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THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.

victims to the guillotine. Robespierre himself had fallen, and a new figure had appeared upon the scene. Bonaparte was the hero of the hour. The directory had been established, and peace seemed spreading her wings overweary France. Madame de Stael watched with eager interest the career of Bonaparte. She hoped, as thousands hoped, that this rising genius who had suppressed insurrection and conquered invading armies, would bring repose to France; but when the high-handed overthrow of the directory was followed by the consulate, and Bonaparte made himself first consul, she recognized the hand of imperialism and tyranny, and in her salon, crowded with thinking men and women, she did not hesitate to criticise Napoleon’s policy, and to talk the boldest liberalism. The hostility between Napoleon and Madame de Stael is notorious. Never were two persons more out of harmony with each other. He hated a literary woman. He despised women who had opinions differing from his own. Madame de Stael as leader of the principal salon in Paris, where they discussed politics and favored a republic, was an obnoxious person to Napoleon. She published about this time a work on “ Literature,” which abounded in the most liberal political sentiments. Napoleon was annoyed; he wished to silence her. The only way he could diminish her influence was to get her out of Paris. This he did by banishing her. She retired to Coppet, but not to seclusion and solitude. Coppet became one of the famous intellectual centers of Europe. Generous hospitality and devotion to her friends were her most marked characteristics. Friends came and lingered at Coppet for months at a time, and there was a constant coming and going of distinguished literary people. Among the famous guests at this period were Benja­min Constant, who was in exile, Camille, Jourdan, Sismondi, the historian of Italy, her life-long friend, Matthieu de Montmorency, Mme. Necker de Saussure, who was her earliest biographer, Madame Krudner and Madame de Recamier.

During these years of exile she visited Germany and Italy, those countries fur­nishing material for two of her most celebrated works.

Many of the German literati received her cordially, Schiller especially; others were disturbed by her peculiarities, and others disliked her. Her vivacity and volu­bility startled the quiet temperament of the Germans. They were not used to this kind of women. The narrow views they at that time entertained of woman’s intellect did not at once accept this woman of genius, of enthusiasm and self-assertion. It was on the whole an excellent thing to happen, that a gifted FTench woman should invade German complacency and prejudice. She gained in breadth of mind by contact with the great intellects and the literature of another nation, and they were compelled to learn that a high order of intellect is possible to woman.

Her travels in Italy gave to the world “ Corinne,” which was published in 1807. Its appearance was one of the greatest literary events of the day. Sainte Beuve says: “As a work of art, as a poem, the romance of Corinne is an immortal monument.” Another critic says: “There was but one voice, one cry of admiration throughout lettered Europe on its appearance.” Even at Edinburgh it created enthusiasm. Jeff­rey pronounced its author “ the greatest writer in France since Voltaire and Rousseau.” We, at the close of the nineteenth century, make a different estimate of this romance. We say it is too sentimental, too idealistic. But we must remember fiction has changed greatly since the day Corinne was written, ninety years ago. There had been then no George Eliot, Thackeray or Dickens. Even George Sand had not appeared, and the Waverley novels had not been written. It was the era of “ The Sorrows of Werther,” and we should compare “ Corinne ” with this work of Goethe before we criticise its sentimentality. One characteristic of the book, which gave it great value in its day, is the description of works of art, and of churches and monuments in Rome. In an era in which there was little travel, when a guide-book was unknown, when Italy was a region of romantic mystery to most of the educated people throughout the re­mainder of Europe, what an interest this book must have created.

The success of “ Corinne ” irritated Napoleon. Though he was at war with half the nations of Europe, though forcing conscriptions and arranging treaties with con-