Lazare Cottin, born 13 March 1846, in Brouillat, see his registry of birth  (no. 8, 14 March 1846, Marizy, 5 E 279/6, online, image 30), and his marriage to Anne Marie Magnin-Curt (14 January 1872, no. 1, Marizy, 5 E 279/9, online, image 1). We also learn that at that time Nicolas's father was a wheelwright and his mother a domestic servant and she was also an orphan  (cf. birth certificate no. 4068, 7 October 1851, Lyon, 2E452, online, image 236). [FP, PW]</ref>

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<ref name="n1"> La lettre de Nicolas Cottin n'a pas été retrouvée. D'ailleurs, aucune lettre de Nicolas Cottin à Marcel Proust n'est encore apparue. Seules deux lettres de Proust à Nicolas ont été à ce jour publiées (CP 02123 ; Kolb, X, nº 66, et celle-ci). En revanche, Philip Kolb a retrouvé quatre lettres de Proust à Céline Cottin (CP 01854, CP 01923, CP 01996 et CP 02972 ; Kolb, VIII, nº 110 et 179 ; IX, nº 71 ; XIV, nº 83). Nicolas Cottin est né à Brouillat, commune de Marizy (Saône et Loire), le 30 janvier 1873 (acte de naissance n° 6, Marizy, 5 E 279/11, en ligne, image 3). Il fut d'abord le valet de chambre de la famille Proust, puis de Marcel, qui l'employa ensuite parfois comme secrétaire (voir son portrait photographique par Paul Nadar en 1914). En effet, malgré l'orthographe défectueuse de Cottin, Proust lui dicta au moins une lettre (CP 02277 ; Kolb, XI, nº 13) et de nombreuses pages de brouillon de son roman (voir Anthony Pugh, « Sur le copiste de la première dactylographie », BIP, nº 31, 2000, p. 23-30 ; voir aussi L'Agenda 1906, Introduction, note 19). Céline, comme le sera Céleste Albaret, fut interviewée tardivement sur ses souvenirs. En 1954, elle se souvenait ainsi de cette participation de Nicolas à l'œuvre de Proust : « Ses feuilles tombaient partout. Mon mari les lui rassemblait, avec des petites machines qu'on pince. Même parfois Nicolas lui corrigeait ce qu'il écrivait. […] Monsieur dictait à Nicolas des phrases qu'il avait oubliées. » (Paul Guth, « À l'ombre des Marcel Proust », Le Figaro littéraire, 25 septembre 1954, p. 4.) Il semble pourtant que Nicolas appréciait aussi peu son maître que l'œuvre de celui-ci, car il aurait dit à Céline : « Il est embêtant, mais tu verras, ce sera quelqu'un... » et, après la parution de Du côté de chez Swann, il aurait ajouté : « Ses phrases sont aussi embêtantes que lui. Mais tu verras, quand il sera sa mort, il aura du succès... » (Céline cite ainsi son mari dans deux entretiens. Voir Paul Guth, art. cité ; et S. Ch.-M., « À la recherche de Combray. Céline – gouvernante de Marcel Proust – nous décrit la vie intime de son maître », La Tribune de Lausanne, 11 septembre 1960, p. 13). Pour un exemple de l'écriture de Nicolas Cottin, voir les pages d'un ajout manuscrit dans une dactylographie de Du côté de chez Swann (NAF 16730, f. 5-6 r.). Par ailleurs, il semble que Proust ait pensé au père de Nicolas, Lazare Cottin, pour le personnage du père de Bloch, comme le révèlent deux notes de régie dans le Cahier 57 : sur une paperole du f. 47 r. et au f. 64 r., dans un ajout de la marge gauche (voir RTP, t. IV, Esquisse LXVII, p. 971). Pour des informations d'état civil sur Lazare Cottin, né le 13 mars 1846, au Brouillat, voir son acte de naissance (nº 8, du 14 mars 1846, Marizy, 5 E 279/6, en ligne, image 30), et son acte de mariage avec Anne Marie Magnin-Curt (du 14 janvier 1872, nº 1, Marizy, 5 E 279/9, en ligne, image 1). On y apprend que le père de Nicolas était alors charron et sa mère domestique, et que celle-ci était orpheline (cf. acte de naissance nº 4068, du 7 octobre 1851, Lyon, 2E452, en ligne, image 236). [FP, PW] </ref>

[1]

  1. ↑ The letter from Nicolas Cottin has not been found. Indeed not a single letter from Nicolas Cottin to Marcel Proust has ever turned up. Only two letters from Proust to Nicolas have been published to this day (CP 02123; Kolb, X, no. 66, and this one). On the other hand Philip Kolb found four letters from Proust to Céline Cottin (CP 01854, CP 01923, CP 01996 and CP 02972; Kolb, VIII, no. 110 and 179; IX, no. 71; XIV, no. 83). Nicolas Cottin was born in Brouillat, commune of Marizy (Saône et Loire), 30 January 1873 (register of births n° 6, Marizy, 5 E 279/11, online, image 3). First of all he was the Proust family valet, subsequently Marcel's valet, who then sometimes employed him as secretary (see his portrait by Paul Nadar in 1914). As a matter of fact, despite Cottin's poor spelling, Proust dictated at least one letter to him (CP 02277; Kolb, XI, no. 13) and numerous pages of drafts for his novel (see Anthony Pugh, "Sur le copiste de la première dactylographie", BIP, nº 31, 2000, p. 23-30 ; see also L'Agenda 1906, Introduction, note 19). Céline, as Céleste Albaret would be later, was interviewed later about her recollections. In 1954 she recalled Nicolas's participation in Proust's writing in these words: "His pages were scattered everywhere. My husband collected them together for him using a little stapler. Sometimes Nicolas would even make corrections to what he wrote. [...] Monsieur would dictate phrases to Nicolas that he had forgotten." (Paul Guth, "À l'ombre des Marcel Proust", Le Figaro littéraire, 25 September 1954, p. 4.) It seems that he had just as little appreciation of his master as he had for his writing, because he told Céline: "It's annoying, but you'll see, he's going to be somebody" and, after the publication of Du côté de chez Swann he said: "His words are just as annoying as he is. But you wait and see, after he's dead he'll be a success..." (Céline quotes her husband in two interviews. See Paul Guth, op. cit; et S. Ch.-M., "À la recherche de Combray. Céline – gouvernante de Marcel Proust – nous décrit la vie intime de son maître", La Tribune de Lausanne, 11 September 1960, p. 13). For an example of Nicolas Cottin's handwriting, see the added manuscript pages in the typescript of Du côté de chez Swann (NAF 16730, f. 5-6 r.). Also it seems that Proust thought of Nicolas's father, Lazare Cottin, for the character of Bloch's father, as revealed by two explanatory notes in Cahier 57: on a paperole in f. 47 r. and on f. 64 r., in an addition in the left margin (see RTP, t. IV, Esquisse LXVII, p. 971). For details in the civil registry about Lazare Cottin, born 13 March 1846, in Brouillat, see his registry of birth (no. 8, 14 March 1846, Marizy, 5 E 279/6, online, image 30), and his marriage to Anne Marie Magnin-Curt (14 January 1872, no. 1, Marizy, 5 E 279/9, online, image 1). We also learn that at that time Nicolas's father was a wheelwright and his mother a domestic servant and she was also an orphan (cf. birth certificate no. 4068, 7 October 1851, Lyon, 2E452, online, image 236). [FP, PW]
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