Paris Correspondence [pp. 593-600]

i96 From our Paris Correspondent. [SEPTEMBER,
are the points of physical astronomy upon which
light may be thrown by a careful comparison of
theory with observation. But let one not de ceive himself, this comparison is an undertaking
of immense labour."
This labour, which it is presumed will require
for its completion from twelve to fifteen years,
has been commenced by Leverrier. He is to re port from time to time to the Academy of Sci ences, presenting in a form fit for preservation
and use, the results to which he shall arrive, so
that if he should be arrested in his career of
glory and usefulness before its completion, a
more fortunate successor may carry it on. He
hopes so to perfect the theory, that it shall be in
complete harmony with observation, or to widen
the breach between them, and prove reconcilia tion to be impossible. In either case it will be a
triumph of science.
Since the date of my last, "The French Aca demy" has held its annual public session. Vil lemain, perpetual Secretary, opened the setting by
an admirable address, which would perhaps be
well placed, and would certainly be not without
interest in the columns of the Messenger. But
it is rather long for translation. He twice alludes
by name to our Franklin, paying him high and
well deserved compliments. The First Prize,
established by Baron Gobert, to be annually
awarded by the Academy for the most eloquent
work on French History, is again given to Au gustin Thierry's " Considerations on French History." M. Villemain made particular allusion to
Lamartine's historical labours, but with the ex press declaration that " no comparison has been
possible." Nor has any competitor this year
been able to take the Second Prize awarded to the
"work of the greatest moral utility" from the
Reign of Louis XIII., by Bazin.
A young writer, Am6d6e Pommier, has been
distinguished by carrying off, under the award of
the Academy, two prizes-one for his "Eulogy
of Amyot"-the other for his " poem on the death
of the archbishop of Paris." Among the prizes
offered for the coming year, is one for the best
Eulogy on Madame de Stael, and one (a medal
of the value of one thousand dollars) for the best
translation of Pindar.
The literary and social circles of Paris, have
been watching with much interest during the last
month the progress of a law-suit pending between
the journal La Presse and the heirs of Madame
Recamier. Madame R~camier, the most beautiful, fascinating and amiable woman of her day,
the intimate friend of Madame de Stael, of
Mdme. de Genlis, of Chateaubriand, of Benjamin Constant-whose saloon was frequented by
all the distinguished statesmen, literary men and
aavans firom the early days of the first republic
who won the esteem, the admiration, the adora tion of more illustrious men than any woman
who ever lived-who was beloved even by the
ladies around herwhom she constantly eclipsed whose amiability silenced malevolence-whose
modesty disarmed envy, whose virtue confound ed slander; who neverlost a friend save by death.
This remarkable lady died in Paris last May,
among the earlier victims of Cholera, in the 73rd
year of her age. Her name will not be found
on the page of history. Nearly all the hearts on
which she impressed her image, are now dust:
yet will Madame R6camier be immortal with
the immortality which is conferred by the pencil
of Gerard, the chisel of Canova, the pens of
Chateaubriand and de Stael, who knew, admi red, and loved her. Among the warmest friends
and most devoted admirers of Mdme. R6camier,
was Benjamin Constant. At first he was her
lover, and strove for a long time, always how ever in vain, to obtain from her a reciprocity of
affection. Finally despairing ofsuccess, heschool ed his love to friendship. In this he was more
fortunate. Mdme. R. accorded to him a friend ship as sincere, warm and devoted as his own.
It lasted to the end of life. They were constant
correspondents: and at his death, which took
place in 1831, Mdme. R. found herself in pos session of a numerous collection of intimate pri vate letters, written by one of the most distin guished men, one of the most able and popular
political writers of his day. Biographers were
of course quickly busy with his name. They
appreciated with more or less justice, according
to the political bias under which they severally
wrote his public character and ability: but they
all concurred in ascribing to him want of heart
and sentiment, a cold intellectual impassibility of
mind and feature, which caused him to live in a
different sphere apart from, perhaps above that
in which lived and moved the rest of his fellow
men. Madame Recamier knew better than that.
She had in her possession hundreds of proofs
that Constant had a heart, and a warm one. It
is pretended that indignant at the injustice done
by biographers to the memory of her friend, she
very soon after his death determined that after
her own, his letters to her should be published.
"What!" methinks I hear you exclaim, "this
lovely, admirable, amiable, perfect woman consents thus to violate the delicacy of her sex'! to
betray the secret that womanhood holds sacred
all the world over! to lift the veil of privacy with
which honor covers them, and deliver letters of
this peculiarly private character to the peering
curiosity and ribald jest of the world, to the derision of critics, to the malevolence of enemies!"
Mais, Mon Dieu! if this outrage is not perpetrated, wont the world continue to suspect that
596
Front our Paris Correspondent.
[ SEPTEMBER,