the muse of the department-第7章

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her　evil　thoughts　in　versea　proceeding　which　perhaps　accounts　for
some　poets。

〃You　will　find　such　relief　as　those　who　write　epitaphs　or　elegies　over
those　whom　they　have　lost。　Pain　is　soothed　in　the　heart　as　lines　surge
up　in　the　brain。〃

This　strange　production　caused　a　great　ferment　in　the　departments　of
the　Allier；　the　Nievre；　and　the　Cher；　proud　to　possess　a　poet　capable
of　rivalry　with　the　glories　of　Paris。　/Paquita　la　Sevillane/；　by　/Jan
Diaz/；　was　published　in　the　/Echo　du　Morvan/；　a　review　which　for
eighteen　months　maintained　its　existence　in　spite　of　provincial
indifference。　Some　knowing　persons　at　Nevers　declared　that　Jan　Diaz
was　making　fun　of　the　new　school；　just　then　bringing　out　its　eccentric
verse；　full　of　vitality　and　imagery；　and　of　brilliant　effects　produced
by　defying　the　Muse　under　pretext　of　adapting　German；　English；　and
Romanesque　mannerisms。

The　poem　began　with　this　ballad：

　　Ah！　if　you　knew　the　fragrant　plain；
　　The　air；　the　sky；　of　golden　Spain；
　　Its　fervid　noons；　its　balmy　spring；
　　Sad　daughters　of　the　northern　gloom；
　　Of　love；　of　heav'n；　of　native　home；
　　You　never　would　presume　to　sing！

　　For　men　are　there　of　other　mould
　　Than　those　who　live　in　this　dull　cold。
　　And　there　to　music　low　and　sweet
　　Sevillian　maids；　from　eve　till　dawn；
　　Dance　lightly　on　the　moonlit　lawn
　　In　satin　shoes；　on　dainty　feet。

　　Ah；　you　would　be　the　first　to　blush
　　Over　your　dancers'　romp　and　rush；
　　And　your　too　hideous　carnival；
　　That　turns　your　cheeks　all　chill　and　blue；
　　And　skips　the　mud　in　hob…nail'd　shoe
　　A　truly　dismal　festival。

　　To　pale…faced　girls；　and　in　a　squalid　room；
　　Paquita　sang；　the　murky　town　beneath
　　Was　Rouen　whence　the　slender　spires　rise
　　　　To　chew　the　storm　with　teeth。
　　Rouen　so　hideous；　noisy；　full　of　rage

And　here　followed　a　magnificent　description　of　Rouenwhere　Dinah　had
never　beenwritten　with　the　affected　brutality　which；　a　little　later；
inspired　so　many　imitations　of　Juvenal；　a　contrast　drawn　between　the
life　of　a　manufacturing　town　and　the　careless　life　of　Spain；　between
the　love　of　Heaven　and　of　human　beauty；　and　the　worship　of　machinery；
in　short；　between　poetry　and　sordid　money…making。

Then　Jan　Diaz　accounted　for　Paquita's　horror　of　Normandy　by　saying：

　　Seville；　you　see；　had　been　her　native　home；
　　　　Seville；　where　skies　are　blue　and　evening　sweet。
　　She；　at　thirteen；　the　sovereign　of　the　town；
　　　　Had　lovers　at　her　feet。

　　For　her　three　Toreadors　had　gone　to　death
　　Or　victory；　the　prize　to　be　a　kiss
　　One　kiss　from　those　red　lips　of　sweetest　breath
　　　　A　longed…for　touch　of　bliss！

The　features　of　the　Spanish　girl's　portrait　have　served　so　often　as
those　of　the　courtesan　in　so　many　self…styled　/poems/；　that　it　would
be　tiresome　to　quote　here　the　hundred　lines　of　description。　To　judge
of　the　lengths　to　which　audacity　had　carried　Dinah；　it　will　be　enough
to　give　the　conclusion。　According　to　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's　ardent
pen；　Paquita　was　so　entirely　created　for　love　that　she　can　hardly　have
met　with　a　knight　worthy　of　her；　for

　　。　。　。　。　In　her　passionate　fire
　　　　Every　man　would　have　swooned　from　the　heat；
　　When　she　at　love's　feast；　in　her　fervid　desire；
　　　　As　yet　had　but　taken　her　seat。

〃And　yet　she　could　quit　the　joys　of　Seville；　its　woods　and　fields　of
orange…trees；　for　a　Norman　soldier　who　won　her　love　and　carried　her
away　to　his　hearth　and　home。　She　did　not　weep　for　her　Andalusia；　the
Soldier　was　her　whole　joy。　。　。　。　But　the　day　came　when　he　was
compelled　to　start　for　Russia　in　the　footsteps　of　the　great　Emperor。〃

