Philip Gilbert Hamerton Part 45

"_July_, 28, 1890.

"The shortest rout from Paris to Autun, as to mere distance, is by Laroche, Gravant, Avallon, etc. In the present case I strongly recommend the shorter and more rural route, as being by far the prettier and less fatiguing, and also because it enables you to see one of the most picturesque small towns in France--Avallon. You have five hours to see Avallon, and the picturesque valley that it overlooks.... The next morning you will of course be occupied in seeing Autun, but if you will make your way to the railway station, so as to be there at 11.15, you will see a vehicle with yellow wheels and a chestnut mare, with a white mark on her face. The said vehicle will bring you to Pre-Charmoy (if you will kindly allow it to do so), in time for dejeuner. Please let me know the day. It would be better not to make any hard-and-fast arrangement about your departure, as I may be able to persuade you to take some drives with me to see something in this neighborhood."

"AUTUN. _November_ 2, 1890.

"I received the 'Quarterly' this morning, and read your article. Towards the close, you say every Frenchman in the provinces works. That, I am sorry to say, is a mistake. Unfortunately there is still a strong survival of the old caste prejudice against work, as being beneath a gentleman. All the young men I know whose parents are very well off _are as idle as they can be, unless they go into the army or the Church_, and now they hardly ever go into the Church, or when they do it is in some order (Jesuits, Marists, etc.). I was talking about this with a rich old French gentleman about ten days ago, and he deeply deplored it; he said he felt more respect for common workmen than for the idle young men in his own cla.s.s.

"You appear to think that the Morvan language is a Celtic tongue. No; it is only a French patois, very interesting and peculiar in its grammatical forms. I understand it partly when spoken, and can read it with some little difficulty. My daughter understands it very well. Our servants speak it among themselves. Their French is very pure, though somewhat limited in its vocabulary.

"It seems to me that you are happily endowed and situated for undertaking a work of the kind you intend to write. You have seen a great deal of the world, you have no prejudices, you desire nothing but to be just, and especially you have that very rare quality--a right curiosity. I was pleased, and a little amused by the contrast, when I compared you with the strangely uninterested English whom I have seen in and out of France. I recollect staying with a friend in England, a few years ago, and I noticed that _he did not ask me one single question about France_. He simply talked of his own locality, and did not appear to take the slightest interest in the continent of Europe.

"You made me pa.s.s a very pleasant day, which encourages the hope that you will come again to this neighborhood. There is a great deal to be seen within a driving radius, especially if you consent to sleep one night away from home.

"My wife and I are going to Paris in December, when I mean to look you up."

To another visitor whose name I am not at liberty to mention, my husband had written the following interesting letter:--

"Whilst driving home in the dark, after saying good-bye to you, I thought over your remarks about the great revolution in habits of thought which must take place in consequence of the influence of scientific methods. The difficulty I foresee is this. Religions supply a want that science does not and cannot supply; they answer to the need of certain emotions--trust, hope, joy, 'peace in believing,' the happiness of thinking that we are each of us individually cared for by a supremely good and all-powerful Father. Women especially seem to need these emotions to make life happy for them, and when they cease to believe, as many now do, they feel a sense of desolation. The most successful religion (the Roman) has succeeded by supplying most abundantly that care and those consolations which women expect a religion to give, and which science does not _in the least degree supply_; in fact, women usually dislike science. Now, as the churches maintain themselves chiefly by the influence and support of women, may they not continue to maintain themselves indefinitely in this way? Is it not possible, to mention a special case, that the Roman Catholic Church may exist for an indefinite length of time simply as a provider of the kind of authority and the kind of emotion that women desire, and that they cannot obtain from science? Mr.----, a friend of mine, considers religion absolutely necessary to women, and to many men, not that he at all considers religion to be true in the matter-of-fact sense, but the scientific truth of a doctrine is quite distinct from its beneficial effect upon the mind.

"For my part, I don't know what to think about the future. Long ago I used to hope for a true religion, but now I see that if it is to be free from mythology, it ceases to be a religion altogether, and becomes only science, which has none of the heating and energizing force that a real religion certainly possesses. Neither has science its power of uniting men in bonds of brotherhood, and in giving them an effective hostile action against others as religious intolerance does."

On the subject of religious belief, my husband had written previously to Mr. Seeley:--

"I have been corresponding with a friend [the same Mr.---- mentioned in the letter to another visitor] about the religious views of Mark Pattison and Dean Stanley. He knew both of them, and quite confirms what I had heard before, that they were no more believers than Renan.

