george sand-第1章

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George　Sand；　Some　Aspects　of　Her　Life　and　Writings　
by　Rene　Doumic


Translated　by　Alys　Hallard



　　　　　First　published　in　1910。　　This　volume　is　dedicated　to　Madame
L。　Landouzy　with　gratitude　and　affection

　　　　　This　book　is　not　intended　as　a　study　of　George　Sand。　　It　is
merely　a　series　of　chapters　touching　on　various　aspects　of　her　life
and　writings。　　My　work　will　not　be　lost　if　the　perusal　of　these　pages
should　inspire　one　of　the　historians　of　our　literature　with　the　idea
of　devoting　to　the　great　novelist；　to　her　genius　and　her　influence；
a　work　of　this　kind。


CONTENTS

　　　I　　AURORE　DUPIN
　　II　　BARONNE　DUDEVANT
　III　　A　FEMINIST　OF　1832
　　IV　　THE　ROMANTIC　ESCAPADE
　　　V　　THE　FRIEND　OF　MICHEL　（DE　BOURGES）
　　VI　　A　CASE　OF　MATERNAL　AFFECTION　IN　LOVE
　VII　　THE　HUMANITARIAN　DREAM
VIII　　1848
　　IX　　THE　‘BONNE　DAME'　OF　NOHANT
　　　X　　THE　GENIUS　OF　THE　WRITER




GEORGE　SAND

I

AURORE　DUPIN

PSYCHOLOGY　OF　A　DAUGHTER　OF　ROUSSEAU


In　the　whole　of　French　literary　history；　there　is；　perhaps；　no　subject　of　such　inexhaustible　and　modern　interest　as　that　of　George　Sand。　　Of　what　use　is　literary　history？　　It　is　not　only　a　kind　of　museum；　in　which　a　few　masterpieces　are　preserved　for　the　pleasure　of　beholders。　　It　is　this　certainly；　but　it　is　still　more　than　this。　　Fine　books　are；　before　anything　else；　living　works。　　They　not　only　have　lived；　but　they　continue　to　live。　　They　live　within　us；　underneath　those　ideas　which　form　our　conscience　and　those　sentiments　which　inspire　our　actions。　　There　is　nothing　of　greater　importance　for　any　society　than　to　make　an　inventory　of　the　ideas　and　the　sentiments　which　are　composing　its　moral　atmosphere　every　instant　that　it　exists。　　For　every　individual　this　work　is　the　very　condition　of　his　dignity。　　The　question　is；　should　we　have　these　ideas　and　these　sentiments；　if；　in　the　times　before　us；　there　had　not　been　some　exceptional　individuals　who　seized　them；　as　it　were；　in　the　air　and　made　them　viable　and　durable？　　These　exceptional　individuals　were　capable　of　thinking　more　vigorously；　of　feeling　more　deeply；　and　of　expressing　themselves　more　forcibly　than　we　are。　　They　bequeathed　these　ideas　and　sentiments　to　us。　　Literary　history　is；　then；　above　and　beyond　all　things；　the　perpetual　examination　of　the　conscience　of　humanity。

There　is　no　need　for　me　to　repeat　what　every　one　knows；　the　fact　that　our　epoch　is　extremely　complex；　agitated　and　disturbed。　　In　the　midst　of　this　labyrinth　in　which　we　are　feeling　our　way　with　such　difficulty；　who　does　not　look　back　regretfully　to　the　days　when　life　was　more　simple；　when　it　was　possible　to　walk　towards　a　goal；　mysterious　and　unknown　though　it　might　be；　by　straight　paths　and　royal　routes？

George　Sand　wrote　for　nearly　half　a　century。　　For　fifty　times　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　days；　she　never　let　a　day　pass　by　without　covering　more　pages　than　other　writers　in　a　month。　　Her　first　books　shocked　people；　her　early　opinions　were　greeted　with　storms。　　From　that　time　forth　she　rushed　head…long　into　everything　new；　she　welcomed　every　chimera　and　passed　it　on　to　us　with　more　force　and　passion　in　it。　　Vibrating　with　every　breath；　electrified　by　every　storm；　she　looked　up　at　every　cloud　behind　which　she　fancied　she　saw　a　star　shining。　　The　work　of　another　novelist　has　been　called　a　repertory　of　human　documents。　　But　what　a　repertory　of　ideas　her　work　was！　　She　has　said　what　she　had　to　say　on　nearly　every　subject；　on　love；　the　family；　social　institutions　and　on　the　various　forms　of　government。　　And　with　all　this　she　was　a　woman。　　Her　case　is　almost　unique　in　the　history　of　letters。　　It　is　intensely　interesting　to　study　the　influence　of　this　woman　of　genius　on　the　evolution　of　modern　thought。

I　shall　endeavour　to　approach　my　subject　conscientiously　and　with　all　due　respect。　　I　shall　study　biography　where　it　is　indispensable　for　the　complete　understanding　of　works。　　I　shall　give　a　sketch　of　the　original　individuals　I　meet　on　my　path；　portraying　these　only　at　their　point　of　contact　with　the　life　of　our　authoress；　and　it　seems　to　me　that　a　gallery　in　which　we　see　Sandeau；　Sainte…Beuve；　Musset；　Michel　（of　Bourges）；　Liszt；　Chopin；　Lamennais；　Pierre　Leroux；　Dumas　_fils_；　Flaubert　and　many；　many　others　is　an　incomparable　portrait　gallery。　　I　shall　not　attack　persons；　but　I　shall　discuss　ideas　and；　when　necessary；　dispute　them　energetically。　　We　shall；　I　hope；　during　our　voyage；　see　many　perspectives　open　out　before　us。

