Page images
PDF
EPUB

:

of generosity, of reverence, of nobility, which shows itself in spite of all protestations to the contrary; in a word, it is inhumanity. No man can be a naturalist with impunity he will be coarse even with the most refined culture. A free mind is a great thing no doubt, but loftiness of heart, belief in goodness, capacity for enthusiasm and devotion, the thirst after perfection and holiness, are greater things still.

7th June 1880.—I am reading Madame Necker de Saussure 21 again. L'Éducation progressive is an admirable book. What moderation and fairness of view, what reasonableness and dignity of manner! Everything in it is of high quality, - observation, thought, and style. The reconciliation of science with the ideal, of philosophy with religion, of psychology with morals, which the book attempts, is sound and beneficent. It is a fine book a classic and Geneva may be proud of a piece of work which shows such high cultivation and so much solid wisdom. Here we have the true Genevese literature, the central tradition of the country.

[ocr errors]

Later. I have finished the third volume

of Madame Necker. The elevation and delicacy, the sense and seriousness, the beauty and perfection of the whole, are astonishing. A few harshnesses or inaccuracies of language do not matter. I feel for the author a respect mingled with emotion. How rare it is to find a book in which everything is sincere and everything is true!

26th June 1880.- Democracy exists; it is mere loss of time to dwell upon its absurdities and defects. Every régime has its weaknesses, and this régime is a lesser evil than others. On things its effect is unfavourable, but on the other hand men profit by it, for it develops the individual by obliging every one to take interest in a multitude of questions. It makes bad work, but it produces citizens. This is its excuse, and a more than tolerable one; in the eyes of the philanthropist, indeed, it is a serious title to respect, for, after all, social institutions are made for man, and not vice versâ.

[ocr errors]

27th June 1880. I paid a visit to my friends and we resumed the conversation of yesterday. We talked of the ills which threaten democracy and which are derived from the legal fiction at the root of

[ocr errors]

it. Surely the remedy consists in insisting everywhere upon the truth which democracy systematically forgets, and which is its proper make weight, on the inequalities of talent, of virtue, and mèrit, and on the respect due to age, to capacity, to services rendered. Juvenile arrogance and jealous ingratitude must be resisted all the more strenuously because social forms are in their favour; and when the institutions of a country lay stress only on the rights of the individual, it is the business of the citizen to lay all the more stress on duty. There must be a constant effort to correct the prevailing tendency of things. All this, it is true, is nothing but palliative, but in human society one cannot hope for more.

He

Later. Alfred de Vigny is a sympathetic writer, with a meditative turn of thought, a strong and supple talent. possesses elevation, independence, seriousness, originality, boldness and grace; he has something of everything. He paints, describes, and judges well; he thinks, and has the courage of his opinions. His defect lies in an excess of self-respect, in a British pride and reserve which give him a horror of familiarity and a terror of letting him

self go. This tendency has naturally injured his popularity as a writer with a public whom he holds at arm's length as one might a troublesome crowd. The French race has never cared much about the inviolability of personal conscience; it does not like stoics shut up in their own dignity as in a tower, and recognising no master but God, duty or faith. Such strictness annoys and irritates it; it is merely piqued and made impatient by anything solemn. It repudiated Protestantism for this very reason, and in all crises it has crushed those who have not yielded to the passionate current of opinion.

1st July 1880 (Three o'clock). — The temperature is oppressive; I ought to be looking over my notes, and thinking of tomorrow's examinations. Inward distaste

emptiness-discontent.

Is it trouble of conscience, or sorrow of heart? or the soul preying upon itself? or merely a sense of strength decaying and time running to waste? Is sadness or regret · or fearat the root of it? I do not know; but this dull sense of misery has danger in it; it leads to rash efforts and mad decisions. Oh for escape from self, for something to

[ocr errors]

stifle the importunate voice of want and Discontent is the father of

yearning! temptation.

How can we gorge the invis

ible serpent hidden at the bottom of our -gorge it so that it may sleep?

well,

At the heart of all this rage and vain rebellion there lies-what? Aspiration, yearning! We are athirst for the infinite - for love-for I know not what. It is the instinct of happiness, which, like some wild animal, is restless for its prey. It is God calling- God avenging Himself.

4th July 1880 (Sunday, half-past eight in the morning). — The sun has come out after heavy rain. May one take it as an omen on this solemn day? The great voice of Clémence has just been sounding in our ears. The bell's deep vibrations went to my heart. For a quarter of an hour the pathetic appeal went on - 'Geneva, Geneva, remember! I am called Clémence - I am the voice of Church and of Country. People of Geneva, serve God and be at peace together.'*

* A law to bring about separation between Church and State, adopted by the Great Council, was on this day submitted to the vote of the Genevese people. It was rejected by a large majority (9306 against 4044).- [S.]

« PreviousContinue »