e courtier, nor the
subtle power of personal attraction; but, firm in her convictions, clear
in her purpose, and unselfish in her aims, she laid down her interests,
and, in the end, her life, upon the altar of liberty and humanity. She
could hardly be regarded, however, as herself a type. She was cast in a
rare mold and lived under rare conditions. She was individual, as were
Hypatia, Joan of Arc, and Charlotte Corday--a woman fitted for a special
mission which brought her little but a martyr's crown and a permanent
fame.

CHAPTER XVIII. MADAME DE STAEL

_Supremacy of Her Genius--Her Early Training--Her Sensibility--a Mariage
de Convenance--Her Salon--Anecdote of Benjamin Constant--Her Exile--Life
at Coppet--Secret Marriage--Close of a Stormy Life._

The fame of all other French women is more or less overshadowed by that
of one who was not only supreme in her own world, but who stands on
a pinnacle so high that time and distance only serve to throw into
stronger relief the grand outlines of her many-sided genius. Without the
simplicity and naturalness of Mme. de Sevigne, the poise and judgment
of Mme. de Lafayette, or the calm foresight and diplomacy of Mme. de
Maintenon, Mme. de Stael had a brilliancy of imagination, a force of
passion, a grasp of intellect, and a diversity of gifts that belonged
to none of these women. It is not possible within the limits of a brief
chapter to touch even lightly upon the various phases of a character so
complex and talents so versatile. One can only gather a few scattered
traits and indicate a few salient points in a life of which the details
are already familiar. As woman, novelist, philosopher, litterateur,
and conversationist, she has marked, if not equal, claims upon our
attention. To speak of her as simply the leader of a salon is to merge
the greater talent into the less, but her brilliant social qualities
in a measure brought out and illuminated all the others. It was not
the gift of reconciling diverse elements, and of calling out the best
thoughts of those who came within her radius, that distinguished her.
Her personality was too dominant not to disturb sometimes the measure
and harmony which fashion had established. She did not listen well,
but her gift was that of the orator, and, taking whatever subject was
uppermost into her own hands, she talked with an irresistible eloquence
that held her auditors silent and enchained. Living as she did in the
world of wit and