Norwich bulletin., 1922-06-27
Great Mems Love Letters
BENyAMIN CONSTANT TO MHE.
 RECAMIER


 If ever a woman made 6 fool of a nan. Madame Reeanier used Benjamin Constant for that purpose When she returned to Paris from Rome upon inc rall Of Napoleon, she started her most brilliant salon under the Bourbons. This salon differed widely from lis predecessors People did not come in to listen to its mistress wit, but to look at woman's loyeliness. Jualette Re csunier sat on her throne to be wor- shipped and no woman ever found more willing slaves.
 The habitues of her rooms were lov- CTS. They did not all die of 1t but were wounded, one Of them said Among the horde were ChateaHbraind, Bern adotte, Canova, Lucien Bonaparte and a score of others, with Benjamin Con- stant the highest dupe of the lot
 Constant wrote to her ofken. Tn Mo- vember. 1874, in spite of the rebuffs he had received, he penned her this affectionate letter.
 "Acknowiedge that you were fn,iy aware of your power and of the nagi- cal state of suhjection to which you have reduced me, when asked If you would be at home to any one this ev- ening, and you replied: Not to you, at any rate '" Mon dieu What have done to be treated likk this. and npt to have the courage to complain.
 My terrible unhappiness has aston ished everybody, and will end by ruin ing me. You have made me a trife caimer. Do not spoil your own handi- work. Never was heart so devoted as mine Try and do me some good. You can make of me what you will"
 During the period that. Madame Re- camaer allowed the brilliant though sentimental Constant to be one of the number of her salon, he was her4 de- i voted slave, as the long correspond ence that has been given to the pub l lic shows. Only a month before the above letter was written, on October 1 ?, he wrote as follows: 'I cannot live | without you, am about wounded unto 1 death, utterly unable to recover my strength. Had I your love I should bt able to endure everything, even busi. ness. But I have no support, no con, solling thought and am living of grief Never man loved as love, or suffel ] as sNter. Adieu! !''
 On September 2, 1914 he wrote hi: amorita the following unusually poeti. letter:
 Tomorrow evening" Tomorrow ev enipg! How much, how much that ev l ening means to me For me it will com u1ence at 5 o'clock in the morning. T, l naorrow--nay, 1t is today :! Thank Gos yesterday is over. Nine o'clock vii md me at your door. Perhaps I shal be told you are not in. In that case shall return between 10 and Il. Shsl
 then be told that you are not a
 home? think of no one save you. Fo the last ten days I seem to have see
 no object but your face. All your fas
 cination that have always so mucl dreaded has taE1eIS possession of m
 heart. am subjecting the truth whe
 I tell you that I can scarcely breath when I am writing to you.
 T have but one thought; you hay , willed that I should do SO; tha
 thought Is of you. Perhaps you thin
 me mad. but I recall your boldness 2 repeat to myself your words: I SC again that girlish air 50 full of grae
 and refinement. I have reason for m nladnesS--I should be made not to a i so Mon dieg, If you were not the mos indifferent of women, what life C suffering might be spared, To lov is to suifer; but 1t is also to live an for a long time have not lived'
 Constant was celebrated Frenc
 politician and novelist. He was exile from Paris in 1902 by the first corsu He died at Pau on Deoenlbed 8, 1Ssl