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appeal to the senses。
〃But is it not so with every root word？ They are all stamped with a
living power that comes from the soul； and which they restore to the
soul through the mysterious and wonderful action and reaction between
thought and speech。 Might we not speak of it as a lover who finds on
his mistress' lips as much love as he gives？ Thus； by their mere
physiognomy； words call to life in our brain the beings which they
serve to clothe。 Like all beings； there is but one place where their
properties are at full liberty to act and develop。 But the subject
demands a science to itself perhaps！〃
And he would shrug his shoulders as much as to say； 〃But we are too
high and too low！〃
Louis' passion for reading had on the whole been very well satisfied。
The cure of Mer had two or three thousand volumes。 This treasure had
been derived from the plunder committed during the Revolution in the
neighboring chateaux and abbeys。 As a priest who had taken the oath；
the worthy man had been able to choose the best books from among these
precious libraries； which were sold by the pound。 In three years Louis
Lambert had assimilated the contents of all the books in his uncle's
library that were worth reading。 The process of absorbing ideas by
means of reading had become in him a very strange phenomenon。 His eye
took in six or seven lines at once； and his mind grasped the sense
with a swiftness as remarkable as that of his eye； sometimes even one
word in a sentence was enough to enable him to seize the gist of the
matter。
His memory was prodigious。 He remembered with equal exactitude the
ideas he had derived from reading； and those which had occurred to him
in the course of meditation or conversation。 Indeed； he had every form
of memoryfor places； for names； for words； things； and faces。 He not
only recalled any object at will； but he saw them in his mind；
situated； lighted； and colored as he had originally seen them。 And
this power he could exert with equal effect with regard to the most
abstract efforts of the intellect。 He could remember； as he said； not
merely the position of a sentence in the book where he had met with
it； but the frame of mind he had been in at remote dates。 Thus his was
the singular privilege of being able to retrace in memory the whole
life and progress of his mind； from the ideas he had first acquired to
the last thought evolved in it； from the most obscure to the clearest。
His brain； accustomed in early youth to the mysterious mechanism by
which human faculties are concentrated； drew from this rich treasury
endless images full of life and freshness； on which he fed his spirit
during those lucid spells of contemplation。
〃Whenever I wish it；〃 said he to me in his own language； to which a
fund of remembrance gave precocious originality； 〃I can draw a veil
over my eyes。 Then I suddenly see within me a camera obscura； where
natural objects are reproduced in purer forms than those under which
they first appeared to my external sense。〃
At the age of twelve his imagination； stimulated by the perpetual
exercise of his faculties； had developed to a point which permitted
him to have such precise concepts of things which he knew only from
reading about them； that the image stamped on his mind could not have
been clearer if he had actually seen them； whether this was by a
process of analogy or that he was gifted with a sort of second sight
by which he could command all nature。
〃When I read the story of the battle of Austerlitz；〃 said he to me one
day； 〃I saw every incident。 The roar of the cannon； the cries of the
fighting men rang in my ears； and made my inmost self quiver； I could
smell the powder； I heard the clatter of horses and the voices of men；
I looked down on the plain where armed nations were in collision； just
as if I had been on the heights of Santon。 The scene was as terrifying
as a passage from the Apocalypse。〃 On the occasions when he brought
all his powers into play； and in some degree lost consciousness of his
physical existence； and lived on only by the remarkable energy of his
mental powers； whose sphere was enormously expanded； he left space
behind him； to use his own words。
But I will not here anticipate the intellectual phases of his life。
Already； in spite of myself； I have reversed the order in which I
ought to tell the history of this man； who transferred all his
activities to thinking； as others throw all their life into action。
A strong bias drew his mind into mystical studies。
〃/Abyssus abyssum/；〃 he would say。 〃Our spirit is abysmal and loves
the abyss。 In childhood； manhood； and old age we are always eager for
mysteries in whatever form they present themselves。〃
This predilection was disastrous； if indeed his life can be measured
by ordinary standards； or if we may gauge another's happiness by our
own or by social notions。 This taste for the 〃things of heaven；〃
another phrase he was fond of using； this /mens divinior/； was due
perhaps to the influence produced on his mind by the first books he
read at his uncle's。 Saint Theresa and Madame Guyon were a sequel to
the Bible； they had the first…fruits of his manly intelligence； and
accustomed him to those swift reactions of the soul of which ecstasy
is at once the result and the means。 This line of study； this peculiar
taste； elevated his heart； purified； ennobled it； gave him an appetite
for the divine nature； and suggested to him the almost womanly
refinement of feeling which is instinctive in great men； perhaps their
sublime superiority is no more than the desire to devote themselves
which characterizes woman； only transferred to the greatest things。
As a result of these early impressions； Louis passed immaculate
through his school life； this beautiful virginity of the senses
naturally resulted in the richer fervor of his blood； and in increased
faculties of mind。
The Baroness de Stael； forbidden to come within forty leagues of
Paris； spent several months of her banishment on an estate near
Vendome。 One day； when out walking； she met on the skirts of the park
the tanner's son； almost in rags； and absorbed in reading。 The book
was a translation of /Heaven and Hell/。 At that time Monsieur Saint…
Martin； Monsieur de Gence； and a few other French or half German
writers were almost the only persons in the French Empire to whom the
name of Swedenborg was known。 Madame de Stael； greatly surprised； took
the book from him with the roughness she affected in her questions；
looks； and manners； and with a keen glance at Lambert；
〃Do you understand all this？〃 she asked。
〃Do you pray to God？〃 said the child。
〃Why？ yes！〃
〃And do you understand Him？〃
The Baroness was silent for a moment； then she sat down by Lambert；
and began to talk to him。 Unfortunately； my memory； though retentive；
is far from being so trustworthy as my friend's； and I have forgotten
the whole of the dialogue excepting those first words。
Such a meeting was of a kind to strike Madame de Stael very greatly；
on her return home she said but little about it； notwithstanding an
effusiveness which in her became mere loquacity； but it evidently
occupied her thou