The survival of a people is the work of its men of
genius. At this very moment France is proving, energetically, the
truth of that theory. She is, undoubtedly, excelled by England in
commerce, industry, and navigation, and yet she is, I believe, at the
head of the world,--by reason of her artists, her men of talent, and
the good taste of her products. There is no artist and no superior
intellect that does not come to Paris for a diploma. There is no
school of painting at this moment but that of France; and we shall
reign far longer and perhaps more securely by our books than by our
swords. In La Briere's system, on the other hand, all that is glorious
and lovely must be suppressed,--woman's beauty, music, painting,
poetry. Society will not be overthrown, that is true, but, I ask you,
who would willingly accept such a life? All useful things are ugly and
forbidding. A kitchen is indispensable, but you take care not to sit
there; you live in the salon, which you adorn, like this, with
superfluous things. Of what _use_, let me ask you, are these charming
wall-paintings, this carved wood-work? There is nothing beautiful but
that which seems to us useless.
Pages:
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323