This was ill-j udged: a shabby post-chaise
would have conveyed her more safely.
would have conveyed her more safely.
Madame de Stael - Corinna, or Italy
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? ME MO I R
MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
A nne Marie L ouise Germaine N eck er, B aroness de
S tael H olstein, was the only child of J ames N eck er, the
famous financier (a long time the popular idol in F rance),
and of S usanna Curchod, the daughter of a poor S wiss cler-
gyman, who, in the seq uestered village of Crassy, bestowed
upon her as thorough an education as fell to the lot of any
woman in E urope.
Gibbon, the historian, visited the father of Mademoiselle
Curchod, and became a captive to her charms. H e pros-
pered in his suit; but such an obscure connection was not
agreeable to his father, who threatened to disinherit him if
he persisted in it. H e obeyed the parental command, lik e
a dutiful son and a very philosophical lover; and the
young lady, on her part, seems to have borne the separation
with becoming resignation and cheerfulness.
A fter her father' s death, Mademoiselle Curchod taught
a school in Geneva; where she became acq uainted with
M. N eck er, the gentleman whom she afterwards married.
H e was a native of Geneva, and at that time a bank er in
Paris.
MadamedeS taelwasborninParis,in176 6 . I nher
infancy, she was noticed for a remark
ness, gaiety, and freedom.
I n conseq uence of her mother'
* F or the following Memoir, the E
able degree of bright-
s system of education, she
ditor of the " S tandard N
ovels "
is indebted
to Mrs. Child' s L ife of Madame de S tael, to Madame J unot'
s Memoirs, and to
L ord B yron' s historical notes to the fourth canto of Childe H arold.
A4
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? V I I I ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
was constantly accustomed to conversation beyond her years.
The world must have somewhat softened the severity of
Madame N eck er' s opinions: for we find that she often
allowed her daughter to assist at the representation of the
best dramatic pieces. H er pleasures, as well as her duties,
were ex ercises of intellect; and nature, which had originally
bestowed great gifts, was assisted by every possible method.
I n this way her vigorous faculties acq uired a prodigious
growth.
The following account of her is from the Memoir of
B aron de Grimm: --
" W hile M. N eck er passes decrees which cover him with
glory, and will render his administration eternally dear to
F rance; while Madame N eck er renounces all the sweets of
society to devote herself to the establishment of a H ospital
of Charity, in the parish of S t. S ulpicius, their daughter, a
girl of twelve years old, who already evinces talents above
her age, amuses herself with writing little comedies, after
the manner of the semi-dramas of M. de S t. Mark . S he
has j ust completed one, in two acts, entitled the ' I ncon-
veniences of the L ife led at Paris,' which is not only asto-
nishing for her age, but appears even very superior to her
models. I t represents a mother who had two daughters,
one brought up in all the simplicity of rural life, and the
other amid the grand airs of the capital. The latter is the
favourite, from the talents and graces she displays; but
this mother, falling into misfortunes, from the loss of a
law-suit, soon learns which of the two is in reality most
deserving of her affection. The scenes of this little drama
are well connected together, the characters are well sup-
ported, and the developement of the intrigue is natural and
full of interest. M. Marmontel, who saw it performed in
the drawing-room at S t. O uen, the country-house of M.
N eck er, by the author and some of her young companions,
was affected by it even to tears. "
A s might be ex pected, the ex treme vivacity of Made-
moiselle N eck er was continually betraying her into sins
against her mother' s ideas of order and decorum. O n this
subj ect, she made a thousand good resolutions, but was
always sure to forget them the moment she needed them.
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . I X
S he could not restrain her ex uberant fancy and overflowing
spirits.
Mademoiselle N eck er resided at Coppet from 1781 to
1787, when her father was restored to office, and his family
accompanied him to Paris.
During her stay in S witzerland she wrote a sentimental
comedy, called " S ophia, or S ecret S entiments,"
a story of ill-directed and unhappy love; published when
she was twenty-one years of age.
I mmediately after she came to Paris, she finished her
founded on
tragedy of " L ady J ane Grey," which has had considerable
reputation. S oon after, she wrote, but never published,
another tragedy, called " Montmorency," in which the part
of Cardinal de R ichelieu is said to have been sk etched with
great spirit. These early productions had prominent de-
fects, as well as beauties. They were mark ed by that
perfect harmony between thought and ex pression which
always constituted her most delightful peculiarity, in con-
versation or writing; but her friends considered them
valuable, principally on account of the promise they gave
of future greatness. To the world they are obj
sity, as the first records in the history of an ex
mind.
B efore her twentieth year, she wrote the "
ects of curio-
traordinary
Three Tales,"
which were not published till 1795, nearly ten years after.
' S he herself attached very little value to these light productions.
I f she had attracted much notice in S witzerland, before
her mind had attained the fulness of its maj estic stature,
it will readily be believed that she ex cited an unusual sen-
sation when she appeared in the brilliant circles of Paris.
H er hands and arms were finely formed, and of a most
transparent whiteness. S he seldom covered them -- con-
fessing, with the child-lik e frank ness which gave such an
endearing charm to her powerful character, that she was
resolved to mak e the most of the only personal beauty nature
had given her. * True, she had none of the usual preten-
* H er feet are said to have been clumsy. This circumstance gave rise to a
pun, which annoyed her a little. O
the face of which was concealed. A
statue was, glanced at the block
n some occasion she represented a statue,
gentleman being ask ed to guess who the
of marble on which she stood, and answered,
" J e vois lepied de S tael" (le pUdestal).
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? X ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
sions to be called a handsome woman; but there was an
intellectual splendour about her face that arrested and
rivetted attention. " N o ex pression was permanent; for
her whole soul was in her countenance, and it took the
character of every passing emotion. W hen in perfect re-
pose, her long eye-lashes gave something of heaviness and
languor to her usually animated physiognomy; but when
ex cited, her magnificent dark eyes flashed with genius, and
seemed to announce her ideas before she could utter them,
as lightning precedes the thunder. There was nothing of
restlessness in her features; there was even something of
indolence; but her vigorous form, her animated gestures,
her graceful and strongly mark ed attitudes, gave a singular
degree of directness and energy to her discourse. There
was something dramatic about her, even in dress, which,
while it was altogether free from ridiculous ex aggeration,
never failed to convey an idea of something more pic-
turesq ue than the reigning fashion. W hen she first en-
tered a room, she walk ed with a slow and grave step. A
slight degree of timidity made it necessary for her to col-
lect her faculties when she was about to attract the notice
of a party. This cloud of embarrassment did not at first
permit her to distinguish any thing; but her face lighted
up in proportion to the friends she recognised. "
M. N eck er' s wealth, and his daughter' s ex traordinary
powers of pleasing, soon attracted suitors. H er parents
were ex tremely ambitious for her; and the choice was not
decided without difficulty; for she insisted upon not being
obliged to leave F rance, and her mother made it a point
that she should not marry a Catholic. W e are told that
she refused several distinguished men. S ir J ohn S inclair,
in his Correspondence, speak s of a proj ected union be-
tween the son of L ord R ivers and Mademoiselle N eck er,
and regrets that it did not tak e place, as it would have
withdrawn her family from the vortex of F rench politics;
but I
and S
remark
find no allusion elsewhere to this E nglish marriage,
ir J ohn does not inform us upon what authority his
is founded. I n her work s, Madame de S tael
constantly ex presses great admiration of E ngland, and she
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . x i
chose to give her Corinne an E nglish lover. W hether
this taste, so singular in a F renchwoman, had any thing
to do with her early recollections, I k now not.
