Dix annés d'evil, Livre II, Chapitres 1-8;

" Le titre de dix années d'exil est celui dont l'auteur luimême avait fait choix; j'ai dû le conserver, quoique l'ouvrage, n'e'tant pas achevé, ne comprenne qu'un espace de sept anne'es. Le re'cit commence en 1800, c'est-à-dire deux ans avant le premier exil de ma mère, et s'arrête en

vi INTR OD UCTION.

1804, après la mort de M. Necker. La narration recommence en 1810, et s'arrête brusquement à l'arrive'e de ma mère en Suède, dans l'automne de 181 2. Ainsi la première et la seconde partie de ses mémoires laissent entr'elles un intervalle de près de six anne'es."

The portion selected for publication in the présent volume comprises the first eight chapters of the second part ; it is complète in itself, and ends with Madame de Staël's departure from Vienna on lier way to Moscow. It will be observed that the philological remarks suggested by the text are relatively few in number; on the other hand, the historical notes extend over a large space, and they hâve been carefully condensed from the best authorities.

Sir A. Alison thus alludes to the Dix années d'exil [Blackwooct s Mag. June 1837; coUected essays, vol. m.) : — ■

" Though abounding with fewer splendid and enchanting passages, it is written in a différent strain, and devoted more to political objects than the Italian novel {^Corinne). It exhibits the impérial government of Napoléon in the high and palmy days of its greatness; when ail the Continent had bowed the neck to his power, and, from the rock of Gibraltar to the frozen Océan, not a voice dared to be lifted against his commands. It shows the internai tyranny and vexations of this formidable power; its despicable jealousies and contemptible vanity; its odious restrictions and tyrannising tendency, We see the censorship chaining the human mind to the night of the tenth in the opening of the nineteenth century ; the commands of the police fettering every effort of independent thought and free discussion; forty millions of men slavishly following the car of a victor, who, in exchange for ail the advantages

INTRODUCTION. vii

of freedom, hoped but never obtained from the Révolution, dazzled tliem with the glitter only of golden cliains."

The latter part of our volume begins with a poem by Madame de Staël herself, and contains a few choice pièces which will serve to show the perfection realised by descriptive poetry during the empire of Napoléon I.; some of thèse fragments are interesting from a political point of view.

GUSTAVE MASSON

Harrow on the Hill.