Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-03-29

The Partisan journals and our own foreign
letters have recently been filled with notices of
the sad and untimely death of that brilliant
French .feuilletonist, NJ. Gerard de Nerval.
Here is most striking and melancholy Illus
tration of the truth, that the heritage Of genius
is often life of sorrow, and frequently death
of selfinficted violence.
This writer possessed most brilliant imagi.
nation, beautiful and forcible diction, sharp
powers of analyzation, and these qualities were
all crowned with the beautiful flowers Of fancy
and the mature fruits of study. Occupying an
undisputed rank among the most gifted of that
bright galaxy of intellects, the living authors
Of France he was recently found in the dawn
Of the day, hanging lifeless from beam in
half demolished house, in one Of the most OBJ
scure quarters of Paris. The event was so
horrible, and the subject of it so distinguished,
that for moment all Paris stood aghastl
While yet mere boy Of eighteen, he had
made a translation of the celebrated Faust
of Goethe, which elected from the great rival
and friend Of Schiller the compliment, that be
comprehended more perfectly his ideas in the
paraphrase Of NJ de Nerva, than he had him.
self expressed them in the original. His lite
rary career was brilliant triumph. He was
| courted and caressed by the reviews, the thea.
tre, and the press of Paris. After enjoying for
q period these triumphs Of the intellect-and
no triumphs are more intoxicating and CRATE
ful--that inde6nable longing and unrest, which
cbaracterizes great parts, led his steps to Ger
many. There, where the brilliant Madam de
Stael bad preceded him when banished from
France by Napoleon L., and had for the first
time opened to the world the rich mines Of
German genius and learning, De Nerval spent
several years. In the study of the wonderful
monuments which that nation has created in
the dominions of art, and which are equaled in
their grandeur only by the remoteness and va
riety Of the fields from which their materials
have been collected, he gradually forgot that
quick practical style and wit, that delicate
consciousness of the ideas and requirements Of
general society," which smile at sentiment and
ideality, and mark the French school.
There he became infected with the mysticisms
Of the Rosicrucian philosophers, well known in
Germany two centuries ago as the pretended
discoverers of the philosophers stone. After
the example of those dreamers he himself be-
came dreamer, and left the cold skies Of Ger
many to luxurate beneath the gorgeous. sun OF
the East in the occult sciences and in cabalis-
tic lore.
The life of De Nerval, in the East, became a
continual waking dream. The indolent imagi-
native atmosphere Of the Orient the study Of
magic with its attendants Of socery, enchant-
ment devils and departed spirits, and the su.
peradded passion of love, which at this time
seized upon his soul, proved too much for his
intellect and be became temporarily deranged.
Recovering soon from this shock, his imagi-
nation still displayed that magnificent profu-
sion Of riches which had before characterized
it. But the course Of his former studies had
untitled him forever for the practical and real
things Of life. Whether goaded by poverty, or
in moment of temporary insanity, or from
that sad and dreadful conviction which some.