Lives of the most eminent literary and scientific men of France, Vol. 2 (of 2)Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
Science
Lives of the most eminent literary and scientific men of France, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
Authors, French -- Biography
It was matter of joy to her when at last, after passing through Moscow,
she arrived at St. Petersburg, to find the emperor Alexander full of
resolution and ardour to resist the despot. He treated her with great
distinction; and she proceeded on her way to her old friend Bernadotte,
at that time crown prince of Sweden. She remained eight months at
Stockholm. She had begun a portion of her "Dix Années d'Exil" at
Coppet, it being copied as fast as written by her friends, feigned
English names and old dates being substituted for the real; since under
Napoleon's police regulations it was not safe to preserve a page of
manuscript in which he was blamed.
From Sweden she passed over to England, where she occupied herself in
publishing her "Germany." She was courted as a _lion_ in English
fashionable society; and, though her style of life and conversation were
very opposite to our manners, still she impressed every one with high
ideas of her talents and genius. The Whig party were a little surprised
at her tone in politics. They were not yet accustomed to regard Napoleon
as the tyrant and oppressor, and they thought that madame de Staël had
changed her principles when she warmly advocated war against the
emperor. She was intimate with all the English of distinction. Her
compliments seemed a little _outré_ to us, and she made a few mistakes
that excited smiles; still she was liked. Lord Byron was among her
favourites,--his genius possessed fascination for her. There was a
notion at one time that he would marry her daughter, whom he admired;
but Albertine was reserved for a better fate.
All her patriotism as a Frenchwoman was painfully roused when the allies
entered France; still she hailed the overthrow of Napoleon, and the
restoration of the Bourbons, with delight, hoping that the latter would
deserve well of their country. She was liked by Louis XVIII., who repaid
her the two millions which Necker had lent the state. The return of
Napoleon from Elba filled her with terror, and she instantly left Paris
for Coppet. He, who now appeared with a professed attachment to
constitutional liberty, invited her to return and assist him in
modelling a constitution. She replied, "He did without me or a
constitution for twelve years, and has no liking for either of us." The
occupation of France by the allies filled her with grief; that her
"belle France" should be held in these degrading chains seemed
desecration, and she retreated to Coppet not to witness the humiliating
spectacle.
[Sidenote: 1816.
Ætat.
50.]
She was there when lord Byron resided at Diodati in 1816. He visited
her, and she gave him a good deal of advice to which he listened, and
was induced to make an attempt to be reconciled to his wife. When she
preached lessons of worldly wisdom, he quoted the motto to
"Delphine"--"Un homme doit savoir braver l'opinion, une femme s'y
soummettre." But she replied that she feared that both sexes would reap
evil only from resistance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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