Nothing　could　be　more　dainty　than　the　description　of　the　parting
between　the　Spanish　girl　and　the　Normandy　Captain　of　Artillery；　who；
in　the　delirium　of　passion　expressed　with　feeling　worthy　of　Byron；
exacted　from　Paquita　a　vow　of　absolute　fidelity；　in　the　Cathedral　at
Rouen　in　front　of　the　alter　of　the　Blessed　Virgin；　who

　　Though　a　Maid　is　a　woman；　and　never　forgives
　　　　When　lovers　are　false　to　their　vows。

A　large　part　of　the　poem　was　devoted　to　describing　Paquita's
sufferings　when　alone　in　Rouen　waiting　till　the　campaign　was　over；　she
stood　writhing　at　the　window　bars　as　she　watched　happy　couples　go　by；
she　suppressed　her　passion　in　her　heart　with　a　determination　that
consumed　her；　she　lived　on　narcotics；　and　exhausted　herself　in　dreams。

　　Almost　she　died；　but　still　her　heart　was　true；
　　And　when　at　last　her　soldier　came　again；
　　He　found　her　beauty　ever　fresh　and　new
　　　　He　had　not　loved　in　vain！

〃But　he；　pale　and　frozen　by　the　cold　of　Russia；　chilled　to　the　very
marrow；　met　his　yearning　fair　one　with　a　melancholy　smile。〃

The　whole　poem　was　written　up　to　this　situation；　which　was　worked　out
with　such　vigor　and　boldness　as　too　entirely　justified　the　Abbe　Duret。

Paquita；　on　reaching　the　limits　set　to　real　love；　did　not；　like　Julie
and　Heloise；　throw　herself　into　the　ideal；　no；　she　rushed　into　the
paths　of　vice；　which　is；　no　doubt；　shockingly　natural；　but　she　did　it
without　any　touch　of　magnificence；　for　lack　of　means；　as　it　would　be
difficult　to　find　in　Rouen　men　impassioned　enough　to　place　Paquita　in
a　suitable　setting　of　luxury　and　splendor。　This　horrible　realism；
emphasized　by　gloomy　poetic　feeling；　had　inspired　some　passages　such
as　modern　poetry　is　too　free　with；　rather　too　like　the　flayed
anatomical　figures　known　to　artists　as　/ecorches/。　Then；　by　a　highly
philosophical　revulsion；　after　describing　the　house　of　ill…fame　where
the　Andalusian　ended　her　days；　the　writer　came　back　to　the　ballad　at
the　opening：

　　Paquita　now　is　faded；　shrunk；　and　old；
　　　　But　she　it　was　who　sang：

　　〃If　you　but　knew　the　fragrant　plain；
　　The　air；　the　sky；　of　golden　Spain；〃　etc。

The　gloomy　vigor　of　this　poem；　running　to　about　six　hundred　lines；　and
serving　as　a　powerful　foil；　to　use　a　painter's　word；　to　the　two
/seguidillas/　at　the　beginning　and　end；　the　masculine　utterance　of
inexpressible　grief；　alarmed　the　woman　who　found　herself　admired　by
three　departments；　under　the　black　cloak　of　the　anonymous。　While　she
fully　enjoyed　the　intoxicating　delights　of　success；　Dinah　dreaded　the
malignity　of　provincial　society；　where　more　than　one　woman；　if　the
secret　should　slip　out；　would　certainly　find　points　of　resemblance
between　the　writer　and　Paquita。　Reflection　came　too　late；　Dinah
shuddered　with　shame　at　having　made　〃copy〃　of　some　of　her　woes。

〃Write　no　more；〃　said　the　Abbe　Duret。　〃You　will　cease　to　be　a　woman；
you　will　be　a　poet。〃

Moulins；　Nevers；　Bourges　were　searched　to　find　Jan　Diaz；　but　Dinah　was
impenetrable。　To　remove　any　evil　impression；　in　case　any　unforeseen
chance　should　betray　her　name；　she　wrote　a　charming　poem　in　two　cantos
on　/The　Mass…Oak/；　a　legend　of　the　Nivernais：

〃Once　upon　a　time　the　folks　of　Nevers　and　the　folks　of　Saint…Saulge；
at　war　with　each　other；　came　at　daybreak　to　fight　a　battle；　in　which
one　or　other　should　perish；　and　met　in　the　forest　of　Faye。　And　then
there　stood　between　them；　under　an　oak；　a　priest　whose　aspect　in　the
morning　sun　was　so　commanding　that　the　foes　at　his　bidding　heard　Mass
as　he　performed　it　under　the　oak；　and　at　the　words　of　the　Gospel　they
made　friends。〃The　oak　is　still　shown　in　the　forest　of　Faye。

This　poem；　immeasurably　superior　to　/Paquita　la　Sevillane/；　was　far
less　admired。

