The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-02


and his aunt by putting their resource,
together possessed a house and a small
subsistence yielding not more than from
three to four thousand francs a year. ],
Is significant that Sainte- Beuve's mother
and his aunt were not 4devout' according
to the usual acoeptation OF the term in a
French town. a fact which would imply
independence II not indifference in
religion. Prof Harper. is convinced,
however, that at some time the youth
must have been a simple and sympathetic
believer. or In other words must have
known Christianity from within. Lack
ing such su experience, he could hardly
have written his remarkable historical
study of -Port-Royal" and many a pas
sage scattered through his other works.
In 1868, however. annoyed by 'ecclesi-
astical calumny. = Sainte- Beuve described
his early training with some asperity as
almost purely secular. At the nom
ecclesiastical institution managed by M.
Bleriot he was q tractable and diligent
boy. the best scholar and q great prize
winner. 1t was here that Sainte-Beuve
laid the foundation OF his extensive and
intimate acquaintance not only with the
principal works of Latin literature but
with the minor authors Of the Roman
Empire. with st. Augustine and with
medieval writer's. There was far more
work than play in his childhood. and very
little free out Of door sport.
From the dulness Of his youth he ap-
pears to have carried into later years
both a huge craving for pleasure and a
certain awkwardness. It is true that
Sainte-Beuve upon. occasions seems a
complete man Of the world. He knew
most of the eminent. persons Of his time
in France; his acquaintance extended
from the lodging houses Of medical stu
dents and poor journalists to the palaces
OF the Quarter st. German. Neverthe-
less, there chung to him from the earlier
days Of restraint a lack OF self confidence,
which he had continually to force himself
to overcome. There was, however, in
the public life Of France between 1904
and 1918 much to interest and develop a
boy and take him out Of himself. Stories
of the projected invasion Of England, in
which Boulogne was to have played an
important part. would be still current in
the streets. He would be old enough to
hear rumors Of the Russian campaign
and news Of the battle Of Leipzig. to share
the excitement Of the Hundred Days
and 10 realize what Waterloo %
In fine. the generation Of great writer's to
which Sainte-Beuve belonged was our
ished on strong food and came quickly
to maturity.
Before Sainte-Beuve was quite II he
thought he had exhausted the benefits
Of the Bleriot school, and wished to study
Greek in Paris under accomplished mas
tiers. Accordingly in 1918 his mother took
him to Paris and placed him in a board
ing house kept for boys who attended the
College Chariemsgne. In his third year
by mean Of a poem the boy attracted the
attention OF one Of his teachers named
Dubois, who subsequently founded a
newspaper and who in 1924 gave Sainte-
Beuve his real start in life as one Of its
Meanwhile in the autumn
Of 1923 Sainte-Beuve had entered the medi-
cal school. where he remained in attend
during the next four years, although
and literary work occupied
Of his time. Prof. Harper points
out that his medical studies would natu-
rally serve to strengthen what We should
now perhaps term his positivism; to in
crease his regard for facts, and to accus-
tom him to respect exact demonstration.
On the other hand, they destroyed some
Of his ideals, in making him familiar with
The merely physical aspects Of human
life and with pain and fear. Speaking
In the Senate in 1858. he said Of the medi-
cal school: 1T Is to IL that l owe the
philosophical spirit. the love OF precision
and Of physiological reality and whatever
rood methodical procedure my writings.
my literary writings, may possess
Dur author suggests that when we con-
slider the kind of questions with which
literature in the nineteenth century was
deal. four years was not too much
for him to spend in acquiring more
" less familiarity with scientific concep-
Like those other great literary
physicians Rabelais, Servetus and Locke,
he sharpened his intelligence on the
.yrindstons OF observable fact, and he
vas able to cut through some Of the meta
growth that encountered his
Once more: Like Sir Thomas
he enlarged the scope OF his
imagination though his was less vigor-
,us thar the English physicians by
the point Of view. 30 that he
bitlally beheld two worlds He saw
mankind hepoeforth on the physical,
the physiological side, al we'll as on
he side Of intellect and spirit.
II was toward the close NJ 1924 that
'ainte-Beuve began writing essays and
,ook reviews for the Globe. the literary
ournal published by Dubois. some Of
which articles were deemed fit for publ
alton in the Premier Lundi many years
ater. Gradually the Globe became a
as we'll AS literary paper. 1t
represented a certain direction Of thought
n almost every field, and there was re-
narkable solidarity OF opinion among
ts contributors. The Globe office. in
act. was a Liberal club, and it became
lso a school which set a stamp upon
Is members, "Your work wrote Sainte-
TO Dubois In ls43. was great and
dmirable, IL it be measured by its direct
nd effective influence OF thinking men,"
I was characteristic OF the Globe that
%repudiatej Napoleon and pointed out
pom every occasion the great benefits
( the Revolution, which were not gener-
lily acknowledged even by those who
nost profted by them. 1T professed
monarchy and showed
-