H er fate was at last decided by E ric-Magnus, B aron
de S tael H olstein, a S wedish nobleman, secretary to the
ambassador from the court of S tock holm. H e is said to
have had an amiable disposition, a fine person, and courtly
manners; but we are not told that in point of intellect he
possessed any distinguished claims to the hand of Mademoi-
selle N eck er. L ik e a good many personages in history, he
seems to have accidentally fallen upon greatness by pleasing
the fancies of his superiors, or coming in contact with
their policy. H e was a favourite with Marie A ntoinette,
who constantly advanced his interests by her patronage;
he was lik ewise the bosom friend of Count F ersen, who
at that time had great influence at court.
The q ueen warmly urged his suit. Gustavus I I I . , will-
ing to please Marie A ntoinette, and to secure such a large
fortune to one of his subj ects, recalled the S wedish am-
bassador, and appointed the B aron de S tael in his place,
promising that he should enj oy that high rank for manyj ' /T)
years; and the lover himself, in order to remove the
scruples the young lady had with regard to marrying a
foreigner, pledged his honour that she should never be
urged to q uit F rance.
S ir J ohn S inclair tells us that M. N eck er was supposed
to favour the match in hopes of being restored to office
through the influence of the Q ueen and Count F ersen;
but such a motive is not at all consistent with the cha-
racter Madame de S tael has given of her father, who, she
says, " in every circumstance of his life preferred the least
of his duties to the most important of his interests. "
S he herself probably imagined the connection might be
of use to her beloved parents; and her ambition might
have been tempted by her lover' s rank as a nobleman and
ambassador; at least it is difficult to account in any other
manner for her union with a foreigner considerably older
than herself, and with whom she had few points of sym-
pathy in character or pursuits: it was a notorious fact
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? X UME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
that she was never over-fond of the match, and entered
into the necessary arrangements with great coldness.
S hewasmarriedtotheB arondeS taelin1786 ,and
the bridegroom received, on his wedding-day, eighty
thousand pounds as her dowry.
This union, lik e most marriages of policy, was far from
being a happy one. H ad Madame de S tael been a heart-
less, selfish character, such a destiny would have been
good enough; but they were indeed cruel, who assisted in
imposing such icy fetters on a soul so ardent, generous,
and affectionate as hers. N ature, as usual, rebelled against
the tyranny of ambition. W e are told by her friends,
and indeed there is internal evidence in most of her work s,
that her life was one long sigh for domestic love.
W hen she became a mother, she used playfully to say,
" I will force my daughter to mak e a marriage of incli-
nation. "
The impetuosity of an unsatisfied spirit gave a singular
degree of vehemence to all her attachments; her gratitude
and friendship took the colouring of ardent love. S he was
ex tremely sensitive where her heart was concerned; and
at the slightest neglect, real or imaginary, from her friends,
she would ex claim with bitter emphasis, " N ever, never
have I been loved as I love others! "
W hen she was the most carried away by the ex citement
of society, and the impetuous inspiration of her own spirit,
it was impossible for a friend to glide away unperceived by
her. This watchful anx iety was the source of freq uent
reproaches: she was for ever accusing her friends of a
diminution in their love. Madame de S aussure once said
to her, " Y our friends have to submit each morning to re-
newed charges of coldness and neglect. " -- " W hat matter
for that," she replied, " if I love them the better every
evening? " S he used to say, " I would go to the scaffold,
in order to try the friendship of those who accompanied
me. "
Y et with all her ex treme susceptibility of tenderness
and admiration, she was not blind to the slightest defects.
W ith her, character always passed under a close and
rigorous ex amination; and if she sometimes wounded the
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X M
vanity of her friends by being too clear-sighted to their
imperfections, they were soothed by her enthusiastic ad-
miration of all their great and good q ualities. I ndeed she
might well be forgiven by others, since her acute powers
of analysis were directed against her own character with
the most unsparing severity.
The winter after Madame de S taeTs marriage, her
father was ex iled forty leagues from Paris, and she was
' with him during the greater part of his absence. I n the
A ugust following, 1788, he was recalled with added
honours, and his daughter, of course became one of the
most important personages in F rance. B ut while she
formed the centre of attraction in the fashionable and in-
tellectual society of Paris, she did not relinq uish her taste
for literature. I n 1789, she published her famous L etters
on the Character and W ritings of J . J . R ousseau. The
j udicious will not approve of all the opinions ex pressed in
this book ; and perhaps she herself would have viewed
things differently when riper years and maturer j udgment
had somewhat subdued the artificial glare, which youth
and romance are so apt to throw over wrong actions and
false theories. " I t is, however, a glowing and eloq uent
tribute to the genius of that ex traordinary man; and the
acuteness shown in her remark s on the E milius, and the
Treatise on the S ocial Contract, is truly wonderful in a
young woman so much engrossed by the glittering dis-
tractions of fashionable life. "
A t first only a few copies were printed for her intimate
friends; but a full edition was soon published without her
consent. The B aron de Grimm, who saw one of the
private copies, speak
of the most remark
B efore the year ex
s of it with great admiration, as one
able productions of the time.
pired, we find her involved in anx iety
and trouble, occasioned by the second ex ile of her father.
H is dismission from office ex cited great clamour among
the populace, who regarded him as the friend of liberty
and the people. This feeling was openly ex pressed by
closing the theatres, as for some great national calamity.
The conseq uence was an almost immediate recall; and
Madame de S tael warmly ex ulted in the triumph of a
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? X I V ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
parent, whom she seems to have regarded with a feeling
little short of idolatry.
" F rom the moment of his return, in J uly, 1789, to
the period of his final fall from power, in S eptember, 1790,
M. N eck er was all-powerful in F rance; and Madame de
S tael, of course, was a person of proportional conseq
the literary, philosophical, and political society about the
court, and in those more troubled circles from which the
revolution was j ust beginning to go forth in its most
alarming forms. H er situation enabled her to see the
sources, however secret, of all the movements that were
uence in
then agitating the very foundations of civil order in F rance;
and she had talent to understand them with great clearness
and truth. S he witnessed the violent removal of the k ing
to Paris on the 6
meeting of the N
and B arnave;
to hear L ouis X
dethroned him;
th of O ctober; she was present at the first
ational Convention, and heard Mirabeau
she followed the procession to N otre Dame,
V I . swear to a constitution, which virtually
and from that period, her mind seems to
have received a political tendency, that it never afterward
lost.
" I n 1790 she passed a short time with her father at
Coppet, but soon returned to Paris.
" S he associated, on terms of intimacy, with Talleyrand,
for whom she wrote the most important part of his ' R eport
on Public I nstruction,' in 1790. S he lik ewise numbered
among her friends L a F ayette, N arbonne, S ieyes, and other
popular leaders. "
W hen, amid the universal consternation, there could be
no one found to shelter the proscribed victims of the
despotic mob, Madame de S tael had the courage to offer
some of them an asylum, hoping the residence of a foreign
ambassador would not be searched. S he shut them up in
the remotest chamber, and herself spent the night in watch-
ing the streets.
M. de N arbonne was concealed in her house, when the
officers of police came to mak e the much-dreaded " domi-
ciliary visit. " S he k new that he could not escape, if a
rigorous search were made, and that if tak en, he would be
beheaded that very day. S he had sufficient presence of
>
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X V
mind to k eep q uite calm. Partly by her eloq uence, and
partly by a familiar pleasantry, which flattered them, she
persuaded the men to go away without infringing upon
the rights of a foreign ambassador.
Dr. B ollman, the same generous H anoverian who after-
ward attempted to rescue L a F ayette from the prison of
O lmutz, offered to undertak e the dangerous business of
conveying N arbonne to E ngland; and he effected it in
safety by means of a passport belonging to one of his
friends.
