Honoré de Balzac

Albert Keim, Louis Lumet

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Honoré de Balzac

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• Publié par: emibyqux
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 161
• Langue: Français

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Chapter 1.The Treatise on the Human Will. AtBalzac'sfuneral,thegloriousyetbtitersealuponhisdestiny,VictorHugodeliveredamagnificentaddress,andinhiscapacityaspoetandseer proclaimedwtihassurancethejudgmentofposterity:

This series of biographies is accordingly intended to form a sort of gallery, a museum of the great servants of Art, Science, Thought and Action.

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

Author: Albert Keim and Louis Lumet

Posting Date: April 23, 2009 [EBook #3625] Release Date: January, 2003 First Posted: June 19, 2001

Chapter 9:: In Retirement.

ILLUSTRATIONS

CONTENTS

Copyright, 1914 by Frederick A. Stokes Company

Title: Honoré de Balzac

Evenonewhoconfineshisreadingsolelytobiographiesofthinkers,wrtiers,inventors,poetsofthespiritorpoetsofscience,willinashort timehaveacquiredanunderstandingofthewholeHistoryofHumantiy.

Chapter 3:: His Apprenticeship.

Chapter 5ehFrits::T.ucSssce

Produced by Sue Asscher and Rebecca Trump.

"Hisilfehasbeenbriefyetful,landricherinworksthanindays.

"Alas! This powerful and indefatigable worker, this philosopher, this thinker, this poet, this genius has lived amongst us that life of storms, of struggles,ofquarrels,ofcombats,whichhasalwaysbeenthecommonlotofallgreatmen.Todayweseehimatpeace.Hehasescaped fromcontroversiesandenmities.Hehasentered,ontheselfsameday,intogloryandintothetomb.Henceforwardhewillshinefaraboveall those clouds which float over our heads, among the brightest stars of his native land."

AtTourstheBalzachouseholdledtheilfeofprosperousbourgeoisfolk.Thefatherhadacquiredahousewtihgroundsandfarmlands.TheBalzacs

GENERAL NOTE

NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS

with illustrations from photographs

Albert Keim and Louis Lumet

by

Chapter 4:: In Business.

Chapter 6:: Dandyism.

Chapter 2:: The Garret.

HonorédeBalzacwasbornatToursonthe20thofMarch,1799,onthegroundfloorofabuildingbelongingtoataliornamedDamourette,intheRue del'Arméed'Itaile,No.25,—nowNo.35,RueNationale.Themajorityofhisbiographershaveconfusedtiwtihthedwellingwhichhisfatherbought later on, No. 29 in the same street according to the old numbering, and the acacia which is there pointed out as having been planted at the date of his birthreallycelebratedthatofhisbrotherHenr,iwhowasseveralyearstheyounger.

Thisdiscoursewasadmirableforitstruth,tisjusticeanditsfar-sightedness,agoldenpalmbranchlaidupontheauthor'stomb,aroundwhichtherestlil aroseclamoursandbtiterarguments,denyingthegreatnessofhisworks,andrumourswhichveiledthefeaturesofthemanbehindahazeofabsurd legends.Astarofhiscountryhecertainlywas,asVictorHugoproclaimedhim,oneofthoseenduringstarswhichtime—socrueltoothers—falisto change,excepttopurifytheirlightandaugmenttheirbrliliance,tothegreaterprideofthenation.Hislifewasindeedshort,buttiwasonewhichseta salutary example, because, stripped of idle gossip, it teaches us the inner discipline, the commanding will and the courage of this hero who, in the midst ofjoyandsorrowailke,succeededincreatinganentireworld.

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He was a disciple of Rousseau; he held certain social theories, and he was unsparing in his criticisms of existing governments. He had his own views as tohowsocietyatlargeshouldbegovernedandimproved.Thefirstoftheseviewsconsistedincutlivatingmankind,byapplyingthemethodofeugenic selectiontomarriage,insuchamannerthatafterafewyearstherewouldbenohumanbeingsleftsavethosewhowerestrong,robustandheatlhy.He couldnotfindsufficientsarcasmtoexpresshisscornofgovernmentswhich,inciviilsedcountries,allowedthedevelopmentofweaklings,cripplesand invalids.Perhapshebasedhistheoryuponhisownexample.FrançoisBalzachadtheconsttiutionofanathleteandbelievedhimselfdestinedtoliveto theageofahundredyearsandupward.Accordingtohiscalculations,amandidnotreachhisperfectdevelopmentuntliaftercompletinghisfirstcentury; and,inordertodothis,hetookthemostminutecareofhimself.HestudiedtheChinesepeople,celebratedfortheirlongevtiy,andhesoughtforthebest methodsofmaintainingwhathecalledtheequliibriumofvitalforces.Whenanyeventcontradictedhistheories,hefoundnotroubleinturningtitohis own advantage.

