MADAME I RECAMIER ' AND -HER FRIENDS '.ft LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. Class MADAME RKCAMIER from the original painting by J. L. David in the Louvre Madame Recamier and Her Friends Translated from the French of Madame Lenormant by Isaphene M. Luyster New Illustrated Edition UNIVERSITY OF Boston Knight and Millet \ Copyright, 1867 BY ROBERTS BROTHERS UNIVERSITY PRESS JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. TT 7HEN an English translation of Madame Re*- camier's " Memoirs " was given to the American public, in 1866, it occasioned the same feeling of disappointment as the original work had previously created in France upon its first publica- tion, in 1859. The cause of this dissatisfaction was obvious, for, though the book was in the highest degree interesting, it failed to give a life-like and satisfactory image of Madame Recamier herself. This was the more disappointing, as few lives have excited a more lively curiosity. If it be true, as Carlyle somewhere says, that were it pos- sible to obtain a faithful record of even the most humble and commonplace life, with all its thoughts and emotions, hopes and fears, it would be more thiilling than the most startling romance, how much greater the interest such a life as Mme. Re*- camier's would excite, if we could get at the whole truth concerning so strange and eventful a career, know the true story of the men who loved her, iv TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. the women who suffered by her ; how she really felt toward Prince Augustus, and what were her own pangs and heart-trials ; if we could penetrate beneath the surface of that most courteous and polished of salons, where friend and foe met on neutral ground, and antipathies were carefully con- cealed or ignored ! Did Chateaubriand and Bal- lanche really like each other ? And Ampere, did he do more than simply tolerate the egotistical author of the " Genius of Christianity ? " How was it that Madame de Stael, who could not even bear to hear of the marriage of any of her male friends, cordially welcomed to her heart and home so formidable a rival ? Did she never feel a jealous pang at seeing her whilom admirers at the feet of this lovely Juliette? And Monsieur Re*- camier, was he always content to be known as the merely nominal husband of the most beautiful woman in Europe ? Such questions inevitably suggest themselves ; and though, doubtless, many of them are vain and unrea- sonable, out of the power even of a very Boswell to answer satisfactorily, still, as Madame Re*camier was strictly a social celebrity, it is reasonable to desire fuller information concerning her than these " Memoirs " furnished ; to read her letters, to see her in the freedom and intimacy of her own fire- side, at hours when the famous salon was silent TRANSLATORS PREFACE. V and empty ; to be able, in fine, to understand, if not the secrets of her life, at least her personal character and her ends and aims. This knowledge the present volume, of twelve years later date, in a measure supplies. If it does not explain the mysteries of Madame Recamier's life, it helps us to understand better her character ; and from the new material it furnishes, including over forty of her own notes and letters, it is a valuable supplement to the more voluminous "Me- moirs." Though not so rich in anecdote and incident as its predecessor, it is better planned and executed. It has also the merit of presenting its author as well as her subject in a more just as it is certainly a more favorable light. This is the more note- worthy, as in the " Memoirs," unfortunately, Ma- dame Lenormant failed to inspire that confidence in herself which it is so essential that all writers of biography should inspire in their readers. Burdened with her great mass of material, and hampered, moreover, by an earnest desire to keep her own personality entirely out of sight, Madame Lenormant was led to do injustice to herself as well as to her subject. Experience and the criti- cisms her first book called forth have evidently taught her much. Overcoming her natural reluc- tance to speak of herself, she, in a modest and vi TRANSLATORS PREFACE. circumstantial narrative, tells the story of her own relations with Madame Re*camier, a story which not only induces a higher esteem for the famous woman whose virtues it illustrates, but reflects most favorably upon the narrator herself. Madame Recamier's letters to her niece confirm the narrative of the latter. Insignificant in other respects, they are valuable as indications of char- acter. We are struck with the little their writer exacts from the woman whose mind she had moulded, and whose happiness she had taken such pains to secure. Unlike too many benefactors, she claims nothing on the score of gratitude. And yet the burden that Madame Recamier im- posed upon herself when she undertook the care of her husband's little niece was no light one. That this " spoiled child of fortune," as Camille Jordan calls her, should, at the age of forty, when habits are generally fixed, keep so closely to her side and rear thus carefully a daughter by adoption, is certainly not a little remarkable. It is pleasant to find that she had her reward in the life-long love and gratitude of one in whose arms she died, and by whom she has evidently been most sincerely lamented. But while these personal details respecting the family life of Madame Recamier are undoubtedly the most interesting and important part of the TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. vii book, they are by no means the only ones which throw light upon her character. By a judicious arrangement we are enabled to trace the develop- ment and growth of her intrinsically fine and unique nature. We see her successively surrounded by the friends of her early life and of her riper years. We read her letters, we note how the coquetry of her youth gives place to nobler aims and more serious occupations. It is no longer simply as the great beauty, the queen of society, that we learn to regard her, but as a lovely and gracious woman who rose superior to the temptations of her strange lot, and who, with every excuse for being vain, frivolous, and selfish, was, in an eminent degree, unaffected, serious, and disinterested. The grace and tact which gave Madame Re- camier her social influence amounted almost to genius, while she seems to have been by no means deficient in literary taste and ability. At fifty-two she writes, ' ; I have been