A s S weden refused to ack nowledge the F rench republic,
the situation of the B aron de S tael became very uncom-
fortable at Paris; and he was recalled in 1792, a short
time before the death of Gustavus I I I . I n S eptember,
1792, Madame de S tael set out for S witzerland, in a
coach and six , with servants in full livery; she was induced
to do this, from the idea that the people would let her
depart more freely, if they saw her in the style of an am-
bassadress.
This was ill-j udged: a shabby post-chaise
would have conveyed her more safely. A ferocious crowd
stopped the horses, calling out loudly that she was carrying
away the gold of the nation. A gendarme conducted her
through half Paris to the H otel de V ille, on the staircase
of which several persons had been massacred. N o woman
had at that time perished; but the nex t day the Princess
L amballe was murdered by the populace. Madame de S tael
was three hours in mak ing her way through the crowds
that on all sides assailed her with cries of death. They
had nothing against her personally, and probably did not
k now who she was; but a carriage and liveries, in their
eyes, warranted sentence of ex ecution. S he was then preg-
nant; and a gendarme, who was placed in the coach, was
moved with compassion at her situation and ex cessive terror:
he promised to defend her at the peril of his life. S he
says, " I alighted from my carriage, in the midst of an
armed multitude, and proceeded under an arch of pik es.
I n ascending the staircase, which was lik ewise bristled
with spears, a man pointed toward me the one which he
held in his hand; but my gendarme pushed it away
with his sabre. The President of the Commune was
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? X V I ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
R obespierre; and I breathed again, because I had es-
caped from the populace; yet what a protector was R o-
bespierre! H is secretary had left his beard untouched for a
fortnight, that he might escape all suspicion of aristocracy.
I showed my passports, and stated the right I had to depart
as ambassadress of S weden. L ucidly for me, Manuel ar-
rived: he was a man of good feelings, though he was
hurried away by his passions. I n an interview, a few days
before, I had wrought upon his k ind disposition so that he
consented to save two victims of proscription. H e imme-
diately offered to become responsible for me; and con-
ducting me out of that terrible place, he lock ed me up with
my maid-servant in his closet. H ere we waited six hours,
half dead with hunger and fright. The window of the
apartment look ed on the Place de Greve; and we saw the
assassins returning from the prisons, with their arms bare
and bloody, and uttering horrible cries.
" My coach with its baggage had remained in the mid-
dle of the sq uare. I saw a tall man in the dress of a
national guard, who for two hours defended it from the
plunder of the populace; I wondered how he could think of
such trifling things amid such awful circumstances. I n
the evening, this man entered my room with Manuel. H e
was S anterre, the brewer, afterward so notorious for his
cruelty. H e had several times witnessed my father' s dis-
tribution of corn among the poor of the F auoobourg S t. A n-
toine, and was willing to show his gratitude.
" Manuel bitterly deplored the assassinations that were
going on, and which he had not power to prevent. A n
abyss was opened behind the steps of every man who had
acq uired any authority, and if he receded he must fall into
it. H e conducted me home at night in his carriage; being
afraid of losing his popularity by doing it in the day. The
lamps were not lighted in the streets, and we met men
with torches, the glare of which was more frightful than
the dark ness. Manuel was often stopped and ask ed who
he was, but when he answered L e Procureur de la Com-
mune, this revolutionary dignity was respectfully re-
cognised. "
A new passport was given Madame de S tael, and she
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X V I I
was allowed to depart with one maid-servant, and a gen-
darme to attend her to the frontier. A fter some difficul-
ties of a less alarming nature, she arrived at Coppet in
safety.
During the following year, her feelings were too pain-
fully engrossed in watching the approaching political crisis,
to admit of her mak ing any new literary ex ertion.
S he and her father having always strongly advocated a
constitutional form of government, felt identified with the
cause of rational freedom, and watched the ruin of the
hopes they had formed with sad earnestness and bitter
regret.
They have been freq uently accused by their political
enemies of having ex cited and encouraged the horrible
disorders of the R evolution; indeed, the rancour of party-
spirit went so far as to accuse Madame de S tael,-- the
glorious, the amiable Madame de S tael! -- of having been
among the brutal mob at V ersailles, disguised as a Pois-
sarde. N othing could, in fact, be more untrue than charges
of this description. Z ealous friends of the eq ual rights of
man, M. N eck er and his sagacious daughter saw plainly
that a change was needed in the F rench government, and
no doubt they touched the springs, which set the great
machine in motion; but they could not foresee its fright-
ful accumulation of power, or the ruinous work
it would be directed. The limited monarchy of E
was always a favourite model with Madame de S
to which
ngland
tael. I n
her conversation, and in her writings, she has declared that
the F rench people needed such a form of government, and.
sooner or later, they would have it.
H ad the character of L ouis X V I . being adapted to the
crisis in which he lived, her wishes might have been real-
ised; but she evinced her usual penetration when she said
of that monarch, " H e would have made the mildest of
despots, or the most constitutional of k ings; but he was
totally unfit for the period when public opinion was mak -
ing a transition from one to the other. " To save the
royal family from untimely death was the obj ect of Madame
de S tael' s unceasing prayers and efforts. H aving been de-
feated in a plan to effect their escape from F rance, we find
? a
,-
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? X V 1UME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
her during this agitating period silently awaiting the pro-
gress of events, which she dared not attempt to control;
but when Marie A ntoinette was condemned to be beheaded,
she could no longer restrain her agonised spirit. I n A u-
gust, 1793, heedless of the danger she incurred, she boldly
published R eflections on the Process against the Q ueen.
" A short but most eloq uent appeal to the F rench nation,
beseeching them to pause and reflect before they should
thus disgrace themselves with the world, and with pos-
terity. " H istory informs us how entirely this and all
other disinterested efforts failed to check the fury of the
populace. The R evolution rushed madly on in its infernal
course of blood and crime.
W ith the death of Gustavus I I I . there came a change
of politics in S weden. The B aron de S tael was again sent
to Paris, the only ambassador from a monarchy to the new
republic. Most of his old friends were proscribed, or im-
prisoned, and many of them had perished on the scaffold;
even the family of his wife did not dare to reside in
F rance. To secure popularity in his precarious situation,
he gave 3000 francs to the poor of L a Croix R ouge, a
section particularly distinguished for its republicanism.
H e could not, however, feel secure amid the frightful
scenes that were passing around him; and he soon has-
tened back to S weden, where he remained until after the
death of R obespierre. " F or a short time, during those
dreadful months, which have been so appropriately termed
the R eign of Terror, Madame de S tael was in E ngland;
and, what is remark able, she was in E ngland, poor; for
the situation of the two countries at that crisis prevented
her receiving the funds necessary for her support. S he
lived in great retirement at R ichmond, with two of her
countrymen, no less distinguished than N arbonne and Tal-
leyrand, both, lik e herself, anx iously watching the progress
of affairs in F rance, and hoping for some change that would
render it safe for them to return. I t is a curious item in
the fick le cruelty of the R evolution, that these three persons,
who during such a considerable portion of their lives ex -
ercised an influence, not only on their country, but on the
world, were now deprived of their accustomed means of _
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X I X
subsistence; and it is worthy of notice, as a trait in their
national character, that they were not depressed or dis-
couraged by it.
" A ll they had, when thrown into the common stock ,
was merely sufficient to purchase a k ind of carriage, which
would hold but two. A s they rode about to see the country,
N arbonne and Talleyrand alternately mounted as footmen be-
hind, break ing out the glass of the chaise, in order to carry
on a conversation with those inside. Madame de S tael
has often said, that in these conversations she has witnessed
and enj oyed more of the play of the highest order of talent
than at any other period of her life. Talleyrand went
from E ngland to the United S tates. N arbonne, if I mis-
tak e not, went to the Continent; and Madame de S tael
ventured back to F rance in 1795. " H er husband was
again ambassador at Paris, where he remained, calmly re-
ceiving the alternate insolence and flattery of the populace,
until 1799, when he was recalled by the young k ing, Gus-
tavus A dolphus. A ll beneath the surface in F rance was,
at that time, heaving and tumultuous; but men had been
so terrified and wearied with the work of blood, that so-
ciety was for a time restored to ex ternal stillness.
