Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/420

 406 RECENT FRENCH LITERATURE. The lectures delivered by Maurice Donnay at the Societe des Conferences on Alfred de Musset have been issued as a book, and form an admirable popular exposition of Musset's achievement. The chapter on the ' Confession d'un enfant du siecle ' is particularly good. Donnay characterises it as one of the most romantic books ever written. He regards the term romanticism as synonymous with individualism, and as the author's claim to interest us in his affairs. He reminds us that every author puts much of himself into his works. Racine as Racine would not talk as Phedre talks, but Phedre speaks as Racine would speak in her place. Moliere's Alceste is a strong individualist. Ro- manticism is really nothing other than c la franchise de Tindividualisme.' We could not, however, endure such frankness from everyone, but we gladly welcome it from De Musset. His confessions may not be always accurate, but they are always sincere. Donnay puts De Musset's prose above his poetry, and finds in the prose of his plays the most wonder- ful prose in the French language, a prose with wings, ' quelque chose de doux comme le vent d'ouest, de pale comme les rayons de la lune.' His dramatic work, c un theatre de 1'amour,' is full of charm, and the lovers express their feelings in marvellous language. Donnay has set me reading De Musset over again, and in these days of storm and stress it is good to enter, if only for a brief space, into such a region of romance and beauty. In * Le romantisme des realistes : Gustave Flau- bert,' Ernest Seilliere makes a most elaborate analysis of the state of Flaubert's mind throughout