looking up historical facts for M. de Chateaubriand, which has given me quite a taste for history. I have read Thiers and Mig- net, and I am now reading Tacitus ; " and when she had reached the age of seventy she assisted Ampere to prepare a volume of extracts from the works of Ballanche. " Give me," writes Camille Jordan, early in the reign of Louis XVIII., " your impression of this new regime, and your estimate TRANSLATORS PREFACE. of public opinion, for you know the value I attach to it, and how I delight to hear you, with youi pure and discriminating mind, talk on all subjects even the most serious." This tribute has the more weight as Camille Jordan was not a man to indulge in unmeaning compliments. Among the group of distinguished men who surround Madame Recamier, he stands pre-eminent for his manliness of character and thor- ough independence. Unlike most of her friends, it does not appear that he at any time assumed the role of a lover ; and while his letters testify to his great admiration and respect for her, they also un- mistakably show that his wife and children always held the first place in his heart. Still stronger evidence, if possible, of Madame Recamier's power of inspiring and retaining affec- tion is to be found in the amusing letters from Ma- dame de Boigne. A few words in regard to this brilliant woman will not be amiss here. Madame de Boigne was the daughter of the Mar- quis d' Osmond, who with his family was driven from France by the Revolution of 1789. She was married in England to General de Boigne, who had acquired distinction and wealth in India. He was much older than his wife, and as they were, in other respects, uncongenial, they soon agreed to live apart. There was no public rupture and no TRANSLATORS PREFACE. IX scandal. Madame de Boigne continued to reside with her parents, though paying her husband a short annual visit in Savoy. Brilliant as well as beautiful, she became, upon the return of the family from exile, a power in society. In Paris she pre- sided over her father's house with grace and ele- gance ; and when he was appointed successively ambassador to Turin and to London, she accom- panied him, and by her tact and address contrib- uted largely to the success of his missions. An old and warm friend of Marie- Am elie, Ma- dame de Boigne was among the first of the old aristocracy to render allegiance to Louis Philippe, and as she was very intimate with Pasquier, her salon, under the new regime, became a political centre. According to Sainte-Beuve, no reproach was ever attached to her name. This eminent critic and sly gossip, who knew so well how to in- sinuate blame, while seeming intent on praising, has no qualifying words in his eulogy of Madame de Boigne. He writes : "If she had been a man, the Countess de Boigne would have been one of the most eminent and useful politicians of her day, and the government would have had the services of one minister the more. Nor did the possession of these solid qualities obscure in her the womanly graces ; she was elegance itself. Praise from her had a high value, because she was not prodigal in x TRANSLATORS PREFACE. bestowing it. A word of approbation from her was a reward. She talked extremely well, to perfection, in fact, using terms at once elegant and precise. There was no vagueness in her style. I fancy that the highly extolled Marechale de Luxembourg must have expressed herself in much the same fashion. The last few years, so full of change for her, the late revolutions, of which she had seen so many, found her calm, tranquil, not surprised, and always just. In spite of her impaired health, she still retained her love of society, her interest in the drama of politics, the integrity and firmness of her intellect. She had the good sense to perceive that some concessions must be made to the times. She still kept her old friends, her private preferences, but little by little she renewed her salon. New-comers found it pleasant to be there, and learned to appreciate her." . . . Madame de Boigne died on the 10th of May, 1866, at the age of eighty-six. Three years younger than Madame Recamier, she survived her eighteen. The friendship between them was formed in early youth, and apparently never suffered any eclipse. This is, perhaps, the more remarkable, as their respective careers offer many points of resem- blance. Both were beauties and belles, with a number of acquaintances in common. Both sought and obtained social distinction, and both, through their friends, exercised political influence. But Madame Recamier's interest and influence in poli- tics ended with M. de Chateaubriand's retirement TRANSLATORS PREFACE. xi from political life upon the fall of Charles X. ; whereas it was during the reign of Louis Philippe that Madame de Boigne's salon became a centre of influence. But though both Madame de Boigne and Ca- mille Jordan occupy a prominent place in the fol- lowing pages, neither the one nor the other is the friend par excellence. This honor belongs to J.-J. Ampere. He is the central figure of Madame Lenormant's second volume of reminiscences, as Chateaubriand is of the first. The two men are in striking contrast. The one, vain and sentimental, egotistical and selfish, is always demanding sacri- fices and making none ; the other, frank and natural, affectionate and disinterested, is ever serv- ing others and forgetting himself. Ampere's de- votion for thirty years to Madame Recamier is even more exceptional than that of Ballanche, who, philosopher and good man as he was, had no social graces, and few temptations to lure him away from his snug corner at Madame Recamier's fireside ; whereas Ampere, young, witty, and in every way at- tractive, was universally courted, a favorite with men as well as with women. Alexis de Tocque- ville, for example, whose letters are an interesting feature of this volume, had a peculiarly strong friendship for Ampere. Strong and life-long friendships, however, are xii TRANSLATORS PREFACE. very characteristic of the French, and in this re- spect Ampere is a typical Frenchman. One secret of these enduring attachments it is not difficult to discover ; it lies partly in the inborn courtesy of the nation which makes them shrink from saying disagreeable things, and partly in their habit of say- ing kind and gracious ones. They are not afraid of being demonstrative. Of this, the letters pub- lished by Madame Lenormant offer a striking illus- tration. No one can read them without being impressed with their