I first stumbled upon "The Revolution and Siege of Paris...From the Diary of an Eyewitness" (P 1871) by Rev Brine when I was writing about the Commune a few years ago. Whilst he, as an outsider, perhaps didnt have the political analysis of Lissagaray or the social profundity of Goncourt, it was a fascinating day-to-day account of the Siege by an early example of a 'danger tourist', and a nicely printed antiquarian book to grace the shelf. The risks he took to gather his observations were, frankly, hair-raising, and whilst we can bemoan the fact he didnt stay to chronicle the Commune too, his recklesness during the relatively genteel Siege means he probably wouldnt have survived the Commune at all...
Recently I became aware of just how scarce this book is; privately printed, I know of only 3 other copies, perhaps two more (including my own). It began to feel a bit like Winston Smith in 1984 , holding the last copy of a newspaper that Never Existed. Now, it feels more like the character from Sartres "Nausea", dourly researching the enigmatic M de Rollebon, with not much luck.
I am currently negotiating to get this work into an archive where it should be. However, to find an Englishman (and a priest) actually interested in things revolutionary AND French is so unusual, I want to find out more about Rev Percival Brine. If you you have anything published by him or know anything about him, please let me know !