The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-04-21
MADAME DE sTAEL.
The Most Brilliant Woman Of Her
Generation.
Some Account Of the Times In Which She
Lived Glimpses of Napoleon-A
New Career For Women.
philadelphia Press


Stsel as the representative of those literary
women who have within 100 years distiu-
guished themselves in field which was
formerly supposed to belong to men alone.
She arose on the eve of the French revclu-
ton, the daughter of Neckar.
Nine. de Stael was brilliant in conversa-
ton from her youth, and at this period,
when her father was high in power and his
house the resort of the most cultivated peo-
pie in Paris, she was the idol and admira-
ton of every circle. She was not techni-
cally beautiful, but the expression of her ami
mated countenanoe was exceeding by attract
i've. The soul was painted in the face, full
of sympathy, good nature, intelligence, in
tuition; intellect and heart radiated in her
smiles. Her dark, lustrous eye, flashing with
genius, and the tingling expression of her
lip gave splendor and variety to her whole
aspect-now languid and pensive, then ener-
getic and commanding. Her compliments
were sincere, her humor playful, her
disposition kind, her eloquence irresistible
She played, sang, wrote poetry, offered the
most original views on every subject, seemed
a priestess, sybil, full of inspiration, ra-
diant, hopeful, witty, SO that every one
listened to her as to an oracle, and went
away with sentiments bordering on idolatry.
Added to these gifts of nature and culture,
she was the richest heiress in the Kingdom
and her father was one of the most illustri-
GUS men.
she was married at the age of twenty, and
her house was the resort of the best society
Of the wicked and intellectual Capital, OF
which she was the brightest ornament. She
was an eyewitness of the terrible scenes of
the revolution, and escaped judicial assassI-
| lation almost by miracle Still she had faith
in this great movement, and thought anarchy
might be subverted and law reign supreme
Great WAS her surprise and sadness when
Napoleon appeared to her inspired eyes in
| his true light, and commenced that regime
which ended in a faoric of despotism, CO.
mented with tears and blood. She detested,
| she defed him, and her house became the
center of opposition and the headquarters of
enmity, and she was banished to without
| forty leagues OF Paris This was most Sc
we're punishment. She could not live con-
tentedly away from the center of the social
| and intellectual attractions. Paris was to
| her what Boston is to the New England PEG
ple-"the hub of the universe" But, with
wandering steps and slow, she took her way
| from the Eden she loved, and sought in Ger
many to enjoy high intellectual life. She
wrote the greatest dissertation on that coun-
/ try ever produced.
Forced again to fee the prosecutions of
II he ha ola Ho1
| lowed land, above all others dear TO the poet,
| the artist, the antiquarian, the philanthropist
Italy.
In this unfortunate and illustrious land,
ever fresh to travellers, Nine. de Stael linger-
ed more than year, visiting every scene
that had history, and every monument
that shall decay only with time. The result
ofthat journey was "Corinne," one of those
immortal books which the heart OF the
world cherishes a painting a poem, q
tragedy, a novel, a critique, interesting to
all classes, ages and countries; to the boy in
college, to the philosopher in his cell, the
the woman in her boudoir, since it is a rec.
ord ofthe mysteries and the cravings of 9
great soul, and description of what is mos
beautiful or venerable in nature or in art
1t is the most brilliant and comprehensive
of all books ever written on Italy. the trans
cript of profound sorrows of lofty aspira
tions. 1t may seem exaggerated in Its trans
ports; but transports can never betoo highly
colored, since no language can be as vivid a
| sensation, and enthusiasm fully expressed
ceases to be rapture. The soul that fancie
it has reached the heights of love, or beauty
or truth claims to have apprehended the i'm
mortal, the infinite; it can not only aspire Il
renewed, but to never-endng revelations
On the fall of Napoleon, Nine. de Stael re
turned to Paris. The restoration hailed hel
with enthusiasm. The press implored hel
assistance Authors sought her encourage
ment. The salons caught inspiration from
her presence. Never was woman seated or
| a prouder throne. But she did not live long
enough to enjoy her honors. She was stuffed
like Voltaire, by incense and idolatries, worr
out by excessive mental activities, and dice
prematurely ut the age of ffty.one.
Her life is memorable for inaugurating 6
new period in literary history. With bel
commenced q new class of female authors
Mrs. Bsrbauld wrote poetry and essays, and
stirred to lofty devotional sentiments. Han
nah More exercised a powerful influence
upon ethical writers. Mrs. Radcliffe invented
new style of romance in the Mysteries o.
UdolphoN Mrs Hemans, Browning, Nor
ton and score Of others won honorable re-
nown as poets. Charlotte Bronte shared
with Bulwer and Dickens the honor which
the age gives its great novelists; Harriet
Martineau sought to solve the gravest ques
tions of political economy. Agnes Strick
land won laurels as a historian. Mrs. Som
ervile showed grasp of philosophical genius
which placed her in the ranks of great as
tronomers. need not enumerate the cat
L e l.
century has produced in France, in Ger
many, in Sweden and in our own country
Three fourths of the material furnished fol
our literary newspapers is prepared by wo
men.
There was time when woman's sphere
was narrowed down to domestic duties-tht
care of children, embroidery, music, the
dance, dress, dallisnce. gossip, scandal. Ever
now, in Noodledom, conceptions of her are
scarcely higher. No enlarged, generous, sen.
sibe person would now doom woman to such