uniformly kind and affection- ate tone. An Englishman or an American would, perhaps, hesitate to write such loving letters to one of his own sex, as De Tocqueville writes to Ampere ; and yet there is little doubt that such frank and hearty expressions of interest and affec- tion bound the two more closely together and cemented their friendship. Another fine national trait which the character of Ampere strikingly illustrates is filial respect and devotion. The loyalty, the beauty of this relation- ship is the one thing, above all others, which sweet- ens and sanctifies French homes. So far is this allegiance of the child to the parent and the parent to the child carried, and so highly is it estimated, that one might almost be justified in styling it the national religion. As a sentiment, it pervades all their literature ; sometimes, perhaps, in their novels TRANSLATORS PREFACE. xiii and plays degenerating into a morbid sentimen- tality. But it is neither to their fictitious literature, and still less to the metropolitan life of Paris, that we must look for a correct idea of the best phases of French life and character. If we are to appreciate more justly the domestic virtues of this enigmatical people, a people of genius, and heir, therefore, to all the follies as well as great capabilities of genius, we must know more of the lives of the nobles in the provinces, of the homes of the bour- geoisie ; we must go to such books as the me- moirs of Madame de Montague and Madame de Lafayette ; such journals as those of Eugenie de Guerin, of Andre-Marie Ampere. And among works of this class, few are more suggestive than the present volume. I. M. W. May, 1876, AUTHOR'S PREFACE. "Y\ 7HEN in publishing, twelve years ago, the " Memoirs and Correspondence of Mme. Recamier," I attempted to draw a faithful portrait of that noble and incomparable person, I was well aware that the picture would have been more striking, more life-like, if, instead of printing the letters which were addressed to her, I had given those she herself wrote. The letters of her friends were only the mirror in which her soul and features were reflected, whilst her own letters would have set before us the woman herself. But I had then at my dis- posal only my own correspondence with Mme. Recamier ; these letters, few in number, for we were rarely separated, were of too private a nature for me not to feel reluctant to publish them. Twenty-two years, alas! have run their course since she passed away, that finished type of grace and purity, whose seductiveness was due as xvi AUTHOR'S PREFACE. f much to goodness of heart, strength and sincerity of character, as to dazzling beauty. Of the brilliant circle of devoted friends who composed her train we may say her court very few survive ; death has cut down almost all who once frequented the salon of the Abbaye-aux-Bois, and it is to this sad circumstance that I owe the letters of Mme. Recamier which have since come into my hands. Their publication to-day, together with many other letters also hitherto unpublished, will make better known and more and more appreciated that vanished world, that charming circle, of which nothing in the society of to-day can give any idea, and where noble thoughts, refined tastes, and en- tire independence of character, found expression in a language full of elegance and courtesy. In publishing these letters, some definite plan was necessary ; I have chosen that which seemed to me the most natural, and have disposed in chro- nological order the several intimacies of Mme. Re- camier, so as to exhibit her surrounded in turn by the friends of her youth and those of her riper years. Unless a reason were given for the omission, my readers might properly be surprised at finding no letters nor any personal details in this volume, other than those already published, of the man who, so AUTHOR'S PREFACE. xvii long as his life lasted, was bound to Mme. Recamier by the deepest attachment, and a devotion as ex- alted as it was disinterested ; namely, the phi- losopher Ballanche. Certain it is, that his entire self-abnegation made him the willing slave of her who was to him the personification of all that is beautiful and noble upon earth, and humanity alone was the rival of Mme. Recamier in the heart of Ballanche. In return, she accorded him a confi- dence without limit ; and the place he occupied in her life was a large one. M. Victor de Laprade, the friend and disciple of Ballanche, is preparing a complete edition of the works of the Lyonese philosopher, which will contain, besides his unpub- lished writings, a volume of correspondence. I have gladly furnished him with all the letters in my possession. With regard to the correspondence carried on under the first Empire, the reader will doubtless be struck by the degree of repression the vexatious tyranny of the Imperial police succeeded in exerting upon even the boldest spirits. The certainty that every word would be read and commented upon with a jealous and paltry suspicion, caused every one to be extremely reserved even with their most intimate friends. The word exile is rarely pro- nounced by those who had braved the peril and were paying the penalty; they seldom, if ever, b xviii AUTHOR'S PREFACE. speak of political events. M. de Montmorency, ac- tively and ardently devoted as he was to the cause of the imprisoned Sovereign Pontiff, makes not a single allusion to the situation of Pius VII. Such facts as these make it easier to understand Mme. de Stael's passionate longing to escape be- yond the reach of this pneumatical administrative machine, under which a hand of iron reduced all to silence. CONTENTS. PART I. MADAME RE"CAMIER AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. PAOK Camille Jordan and Pierre Edouard Lemontey. Notes from Mme. Recamier to Camille Jordan. Letter from Mme. de Stael. Mme. Recamier to Mme. de Stael. Letters from Camille Jor- dan. His marriage. Letters from M. de Montmorency and Mine, de Stael to Mme. Recamier. Letters from Camille Jordan and Lemontey. Mme. Recamier to Camille Jordan. Letter from Camille Jordan. Death of Mme. Recamier's mother. Mme. Recamier's journey to Switzerland. Accident on the road. Letters from M. de Montmorency and Lemontey. Let- ters from Camille Jordan to Mme. Recamier and Mme. de Stael. Letters from the Baron de Vogt. Countess de Boigne to Mme. Recamier. Exile of Mme. Recamier. Letters from M. de Montmorency, M. Recamier, and Mme. de Stael. Letters to Mme. Recamier at Chalons from Lemontey, M. de Montmorency, Mme. de Boigne, Camille Jordan, and Adrien de Montmorency. Mme. Recamier's change of residence to L^-ons. Letters from Camille Jordan and M. de Montmorency. Her trip to Italy. Letters from Milan and Rome to Camille Jordan and Mme. Delphin. Return to Paris. Letters from Camille Jordan. His death . 