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    MADAME RECAMIER. 227

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    «¦ The Father Of Madame Recamier Was Jea...

    frivolity and love of pleasure ,-escaped from tlieir long and unnatural restrictionsburst forth with accumulated vehemence , that Madame

    Recamiernow , eighteen years old , and in the fall perfection of her , beauty , appeared to dazzle the eyes of the Parisian "world . threshold

    But let Us pause a moment before we follow her over the of her future life , and see in what its interest and its charm consist . The life of Juliette Recamier must be a series of questions-which

    , all perhaps will solve differently and some leave as unanswerable . We all know that she was celebrated for her beautyher grace ,

    , and for the singular power with which she inspired and retained a profound attachment in the hearts of many persons who differed in

    everything * else , but who all united in making her , and her only , the object of vehement , yet lasting , affection , and enthusiastic , yet

    enduring devotion . But what was she herself ? "Was she anything besides a source

    of inspiration to others ? Where , did her singular power of enchantment reside ? And did she use the strange charm voluntarily and

    intentionall The y cloud or not of ? incense which the great minds and noble hearts very

    who surrounded her offered at her shrine , almost conceals their idolThe interest of her life -would at first sight seem to lie rather

    . in the characters of those by whom she was surrounded , than in her ownthe genius and the feeling which crowned her would _apj _3 ear

    not ; hersbut that of others . And yet we should make a great mistake , if we looked her as interesting solelyor principally ,

    from having been intimatel upon y associated with most of , the celebrities of her time . Consciously or unconsciously , she exercised a powerful

    and enduring influence upon them all . Their lives , their thoughts , their inionstheir jand their sorrowswere changed and

    moulded op bher , . And oys not , their inward lives , alone . A statesman y accepted or relinquished a place , and his first consideration was

    whether she would be satisfied with his decision . An ambassador sent off a courier with important despatches to his

    governmentbut still more important to him was the little note to Madame Recamier which he took that opportunity of sending that she might

    hear one day sooner 'that she was still , and always would be , the first of a town and onl with y thought of his haste life . not A so General much for pressed the sake on of the victory siege

    itselfas for the unnecessary _leisiire it would , procure him to fly to the feet of , Madame Recamier

    . When we say that persons have gained celebrity , that their life and recollections are interesting , not for their own sake but for that

    of their illustrious contemporaries and companions , we generally minds imply that and accident that they or serve circumstance but as a has link connected to somethin them g beyond with greater

    themselves , as a centre round which greater lights have chanced to cluster . But it , was not accident but choicenot throughbut in spite of ,

    circumstancesthat Madame Recamier , was selected , as the friend ,. ,

    Madame Recamier. 227

    MADAME RECAMIER . 227

• Citation
  • English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Dec. 1, 1860, page 227, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01121860/page/11/