I　have；　of　course；　made　use　of　all　the　works　devoted　to　George　Sand　which　were　of　any　value　for　my　study；　and　among　others　of　the　two　volumes　published；　under　the　name　of　Wladimir　Karenine；＇1＇　by　a　woman　belonging　to　Russian　aristocratic　society。　　For　the　period　before　1840；　this　is　the　most　complete　work　that　has　been　written。　　M。　Samuel　Rocheblave；　a　clever　University　professor　and　the　man　who　knows　more　than　any　one　about　the　life　and　works　of　George　Sand；　has　been　my　guide　and　has　helped　me　greatly　with　his　wise　advice。　　Private　collections　of　documents　have　also　been　placed　at　my　service　most　generously。　　I　am　therefore　able　to　supply　some　hitherto　unpublished　writings。　　George　Sand　published；　in　all；　about　a　hundred　volumes　of　novels　and　stories；　four　volumes　of　autobiography；　and　six　of　correspondence。　　In　spite　of　all　this　we　are　still　asked　for　fresh　documents。



＇1＇　WLADIMIR　KARENINE：　　_George　Sand；　Sa　vie　et　ses　aeuvres。_　2　Vols。　　Ollendorf。


It　is　interesting；　as　a　preliminary　study；　to　note　the　natural　gifts；　and　the　first　impressions　of　Aurore　Dupin　as　a　child　and　young　girl；　and　to　see　how　these　predetermined　the　woman　and　the　writer　known　to　us　as　George　Sand。


Lucile…Amandine…Aurore　Dupin；　legitimate　daughter　of　Maurice　Dupin　and　of　Sophie…Victoire　Delaborde；　was　born　in　Paris；　at　15　Rue　Meslay；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Temple；　on　the　1st　of　July；　1804。　　I　would　call　attention　at　once　to　the　special　phenomenon　which　explains　the　problem　of　her　destiny：　　I　mean　by　this　her　heredity；　or　rather　the　radical　and　violent　contrast　of　her　maternal　and　paternal　heredity。

By　her　father　she　was　an　aristocrat　and　related　to　the　reigning　houses。

Her　ancestor　was　the　King　of　Poland；　Augustus　II；　the　lover　of　the　beautiful　Countess　Aurora　von　Koenigsmarck。　　George　Sand's　grandfather　was　Maurice　de　Saxe。　　He　may　have　been　an　adventurer　and　a　_condottiere_；　but　France　owes　to　him　Fontenoy；　that　brilliant　page　of　her　history。　　All　this　takes　us　back　to　the　eighteenth　century　with　its　brilliant；　gallant；　frivolous；　artistic　and　profligate　episodes。　　Maurice　de　Saxe　adored　the　theatre；　either　for　itself　or　for　the　sake　of　the　women　connected　with　it。　　On　his　campaign；　he　took　with　him　a　theatrical　company　which　gave　a　representation　the　evening　before　a　battle。　　In　this　company　was　a　young　artiste　named　Mlle。　de　Verrieres　whose　father　was　a　certain　M。　Rinteau。　　Maurice　de　Saxe　admired　the　young　actress　and　a　daughter　was　born　of　this　_liaison_；　who　was　later　on　recognized　by　her　father　and　named　Marie…Aurore　de　Saxe。　　This　was　George　Sand's　grandmother。　　At　the　age　of　fifteen　the　young　girl　married　Comte　de　Horn；　a　bastard　son　of　Louis　XV。　　This　husband　was　obliging　enough　to　his　wife；　who　was　only　his　wife　in　name；　to　die　as　soon　as　possible。　　She　then　returned　to　her　mother　〃the　Opera　lady。〃　　An　elderly　nobleman；　Dupin　de　Francueil；　who　had　been　the　lover　of　the　other　Mlle。　Verrieres；　now　fell　in　love　with　her　and　married　her。　　Their　son；　Maurice　Dupin；　was　the　father　of　our　novelist。　　The　astonishing　part　of　this　series　of　adventures　is　that　Marie…Aurore　should　have　been　the　eminently　respectable　woman　that　she　was。　　On　her　mother's　side；　though；　Aurore　Dupin　belonged　to　the　people。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　Sophie…Victoire　Delaborde　milliner；　the　grandchild　of　a　certain　bird…seller　on　the　Quai　des　Oiseaux；　who　used　to　keep　a　public…house；　and　she　was　the　great…granddaughter　of　Mere　Cloquart。

This　double　heredity　was　personified　in　the　two　women　who　shared　George　Sand's　childish　affection。　　We　must　therefore　study　the　portraits　of　these　two　women。

The　grandmother　was；　if　not　a　typical　_grande　dame_；　at　least　a　typical　elegant　woman　of　the　latter　half　of　the　eighteenth　century。　　She　was　very　well