113 PART II. LETTERS OF MME. RECAMIER TO HER NIECE. Her niece's account of her parents. Adoption by Mme. Recamier. Arrival in Paris. Visit to Coppet. Mme. Recamier's exile. Letter from M. Recamier. Education of Mme. Recamier's niece. Anecdote of Lemontey and Mme. de Genlis. Notes from Mme. Recamier to her niece. Trip to Italy. Mme. Recamier to Mme. Delphin. Marriage of her niece to M. Lenormant. Letters from Mme. Recamier and Ballanche to Mme. Lenormant . 155 XX CONTENTS. PAKT III. JEAN-JACQUES AMPERE AND THE ABBAYE-AUX-BOIS. PAGK Childhood of J.^J. Ampere. Sketch of his father. Andre-Marie Ampere. Education and youth of J.-J. Ampere. The de .lus- sieus. Ampere's presentation to Mine. Recamier. J.-J. Ampere to Mme. Recamier. Journey to Italy. Queen Hortense and the Bonaparte family. Ampere's return to Paris. Letters from Mme. Recamier to J.-J. Ampere. M. de Chateaubriand. Mile. Guvier. Ampere at the University of Bonn. Correspondence of Ampere and Ch. Lenormant. Letters from Mme. Recamier. Goethe. Ampere's trip to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Return to Paris. Marriage of his sister. Letters from Mme. Re- camier at Dieppe to J.-J. Ampere. M. Merimee. Letters of M. Merimee to Mme. Recamier. Mme. Recamier to J.-J. Ampere. Ampere at Marseilles. Ch. Lenormant to J.-J. Ampere. Mme. Recamier to J.-J. Ampere. Ampere and the Normal School. Professorship at the College de France. Sainte-Beuve. J.-J. Ampere to Mme. Lenormant. M. Guizot. Letters from Mme. Recamier to J.-J. Ampere. Death of Andre-Marie Ampere. Travels of Ampere. "Voyage Dantesque." Journey in Greece and Asia Minor. Ampere elected member of the Academic des Inscriptions. Alexis de Tocqueville. Lafayette. La Grange. Letters from De Tocqueville. Frederic Ozanam. Literary labors of Ampere. Journey to Egypt. Mehemet-Ali. J.-J. Ampere at Cairo to Mme. Recamier. Illness of Ampere. His return to France. Letters from Mme. Recamier and Ballanche to Ampere. His convalescence. M. Mohl. Viscountess de Noailles. M. de Lomenie. Election of Ampere to the French Academy. Blindness of Mme. Recamier. Death of Ballanche. Death of M. de Chateaubriand. His funeral obsequies. Mme . de Boigne to Mme. Recamier. Death of Mme. Recamier. Am- pere's journey to Spain. Sta ' at Sorrento. Journey to Amer- ica. "Promenade en Amerique." Death of the Viscountess de Noailles. Letters from J.-J. Ampere to the Duchess de Mouchy. Ampere and the Cheuvreux family. Letters of Ampere to the Duchess de Mouchy. "Histoire Romaine a Rome." Alexis de Tocqueville to J.-J. Ampere. J. J.- Ampere to the Duchess de Mouchy. Alexis de Tocqueville to J.-J. Ampere. Death of Alexis de Tocqueville. Death of Mme. Guillemin. Death of Ch. Lenormant. Religious faith of Ampere. J.-J. Ampere to Mme. Lenormant. Death of Ampere 281 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page Madame Recamier Frontispiece Camille Jordan 10 Benjamin Constant 40 Matthieu de Montmorency 66 Madame de Stael 96 M. de Chateaubriand 138 Queen Hortense 170 Prosper Merimee 196 M. Guizot 210 M. Mohl 236 PART I. MADAME RlSCAMIER AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. "PROMINENT among Mme. Recamier's early friends were two natives of Lyons, Camille Jordan and Pierre Edouard Lemontey. Both were men of distinguished ability, though totally unlike in char- acter. Both, also, were members of the Council of Five Hundred when, in 1797, they were admitted to the house of M. Recamier, whose eminently hospitable doors opened with eager cordiality to his fellow-towns- men of Lyons. Camille Jordan probably owed his in- troduction to Dege*rando ; the two had been like broth- ers from childhood, and their life-long friendship neither time nor absence, nor marked divergencies of opinion and conduct, had ever power to chill. Lemontey had many fine qualities. He was a stead- fast friend, and perfectly trustworthy in all the relations of life ; but, though a man of superior mind and incon- testable talent, he was imbued with a scepticism little in harmony with the confiding and enthusiastic temper of the young and beautiful girl now four years married to 1 A 2 MADAME RfiCAMIER M. Re'camier. Political convictions he had none, nor any religious belief; men and events he judged with a mocking irony, which, while it gave great piquancy to his words, did not prevent him from being always very ready to serve his friends. His avarice had passed into a proverb, and he had no elegance either of manner or appearance. In conversation his language often offended against good taste, sometimes even degenerating into coarseness; but his judgment in regard to literary mat- ters was keen and correct, and his advice on such subjects always sound. Mme. de Stael welcomed him gladly to her house, and was fond of consulting him ; and in several of her letters to Mme. Recamier it will be observed that she begs the latter to urge him to visit her both at Coppet and Auxerre. During all my childhood I used to see Lemontey every Saturday, as he came regularly to dine with my uncle, M. Recamier. This habit, to which he faithfully adhered until his death in 1826, dates back to the remote period when he came to Paris to take his seat in the Council of the Five Hundred. Mme. Recamier had a sincere regard for Lemontey, but the affection she felt for Camille Jordan was much stronger. I do not purpose to relate here the life of the eloquent and intrepid patriot, whom the history of our social and parliamentary struggles " will never find in th ranks of the victors." I would rather re- fer the reader to Ballanche's noble eulogy ; also to the brilliant article which M. Sainte-Beuve devoted . to him in the " Revue des Deux Mondes," still vividly remembered by the public. In this article the able AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. 