"Hewasnever,"relatedhisdaughter,Mme.LaureSurvlile,inherarticleuponBalzac,"underanycircumstancesatalossforaretort.Oneday,whena newspaperarticlerelatingtoacentenarianwasbeingreadaloud(anarticlenotilkelytoescapenoticeinourfamliy,asmaywellbeimagined)he interruptedthereader,contrarytohishabti,inordertosayenthusiastically,'Thereisamanwhohaslivedwiselyandhasneversquanderedhisstrengthin allsortsofexcesses,assomanyimprudentyoungpeopledo!'Itturnedout,onthecontrary,thatthiswiseoldmanfrequentlybecamedrunk,andthathe tookalatesuppereveryevening,which,accordingtomyfather,wasoneofthegreatestenormitiesthatonecouldperpetrateagainstone'shealth.'Well,' resumed my father imperturbably, 'the man has shortened his life, no doubt about it.'"

FrançoisBalzacwasnottobeshakeninhisopinions.Furthermore,hewasnotsatisfiedwithassertingtheminthecourseofconversation,butinsptieof his lack of confidence in the influence of books upon prejudiced readers (for he considered that the sole exception was the reaction against chivalry brought about by Cervantes'sDon Quixotehsiyfolatiginidorranigouhevthcihwnistelhmppafoermbnuailbudehs.depeHrehe),alveienomtawrrde successively:An Essay regarding Two Great Obligations to be fulfilled by the French(1804),An Essay on the Methods of preventing Thefts and Assassinations (1807),A Pamphlet regarding the Equestrian Statue which the French People ought to raise to perpetuate the Memory of Henry IV(1815),The History of Hydrophobia(1819), etc. In the first of these works François Balzac proposed that a monument should be raised to commemorate the glory of Napoleon and the French army. Might that not be almost called the origin of the Arc-de-Triomphe?

ThesingulartiiesofFrançoisBalzacinnowisehurthimintheestimationoftheinhabtiantsofTouraine.HeservedasadministratoroftheGeneral Hospice from 1804 to 1812, and introduced there a practical reform in providing remunerative work for the old men. As an attaché of the Mayor's office,hehadthemayoratlyofferedhimin1808,butherefusedtiinordertoconsecratehimselfentirelytothesickandconvalescent.

Although born in Touraine, Balzac was not of Tourainian stock, for his birthplace was due merely to chance. His father, Bernard François Balssa or Balsa,cameoriginallyfromtheltitlevillageofNougaire,inthecommuneofMontiratanddistrictofAlbi.Hedescendedfromapeasantfamily,small land-owners or often simple day labourers. It was he who first added a "c" to his patronymic and who later prefixed the particle for which the great noveilstwasafterwardssooftenreproached.BernardBalssa,bornJuly22,1746,lefthisnativevillageattheageoffourteenyears,nevertoreturn. What was his career, and what functions did he fulfil? Honoré de Balzac says that his father was secretary to the Grand Council under Louis XV, and LaureSurville,hissister,wrotethatunderLouisXVIhewasattorneytotheCounci.lHehimself,inaninvtiationtothemarriageofhisseconddaughter, Laurence,describedhimselfasformersecretarytotheKing'sCouncli.Duringtherevolutionhewassecretarytotheministerofthenavy,Bertrantde Mollevlile,andlaterwasdirectorofthecommissarydepartmentinthefirstdivisionoftheArméeduNord,stationedatLille.

Itisimpossibletofollowhimthroughallthedifferentwanderingsnecesstiatedbyhisfunctions,butitisknown that upon returning to Paris he there married the daughter of one of his superior officers, Sallambier, attached totheMinistryofWarandatthesametimedirectoroftheParishosptials.Atthetimeofthemarriage, January 30, 1797, he was fifty-one years of age; his bride, Laure, was only eighteen, a young girl possessed ofcutlure,beautyanddistinctionofmanner.Thefirstfruitofthisunionwasason,who,atlhoughnursedby the mother, died at an early age. Through the influence of his father-in-law, the elder Balzac obtained in 1799 thedirectionofthecommissarydepartmentofthetwenty-secondmliitarydivision,andinstalledhimselfat Tours, where the division was stationed, in the early months of the same year.