Pattison he describes as a conservative agnostic or pantheist, meaning by 'conservative' a man who thought it better to preserve old forms. I recollect that Appleton told me when he was here that there was not the slightest obligation on a clergyman of the Church of England to believe in the divinity of Christ, and that many clergymen in the present day, including Pattison, had no such belief. My friend himself seems to be an agnostic, and a strong supporter of the Church of England at the same time, and quite lately he earnestly counselled some young English ladies (who were Unitarians, but obliged to live abroad) to join the Church of England for the sake of 'religious fellows.h.i.+p.' He tells me that there is in Dean Stanley's 'Christian Inst.i.tutions' an exposition of the Apostles' Creed, containing hardly a syllable to which Renan could not subscribe.

"From all this it would appear that some, at least, of the English clergy have adopted the Jesuit principle, practically so convenient, by which any one may have an esoteric religion for himself as the comfortable lining of the cloak, and an esoteric religion for other people as the outside of the cloak. Meanwhile these clergymen are deeply respected, whilst honest men whose opinions are not one whit more heretical are stigmatized as 'infidels,' and excluded from 'good society.' You seem to have got into a curious condition in England.

Surely many laymen are right in distrusting parsons."

As editor of the "Portfolio," he had been contributing articles from time to time, but Mr. Seeley was anxious to see him undertake an important series for the following year. He proposed different subjects likely to tempt the author's fancy, and suggested "Turner in Switzerland;" but one of the difficulties was the quant.i.ty of work done by Turner in Switzerland, and the time that would be required to follow in his steps. Another suggestion of Mr. Seeley's was to write about a group of French living artists who would be good representatives of the modern school, and whose works would furnish striking ill.u.s.trations. He said with his usual kind thoughtfulness: "I must confess that my suggestion of a French subject arose partly from the pleasure you would find in paying a visit to your daughter at Paris; and partly also from the reflection that Paris is not far from London."

Mr. Hamerton had proposed "The Louvre," but it was feared that the subject would not be a popular one; and after mature consideration, the idea of a connected series of articles on modern French painters was entertained by both publisher and editor. Mr. Seeley wrote: "I was rather in hopes that my vague suggestion of a subject might take root in your mind and develop into something definite; or, to change the metaphor, that it might be a spark to kindle your invention. I think such a series would be interesting here, and would furnish admirable subjects for twelve etchings."

A journey to Paris was then decided upon for the winter.

The Saone cruise proved particularly pleasant this time, on account of the welcome offered to the pa.s.sengers of "L'Arar" by several friends at Neuville, who most hospitably entertained them on land and water. They were invited on board "L'Hirondelle" and "Pet.i.te Amie," and raced "L'Arar" against them. It was a comfort to my husband to feel himself among friends, for he suddenly suffered from an irregular action of the heart which lasted for thirty-six hours, but ceased as suddenly as it came. He had had another distress of the same kind in the summer, but only of a couple of hours' duration. I had entreated him to see a doctor at the time; but he said it was only nervousness. At Neuville likewise he refused to seek advice, feeling sure it would cease of itself; and now I have the painful certainty that he was already laboring under the symptoms of heart disease. Still, he speedily recovered, and resumed his studies in water-colors and in pen-and-ink the day after.

I see by this note in the diary that he was well satisfied with his boat: "Sept. 15. My studies occupied me till lunch-time, and then, after _dejeuner_, we started in 'L'Arar' to try an experiment in sailing with a breeze so light as to be imperceptible, sheets not even stretched, yet we went up as far as Pont Vert and beyond. We might have gone further, but came back to call upon Madame Vibert."

In October, Mr. Hamerton wrote an article for "Chambers' Encyclopaedia"

on the "History of Art," and another for the "Portfolio" on "National Supremacy in Painting." Having been asked to contribute to the "Forum,"

he began in November an article on "Home Life in France."

He was always anxious to clear up any international misunderstanding between France and England, and had written in May to the "Pall Mall Gazette" an explanatory letter on the so-called persecution of the Church by the Republic, as regarded the execution of the decrees concerning religious orders.

He had also sent a letter to the "Academy" on "France and the Republic."

Although very tolerant himself in matters of religion, it was his opinion that the State, whether under a Republic or a Monarchy, had a right to exact obedience to its laws as well from religious bodies as from private persons; and that a Republican government ought not to be accused of tyranny because it enforced the execution of these general laws. But people are very apt to take the view which M. de Ca.s.sagnac so frankly avowed when addressing the Republican party in the Chamber: "We claim unbounded liberty for ourselves--because you promise it in your programme; but we refuse it to you--because it is contrary to our principles."