3 critic not only appreciates, with his usual acuteness, the charming originality of the translator of Klopstock, and the talent of the political orator; but what we had, perhaps, less right to expect he also does full justice to the independence and patriotism of this champion of liberty. Barely escaping arrest, through the devotion of his friends, at the coup tfetat of Fructidor, Caniille Jordan succeeded in reaching Switzerland in company with M. Degerando, with whom he afterward visited Germany. It was during this forced emigration that he formed a friendship with Matthieu de Montmorency. Re- turning to France in 1800, after a sojourn in England, he met again in Paris Mme. Recamier, with whom he had been greatly charmed three years before, and who was now more brilliant and more sought after than ever. Henceforth a close intimacy was established be- tween Mme. de Stael, Matthieu and Adrien de Mont- morency, and Camille Jordan, who, with M. and Mme. Degerando, formed part of the intimate circle of friends that gathered daily around Mme. Recamier, whether at Clichy, Saint-Brice, or Paris. It was now, too, that letters and notes began to be exchanged between her and Camille Jordan, of which a few only have escaped destruction. Mme. Recamier felt a very deep friendship for Camille Jordan ; he inspired her with both esteem and confidence. Like Matthieu de Montmorency, though in a less degree, he acted toward her the part of a Mentor ; striving to counteract the influence of the 4 MADAME RtfCAMIER intoxicating homage paid her in society, and to cure her of that imperious desire to please which she had from her birth, together with all the natural gifts which made pleasing so easy to her. Few men with the great qualities and rigid virtues of Camille Jordan have been so charming and en- gaging in the ordinary intercourse of life. His original turn of mind, his enthusiasm, his energy, the shrewd- ness of his remarks, a certain simplicity and candor, in short, every thing about him was attractive, even to the somewhat provincial awkwardness which he never quite overcame. M. Sainte-Beuve has very justly no- ticed a peculiarity common to all the natives of Lyons, a flavor of the soil, so to say, which we find in all Camille Jordan's contemporaries, however unlike in other respects. M. Sainte-Beuve defines it thus : "A certain stock of beliefs, of sentiments, of moral habits, of local patriotism, of religiosity and affectuosity, which holds its own amid the general dwindling away and shrivelling up of men's souls." In inserting here two notes from Mme. Re'camier to Camille Jordan, written in the early days of their inti- macy, it seems proper to forestall the surprise which, doubtless, some readers will experience, on seeing a very young woman address by his Christian name one who is not a relative, while he replies in the same style. This use of the Christian name was adopted by the whole circle, and occurs in conjunction with forms implying the most profound deference and respect. Mme. de Stael never speaks of M. de Montmorency nor AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. 5 addresses him except by the name of Matthieu. Mme. de Boigne does the same in the case of Adrien de Montmorency, who, in his turn, calls her Adele. All the guests at Coppet speak of and to Mme. Recamier as Juliette. So with Camille Jordan, whom they all call Camille ; it is the same with Benjamin Constant and Prosper de Barante, and yet assuredly, in spite of this custom, now out of fashion, the language of this select circle was neither familiar nor trivial. 1 MME. RECAMIER TO CAMILLE JORDAN. "1801. " DEAB CAMILLE, I very much regret not seeing you to-day. I am obliged to accompany mamma to Cambace'res's, and afterward I go into the country. " If I do not see you in a day or two, I shall go to look for you at Meudon. 2 A thousand affectionate re- membrances and regards to you and your friends." 1801. " DEAR CAMILLE, I send you the invitations, which I did not know how to address. I fear it may be too late : do the best you can. I shall see you this evening, but I shall see you in the midst of a crowd. 1 In this connection it is well to call attention to the fact (necessarily lost sight of in an English translation) that though this circle of friends call each other by their Christian names, they never employ the affectionate and familiar " tu" but always " vows." Among Mme. Recamier's correspondents, the only one who uses the " tu " in addressing her is M. Recamier. TB. 2 At the Degerandos'. 6 MADAME RfiCAMIER I liked much better my little room at Meudon, and the rambles among the ruins." Allusion is here made, as we see, to one of those fetes which Mme. Recamier was in the habit of giving, and to which the fashionable world, now just re- organized, and with a thirst for pleasure unquenched by the saturnalias of the Directory, came in eager crowds. The peace of Luneville, followed by that of Amiens, had reopened France to foreigners, multitudes of whom flocked thither during the winters of 1801 and 1802. A proof of this we find in the following note from Camille Jordan to his brilliant friend : "A certain Baron von Arnim, a Prussian, has been recommended to me, whom I should like to have go to the Demidoffball to-morrow. You, who reign over all the Russias, can you manage to get him in ? "Degerando and Annette charge me with most lov- ing messages, and beg you to send your orphan boy to the school. " I hoped to see you and waited for you day before yesterday at Lady Foster's. 1 u Q AMILLH Mme. de Stael passed the whole winter of 1801 in Paris ; and from this time her relations with Mme. Re- camier took the character of a close intimacy. Return- i Lady Elizabeth Foster, sister of the Earl of Bristol. Her second husband was the Duke of Devonshire. AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. 7 ing to Coppet in the spring, she wrote to her friend on the 9th of September : "Do you ever think, beautiful Juliette, of a person whom you loaded with marks of interest last winter, and who hopes to make you renew them next winter? How do you sway the empire of beauty ? We accord you this empire with pleasure, because you are eminently good ; and it seems only natural that so sweet a soul should be expressed by so charming a face. Of all your adorers, you know I prefer Adrien de Montmorency. I have received letters from him remarkable for wit and grace, and I believe in the steadfastness of his affec- tions, in spite of the charm of his manners. And, besides, this word 'steadfastness' is more becoming for me, who pretend only to a very secondary place in his heart. But you, who inspire all the sentiments, you are exposed to the grand events out of which we make tragedies and romances. Mine * is making prog- ress here at the foot of the Alps. I hope you will read it with interest. I rather like this occupation. In speaking of your adorers, I did not mean to include M. de Narbonne ; 2 it seems to me he has ranged him- self in the ranks of the friends ; if it were not so, I could not have said that I preferred any one to him. " Amid all these successes, you are, and you will ever remain, an angel of purity and goodness, worshipped 1 Her romance of " Delphine/' which appeared in 1802. a Formerly minister of Louis XVI., aide-de-camp of the Emperor Napoleon. 