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474 ®!> * &*£&*?? [Saturday,
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Stella And Vanessa. Stella Anil Vanessa....
rise even as suggestio ns : and this in a F rench novel ! In what one would naturally expect to find as objectionable or laughable in a Frenchman ' treatment of Swift ' s romance , the book is rem arkable as giving no peg to hang a sarcasm or a protest on ; in the good qualities to be expected , viz ., clearness of conception , felicity of style , artistic evolution of plot , and
truthful delineation , it betrays its origin . The interest is unflagging , yet the whole tissue is unrolled so easily and naturally that you seem to be contemplating the panorama of a real passion , the record of a life , and not the fiction of a writer . The remarks are distinguished by good sense and finesse . Here is one the truth of which all will recognize : —
" None are more bold and aspiring in their thoughts than timid people ; they thus privately make themselves amends for all they dare not do , and give way to their wildest fancies with the greater ease , as they are well aware in their own secret hearts that they will never realize any one of their schemes . " Lady Duff Gordon has translated the book with an
idiomatic grace , and a certain felicitous reproduction in our language of terms and phrases peculiar to French , which in these days of ignorant and slovenly translation ought not to pass unnoticed . Quitting for a moment all consideration of this book as a romance , and regarding it as a history of Swift ' s famous episode with . Stella and Vanessa , we protest indignantly against the moral whitewashing which the author bestows on that scoundrel whose whole
conduct—to them and to others—was so despicable , so wantonly dishonest , that we are glad to take refuge in the notion of his " madness" to escape from the pitiable spectacle of such talents united to such baseness . And our protest is the more called for because few people now care enough about Swift to examine the facts of his life , and our author ' s picture will , therefore , be taken upon trust . We will not occupy your attention with other parts of Swift ' s life—the present episode is sufficient for the nonce . Nor will we even touch upon Varinaa former mistress—further than to allude to the
engagement with whom he broke off in a heartless manner . Stella—otherwise Esther Johnson—was his pupil when he resided with Sir W . Temple as his secretary . Abelard flirted with Heloise till he made her desperately in love with him . But he , from some unexplained reason , would never marry her , although his means were ample . Yet , though refusing to marry her himself , he would not suffer her to marry another . She had , indeed , encouraged the attentions of a young clergyman in the hope of
escaping from her humiliating position . But Swift prevented this , and , having succeeded , he shortly afterwards captivated the heart of another Esther—Miss Vanhomrigh—a proud and passionate girl , the vehemence of whose love , " blended , " as she says , " with every atom of her being , " startled Swift , and broke her own heart . Thus situated between two women who adored him , concealing from each his relations to the other , refusing to marry either , refusing to give them any explanation , treating them
with the imperious brutality of his coarse arrogant nature , he killed them both by his cruelty . There is something shocking in this story when you read it in all its details , and Swift ' s conduct is so bad that oven his lenient biographer , Scott , does not attempt to palliate it . Yet the author of Stella and Vanessa not only so presents the story that Swift appears amiable though unfortunate in it , he actually closes the work with a panegyric on that heart *• truly tender , truly modest , nobly disdainful of what is vulgar [ Swift tender ! Swift modest ! Swiftunvulgar !] ,
but which is so easily misunderstood , that , after the lapse of a century , after so many eminent services rendered by Swift to the cause of reason and humanity [ by his filth ? by his degraded conception of mankind ? by his coarse polemics ? by his unblushing venality ?] , we are now attempting to defend the memory of this great genius , of this noble heartthe memory of the author of Gulliver' ! ' This , we take leave to say , is a worthy peroration to the excuse in two volumes which he has written of Dean Swift , and is as true of that despicable bully as the whole book is of his conduct .