A tsuchaperiod,amindlik eMadamedeS tael' shad
a powerful influence. H er saloon was a resort for all the
restless politicians of the day, and she was once denounced
to the Convention as a person dangerous to the state; but
her character, as wife of a foreign ambassador, protected
her; and she even ventured to publish a pamphlet on the
prospect of peace, addressed to Mr. Pitt and the F rench
people, which contained remark s opposed to the views of
the reigning demagogue. This pamphlet was much praised
by Mr. F ox in the E nglish parliament.
The principal charge brought against her by the Di-
rectory was the courage and zeal with which she served
the suffering emigrants: she would have been imprisoned
on this account had it not been for the friendly ex ertions
of B arras.
O ne diy, an emigrant, whose brother was arrested and
condemned to be shot, came in great agitation to beg her
to save his life. S he recollected that she had some ac-
a2
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? X X ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
q uaintance with General L emoine, who had a right to sus-
pend the j udgments of the military commission. Thank ing
H eaven for the idea, she instantly went to his house.
A t first he abruptly refused her petition. S he says,
" My heart throbbed at the sight of that brother, who
might think that I was not employing the words best fitted
to obtain what I ask ed. I was afraid of saying too much
or too little; of losing the fatal hour, after which all would
be over; or of neglecting an argument which might prove
successful. I look ed by turns at the clock and the General
to see whether his soul or time would approach the term
most q uick ly. Twice he took the pen to sign a reprieve,
and twice the fear of committing himself restrained him.
A t last, he was unable to refuse us; and may H eaven
shower blessings on him for the deed. The reprieve ar-
rived in season, and innocence was saved! "
I n 1796 , Madame de S tael was summoned to Coppet to
attend the death-bed of her mother. S he has given us a
very interesting account of her father' s unwearied tender-
ness toward his dying wife, in the preface to M. N eck er' s
MS S . published by her after his death. S he remained to
soothe her father under his severe affliction for nearly a
year. During this time she wrote her E ssay on the Pas-
sions, divided into two parts: -- 1st, their I nfluence on the
H appiness of I
tions. This work
the F rench R
ndividuals; 2dly, on the H appiness of N a-
was suggested by the fearful scenes of
evolution, and probably could not have been
written ex cept by one who had witnessed the reck less violence
and unnatural ex citement of that awful period.
W e have already mentioned that Madame de S taeTs
affections were supposed to have small share in her mar-
riage. The coolness of her feelings towards the B aron de
S tael was considerably increased by his heedless ex trava-
gance. O n his wedding-day he is said to have assigned
all his ministerial allowance to his friend, Count F ersen;
and the princely dowry he received with his wife was soon
nearly dissipated by his thoughtless ex penditure. S uch
was the embarrassment of his affairs, that Madame de
S tael thought it a duty to place herself and her three chil-
dren under the protection of her father. Thus the pro-
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L iX X I
j ectors of this match met the usual fate of those who
attempt to thwart nature, and tak e destiny out of the hands
of Providence: it not only made the parties wretched, but
it did not even serve the ambitious purposes for which the
sacrifice is supposed to have been made.
H er separation from her husband was not of long con-
tinuance. I llness, and approaching age req uired a wife' s
attentions; and Madame de S tael, true to the k ind im-
pulses of her generous nature, immediately returned to
him. A s soon as he could bear removal, she attempted,
by slow j ourneys,, to bring him to her father' s residence,
that she and her children might mak e the evening of his
days as cheerful as possible. I t was, however, destined to
be otherwise; he died at Poligni, on his way to Coppet,
May 9th, 1802.
Madame de S tael' s E ssays on the Passions led her
mind to a series of enq uiries, which ended in her celebrated
E ssay on L iterature; immediately after the completion of
which Madame de S tael went to Paris, where she arrived
on the 9th of N ovember, 1799 -- the very day that placed
the destiny of F rance in the hands of B onaparte. H er
imagination seems to have been, at first, dazzled by the
military glory of N apoleon. L avalette was introduced to
her at Talleyrand' s, at the time when every body was talk -
ing of the brilliant campaigns in I taly. H e says, " During
dinner, the praises Madame de S tael lavished on the con-
q ueror of I taly had all the wildness, romance, and ex -
aggeration of poetry. W hen we left the table, the com-
pany withdrew to a small room to look at the portrait of
the hero; and as I stepped back to let her walk in, she
B aid, ' H ow shall I dare to pass before an aide-de-camp of
B onaparte! ' My confusion was so great that she also
felt a little of it, and Talleyrand laughed at us. "
B ut this admiration of B onaparte was destined to be
short-lived. F rom the moment she understood him, she
became one of the most active and determined of his
opposers. I n the beginning of his reign, when policy
compelled him to be gradual in his usurpation of power,
she was not a little troublesome to him. I n the organi-
sation of the new government, she is said to have fairly
a3
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? X X I I ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
out-manoeuvred him, and to have placed the celebrated
B enj amin Constant in one of the assemblies, in spite of his
efforts to the contrary.
B onaparte k ept close watch upon her; and his spies
soon informed him that people always left Madame de
S taeTs house with less confidence in him than they had
when they entered it.
B eing anx ious for a pretex t to banish her, he seized
upon the first that offered, which happened to be the pub-
lication of a political pamphlet by her father, in 1802.
O n the pretence that she had contributed to the falsehoods,
which he said it contained, he req uested Talleyrand to in.
form her that she must q uit Paris. This was a delicate
office for an old acq uaintance to perform; but Talleyrand
was even then used to difficult positions. H is political
history has proved that no fall, however precipitate, can
bewilder the selfish acuteness of his faculties, or impair the
marvellous pliancy of his motions: his attachment to
places rather than persons is another and stronger point of
resemblance between him and a certain household animal.
H is characteristic finesse was shown in his manner of
performing the embarrassing office assigned him by the
F irst Consul. H e called upon Madame de S tael, and after
a few compliments, said, " I hear, madam, you are going to
tak eaj ourney. " -- " O h,no! itisamistak e,I haveno
such intention. "
were going to S
-- " Pardon me, I was informed that you
witzerland. " -- " I have no such proj ect, I
assure you. " -- " B ut I have been told, on the best authority,
that you would q
uit Paris in three days. " Madame de
S tael took the hint, and went to Coppet.
I n the mean time, however, before she left Paris, she
completed a novel in six volumes, under the title of Del-
phine, which was published in 1802.
I n 180. % Madame de S tael ventured to reside within ten
leagues of Paris, occasionally going there, to visit the mu-
seum and the theatres. S ome of her enemies informed
B onaparte that she received a great many visiters, and he
immediately banished her to the distance of forty leagues
from the capital; a sentence which was rigorously enforced.
H er father, conscious how much she needed the ex hila-
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X X lli
rating influence of society, had always encouraged her visits
to Paris; and now that she was ex iled from the scene of
10 many triumphs and so much enj oyment, he strongly
favoured, her proj ect of visiting Germany. A ccordingly, in
the winter of 1803, she went to F rank fort, W
B erlin. A t F rank fort, her daughter, then A
was tak en dangerously ill. Madame de S tael k
eimar, and
ve years old,
new no one
in that city, and was ignorant of the language; even the
physician' to whose care she intrusted the child scarcely
spok e a word of F rench. S peak ing of her distress on this
occasion, she ex claims, " O h, how my father shared with
me in all my trouble!