8 MADAME RtiCAMIER by the devout as well as by worldlings. What do your devout ones say concerning the new treaty with the Pope? 1 Is it quite orthodox? We outside heretics find it hard to understand all this. Throw some light on this rather singular medley. Have you again seen the author of Atala ' ? Are you still at Clichy ? I ask, in short, for all particulars respecting yourself; I like to know what you are doing, to make a picture to myself of the places you inhabit; must not all memories of you resolve themselves into pictures? I join to this very natural enthusiasm for your rare personal ad- vantages a great fondness for your society. Kindly accept, I beg of you, all I offer, and promise me that we shall see each other often next winter." To the year 1803, and evidently after the first order of exile, must be assigned these few lines of Mme. Re- camier to Mme. de Stae'l, which M. Sainte-Beuve dis- covered among the papers of Camille Jordan, and which are here inserted as given by him : "Just as I received the note announcing your de- parture, another was handed me from Junot, who writes : ' I have this morning seen the Consul ; he said that he consented to her staying in France; he was even willing that she should reside at Dijon, if that be agreeable to her ; he even said to me, in a low voice, " that if nothing new should occur hereafter." ... I 1 The Concordat signed July 17th, 1800, between Piua VII. and the French Government. AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. 9 trust that, through her own prudence and our earnest solicitations, the sentence will be completed.' " You, doubtless, know all this. As for me, the hope of soon seeing you again is very necessary to console me a little for your absence. Do, as a favor, let me know your plans. I will not forget the affair of M. . . . " It is very hard to get accustomed to not seeing you, after having had the pleasure of passing a few days with you. I am waiting to hear from you with anxious impatience. Sunday evening " J^TTE R CAMILLE JORDAN TO MME. RECAMIER. " SAINT-OUEN, " DEAR JULIETTE, I left you ill, and I am anxious about your health ; send me word, I beg of you, by re- turn of messenger. I should have called to inquire yesterday, but I returned home at too late an hour ; I shall come to-morrow the first moment I am at liberty ; provided, indeed, that my visit do not bore you, for the doubt you felt of the pleasure your last letter would give me fills me with a better-founded distrust. Oh, that doubt ! it went to my heart. It will be long be- fore I forgive you. But, no, I am sure of interesting you, for I shall speak to you of Adrien, 1 of the visit that I made him ; I will describe my dinner with Fox, where mention was made of you. I enclose the hospital 1 Adrien de Montmorency. 1* 10 MADAME RfiCAMIER papers, which I carried off through inadvertence ; I hope you will not forget the little girls, and the charm- ing project so worthy of your good heart. " What has become of the beautiful Aline, and the Portuguese romance? Please say something pleasant to her from me. Tell her that we beg her to prepare her sweet voice for singing a romaunt of the sixteenth century, quite unknown, and with which we are de- lighted. Annette and Degerando beg to be remem- bered to you. Adieu, dear Juliette ; I love you still, but not as much as I did before our last conversa- tion. C." Canaille Jordan had returned to Lyons when Bona- parte held there the Cisalpine Council, and the First Consul tried to attach him to his new government, but, as Ballanche tells us, " he could not overcome the repugnance of this man, whose chief characteristic was his perfect uprightness, and who, by the purity of his patriotism, was rendered distrustful." So long as Bonaparte was in power, whether as Con- sul or as Emperor, Camille Jordan preferred to remain in the obscurity of a life of study. Of a nature fitted for the family affections, he married, and announced his intention to Mme. R4camier in the following terms : " 25 Ventose, year xii. " (March 15, 1804.) "DEAR JULIETTE, What will be your astonish- ment! The irresolute is resolved, the fickle one is chained ! I am about to marry. I wed a young lady t'rinn a painting C AMILLK JORDAN Mile. GodffroL etiffrured by Miilh-r AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. 11 of Lyons. I make one of those marriages recommended by relatives, but which the heart approves, reason- able, but, at the same time, attractive. Unfortunately, in a romantic point of view, there is money, and the match is a suitable one. But, on the other hand, the lady is young, sensible, virtuous, charming. She seems to be very fond of me, and, unimpressionable as I am, I let myself be touched by it. Your inquisitive friend- ship would like, no doubt, further details. You shall not have them ; you must come yourself and get them. I sigh more ardently than ever for your coming. I have the greatest desire that you should know and love her. As for her, I am very sure that she will love you ; that our hearts, which accord so well, will agree about Juliette, will cherish together such ineffable good- ness and grace. Please announce my marriage for me to your husband ; for I feel very sure of the friendly interest his kind heart will take in it. Tell him that it is Mile. Magnieunin, of Lyons ; but probably he does not know her. " I beg of you also to inform your mother, father, and all your family, at the same time remembering me kindly to them all. Write to me soon. u Q j The marriage of Camille Jordan, and the domestic happiness it brought him, did not prevent his coming occasionally to Paris. He was there in 1806, during the summer which Mme. de Stael passed chiefly at the chateau of Vincelles, near Auxerre. All the frienda of the noble exile made a pilgrimage to Vincelles. 