The Memoirs of François René Vicomte de Chateaubriand sometime Ambassador to England, Volume 4 (of 6): Mémoires d'outre-tombe volume 4Chateaubriand, François-René, vicomte de
History
The Memoirs of François René Vicomte de Chateaubriand sometime Ambassador to England, Volume 4 (of 6): Mémoires d'outre-tombe volume 4
Chateaubriand, François-René, vicomte de
Chateaubriand, François-René, vicomte de, 1768-1848
"This morning, on waking, I was handed the _last_ evidence of
your remembrance; later, I passed before your house. I saw
the windows open as usual, everything was in the same place,
except yourself! I cannot tell you what this made me feel! I
now no longer know where to find you; each moment carries you
farther away; the only fixed point is the 26th, the day on
which you count on arriving, and the memory which I retain of
you.
"God grant that you may find everything changed for the
better, both for yourself and for the general good!
Accustomed as I am to sacrifices, I shall know also how
to bear that of not seeing you again, if it is for your
happiness and that of France."
"22.
"Since Thursday, I have passed in front of your house every
day on my way to church; I prayed hard for you there. Your
windows are constantly open, that touches me: who pays you
that attention to follow your tastes and instructions, in
spite of your absence? It occurs to me sometimes that you
have not gone away; that business detains you, or that you
want to keep off intruders, so as to finish it at your ease.
Do not believe that that would mean a reproach: it is the
only way; but, if that be so, pray tell me, in confidence."
"23.
"It is so prodigiously warm to-day, even in church, that I
cannot take my walk at the usual time: that is all the same
to me now. The dear little wood has no charm left for me,
everybody bores me there! This sudden change from cold to
heat is common in the North; the inhabitants, with their
moderation of character and sentiments, do not resemble the
climate."
"24.
"Nature has grown much more beautiful; all the leaves have
come out since your departure: I should have liked them to
come two days earlier, so that you might have carried away in
your memory a more smiling picture of your stay here."
"Berlin, 12 May 1821.
"Thank God, here is a letter from you at last! I knew quite
well that you could not write to me earlier; but in spite of
the calculations which my reason made for me, three weeks,
or rather twenty-three days, are very long for friendship in
privation, and to remain without news is like the saddest
exile: still, memory and hope remained to me."
"15 May.
"It is not from my stirrup, like the Grand Turk, but still
from my bed that I write to you; but this retreat has given
me all the time to reflect on the new dietary which you
propose to make Henry V. observe. I like it much; the roast
lion can only do him great good; only I advise you to make
him begin with the heart. You will have to make your other
pupil[132] eat lamb, lest he should play the deuce too much.
It is absolutely necessary that this plan of education should
be realized and that George and Henry V. should become good
friends and good allies."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account