After　these　two　attempts　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　feeling　herself　a
poet；　had　a　light　on　her　brow　and　a　flash　in　her　eyes　that　made　her
handsomer　than　ever。　She　cast　longing　looks　at　Paris；　aspiring　to　fame
and　fell　back　into　her　den　of　La　Baudraye；　her　daily　squabbles　with
her　husband；　and　her　little　circle；　where　everybody's　character；
intentions；　and　remarks　were　too　well　known　not　to　have　become　a　bore。
Though　she　found　relief　from　her　dreary　life　in　literary　work；　and
poetry　echoed　loudly　in　her　empty　life；　though　she　thus　found　an
outlet　for　her　energies；　literature　increased　her　hatred　of　the　gray
and　ponderous　provincial　atmosphere。



When；　after　the　Revolution　of　1830；　the　glory　of　George　Sand　was
reflected　on　Le　Berry；　many　a　town　envied　La　Chatre　the　privilege　of
having　given　birth　to　this　rival　of　Madame　de　Stael　and　Camille
Maupin；　and　were　ready　to　do　homage　to　minor　feminine　talent。　Thus
there　arose　in　France　a　vast　number　of　tenth　Muses；　young　girls　or
young　wives　tempted　from　a　silent　life　by　the　bait　of　glory。　Very
strange　doctrines　were　proclaimed　as　to　the　part　women　should　play　in
society。　Though　the　sound　common　sense　which　lies　at　the　root　of　the
French　nature　was　not　perverted；　women　were　suffered　to　express　ideas
and　profess　opinions　which　they　would　not　have　owned　to　a　few　years
previously。

Monsieur　de　Clagny　took　advantage　of　this　outbreak　of　freedom　to
collect　the　works　of　Jan　Diaz　in　a　small　volume　printed　by　Desroziers
at　Moulins。　He　wrote　a　little　notice　of　the　author；　too　early　snatched
from　the　world　of　letters；　which　was　amusing　to　those　who　were　in　the
secret；　but　which　even　then　had　not　the　merit　of　novelty。　Such
practical　jokes；　capital　so　long　as　the　author　remains　unknown；　fall
rather　flat　if　subsequently　the　poet　stands　confessed。

From　this　point　of　view；　however；　the　memoir　of　Jan　Diaz；　born　at
Bourges　in　1807；　the　son　of　a　Spanish　prisoner；　may　very　likely　some
day　deceive　the　compiler　of　some　/Universal　Biography/。　Nothing　is
overlooked；　neither　the　names　of　the　professors　at　the　Bourges
College；　nor　those　of　his　deceased　schoolfellows；　such　as　Lousteau；
Bianchon；　and　other　famous　natives　of　the　province；　who；　it　is　said；
knew　the　dreamy；　melancholy　boy；　and　his　precocious　bent　towards
poetry。　An　elegy　called　/Tristesse/　（Melancholy）；　written　at　school；
the　two　poems　/Paquita　la　Sevillane/　and　/Le　Chene　de　la　Messe/；　three
sonnets；　a　description　of　the　Cathedral　and　the　House　of　Jacques　Coeur
at　Bourges；　with　a　tale　called　/Carola/；　published　as　the　work　he　was
engaged　on　at　the　time　of　his　death；　constituted　the　whole　of　these
literary　remains；　and　the　poet's　last　hours；　full　of　misery　and
despair；　could　not　fail　to　wring　the　hearts　of　the　feeling　public　of
the　Nievre；　the　Bourbonnais；　the　Cher；　and　the　Morvan；　where　he　died
near　Chateau…Chinon；　unknown　to　all；　even　to　the　woman　he　had　loved！

Of　this　little　yellow　paper　volume　two　hundred　copies　were　printed；
one　hundred　and　fifty　were　soldabout　fifty　in　each　department。　This
average　of　tender　and　poetic　souls　in　three　departments　of　France　is
enough　to　revive　the　enthusiasm　of　writers　as　to　the　/Furia　Francese/；
which　nowadays　is　more　apt　to　expend　itself　in　business　than　in　books。

When　Monsieur　de　Clagny　had　given　away　a　certain　number　of　copies；
Dinah　still　had　seven　or　eight；　wrapped　up　in　the　newspapers　which　had
published　notices　of　the　work。　Twenty　copies　forwarded　to　the　Paris
papers　were　swamped　in　the　editors'　offices。　Nathan　was　taken　in　as
well　as　several　of　his　fellow…countrymen　of　Le　Berry；　and　wrote　an
article　on　the　great　man；　in　which　he　credited　him　with　all　the　fine
qualities　we　discover　in　those　who　are　dead　and　buried。

Lousteau；　warned　by　his　fellow…schoolfellows；　who　could　not　remember
Jan　Diaz；　waited　for　information　from　Sancerre；　and　learned　that　Jan
Diaz　was　a　pseudonym　assumed　by　a　woman。

Then；　in　and　arou