Raphael - Pages of the Book of Life at Twenty | Page 2

The parting of the lover, the pursuit, their meeting again in Julie's home
in Paris, the flickering candle of her waning life, burning down to its
socket, the touching interchange of letters, the gathering shadows of the
end, all these have stirred the hearts of entire Christendom, appealing to
all ages and conditions. Raphael is a lovers' rosary.--C. C.
STARKWEATHER.

LAMARTINE AND HIS WRITINGS
Lamartine was born at Mâcon, October 21, 1790. His father was
imprisoned during the Terror, narrowly escaping the guillotine. Taught
at first by his mother, young Lamartine was sent to a boarding school at
Lyons, and later to the college of the Pères de la Foi at Belley. Here he

remained till 1809, and after studying at home for two years, he
traveled in Italy, taking notes and receiving impressions which were to
prove so valuable to him in his literary work. He saw service in the
Royal Body-Guard upon the restoration of the Bourbons. When
Napoleon came back from Elba, Lamartine went to Switzerland and
then to Aix in Savoy. At Aix he fell in love with Madame Charles, who
died in 1817. This love-episode, ending so pathetically, became the
subject of much of his verse, and forms the basis of the famous Raphael,
a book of the purest, most delicate and elevated sentiment. Resigning
from the guard, he enjoyed two more "wander-years," revisiting
Switzerland, Savoy and Italy.
A collection of his poems, including the famous Lac, was published
under the title _Méditations Poétiques_ in 1820, and leaped into
immediate popularity both with the sternest critics and the public at
large. His literary success led to political preferment, and he entered the
diplomatic service as Secretary to the French Embassy at Naples in
1823. That same year he was married at Geneva to an English lady,
Marianne Birch. His second volume of poetry now appeared, the
_Nouvelles Méditations_. He was transferred to Florence in 1824. In
1825 he published his continuation of Byron, _Le Dernier Chant du
Pélérinage de Childe Harold_. A passage in this poem gave offense to
an Italian officer, Colonel Pepe, with whom Lamartine fought a duel.
The _Harmonies Politiques et Réligieuses_ appeared in 1829. He
became active in politics, and was sent on a special mission to Prince
Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, afterward King of the Belgians. He was
elected during this year to the French Academy, at his second
candidacy.
After the publication of his pamphlet La Politique Rationelle he was
defeated in a contest for membership in the National Assembly. He
started, in 1832, upon a long journey in the East with his wife and
daughter, Julia. The latter died at Beyrout in 1833. A description of his
travels was the theme of his Voyage en Orient, appearing in 1835. In
his absence he had been elected from Bergues to the Assembly, in
which, on his return, he made his first speech early in 1834. As a
political orator his power was second to none.
His poems now became more philosophical. Jocelyn was printed in
1836, _La Chute d'Un Ange_ in 1838, and Les Recueillements in 1839.

A political as well as a literary sensation was produced by his Histoire
des Girondins, 1847, which, in fact, was inspired by his newly acquired
belief in democracy. He became Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Provisional Government in 1848, was elected to the new Assembly
from ten different departments, and became a member of the Executive
Committee, which made him one of the most conspicuous statesmen of
Europe. He was unsuited, however, for executive authority, and soon
disappeared from power, being supplanted in popular favor by
Cavaignac. His rise and fall in the field of statesmanship were equally
sudden, the same year including both.
Lamartine now began to pay off his debts by literary labor. Les
Confidences, containing Graziella and the ever popular Raphael came
from the press in 1849, followed by the Nouvelles Confidences in 1851.
Among his other works are: _Genièvre_, 1849; Le Tailleur de Pierres
de Saint Point, 1851; _Fior d'Aliza_, 1866; and the histories, Histoire
de la Restauration, 1851-1853; Histoire de la Turquie, 1854; Histoire
de la Russie, 1855. His wife died in 1863. He had not been able to save
much money, and, in 1867, when he was an old man, the Government
of France came to his assistance with a pension of 25,000 francs. He
died, March 1, 1869, having profoundly influenced the literature of his
time. His works have been translated into many languages. A beautiful
monument to his memory was erected by public subscription near
Mâcon, in 1874.
C.C.S.

ILLUSTRATIONS:
ALPHONSE DE LAMARTINE
RAPHAEL'S DEVOTION
THE LOVERS' COMPACT
RAPHAEL SEES JULIE IN PARIS

PROLOGUE
The real name of the friend who wrote these pages was not Raphael.
We often called him so in