Preface
EMILESOUVESTRE
Noonesucceedsinobtainingaprominentplaceinliterature,orinsurroundinghimselfwithafaithfulandsteadycircleofadmirersdrawnfromtheficklemassesofthepublic,unlesshepossessesoriginality,constantvariety,andadistinctpersonality.Itisquitepossibletogainforamomentafewreadersbyimitatingsomeoriginalfeatureinanother;butthesesoonvanishandthewriterremainsaloneandforgotten.Others,again,withoutbelongingtoanydistinctgroupofauthors,havingfoundtheirstandardinthemselves,moralistsandeducatorsatthesametime,haveobtainedundyingrecognition.
Ofthelatterclass,thoughlittleknownoutsideofFrance,isEmileSouvestre,whowasborninMorlaix,April15,1806,anddiedatParisJuly5,1854.Hewasthesonofacivilengineer,waseducatedatthecollegeofPontivy,andintendedtofollowhisfatherscareerbyenteringthePolytechnicSchool.Hisfather,however,diedin1823,andSouvestrematriculatedasalaw-studentatRennes.Buttheyoungstudentsoondevotedhimselfentirelytoliterature.Hisfirstessay,atragedy,LeSiegedeMissolonghi(1828),wasapronouncedfailure.DisheartenedanddisgustedheleftParisandestablishedhimselffirstasalawyerinMorlaix.Thenhebecameproprietorofanewspaper,andwasafterwardappointedaprofessorinBrestandinMulhouse.In1836hecontributedtotheRevuedesDeuxMondessomesketchesoflifeinBrittany,whichobtainedabrilliantsuccess.SouvestrewassoonmadeeditorofLaRevuedeParis,andinconsequenceearlyfoundapublisherforhisfirstnovel,LEchelledeFemmes,which,aswasthecasewithhissecondwork,RicheetPauvre,metwithaveryfavorablereception.Hisreputationwasnowmade,andbetweenthisperiodandhisdeathhegavetoFranceaboutsixtyvolumes——tales,novels,essays,history,anddrama.
Adoublepurposewasalwaysveryconspicuousinhisbooks:heaspiredtotheroleofamoralistandeducator,andwaslikewiseamostimpressivepainterofthelife,character,andmoralsoftheinhabitantsofBrittany.
ThemostsignificantofhisbooksareperhapsLesDerniersBretons(1835-1837,4vols.),PierreLandais(1843,2vols.),LeFoyerBreton(1844,2vols.),UnPhilosophesonslesToits,crownedbytheAcademy(1850),ConfessionsdunOuvrier(1851),RecitsetSouvenirs(1853),SouvenirsdunVieillard(1854);alsoLaBretagnePittoresque(1845),and,finally,CauseriesHistoriquesetLitteraires(1854,2vols.).Hiscomediesdeservehonorablemention:HenriHamelin,LOncleBaptiste(1842),LaParisienne,LeMousse,etc.In1848,Souvestrewasappointedprofessorofthenewlycreatedschoolofadministration,mostlydevotedtopopularlectures.Heheldthisposttill1853,lecturingpartlyinParis,partlyinSwitzerland.
Hisdeath,whencomparativelyyoung,leftadistinctgapintheliteraryworld.Alifelikehiscouldnotbeextinguishedwithoutgeneralsorrow.
Althoughhewasundulymodest,andneveraspiredtotheroleofabeacon-lightinliterature,alwaysseekingtoremaininobscurity,theworksofEmileSouvestremustbeplacedinthefirstrankbytheirmoralityandbytheirinstructivecharacter.Theywillalwayscommandtheentirerespectandapplauseofmankind.Andthusithappensthat,likemanyothers,hewasonlyfullyappreciatedafterhisdeath.
Eventhoseofhisconfrereswhodidnotseemtoesteemhim,whenalive,suddenlyfoundoutthattheyhadexperiencedagreatlossinhisdemise.
Theyexpresseditinemotionalpanegyrcs;contemporaneousliteraturediscoveredthatvirtuehadflownfromitsbosom,andtheFrenchAcademy,whichhadatitspropertimecrownedhisPhilosophesonslesToitsasaworkcontributingsupremelytomorals,kepthismemorygreenbybestowingonhiswidowthe"PrixLambert,"designedforthe"familiesofauthorswhobytheirintegrity,andbytheprobityoftheireffortshavewelldeservedthistokenfromtheRepubliquedesLettres."
JOSEPHBERTRAND