? ME MO I R
MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
A nne Marie L ouise Germaine N eck er, B aroness de
S tael H olstein, was the only child of J ames N eck er, the
famous financier (a long time the popular idol in F rance),
and of S usanna Curchod, the daughter of a poor S wiss cler-
gyman, who, in the seq uestered village of Crassy, bestowed
upon her as thorough an education as fell to the lot of any
woman in E urope.
Gibbon, the historian, visited the father of Mademoiselle
Curchod, and became a captive to her charms. H e pros-
pered in his suit; but such an obscure connection was not
agreeable to his father, who threatened to disinherit him if
he persisted in it. H e obeyed the parental command, lik e
a dutiful son and a very philosophical lover; and the
young lady, on her part, seems to have borne the separation
with becoming resignation and cheerfulness.
A fter her father' s death, Mademoiselle Curchod taught
a school in Geneva; where she became acq uainted with
M. N eck er, the gentleman whom she afterwards married.
H e was a native of Geneva, and at that time a bank er in
Paris.
MadamedeS taelwasborninParis,in176 6 . I nher
infancy, she was noticed for a remark
ness, gaiety, and freedom.
I n conseq uence of her mother'
* F or the following Memoir, the E
able degree of bright-
s system of education, she
ditor of the " S tandard N
ovels "
is indebted
to Mrs. Child' s L ife of Madame de S tael, to Madame J unot'
s Memoirs, and to
L ord B yron' s historical notes to the fourth canto of Childe H arold.
A4
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? V I I I ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
was constantly accustomed to conversation beyond her years.
The world must have somewhat softened the severity of
Madame N eck er' s opinions: for we find that she often
allowed her daughter to assist at the representation of the
best dramatic pieces. H er pleasures, as well as her duties,
were ex ercises of intellect; and nature, which had originally
bestowed great gifts, was assisted by every possible method.
I n this way her vigorous faculties acq uired a prodigious
growth.
The following account of her is from the Memoir of
B aron de Grimm: --
" W hile M. N eck er passes decrees which cover him with
glory, and will render his administration eternally dear to
F rance; while Madame N eck er renounces all the sweets of
society to devote herself to the establishment of a H ospital
of Charity, in the parish of S t. S ulpicius, their daughter, a
girl of twelve years old, who already evinces talents above
her age, amuses herself with writing little comedies, after
the manner of the semi-dramas of M. de S t. Mark . S he
has j ust completed one, in two acts, entitled the ' I ncon-
veniences of the L ife led at Paris,' which is not only asto-
nishing for her age, but appears even very superior to her
models. I t represents a mother who had two daughters,
one brought up in all the simplicity of rural life, and the
other amid the grand airs of the capital. The latter is the
favourite, from the talents and graces she displays; but
this mother, falling into misfortunes, from the loss of a
law-suit, soon learns which of the two is in reality most
deserving of her affection. The scenes of this little drama
are well connected together, the characters are well sup-
ported, and the developement of the intrigue is natural and
full of interest. M. Marmontel, who saw it performed in
the drawing-room at S t. O uen, the country-house of M.
N eck er, by the author and some of her young companions,
was affected by it even to tears. "
A s might be ex pected, the ex treme vivacity of Made-
moiselle N eck er was continually betraying her into sins
against her mother' s ideas of order and decorum. O n this
subj ect, she made a thousand good resolutions, but was
always sure to forget them the moment she needed them.
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . I X
S he could not restrain her ex uberant fancy and overflowing
spirits.
Mademoiselle N eck er resided at Coppet from 1781 to
1787, when her father was restored to office, and his family
accompanied him to Paris.
During her stay in S witzerland she wrote a sentimental
comedy, called " S ophia, or S ecret S entiments,"
a story of ill-directed and unhappy love; published when
she was twenty-one years of age.
I mmediately after she came to Paris, she finished her
founded on
tragedy of " L ady J ane Grey," which has had considerable
reputation. S oon after, she wrote, but never published,
another tragedy, called " Montmorency," in which the part
of Cardinal de R ichelieu is said to have been sk etched with
great spirit. These early productions had prominent de-
fects, as well as beauties. They were mark ed by that
perfect harmony between thought and ex pression which
always constituted her most delightful peculiarity, in con-
versation or writing; but her friends considered them
valuable, principally on account of the promise they gave
of future greatness. To the world they are obj
sity, as the first records in the history of an ex
mind.
B efore her twentieth year, she wrote the "
ects of curio-
traordinary
Three Tales,"
which were not published till 1795, nearly ten years after.
' S he herself attached very little value to these light productions.
I f she had attracted much notice in S witzerland, before
her mind had attained the fulness of its maj estic stature,
it will readily be believed that she ex cited an unusual sen-
sation when she appeared in the brilliant circles of Paris.
H er hands and arms were finely formed, and of a most
transparent whiteness. S he seldom covered them -- con-
fessing, with the child-lik e frank ness which gave such an
endearing charm to her powerful character, that she was
resolved to mak e the most of the only personal beauty nature
had given her. * True, she had none of the usual preten-
* H er feet are said to have been clumsy. This circumstance gave rise to a
pun, which annoyed her a little. O
the face of which was concealed. A
statue was, glanced at the block
n some occasion she represented a statue,
gentleman being ask ed to guess who the
of marble on which she stood, and answered,
" J e vois lepied de S tael" (le pUdestal).
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? X ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
sions to be called a handsome woman; but there was an
intellectual splendour about her face that arrested and
rivetted attention. " N o ex pression was permanent; for
her whole soul was in her countenance, and it took the
character of every passing emotion. W hen in perfect re-
pose, her long eye-lashes gave something of heaviness and
languor to her usually animated physiognomy; but when
ex cited, her magnificent dark eyes flashed with genius, and
seemed to announce her ideas before she could utter them,
as lightning precedes the thunder. There was nothing of
restlessness in her features; there was even something of
indolence; but her vigorous form, her animated gestures,
her graceful and strongly mark ed attitudes, gave a singular
degree of directness and energy to her discourse. There
was something dramatic about her, even in dress, which,
while it was altogether free from ridiculous ex aggeration,
never failed to convey an idea of something more pic-
turesq ue than the reigning fashion. W hen she first en-
tered a room, she walk ed with a slow and grave step. A
slight degree of timidity made it necessary for her to col-
lect her faculties when she was about to attract the notice
of a party. This cloud of embarrassment did not at first
permit her to distinguish any thing; but her face lighted
up in proportion to the friends she recognised. "
M. N eck er' s wealth, and his daughter' s ex traordinary
powers of pleasing, soon attracted suitors. H er parents
were ex tremely ambitious for her; and the choice was not
decided without difficulty; for she insisted upon not being
obliged to leave F rance, and her mother made it a point
that she should not marry a Catholic. W e are told that
she refused several distinguished men. S ir J ohn S inclair,
in his Correspondence, speak s of a proj ected union be-
tween the son of L ord R ivers and Mademoiselle N eck er,
and regrets that it did not tak e place, as it would have
withdrawn her family from the vortex of F rench politics;
but I
and S
remark
find no allusion elsewhere to this E nglish marriage,
ir J ohn does not inform us upon what authority his
is founded. I n her work s, Madame de S tael
constantly ex presses great admiration of E ngland, and she
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . x i
chose to give her Corinne an E nglish lover. W hether
this taste, so singular in a F renchwoman, had any thing
to do with her early recollections, I k now not.
