"The arrival in Switzerland of M. Cuvier has been a happy distraction for Madame de Stael; they spent two days together at Geneva, and were well pleased with each other. On her return to Coppet she found Middleton there, and in receiving his confidences forgot her troubles.
Yesterday she resumed her work.
"The poet whose mystical and somber genius has caused us such profound emotions starts, in a few days" time, for Italy.
"I accompanied Corinne to Ma.s.sot"s. To alleviate the tedium of the sitting, a Mlle. Romilly played pleasantly on the harp, and the studio was a veritable temple of the Muses....
"Bonstetten gave us two readings of a Memoir on the Northern Alps. It began very well, but afterward it bored us. Madame de Stael resumed her reading, and there was no longer any question of being bored. It is marvelous how much she must have read and thought over to be able to find the opportunity of saying so many good things. One may differ from her, but one can not help delighting in her talent....
"And now here we are at Geneva, trying to reproduce Coppet at the Hotel des Balances. I am delightfully situated with a wide view over the Valley of Savoy, between the Alps and the Jura.
"Yesterday evening the illusion of Coppet was complete. I had been with Madame de Stael to call on Madame Rilliet, who is so charming at her own fireside. On my return I played chess with Sismondi. Madame de Stael, Mlle. Randall, and Mlle. Jenner sat on the sofa chatting with Bonstetten and young Barante. We were as we had always been--as we were in the days that I shall never cease regretting."
Other descriptions exist in great abundance, but these suffice to serve our purpose. They show us the Coppet salon as it was pleasant, brilliant, unconventional; something like Holland House, but more Bohemian; something like Harley Street, but more select; something like Gad"s Hill--which it resembled in the fact that the members of the house-parties were expected to spend their mornings at their desks--but on a higher social plane; a center at once of high thinking and frivolous behavior; of hard work and desperate love-making, which sometimes paved the way to trouble.
Footnotes:
[Footnote 1: From "Hungary." Published by the Macmillan Co.]
[Footnote 2: From "Hungary." Published by the Macmillan Co.]
[Footnote 3: From "Sketches from the Subject and Neighbour Lands of Venice." Published by the Macmillan Co.]
[Footnote 4: The modern Ma.r.s.eilles.]
[Footnote 5: An ancient Italian town on the Adriatic, founded by Syracusans about 300 B.C. and still an important seaport.]
[Footnote 6: The city in Provence where have survived a beautiful Roman arch and a stupendous Roman theater in which cla.s.sical plays are still given each year by actors from the Theatre Francais.]
[Footnote 7: Diocletian.]
[Footnote 8: A reference to the exquisite Maison Carree of Nimes.]
[Footnote 9: That is, of Venice.]
[Footnote 10: The famous general of the Emperor Justinian, reputed to have become blind and been neglected in his old age.]
[Footnote 11: From "Sketches from the Subject and Neighbour Lands of Venice." Published by the Macmillan Co.]
[Footnote 12: From "Through Savage Europe." Published by J.B. Lippincott Co.]
[Footnote 13: From "Sketches from the Subject and Neighbour Lands of Venice." Published by the Macmillan Co.]
[Footnote 14: That is, lands where the Greek Church prevails.]
[Footnote 15: John Mason Neale, author of "An Introduction to the History of the Holy Eastern Church."]
[Footnote 16: Montenegro.]
[Footnote 17: From "A Girl in the Karpathians." After publishing this book. Miss Dowie became the wife of Henry Norman, the author and traveler.]
[Footnote 18: One of Poland"s greatest poets.]
[Footnote 19: From "Views Afoot." Published by G.P. Putnam"s Sons.]
[Footnote 20: The population now (1914) is 24,000.]
[Footnote 21: From "Six Months in Italy." Published by Houghton, Mifflin Co.]
[Footnote 22: From "A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour," published in 1821.]
[Footnote 23: From "Letters of a Traveller." The Tyrol and the Dolomites being mainly Austrian territory, are here included under "Other Austrian Scenes." Resorts in the Swiss Alps, including Chamouni (which, however, is in France), will be found further on in this volume.]
[Footnote 24: An Italian poet (1749-1838), who, banished from Venice, settled in New York and became Professor of Italian at Columbia College.]
[Footnote 25: From "Adventures in the Alps." Published by George W.
Jacobs & Co.]
[Footnote 26: In the village of Cadore--hence the name, t.i.tian da Cadore.]
[Footnote 27: From "Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys: A Midsummer Ramble in the Dolomites." Published by E.P. Dutton & Co.]
[Footnote 28: Reaumur.--Author"s note.]
[Footnote 29: From "My Alpine Jubilee." Published In 1908.]
[Footnote 30: From "Adventures in the Alps." Published by George W.
Jacobs Company, Philadelphia.]
[Footnote 31: Since the above was written, the railway has been extended up the Jungfrau itself.]
[Footnote 32: From "Teutonic Switzerland." By special arrangement with, and by permission of, the publishers, L.C. Page & Co. Copyright, 1894.]
[Footnote 33: From "Unknown Switzerland." Published by James Pott & Co.]
[Footnote 34: From "Teutonic Switzerland." By special arrangement with, and by permission of, the publishers, L.C. Page & Co. Copyright, 1894.]
[Footnote 35: The population in 1902 had risen to 152,000.]
[Footnote 36: From "Teutonic Switzerland." By special arrangement with, and by permission of, the publishers, L.C. Page & Co. Copyright, 1894.]
[Footnote 37: From "The Letters of Percy Bysshe Sh.e.l.ley." Politically, Chamouni is in France, but the aim here has been to bring into one volume all the more popular Alpine resorts. Articles on the Tyrol and the Dolomites will also be found in this volume--under "Other Austrian Scenes."]
[Footnote 38: From "Adventures in the Alps." Published by George W.
Jacobs & Co.]
[Footnote 39: For Mr. Whymper"s own account of this famous ascent, see page 127 of this volume.]
[Footnote 40: From "Unknown Switzerland." Published by James Pott & Co.]