THE

QUARTERLY REVIEW.

ART. I.-Mémoires du Duc de Saint-Simon.

Publiés Publiés par MM. Chéruel et Ad. Regnier, fils, et collectionnés de nouveau pour cette édition sur le manuscrit autographe.

Avec une notice

de M. de Sainte-Beuve. Paris, librairie Hachette et Cie. 1873-1875 (Nineteen volumes, without the Index).

WE

E wonder why the ingenious gentleman who recently published a series of essays on famous books' little read, did not include the Memoirs of Saint-Simon, one of the most striking specimens of the class. Considering their wide-spread renown and extraordinary merit, it is quite startling to find how few, at least in this country, of even the cultivated or literary class, have attempted a regular conscientious perusal, or indeed have done more than glance over a few chapters in an idle desultory way. The portentous length, the vast extent of ground to be got over, is one reason. Nineteen volumes, averaging from 450 to 500 closely-printed pages each, are enough to stagger the most eager amateur of bygone scandal or the most resolute searcher after the neglected truths of history.

But there have been other reasons for the tardy acceptance of these memoirs, for their long-delayed and still limited popularity, besides their length. They present in this respect a curious contrast to the memoirs which have made most noise in our time-memoirs written in obvious imitation of them, and falling as far short of the almost avowed model in knowledge of subject, insight into character, fine observation, and descriptive or analytic power, as in piquancy and originality. Mr. Charles Greville's Journals were published within ten years of his death, when the scandals they commemorated were fresh, at least fresh enough to injure or annoy: when the abundant depreciation and abuse could be keenly felt by the victims or their families, and as keenly relished by contemporaries always more alive to satire or censure than to praise: when envy, jealousy, ill-nature, vanity, morbid love of gossip, every weakness or bad quality of the Vol. 139.-No. 278. human

human heart or mind (not excepting disloyalty), could be called into action to create a factitious interest in a book.

Now, the Memoirs of Saint-Simon do not come down further than 1723 he did not die till 1755; and immediately after his death, the Government laid an embargo on them on the plea that, he having filled a diplomatic mission, they must be partly of an official character. During many years it was only by special favour that friends of the minister for the time being obtained a sight of the manuscript, which consisted of eight large folio volumes of very close writing, all in the author's own hand. Partial access was permitted to Duclos and Marmontel, in their capacity of historiographers; and M. de Choiseul lent some of the volumes to Madame du Deffand. According to the Marquis de Saint-Simon, 'it was only in 1788, and on the eve of the revolution, that the Abbé Soulavie obtained leave to make some extracts and publish some fragments: a supplement, which he added in 1789, was followed by some other publication equally truncated."* According to Sainte-Beuve, 'it was starting from 1784 that the publicity of the memoirs began to make progress; but timidly, stealthily, by disconnected anecdotes and by bits. From 1788 to 1791, then later in 1818, there appeared successively extracts more or less voluminous, mutilated, and garbled.' The Marquise de Créquy, apropos of one of these compilations, wrote, February 7, 1787, to Senac de Meilhan: "The "Memoirs of Saint-Simon are in the hands of the censor; of six volumes they will hardly make three, and it is enough.' Again, September 28, 1788: 'I apprise you that the "Memoirs of Saint-Simon out, but much mutilated, if I am to judge from what I have seen in three great green bundles (tapons), and there were six. Madame de Turpin died: there I stuck fast: it is badly written, but our taste for the age of Louis XIV. renders the details precious to us.'

are

In much the same tone Madame du Deffand had written to Walpole (December 2, 1770): The Memoirs of Saint-Simon are always amusing; and as I prefer reading them in company, the perusal will last long. It would amuse you, though the style is abominable and the portraits ill drawn. The author was

* Advertisement to the edition of 1842, edited by the Marquis de Saint-Simon, the representative of the family through a collateral branch, and the possessor of the original manuscript. All Saint-Simon's manuscripts were left by will to a cousin of the same name, the Bishop of Metz, without specifying the Memoirs. Soulavie's principal publication was Euvres complètes du Duc de Saint-Simon, contenant ses Mémoires sur le règne de Louis XIV, sur la régence du Duc d'Orléans et sur le règne de Louis XV, etc. 13 vols., 8vo. Paris, 1790. In the 'Biographie Universelle' it is termed the most precious and the only authentic publication of this littérateur.'

not

not a man of talent (homme d'esprit), but as he was au fait of everything, the things he relates are curious and interesting; I wish I could get you the reading of them.'

Few writers suffer more than Saint-Simon from being read in fragments; his effects depend on the fulness and completeness of his narratives and delineations; and we are therefore not surprised at the disadvantageous impression of the general public at the earlier periods of their acquaintance with him. But Madame du Deffand's estimate was formed from the original manuscript; and we know no plausible mode of accounting for it except that suggested by Sainte-Beuve, who remarks that the style of Saint-Simon was too pointedly revolting to the habits of written style in the eighteenth century, and was spoken of pretty nearly as Fénelon spoke of the style of Molière and "this multitude of metaphors not far removed from galimatias." All the fine world of that time had done their rhetoric more or less in Voltaire.'

In other letters, Madame du Deffand's admiration rises to enthusiasm she tells Walpole that, if present at the readings, he would experience ineffable pleasure, that he would be fairly beside himself with delight; although she must have known that Walpole, the most fastidious of critics, was the least likely of her whole round of lettered correspondents to be amused by ill-drawn portraits in an abominable style. Voltaire, too, piqued by a contemptuous reference to himself, or foreseeing how much his superficial 'Siècle de Louis XIV. must eventually suffer from collation, did his best to undermine the coming influence and authority of the memoirs, by announcing an intention to refute on their publication everything that had been inspired by prejudice or hate. Had he lived to execute this intention, he might certainly have hit many blots which the author has frankly told us would probably be discovered in his work. In a Conclusion, which might serve for a preface, he says:

"Next for impartiality: this point, so essential, and regarded as so difficult, I fear not to say impossible, for one who writes what he has seen and mixed in. We are charmed by straightforward and true people we are irritated by the rogues who swarm in courts; we are still more so against those who have injured us. The Stoic is a fine and noble chimera. I do not then pique myself on impartiality, it would be vain. At the same time I will do myself this justice, that I have been infinitely on my guard against my affections and my aversions, and most against the latter, so as not to speak of the objects of either without the balance in hand, to exaggerate nothing, to distrust myself as an enemy, to render an exact justice, and place the purest truth in broad relief. It is in this

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manner