H er fate was at last decided by E ric-Magnus, B aron
de S tael H olstein, a S wedish nobleman, secretary to the
ambassador from the court of S tock holm. H e is said to
have had an amiable disposition, a fine person, and courtly
manners; but we are not told that in point of intellect he
possessed any distinguished claims to the hand of Mademoi-
selle N eck er. L ik e a good many personages in history, he
seems to have accidentally fallen upon greatness by pleasing
the fancies of his superiors, or coming in contact with
their policy. H e was a favourite with Marie A ntoinette,
who constantly advanced his interests by her patronage;
he was lik ewise the bosom friend of Count F ersen, who
at that time had great influence at court.
The q ueen warmly urged his suit. Gustavus I I I . , will-
ing to please Marie A ntoinette, and to secure such a large
fortune to one of his subj ects, recalled the S wedish am-
bassador, and appointed the B aron de S tael in his place,
promising that he should enj oy that high rank for manyj ' /T)
years; and the lover himself, in order to remove the
scruples the young lady had with regard to marrying a
foreigner, pledged his honour that she should never be
urged to q uit F rance.
S ir J ohn S inclair tells us that M. N eck er was supposed
to favour the match in hopes of being restored to office
through the influence of the Q ueen and Count F ersen;
but such a motive is not at all consistent with the cha-
racter Madame de S tael has given of her father, who, she
says, " in every circumstance of his life preferred the least
of his duties to the most important of his interests. "
S he herself probably imagined the connection might be
of use to her beloved parents; and her ambition might
have been tempted by her lover' s rank as a nobleman and
ambassador; at least it is difficult to account in any other
manner for her union with a foreigner considerably older
than herself, and with whom she had few points of sym-
pathy in character or pursuits: it was a notorious fact
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? X UME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
that she was never over-fond of the match, and entered
into the necessary arrangements with great coldness.
S hewasmarriedtotheB arondeS taelin1786 ,and
the bridegroom received, on his wedding-day, eighty
thousand pounds as her dowry.
This union, lik e most marriages of policy, was far from
being a happy one. H ad Madame de S tael been a heart-
less, selfish character, such a destiny would have been
good enough; but they were indeed cruel, who assisted in
imposing such icy fetters on a soul so ardent, generous,
and affectionate as hers. N ature, as usual, rebelled against
the tyranny of ambition. W e are told by her friends,
and indeed there is internal evidence in most of her work s,
that her life was one long sigh for domestic love.
W hen she became a mother, she used playfully to say,
" I will force my daughter to mak e a marriage of incli-
nation. "
The impetuosity of an unsatisfied spirit gave a singular
degree of vehemence to all her attachments; her gratitude
and friendship took the colouring of ardent love. S he was
ex tremely sensitive where her heart was concerned; and
at the slightest neglect, real or imaginary, from her friends,
she would ex claim with bitter emphasis, " N ever, never
have I been loved as I love others! "
W hen she was the most carried away by the ex citement
of society, and the impetuous inspiration of her own spirit,
it was impossible for a friend to glide away unperceived by
her. This watchful anx iety was the source of freq uent
reproaches: she was for ever accusing her friends of a
diminution in their love. Madame de S aussure once said
to her, " Y our friends have to submit each morning to re-
newed charges of coldness and neglect. " -- " W hat matter
for that," she replied, " if I love them the better every
evening? " S he used to say, " I would go to the scaffold,
in order to try the friendship of those who accompanied
me. "
Y et with all her ex treme susceptibility of tenderness
and admiration, she was not blind to the slightest defects.
W ith her, character always passed under a close and
rigorous ex amination; and if she sometimes wounded the
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X M
vanity of her friends by being too clear-sighted to their
imperfections, they were soothed by her enthusiastic ad-
miration of all their great and good q ualities. I ndeed she
might well be forgiven by others, since her acute powers
of analysis were directed against her own character with
the most unsparing severity.
The winter after Madame de S taeTs marriage, her
father was ex iled forty leagues from Paris, and she was
' with him during the greater part of his absence. I n the
A ugust following, 1788, he was recalled with added
honours, and his daughter, of course became one of the
most important personages in F rance. B ut while she
formed the centre of attraction in the fashionable and in-
tellectual society of Paris, she did not relinq uish her taste
for literature. I n 1789, she published her famous L etters
on the Character and W ritings of J . J . R ousseau. The
j udicious will not approve of all the opinions ex pressed in
this book ; and perhaps she herself would have viewed
things differently when riper years and maturer j udgment
had somewhat subdued the artificial glare, which youth
and romance are so apt to throw over wrong actions and
false theories. " I t is, however, a glowing and eloq uent
tribute to the genius of that ex traordinary man; and the
acuteness shown in her remark s on the E milius, and the
Treatise on the S ocial Contract, is truly wonderful in a
young woman so much engrossed by the glittering dis-
tractions of fashionable life. "
A t first only a few copies were printed for her intimate
friends; but a full edition was soon published without her
consent. The B aron de Grimm, who saw one of the
private copies, speak
of the most remark
B efore the year ex
s of it with great admiration, as one
able productions of the time.
pired, we find her involved in anx iety
and trouble, occasioned by the second ex ile of her father.
H is dismission from office ex cited great clamour among
the populace, who regarded him as the friend of liberty
and the people. This feeling was openly ex pressed by
closing the theatres, as for some great national calamity.
The conseq uence was an almost immediate recall; and
Madame de S tael warmly ex ulted in the triumph of a
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? X I V ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
parent, whom she seems to have regarded with a feeling
little short of idolatry.
" F rom the moment of his return, in J uly, 1789, to
the period of his final fall from power, in S eptember, 1790,
M. N eck er was all-powerful in F rance; and Madame de
S tael, of course, was a person of proportional conseq
the literary, philosophical, and political society about the
court, and in those more troubled circles from which the
revolution was j ust beginning to go forth in its most
alarming forms. H er situation enabled her to see the
sources, however secret, of all the movements that were
uence in
then agitating the very foundations of civil order in F rance;
and she had talent to understand them with great clearness
and truth. S he witnessed the violent removal of the k ing
to Paris on the 6
meeting of the N
and B arnave;
to hear L ouis X
dethroned him;
th of O ctober; she was present at the first
ational Convention, and heard Mirabeau
she followed the procession to N otre Dame,
V I . swear to a constitution, which virtually
and from that period, her mind seems to
have received a political tendency, that it never afterward
lost.
" I n 1790 she passed a short time with her father at
Coppet, but soon returned to Paris.
" S he associated, on terms of intimacy, with Talleyrand,
for whom she wrote the most important part of his ' R eport
on Public I nstruction,' in 1790. S he lik ewise numbered
among her friends L a F ayette, N arbonne, S ieyes, and other
popular leaders. "
W hen, amid the universal consternation, there could be
no one found to shelter the proscribed victims of the
despotic mob, Madame de S tael had the courage to offer
some of them an asylum, hoping the residence of a foreign
ambassador would not be searched. S he shut them up in
the remotest chamber, and herself spent the night in watch-
ing the streets.
M. de N arbonne was concealed in her house, when the
officers of police came to mak e the much-dreaded " domi-
ciliary visit. " S he k new that he could not escape, if a
rigorous search were made, and that if tak en, he would be
beheaded that very day. S he had sufficient presence of
>
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X V
mind to k eep q uite calm. Partly by her eloq uence, and
partly by a familiar pleasantry, which flattered them, she
persuaded the men to go away without infringing upon
the rights of a foreign ambassador.
Dr. B ollman, the same generous H anoverian who after-
ward attempted to rescue L a F ayette from the prison of
O lmutz, offered to undertak e the dangerous business of
conveying N arbonne to E ngland; and he effected it in
safety by means of a passport belonging to one of his
friends.
A s S weden refused to ack nowledge the F rench republic,
the situation of the B aron de S tael became very uncom-
fortable at Paris; and he was recalled in 1792, a short
time before the death of Gustavus I I I . I n S eptember,
1792, Madame de S tael set out for S witzerland, in a
coach and six , with servants in full livery; she was induced
to do this, from the idea that the people would let her
depart more freely, if they saw her in the style of an am-
bassadress.
