Norwich bulletin., 1922-06-21
Great Mems Love Letters
BALzAo AND MADAME HANsKA.

BALZAC AND MADAME HANsKA.
 Honore de Balzac was one of the most brilliant of French novelists. He was likewise one of the most brilliant of let ter writers, and his correspondence with Madame Hanska, who was born Rzewus- ka, and who afterwards became Madame Honore de Balzac, covers a period of thirteen years, between 1883 and 1S46. In this correspondence the first letter addressed to Madame Hanska Is dated January, 1883, although he had been in correspondence with her for consider able time. Ba.lzao first met Madame Han ska at Neufchatel.
 It was in such endearing terms as this that the novelist wrote to Madame Hanska: You ask me how we can love, live and lose each other while still lov- ing. This is a mystery of life of which you know nothing as yet and I hope you never may know It." Later he speaks to her in such poetic terms as these: You will not laugh at me, you who have written to me so noble a page and lines so melancholy, in which have be- Eeved. You are one of those ideal fig- ures to whom I give the right to come at times and nebulously pose amid my flowers, who smile at me between two camellias, waving aside a rosy heather and to whom I speak
 Madame Hanska during that summer found some reason for jealousy. and l indicated her feelings to the novelist, to which he replied in August: What would I not pardon after reading your l letter, my cherished angel. But you are too beloved ever to be guilty of 8 fault i; you are a spoiled child; to you belong | my most precious hours. Mon dieu,' do not be jealous of any one. I have not been to see Madame =Recamier or any body else. I do not love Madame Gi- rardin; and every time go there, which l is rare, I bring away with me an anti pathy. It is ten months since I have seen Eugene Sue and I really have no male friends in the true sense of the word"
 There were only two women in Bal
 zac's life. one woman older than him.
 self, of whom he wrote, on her death
 to the other: "Ske was mother, a
 friend, family, a companion. a coun. seilor she made the writer, she consoleG she wept like a sister, she laughed, sht
 came every day like healing sIumber l to put sorrow to sleep
 Balzac married Madame Hanska il
 1850. three months before his death. H had loved her for twenty years. Sh : l was married and lived in Poland. I
 was only at rare intervals that he wa
 able to see her; and then very briefly
 but his letters to her are a simple rec
 ord of great passion. For twent e years he existed on a divine certaint without a future and almost without
 present.
 But we see the force of that sentimen
 passing into his work; sSeraphita'' is it s ecstacy. It ref1nes his strength, it give T him surprising munitions, it gives hil
 all that was wanting to his genius. Ms
 dame Hanska is the heroine of the 'tHl e man Comedy
 1T A great lover, to whom love, as we
 as every other passion and the who
 visible world, was an idea, f1amin
 spiritual perception. Balzac enjoyed u It vast happiness of the idealist. Conten E edly, joyously, he sacrificed every pet
 enjoyment to the idea of love- the idt
 Of fame which is the only definition IS genius.
 it A young man, who was for sho ,s time his secretary, declared: q wou
 not live your life for the fame of Nap
 leon and of Byron combined" But B. It ure as he sat in his attic creating u in world over again that he might lay of at the feet of woman
 His death was as fortunate as his ii
 He died at the height of his powers the height of his fame, at the moment ss the fulflment of his happiness.