We said that Stella and Vanessa wns unlike the work of n Frenchman . We were too hasty . It is the work of a Frenchman , as this very partizanship proves . Little to their credit bo it said , but French writers arc strangely disposed to palliate brutal
treatment of women on the part of men . Grave academic professors join with licentious novelists in always defending Abelard , and in ignoring the moral grandeur of the unhappy Heloise . Read Lamartine's account of his treatment of Graziella , and ask yourself if any English author would so unblushingly have unveiled his conduct , if an English audience would have been silent at it ? In Stella and Vanessa the same tendency is visible : the man is excused , the fault lies with the women . Treating it as an historical novel we condemn it as untrue . If the reader will but bear this in mind ,
and be prepared only for a story which is possible enough though it is not the actual story , we can promise him a pleasant and rational treat in these volumes . As an extractable specimen , we quote the scenes with Vanessa when Swift leaves London . He had announced his departure for the next day : — " Esther turned pale , but said nothing , and let her mother express as many regrets as she would . But when she talked of giving up her walk in order to see the last of the Doctor , Vanessa , in her usual tone of authority , sent her out in the name of the physician . And no sooner bad her mother shut the door after her , than she walked straight up to Swift , and said : " ' You ' re going ?' 11 * Yes , Esther , I am . '
" ' And what becomes of your promise of this morning ?' " ' This morning ! ' he replied , endeavouring to smile ; ' had you asked me something even more impossible , I should equally have promised it you . Your imagination , my dear Hessy , magnifies everything . Your wishes are absolute wants , and your sorrow is despair . In short , my dear , you ' re a spoilt child that must not be crossed . '
• ' ' And now , then , are you not afraid to cross me ? ' " ' I presume that by this time you have grown reasonable . ' " * Reasonable . The time for reason is past . ' " ' My dear Esther , be cool , you ' re the dupe of your own imagination . But I know you better . Whenever you really are in love , you will not tell it . You have too much pride . ' ' And would you , then , have me lie ? '
" Reserve is not falsehood ; do not confound a duty with a fault . ' «• « When we read Shakspeare together , you bade me admire the frankness of Juliet ; and now I am frank like her , and , like her , I would not for all the world retract my avowal . ' " « But Juliet loves Romeo ; she does not love Father Laurence . ' " ' Juliet loves Romeo , and Vanessa loves a man of genius . ' " Vanessa is an enthusiast , who exaggerates her own feelings and my merit . But even if I had genius , that would be no reason for loving me . ' " * How ! if Shakspeare were to come to life again ; would any woman do ill to love him ? '
" ' Yes , she would do ill . Men of genius are only fit to be admired . Whatever warmth glows in their soul , they bestow on their works alone ; they are too proud to adore anything but fame . Even I , Esther—I who have not , I hope , more pride than I shall be able to justify—what will you say if I tell you that I have lived to my present age and never known what it is to love ?' ' He thought to discourage her by a declaration which was very nearly true . " But the fond girl was enraptured at the unlooked-for idea of finding a virgin heart in the man she loved . " ' Oh , I will teach you , ' said she .
" And throwing herself on her knees before Swift , in an attitude of coaxing and entreaty , she continued : — " You have given me lessons in poetry ; now it shall be my turn to teach you . ' " Swift had been prepared only for anger and violence ; and Vanessa was so enchanting in this humble posture , that he almost gave way . A relapse would have been irremediable . He remembered this just in time , and , summoning up all the resolution and coolness that remained to him , he took hold of both her arms , more to restrain her than to draw her towards him ; and in a voice which he endeavoured to render as paternal as possible , he said to her : —
" ' I tell you what , my dear child , now you are upon Jour knees , I shall preach you a little sermon . If you ove me , Hessy , it must be because you esieem me , and you would not wish me to lose all right to this esteem . Well ! just consider a little . If I took you at your word —if I took advantage of an unguarded moment to bind your fate to mine , and destroy your mother ' s hopesgreat Heavens ! what would the world say ? that I had misled you ; that I had abused the confidence inspired by my age nnd my profession , and speculated on your enthusiasm for literature . Will you expose in my person the men of letters , whom you revere , to the sarcasms of the worldly ? Shall I , known as I am by my writings , obnoxious to party hatred—above all , a clergyman—shall I give myself the air of a fortune-hunter ? ' 11
• And I ! for the sake of avoiding a little foolish gossip , am I to give up the happiness of my life ? ' " The happiness of to-day , my child , is often the misery of to-morrow ; and what you call gossip , makes our reputation . ' 11 Have I not often heard you say , that reputation may fall a prey to the first idler , and that it is only conscience that is our own ?' ** ' And how do you know that mine is at case ? Ought not I to have foreseen that your taste for study might betray you ? My conscience , Esther , accuses me of imprudence , but it shall not reproach me with anything worse . '
" ' You repel me , then !' " * Why speak so harshly , when I give you the truest proof of my affection ? Do not , Hessy , take an unfair advantage of my position . I feel that it is a very false one ; but the fear of ridicule shall not make me forget my duty . Be generous , and help me to fulfil it . ' "' Very well ! ' said she , rising suddenly . * You ' resolved that every sacrifice shall come from me . I am . willing that it should be so . I swear to you to subdue my heart , and never again to outstep the boundaries of friendship . But friendship has rights as well as love . You must promise me to stay . ' " ' No , Esther , I must go . ' " * You refuse to trust me !'