This was ill-j udged: a shabby post-chaise
would have conveyed her more safely. A ferocious crowd
stopped the horses, calling out loudly that she was carrying
away the gold of the nation. A gendarme conducted her
through half Paris to the H otel de V ille, on the staircase
of which several persons had been massacred. N o woman
had at that time perished; but the nex t day the Princess
L amballe was murdered by the populace. Madame de S tael
was three hours in mak ing her way through the crowds
that on all sides assailed her with cries of death. They
had nothing against her personally, and probably did not
k now who she was; but a carriage and liveries, in their
eyes, warranted sentence of ex ecution. S he was then preg-
nant; and a gendarme, who was placed in the coach, was
moved with compassion at her situation and ex cessive terror:
he promised to defend her at the peril of his life. S he
says, " I alighted from my carriage, in the midst of an
armed multitude, and proceeded under an arch of pik es.
I n ascending the staircase, which was lik ewise bristled
with spears, a man pointed toward me the one which he
held in his hand; but my gendarme pushed it away
with his sabre. The President of the Commune was
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? X V I ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
R obespierre; and I breathed again, because I had es-
caped from the populace; yet what a protector was R o-
bespierre! H is secretary had left his beard untouched for a
fortnight, that he might escape all suspicion of aristocracy.
I showed my passports, and stated the right I had to depart
as ambassadress of S weden. L ucidly for me, Manuel ar-
rived: he was a man of good feelings, though he was
hurried away by his passions. I n an interview, a few days
before, I had wrought upon his k ind disposition so that he
consented to save two victims of proscription. H e imme-
diately offered to become responsible for me; and con-
ducting me out of that terrible place, he lock ed me up with
my maid-servant in his closet. H ere we waited six hours,
half dead with hunger and fright. The window of the
apartment look ed on the Place de Greve; and we saw the
assassins returning from the prisons, with their arms bare
and bloody, and uttering horrible cries.
" My coach with its baggage had remained in the mid-
dle of the sq uare. I saw a tall man in the dress of a
national guard, who for two hours defended it from the
plunder of the populace; I wondered how he could think of
such trifling things amid such awful circumstances. I n
the evening, this man entered my room with Manuel. H e
was S anterre, the brewer, afterward so notorious for his
cruelty. H e had several times witnessed my father' s dis-
tribution of corn among the poor of the F auoobourg S t. A n-
toine, and was willing to show his gratitude.
" Manuel bitterly deplored the assassinations that were
going on, and which he had not power to prevent. A n
abyss was opened behind the steps of every man who had
acq uired any authority, and if he receded he must fall into
it. H e conducted me home at night in his carriage; being
afraid of losing his popularity by doing it in the day. The
lamps were not lighted in the streets, and we met men
with torches, the glare of which was more frightful than
the dark ness. Manuel was often stopped and ask ed who
he was, but when he answered L e Procureur de la Com-
mune, this revolutionary dignity was respectfully re-
cognised. "
A new passport was given Madame de S tael, and she
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X V I I
was allowed to depart with one maid-servant, and a gen-
darme to attend her to the frontier. A fter some difficul-
ties of a less alarming nature, she arrived at Coppet in
safety.
During the following year, her feelings were too pain-
fully engrossed in watching the approaching political crisis,
to admit of her mak ing any new literary ex ertion.
S he and her father having always strongly advocated a
constitutional form of government, felt identified with the
cause of rational freedom, and watched the ruin of the
hopes they had formed with sad earnestness and bitter
regret.
They have been freq uently accused by their political
enemies of having ex cited and encouraged the horrible
disorders of the R evolution; indeed, the rancour of party-
spirit went so far as to accuse Madame de S tael,-- the
glorious, the amiable Madame de S tael! -- of having been
among the brutal mob at V ersailles, disguised as a Pois-
sarde. N othing could, in fact, be more untrue than charges
of this description. Z ealous friends of the eq ual rights of
man, M. N eck er and his sagacious daughter saw plainly
that a change was needed in the F rench government, and
no doubt they touched the springs, which set the great
machine in motion; but they could not foresee its fright-
ful accumulation of power, or the ruinous work
it would be directed. The limited monarchy of E
was always a favourite model with Madame de S
to which
ngland
tael. I n
her conversation, and in her writings, she has declared that
the F rench people needed such a form of government, and.
sooner or later, they would have it.
H ad the character of L ouis X V I . being adapted to the
crisis in which he lived, her wishes might have been real-
ised; but she evinced her usual penetration when she said
of that monarch, " H e would have made the mildest of
despots, or the most constitutional of k ings; but he was
totally unfit for the period when public opinion was mak -
ing a transition from one to the other. " To save the
royal family from untimely death was the obj ect of Madame
de S tael' s unceasing prayers and efforts. H aving been de-
feated in a plan to effect their escape from F rance, we find
? a
,-
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? X V 1UME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
her during this agitating period silently awaiting the pro-
gress of events, which she dared not attempt to control;
but when Marie A ntoinette was condemned to be beheaded,
she could no longer restrain her agonised spirit. I n A u-
gust, 1793, heedless of the danger she incurred, she boldly
published R eflections on the Process against the Q ueen.
" A short but most eloq uent appeal to the F rench nation,
beseeching them to pause and reflect before they should
thus disgrace themselves with the world, and with pos-
terity. " H istory informs us how entirely this and all
other disinterested efforts failed to check the fury of the
populace. The R evolution rushed madly on in its infernal
course of blood and crime.
W ith the death of Gustavus I I I . there came a change
of politics in S weden. The B aron de S tael was again sent
to Paris, the only ambassador from a monarchy to the new
republic. Most of his old friends were proscribed, or im-
prisoned, and many of them had perished on the scaffold;
even the family of his wife did not dare to reside in
F rance. To secure popularity in his precarious situation,
he gave 3000 francs to the poor of L a Croix R ouge, a
section particularly distinguished for its republicanism.
H e could not, however, feel secure amid the frightful
scenes that were passing around him; and he soon has-
tened back to S weden, where he remained until after the
death of R obespierre. " F or a short time, during those
dreadful months, which have been so appropriately termed
the R eign of Terror, Madame de S tael was in E ngland;
and, what is remark able, she was in E ngland, poor; for
the situation of the two countries at that crisis prevented
her receiving the funds necessary for her support. S he
lived in great retirement at R ichmond, with two of her
countrymen, no less distinguished than N arbonne and Tal-
leyrand, both, lik e herself, anx iously watching the progress
of affairs in F rance, and hoping for some change that would
render it safe for them to return. I t is a curious item in
the fick le cruelty of the R evolution, that these three persons,
who during such a considerable portion of their lives ex -
ercised an influence, not only on their country, but on the
world, were now deprived of their accustomed means of _
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X I X
subsistence; and it is worthy of notice, as a trait in their
national character, that they were not depressed or dis-
couraged by it.
" A ll they had, when thrown into the common stock ,
was merely sufficient to purchase a k ind of carriage, which
would hold but two. A s they rode about to see the country,
N arbonne and Talleyrand alternately mounted as footmen be-
hind, break ing out the glass of the chaise, in order to carry
on a conversation with those inside. Madame de S tael
has often said, that in these conversations she has witnessed
and enj oyed more of the play of the highest order of talent
than at any other period of her life. Talleyrand went
from E ngland to the United S tates. N arbonne, if I mis-
tak e not, went to the Continent; and Madame de S tael
ventured back to F rance in 1795. " H er husband was
again ambassador at Paris, where he remained, calmly re-
ceiving the alternate insolence and flattery of the populace,
until 1799, when he was recalled by the young k ing, Gus-
tavus A dolphus. A ll beneath the surface in F rance was,
at that time, heaving and tumultuous; but men had been
so terrified and wearied with the work of blood, that so-
ciety was for a time restored to ex ternal stillness.