About the middle of November there was copied into the "Temps" an anonymous letter which had appeared in "Truth," professing to express the hostile feelings entertained by English naval officers against the officers of the French fleet, which had recently visited Malta. This roused Mr. Hamerton's indignation; the more so as he never for one moment believed the discourteous and outrageous letter to be genuine. I transcribe his explanation of the incident as given by himself to his son-in-law:--

"_Novembre_ 17, 1890.

"MON CHER FILS,--Il m'est arrive de pouvoir, je crois, etre utile au maintien des bonnes relations entre les marines anglaises et francaises.

Un journal anglais, 'Truth,' a publie il y a quinze jours une lettre sans signature, mais presentee comme la communication authentique d'un officier de notre flotte de la Mediterranee. Dans cette lettre l'ecrivain representait les officiers comme tres mecontents d'etre obliges de donner l'hospitalite a ceux de l'escadre francaise qui est venue a Malte; disant que c'etait leur metier de recevoir les Francais a coups de fusil et qu'ils ne desiraient pas les voir autrement.

"Je connais a.s.sez les sentiments d'un 'English gentleman,' (et nos officiers de marine se piquent de soutenir ce caractere) pour savoir qu'ils comprendraient l'hospitalite mieux que cela, et j'ai envoye le paragraphe en question a l'Amiral commandant la flotte Anglaise de la Mediterranee, en lui suggerant l'idee d'une protestation. Il m'a repondu par telegramme qu'au recu de ma lettre l'indignation avait ete generale parmi les officiers et qu'ils preparent une protestation qu'ils m'enverront pour que je la fa.s.se circuler autant que possible dans la presse francaise. Le r.e.t.a.r.d a ete probablement occasionne par les mouvements de la flotte."

A few days later the following letter was received by Mr. Hamerton:--

"H. M. S. BENBOW. _November_ 17,1890.

"DEAR SIR,--I hope you will kindly a.s.sist us in getting the gross misstatements copied from 'Truth' as to our feelings towards the French Navy contradicted.

"You will perceive that the paper I enclose is signed by an officer representing each s.h.i.+p, and that most ranks in the service are also represented thereon.

"Any expense that may be incurred would you kindly let me know?

"Yours faithfully,

"H. RAWSON,

"Capt. R. N."

The protestation which accompanied the letter ran thus:--

"H. M. S. BENBOW, AT MALTA. _November_ 15, 1890.

"DEAR SIR,--Your letter of the 1st of November, sent to the Commander-in-Chief of the British fleet in the Mediterranean, has been forwarded to us, and we have to thank you for having called our attention to the paragraph in the 'Temps,' copied from 'Truth' of the 31st of October.

"Referring to the language in 'Truth,' the editor of the 'Temps' says that he hopes it will be protested against in England. The paragraph had been seen and commented on by our officers; but as in England no one ever takes the trouble to answer or contradict any statement made in that paper ('Truth'), and as in this case its object was so palpably political, viz. to cause the present Government trouble, and prevent the cordiality and friends.h.i.+p that has existed so long between the two nations, no notice was taken of it; but when a paper of such importance as the 'Temps' copies the paragraph, and it is thus brought before the French nation, it at once becomes important and demands a protest and a denial.

"As you have already taken an interest in the matter, we are led to hope that you will a.s.sist us in procuring the insertion in any French papers that may have copied this paragraph, most especially the 'Temps,' the naval papers, and the local papers at Toulon, of a protest on the part of the officers of the English fleet in the Mediterranean against the language of the article, and to deny, on our part, any such feelings or ideas as are attributed to us in it.

"We beg to a.s.sure you that it gave us real and unfeigned pleasure to see the French fleet in our midst at Malta, and that what little we were able to do to make their visit agreeable and pleasant was done from no feeling of duty, or even as a mere return for the kindly reception accorded to us at Toulon, but from a sincere appreciation of the high qualities of French naval officers, and a desire to cultivate their friends.h.i.+p.

"We have the honor to be,

"Sir

"Your obedient servants."

Three weeks later came a letter of thanks, closing the incident, which had caused no little trouble to Mr. Hamerton.

"MALTA. _December_ 12, 1890.

"DEAR MR. HAMERTON,--Thank you very much in the name of the English Navy for so kindly a.s.sisting us to repel the gross insinuations of 'Truth,'

also for the extracts, and the trouble you have taken for us. I only regret that you should have drawn 'Truth' on you.