12 MADAME RtfCAMIER Matthieu de Montmorency, who was among the first comers, wrote to hasten the arrival of Madame Re*- camier, who was impatiently expected. "VlNCELLES, NEAR AlJXERRE, " Saturday evening, May 10. "There must be few persons less accustomed than the amiable Juliette to see the letters they write re- main for days unanswered. Pardon me if I have not immediately replied to yours, which was very kind, though very hasty. Pardon, not me, who truly am not to blame, but the singular and very disagreeable habit of the post of delaying all our letters for Auxerre by one mail. It is to be desired, at least, that the bureau for the examination and reading of letters should be a little more prompt in the performance of their functions ; and if they read this I hope they will profit by the advice. Yours did not reach me until this very day at four o'clock. Though you have been kind enough to forget the date, an omission which might sometimes upset the calculations of poor country folk, yet, according to mine, judging by what they told me of your letter, you must have written it on Wednesday ; and here we are already at the very end of that week which you proposed to spend in the peaceable and lonely retreat of Vincelles. The inhabitants would be too sorry if any thing should happen to frustrate your good inten- tions. There is a little Albertine here whose face lights up with joy at the thought of seeing you. The lady of the house counts greatly upon it, and would tell you to AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. 13 come at any time when most convenient to yourself rather than not come at all. But, on account of a visit which I purpose making the first of the week to a family in the neighborhood, an invalid relation in whom you are interested, as in all unhappy ones, and a little business errand in the direction of Briare which she has in view, we would propose to you to arrive on Saturday morning at the latest, in company with the young Albert, 1 who so well remembered all your kind- nesses, and was most eager to go and claim them when he went to Paris, and who will be equally proud to escort you here, and inconsolable to lose any of your visit. His Mentor, 2 who will have the honor of seeing you, is a very intellectual and distinguished German, who will also be at your service. I see that you also ask me to reply to your question respecting another gentleman of my acquaintance. 3 I am very much em- barrassed ; for nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see him, and be with him here among such agreeable and intimate friends. Our friend wishes it very much. She has already tried to bring me over to her views ; and maintains that the company of the young man and his Mentor renders the visit more easy and more proper. But I still fear that it cannot be. My better judgment prevails over my own inclination, and, in spite of myself, I conscientiously find there are objec- 1 Albert, second son of Mme. de Stael. 2 Schlegel. 3 Adrien de Montmorency, who asked leave to come to Yin- celles. 14 MADAME RfiCAMIER tions, between which and his own inclinations I leave Adrien's own delicacy to be the judge. I fear, above all, the small gossip of the public, and especially of the Hotel de Luynes. Pardon, aimdble Juliette, this frank severity, which, so it seems to me, is obligatory upon a friend of whom one asks advice. I fear that Adrien will take it very ill of me. Tell him I do not dare to write him for this reason ; that we often speak of him ; and that I love him with all my heart. " I perceive that I have not yet spoken of the first piece of news in your letter. It was not new to us ; we had it directly through the prefect. But what concern. you show in announcing it! You will indeed be concerned when you see with your own eyes what grief this persistence in ill-will causes our friend. Ah ! no one is so worthy as you to be the friend of misfort- une ! Adieu ! I am doubly and most sincerely gratified to hear of madame your mother's improvement, since it allows us to look forward to such happy moments. Let me count upon them as certain ; and therefore insist upon your leaving Paris on Friday, so as to arrive here as early as possible on Saturday. Why not bring Camille with you ? All at Vincelles tender you their loving homage. Can you not let us know something about the answer, whatever it was, to the demand for liquidation ? " 1 Mme. de Stael, wishing to join her entreaties to those 1 This refers to the claim of Mme. de Stael for the two millions advanced to the government by M. Necker. AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. 15 of Matthieu de Montmorency, added to his letter this little note: "AuxERRE, May 10, 1806. "DEAK JULIETTE, Your kindness to me is inex- haustible ; but will you not give me the unspeakable pleasure of seeing you ? I send you my youngest son, who is quite in love with you, like the rest of his family. I rely upon you to treat M. Schlegel well, who is much more my friend than the tutor of my children. I have permission to stay here, but I cannot stay long, for it is the saddest life imaginable. There are no advantages here whatsoever for the education of the children ; not a musician ; nothing in the world but the river and the plain ; and I have too melancholy an imagination to endure it. Get me out of it if you can. Is not Murat still in Paris ? Cannot you interest him in my behalf ? I know your powers of intercession. I prefer the indirect through you than the direct by myself. Adieu ! beautiful Juliette ; I finish as I be- gan, let me see you." Mme. Recamier arrived at Yincelles at the time ap- pointed, and Camille Jordan some weeks later, on his way to Lyons, and after M. de Montmorency had returned to Paris. He announced his coming in the following note : " Thursday. "DEAR JULIETTE, I have just seen Matthieu, and have been much interested in hearing of you and Ma- dame de Stael ; but he confounds me by saying that you think of leaving on Monday. You must certainly 16 MADAME RfiCAMIER stay another day, unless you wish to give me the great- est pain, for this is my itinerary. I cannot leave on Saturday, as I had hoped to do, but I shall start on Sunday morning, and shall reach Auxerre at one o'clock. I shall be at your house by five, remain there the rest of the day, and leave again on Tuesday. You can imagine how hard it would be not to see you there at least for one evening. I ask for this little delay with the more confidence as I know your mother is better. I know it through Mme. Michel, who sent her physician to her, and only an hour since had a good account of her. " If Mme. de Stael has a cabriolet disengaged, she will do me a favor if she will send it to meet me at two o'clock at the ' Leopard ' inn. If not, I have no doubt that I shall be able easily to get a carriage. Mme. de Stael will certainly be grateful to me for endeavoring to prolong the very sweet consolation she finds in your society. I should also be glad if my visit could be of any interest to her. At all events, she will meet again one of those who most deeply feel her sufferings. Adieu, dear Juliette ! grant my request ; add this mark of affection to the many others I have received from you." A few lines from Matthieu de Montmorency to their common friend seconded the entreaties of Canaille Jordan : " Thursday, five o'clock. " Permit me, aimable Juliette, to write a few hasty lines which will at least prove to you how much pleas- AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. 