The sun., 1909-01-24
THE REAL FLAUBERT. 4 =.
IN


genuine epilepsy. Not that there Ia any
reason why epilepsy and genius should
be divorced; we know In many cases the
contrary Is the reverse. Consider Dostoi.
evsky-his epilepsy was the most fruitful
OF motives In his stories. Nearly all Mi,
heroes and heroines are attainted. (AThe
Idiot or the "Karamsof Brothers.") r..
Flaubert's epilepsy was arranged for him
by Du Camp. who thought by calling him
an epilept in his untrustworthy Memoir,
that he would belittle Flaubert. And he
did, for in his time the now celebrated
and discredited theory Of genius and is
correlation with the falling sickness had
not been propounded. Flaubert was A
b ystero o-neurmstheniac. He had rheu-
matism, was asthmatic, predisposed to
srteriosclerosis and apoplexy. He died of
an apoplectic stroke. His early nervous
fits were without the aura OF epllepsy:
he did not froth at the mouth. nor were
there muscular oontractions: not even
at his death. DR.. Tourneaux, who
hastened TO aid him. In the absence OF his
regular physician. DR.. Fortin. denied the
rlmors OF epilepsy that we're 80 gayly
spread by that sublime old gossip Edmond
de Goncourt. also by Zola and Du Camp.
The contraction OF Flaubert's hands was
caused by the rigidity OF death most
conclusive OF all evidence against the epi.
leptic theory is the fact that during his
occasional fits Gustave never lost con.
sciousness. Nor did he suffer from any
attacks before he had attained his major.
ity, whereas epilepsy usually begins at
an early age.
He studied with intense zeal his malady
and in dozen letters refers 10 it, tickets
its symptoms. tells Of plans to escape the
crises, and altogether has furnished stu.
dents Of pathology manyexamples Of nerve
exhaustion and its mitigation, His fiet
attacks began at Pont-Audemar in 1888.
In lS49 he had fresh attacks. His trip To
the Orient relieved him. He was a
Viking, a full blooded man, who soorned
sensible hygiene; he took no e1ercise
beyond a walk in the morning. a walk In
the evening on his terrace. and In summer
an occasional swim in the Seine. He ats
cor iously, was moderate In drinking, but
smoked fifteen or twenty pipes a day,
abused black coffee, and for months at
twenty-four at his desk-and such work!
He warned his disciple, Guy de Msupas.
sant. against too much boating as being
destructive Of mental productivity. In
1870 another crisis was brought on bv
protracted labors over the revision Of the
definitive version Of the Saint Anthony
His travels in Normandy, in the East, his
visits to London (1S5l and to Righi.
Kaltbad in the Swiss. together with 20.
journs in Paris where he had little
apartment up the itinerary Of his
fifty eight years. Ia it any wonder that
he died Of apoplexy, stricken at his desk,
he of violently sanguine temperament,
bull necked. blood always in his faee2
Maurice Spronck. who took too seri-
ously The sayings Of Flaubert-a lover
OF extravagant paradox-thinks the writer
had cerebral lesion. which he called
a udiiion coioree. IL is a malady peculiar
10 imaginative natures, which transpoees
tore To color. or odor to sound. As this
" malady" may be found In poets from the
dawn Of creation. "colored addition" must
be necessary quality of art. Flaubert
took pains to exaggerate his speech when
pected their diary keeping weakness and
he humored it by telling fibs Of his work
= have finished my book, the cadence OF
the las, paragraph has been found. Now
| shall write it," Aghast were the broth.
ers at the idea Of an author beginning
book backward. Flaubert boasted
that the color of -Salammbo' was purple
Sentimental Education "a bad title. as
wrote him--Withered Fruits,'
h hs first title. would have been better was
gray. and that Madame Bovsry- was for
him like the coloring Of certain mouldy
wood lice. The Goncourts solemnly swal-
lowed this as did NJ. Spronck. Which
moved Anatole France to exolaim: s0h,
these young clinicians!'
But what is all this compared to de
idiocy Of Du Camp, who as
serted that il Flaubert had not suffered
from epilepsy he uouid haze become d
genius! "Henaurmel' as the man who made
such masterpieces as Madame Bovary,'
Sentimental Education" Temptation
Of Saint Anthony" the three Tales
and -Bouvard ct Pecuchet had comical
habit OF exclaiming. Enormous too,
was Guy de Maupassant's manner Of
avenging his masters memory. In the
Anal edition-eight volumes long-Mau-
passant. with the. unerring eye Of hatred.
affixed an introduction to "Bouvard ct
Pecuchet' Therein he printed Maxine
Du Camps letters TO Flaubert during the
period when Madame Bovary' was
appearing in the Revue de Paris. Du
Camp was one Of its editors. He urged
Flaubert TO cut the NOVELETTE, CONCESSION
II which is so admirable. the organic
writing of which is absolute. Worse still
remains. II Flaubert couldn't perform
he operation himself then the aforesaid
Du Camp would hire some experienced
mack TO do it for the sensitive author:
rounded vanity Du Camp believed 10 be
he cause of indignant remonstrances.
They eliminated the scene Of the agri-
fair and the operation on the
lostler's foot! One scene as marvellous
is Dutch painting by Teniers with lis
'tudy Of the old farm servant, and psy-
more Profound the other
necessary 10 the story's development,
Thus Madame Bovary" was slaugh-
cred serially by man ignorant Of art.
hat Madame Bovary' which Is one Of the
,lories Of French literature, as Mr.. James
ruy says. Flaubert scribbled on DI
amps letters another of his favorte
'Npletives, 'Gigantesque.' Flaubert never
orgave him, though they were appar-
nty reconciled years later Du Camp
Sent into the Academy; Flaubert refused
1, nopaider N capJiJacy thouuh Victor