A tsuchaperiod,amindlik eMadamedeS tael' shad
a powerful influence. H er saloon was a resort for all the
restless politicians of the day, and she was once denounced
to the Convention as a person dangerous to the state; but
her character, as wife of a foreign ambassador, protected
her; and she even ventured to publish a pamphlet on the
prospect of peace, addressed to Mr. Pitt and the F rench
people, which contained remark s opposed to the views of
the reigning demagogue. This pamphlet was much praised
by Mr. F ox in the E nglish parliament.
The principal charge brought against her by the Di-
rectory was the courage and zeal with which she served
the suffering emigrants: she would have been imprisoned
on this account had it not been for the friendly ex ertions
of B arras.
O ne diy, an emigrant, whose brother was arrested and
condemned to be shot, came in great agitation to beg her
to save his life. S he recollected that she had some ac-
a2
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? X X ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
q uaintance with General L emoine, who had a right to sus-
pend the j udgments of the military commission. Thank ing
H eaven for the idea, she instantly went to his house.
A t first he abruptly refused her petition. S he says,
" My heart throbbed at the sight of that brother, who
might think that I was not employing the words best fitted
to obtain what I ask ed. I was afraid of saying too much
or too little; of losing the fatal hour, after which all would
be over; or of neglecting an argument which might prove
successful. I look ed by turns at the clock and the General
to see whether his soul or time would approach the term
most q uick ly. Twice he took the pen to sign a reprieve,
and twice the fear of committing himself restrained him.
A t last, he was unable to refuse us; and may H eaven
shower blessings on him for the deed. The reprieve ar-
rived in season, and innocence was saved! "
I n 1796 , Madame de S tael was summoned to Coppet to
attend the death-bed of her mother. S he has given us a
very interesting account of her father' s unwearied tender-
ness toward his dying wife, in the preface to M. N eck er' s
MS S . published by her after his death. S he remained to
soothe her father under his severe affliction for nearly a
year. During this time she wrote her E ssay on the Pas-
sions, divided into two parts: -- 1st, their I nfluence on the
H appiness of I
tions. This work
the F rench R
ndividuals; 2dly, on the H appiness of N a-
was suggested by the fearful scenes of
evolution, and probably could not have been
written ex cept by one who had witnessed the reck less violence
and unnatural ex citement of that awful period.
W e have already mentioned that Madame de S taeTs
affections were supposed to have small share in her mar-
riage. The coolness of her feelings towards the B aron de
S tael was considerably increased by his heedless ex trava-
gance. O n his wedding-day he is said to have assigned
all his ministerial allowance to his friend, Count F ersen;
and the princely dowry he received with his wife was soon
nearly dissipated by his thoughtless ex penditure. S uch
was the embarrassment of his affairs, that Madame de
S tael thought it a duty to place herself and her three chil-
dren under the protection of her father. Thus the pro-
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L iX X I
j ectors of this match met the usual fate of those who
attempt to thwart nature, and tak e destiny out of the hands
of Providence: it not only made the parties wretched, but
it did not even serve the ambitious purposes for which the
sacrifice is supposed to have been made.
H er separation from her husband was not of long con-
tinuance. I llness, and approaching age req uired a wife' s
attentions; and Madame de S tael, true to the k ind im-
pulses of her generous nature, immediately returned to
him. A s soon as he could bear removal, she attempted,
by slow j ourneys,, to bring him to her father' s residence,
that she and her children might mak e the evening of his
days as cheerful as possible. I t was, however, destined to
be otherwise; he died at Poligni, on his way to Coppet,
May 9th, 1802.
Madame de S tael' s E ssays on the Passions led her
mind to a series of enq uiries, which ended in her celebrated
E ssay on L iterature; immediately after the completion of
which Madame de S tael went to Paris, where she arrived
on the 9th of N ovember, 1799 -- the very day that placed
the destiny of F rance in the hands of B onaparte. H er
imagination seems to have been, at first, dazzled by the
military glory of N apoleon. L avalette was introduced to
her at Talleyrand' s, at the time when every body was talk -
ing of the brilliant campaigns in I taly. H e says, " During
dinner, the praises Madame de S tael lavished on the con-
q ueror of I taly had all the wildness, romance, and ex -
aggeration of poetry. W hen we left the table, the com-
pany withdrew to a small room to look at the portrait of
the hero; and as I stepped back to let her walk in, she
B aid, ' H ow shall I dare to pass before an aide-de-camp of
B onaparte! ' My confusion was so great that she also
felt a little of it, and Talleyrand laughed at us. "
B ut this admiration of B onaparte was destined to be
short-lived. F rom the moment she understood him, she
became one of the most active and determined of his
opposers. I n the beginning of his reign, when policy
compelled him to be gradual in his usurpation of power,
she was not a little troublesome to him. I n the organi-
sation of the new government, she is said to have fairly
a3
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? X X I I ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L .
out-manoeuvred him, and to have placed the celebrated
B enj amin Constant in one of the assemblies, in spite of his
efforts to the contrary.
B onaparte k ept close watch upon her; and his spies
soon informed him that people always left Madame de
S taeTs house with less confidence in him than they had
when they entered it.
B eing anx ious for a pretex t to banish her, he seized
upon the first that offered, which happened to be the pub-
lication of a political pamphlet by her father, in 1802.
O n the pretence that she had contributed to the falsehoods,
which he said it contained, he req uested Talleyrand to in.
form her that she must q uit Paris. This was a delicate
office for an old acq uaintance to perform; but Talleyrand
was even then used to difficult positions. H is political
history has proved that no fall, however precipitate, can
bewilder the selfish acuteness of his faculties, or impair the
marvellous pliancy of his motions: his attachment to
places rather than persons is another and stronger point of
resemblance between him and a certain household animal.
H is characteristic finesse was shown in his manner of
performing the embarrassing office assigned him by the
F irst Consul. H e called upon Madame de S tael, and after
a few compliments, said, " I hear, madam, you are going to
tak eaj ourney. " -- " O h,no! itisamistak e,I haveno
such intention. "
were going to S
-- " Pardon me, I was informed that you
witzerland. " -- " I have no such proj ect, I
assure you. " -- " B ut I have been told, on the best authority,
that you would q
uit Paris in three days. " Madame de
S tael took the hint, and went to Coppet.
I n the mean time, however, before she left Paris, she
completed a novel in six volumes, under the title of Del-
phine, which was published in 1802.
I n 180. % Madame de S tael ventured to reside within ten
leagues of Paris, occasionally going there, to visit the mu-
seum and the theatres. S ome of her enemies informed
B onaparte that she received a great many visiters, and he
immediately banished her to the distance of forty leagues
from the capital; a sentence which was rigorously enforced.
H er father, conscious how much she needed the ex hila-
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? ME MO I R O F MA DA ME DE S TA E L . X X lli
rating influence of society, had always encouraged her visits
to Paris; and now that she was ex iled from the scene of
10 many triumphs and so much enj oyment, he strongly
favoured, her proj ect of visiting Germany. A ccordingly, in
the winter of 1803, she went to F rank fort, W
B erlin. A t F rank fort, her daughter, then A
was tak en dangerously ill. Madame de S tael k
eimar, and
ve years old,
new no one
in that city, and was ignorant of the language; even the
physician' to whose care she intrusted the child scarcely
spok e a word of F rench. S peak ing of her distress on this
occasion, she ex claims, " O h, how my father shared with
me in all my trouble!