17 ure I have taken in executing your commissions, and how much satisfaction it would give me to be able to procure for you a little tranquillity in so touching a sentiment. I went this very day, at three o'clock, with Adrien to see madame your mother, who was able to receive us. She had two or three ladies with her. She is better to-day, and had taken quite a long airing in a sedan chair. She is feeble and very pale, but surely no worse than when you left. She will be delighted to see you again, but she is glad of your journey, as she thinks it is doing you good. Consequently, I did not give her any reason to expect you before the middle of next week. You can, therefore, grant the humble petition of Camille, who cannot arrive before Monday to dinner, and who entreats you to wait for him. You will not say him nay ; and by doing him this kindness you will be able to lavish a few more attentions upon your unhappy friend ; I fully appreciate how charming and kind you have been to her. I have much to tell and to ask upon your return. Your little notes have been delivered according to your orders. I am yours, with the most affectionate respect." Lemontey also made the journey to Auxerre, and announced his coming by a note, bearing no date ex- cept the day of the week : " Saturday. " So it does not suffice you, aimable heroine, to em- bellish the places where you are, you must needs sadden those where you are not. 18 MADAME RtiCAMIER " I set out on Monday by dawn and by diligence, and on Tuesday, at eight o'clock in the morning, I shall be at Auxerre. I shall go to-morrow to say good-by to your mother, so that I may bring you the freshest news of her. " Do me the favor to lay my respects at the feet of the illustrious exile. It is sweet to inspire so general an interest ; it is a treasure-house of consolation upon which Mme. de Stael can draw largely without fear of seeing it exhausted. I will say the same of the senti- ments I have vowed to you for life. tl -r The failure of the banking-house of M. Re*camier, which took place this same year, could not be a matter of indifference to Canaille Jordan. He hastened to ex- press his sympathy to the brave woman who bore without flinching this first stroke of misfortune : " LYONS, Oct. 28, 1806. "DEAR JULIETTE, I have no words to tell you how deeply I am affected by your misfortunes and those of your husband. When they who least know you are moved by them, judge how he must feel who is bound to you by so many ties. I heard the news only two days ago, and have not yet recovered from the shock. My thoughts never leave you; I wander in spirit through that house ; I go from your husband to yourself; I mingle my tears with yours. Ah ! in spite of the distance and my new ties, I should certainly have hastened to you at once had I thought my presence of AND THE FRIENDS OF HER YOUTH. 19 use ; had I not known that you were surrounded with sympathizing friends. But I hear that every consola- tion that friendship and respect can offer is lavished upon you to the utmost. And just it is, that they who were always doing good, who were so generous in pros- perity, so compassionate toward every species of mis- fortune, should excite an interest so universal and so profound. I am told especially that you, Juliette, are a model of courage, resignation, and disinterestedness ; that it is you who console and sustain your husband. I admire, but I am not surprised. I recognize her whose elevation and nobility of character, under a light-hearted exterior, have always impressed me, and upon whom it was reserved for misfortune to set the final seal of perfection. Degerando writes to me about it with deep feeling. You will no doubt see a great deal of my other self. Let him be my interpreter with you ; let his attentions shadow forth those I would fain pay you ; let his friendship make you think of mine. " I venture to add that you would afford me, so far away from you at this time, a much-needed consolation by informing me yourself how you are, and assuring me that I am one of the friends upon whom your heart reposes with some little comfort, and with perfect con- fidence. " Remember me to your excellent husband. Do not fail to tell him how deeply I feel for him in this misfortune. Assure him from me of the high estimation (I know it well) in which he stands in Lyons. No one could be more beloved, more respected, more pitied than he is : 20 MADAME RECAMIER it is one unanimous concert of praise and regret ; and every one is convinced that, whatever may be the situation of his affairs, if he does not allow himself to be cast down, but resumes himself their management, he will, with his activity, serenity, and accustomed skill, very soon restore them to a flourishing condition. Adieu ! I do not cease to think of you, and compass you about with the best wishes the tenderest friend- ship can bestow." Mme. Recamier was not long in replying to this affectionate letter: " Dear Camille," she writes, " in the midst of all my troubles your letter has been a very great comfort to me. I read it to M. Recamier, who is very much touched by your interest. The attachment of my friends sustains my courage. However unexpected my misfortunes, I have been able to bear them with resig- nation, and I have had the satisfaction of consoling and alleviating the sufferings of my husband and family. And should I not also, dear Camille, return thanks to Heaven, who, in reserving for me such bitter trials, has given me friends to aid me in bearing them ? I am very sure that you have regretted not being near me during this unhappy time. But must we give up all hope of seeing you this winter ? Think what a con- solation for me it would be to see you here.