" « Esther , I must go !' " « But , at all events , tell me the reason . Has anything happened since this morning ?' " ' Esther , I repeat to you that it must be ! ' " * Then you decidedly refuse . Well ! as you please , I do not want to keep you here by force . ' " And she turned her back upon him . " ' See how little control you have over yourself , Esther . How can I trust your word ? * ' * * I gave it only on one condition . ' * ' ' But you will keep it unconditionally . Do be reasonable . What ! because I am going to Ireland—' ?• ' What care I where you go , if you do not return !' " ' I will return as soon as I can do so with honour . *
" * I know very well that you will not return . ' " Swift had gained the victory , and could only lose by prolonging this painful dispute . He took up a book , and read , or pretended to read , until Esther ' s mother came home . But as soon as they were no longer alone together , he had not the courage to pass the end of his last day at a distance from her , and he strove by a thousand affectionate attentions , and by the promise of a correspondence and a future meeting , to soften the pain
of a separation which he himself felt in all its bitterness . " He bestowed these marks of tenderness upon her with the less scruple , as Esther , either from pride or from resignation , did not once endeavour , either by whispered entreaties , covert allusions , or supplicating looks , to make him change his determination . Even at the moment of bidding him farewell she did not shed a tear . And it was a great relief to Swift to think that , in quitting this wounded soul , he at any rate left her the consolation of hope . since Swift left London
" Two days had passed , mounted on a fine horse , which he had named Bolingbroke , after the Minister who had given it him , as the sole recompense for his services . In case any message might come for him from the Ministry , he had left word where he meant to stop . He had slept the second night at the rectory of Upper Letcombe , in Berkshire , and was about to continue his journey , when he was told that a lady wished to see him . " ' A lady ! ' He hastened down stairs to the parlour —it was Vanessa ! " ' Vanessa ! ' Surprise and joy deprived him of all reflection . He uttered an exclamation , and ran towards her . But a moment ' s thought stopped him short .
" Great God ! you here , Esther , —you here ! ' " « You did not choose to stop , ' said she , with a bitter smile . " And how did you come ? ' " ' Alone . ' " * Alone ! unhappy girl , to expose your reputation to such a degree . ' " « That ' s what I wanted . You can no longer talk to me about the expectations of my family . ' " ' And your mother , your poor mother ! What sorrow for her !' " ' And mine ! ' cried she , with a violent gesture ; * who among you thinks of my sorrows ? ' " Her lips quivered and her cheeks burned .
" ' Yours , Esther , are as nothing compared with those you are preparing for yourself . What will people say ? ' " The truth . That I love you , and that I have followed you . ' " * And your honour ?' " ' Is in your hands . ' " ' Yes , happily it is ; it is in the hands of an honest man , in the hands of a priest , whose duty it is to bring back the lost sheep into the fold . ' «• ' No , no ! it is too late ! If you cast me off , I am lost indeed ! '
" ' Esther , you are not lost ; you stand on the brink of a precipice ; but you may yet draw back . ' " Well , and if I can I will not . I am lost , I am lost —I tell you , lost !' " She walked up and down the room with quick steps , filled with a sort of fierce joy , and exulting in the idea of being lost . It was of no use to reason with her , to talk to her of her interest , her duty , her family , her mother . Swift was all in all to her . He felt that it was so , and that only one resource was left to him—to talk to her of himself—to show himself selfish in order to save her ;
and he did not hesitate . . " ' And what of me ? ' said he . « Do you wish to rum me too ? It matters not to you that I should pass for a betrayer , for an infamous seducer ; it matters not to you that I should be dishonoured !—You may still repair all ; it is not yet too late . But you do not choose , you would rather involve me in your ruin . ' 11 * I ! I have neither the power nor the will . Cast me off . I ask no pity of you . ' " * I do not cast you off , Esther . I offer you my hand , to lead you back to the way of duty and reason . jl " ' Duty ! reason ! Why seek all these pretexts ? l took this step without your knowledge : you are lree , you are prudent ; consult your own interests .
" * My interests !* " Yes , your interests . I have left everything to follow you . I have sacrificed everything . You arc my only hope , my sole refuge ; and you repel me ! Ah . you ' re unfeeling and ungrateful ; you would have less prudence if you had more heart . ' "
474 ®!> * &*£&*?? [Saturday,
474 ®!> * &* £ &*?? [ Saturday ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 10, 1850, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10081850/page/18/
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