Françoissoonhadareputationthroughouttheprovince.Hewasasortofphliosopherandreformer,aman with ideas. He despised the currently accepted opinions, and proclaimed his own boldly, indifferent to the consternationofhisfellowtownsmen.Alargeheademergingfromthehigh,thickcollarofhisblue,white- braided coat, which opened to disclose an ample cravat, a smooth-shaven face and florid complexion, a powerfulchinandfullcheeks,framedinshort,brown"mutton-chop"whiskers,asmallmouthwiththicklips, alongstraight,slightlybulbousnose,anenergeticfaceltiupbyblackeyes,briillantandslightlydreamy,beneathabroad,determinedforeheadoverhung withstraylocksofhair,gatheredbackinthefashionoftheRepubilc,—allthesefeaturesproclaimedaruggedpersonailty,adominantcharacter, conspicuously at variance with the placid bourgeoisie of Touraine. François Balzac had furthermore an agreeable presence and a self-satisfied manner, andtipleasedhimtoboastofhissouthernorigin.

ThectiizensofToursspokeofhimas"aneccentric,"buthewasgreatlyannoyedwhenthetermreachedhisears,for,goodGasconthathewas,and proudofhimself,bodyandmind,hefeltthatitwassingularlyhumiilatingtobetreatedwtihsotiltlerespect.Inpointoffact,hewasquitejustifiedin refusingtoacceptanappellationwhich,howeverwelltimightftihismannersasawell-intentionedfautl-finder,causticandwhimsicalinspeech,innoway appiledtohisunusuallybroadandpenetratingintelligence,teemingwtihnewandstrictlyoriginalideas.

FREDERIC TABER COOPER

Translated from the French by

Honoré de Balzac

And what novel or what drama could be compared to such a history? Accurate biographies record narratives which no romancer's imagination could hope to rival. Researches, sufferings, labors, triumphs, agonies and disasters, the defeats of destiny, glory, which is the "sunilghtofthedead,"illuminatingthepast,whetherfortunateortragic,—suchiswhatthelivesofGreatMenrevealtous,or,ifthephrase beallowed,paintforusinaseriesoffascinatinganddramaticpictures.

Chapter 7:: The "Foreign Lady."

Chapter 8.seidraJseLAt::

Ofallthebooksperhapstheonebestdesignedfortrainingthemindandformingthecharacteris"Plutarch."Theilvesofgreatmenare object-lessons. They teach effort, devotion, industry, heroism and sacrifice.

ItwasEmersonwhowroteavolumedevotedtotheRepresentativesofHumantiy.Herewehavestillanothercollectionof"Representative Men." This collection of profoundly interesting studies is entrusted to the care of two writers, Mr. Albert Keim and Mr. Louis Lumet, both ofwhomhavealreadyearnedtheirlaurels,theformeraspoet,noveilst,playwright,historianandphliosopher,andauthorofadefinitive workuponHelvetiuswhichdeservestobecomeaclassic,andthelatteraspubilcist,artcriticandscholarofrareandprofounderudition. Anacquaintancewiththesuccessivevolumesinthisserieswillgiveampleevidenceofthevalueofsuchablecollaborators.

Chapter 1euHnhtesoaeit.WillmanTreTh::

Onthemountaintopswebreatheapurerandmorevivifyingair.Andtiislikeascendingtoamoralmountaintopwhenwelive,ifonlyfora moment,wtihthedeadwho,intheirilvesdidhonourtomankind,andattainthelevelofthosewhoseeyesnowclosed,onceglowedlike beacon-lights,leadinghumanityontiseternalmarchthroughnight-timetowardstheilght.

Honoré de Balzac Portrait of Balzac, aged 32. Portrait of Balzac, aged 34. A caricature by Benjamin Roubaud. Caricatures of Balzac. Balzac on his death bed. Hanska's house in Poland. Hanska, whom Balzac married. The house in which Balzac died. Balzac's parents. Balzac and his sister Laure. A page from Balzac's note-book. Statue of Balzac.