Anne Staël-Holstein

Elle trace, sur des cahiers de papier à grain rude, l'esquisse de quelques chapitres de ses prochains ouvrages. Le livre De la littérature s'écrit ainsi, tandis que quelques amis venus de Genève, un ou deux proscrits de Fructidor, suscitent d'un mot sa conversation. Des émigrés revenant d'Allemagne font étape à Coppet. C'est par ces Français, ADRIEN DE LEZAY, Chênedollé, et par quelques Suisses, que la femme de lettres prend une connaissance, d'abord superficielle, de l'Allemagne..

Have you seen Villers? Tell him that one must be mad to live anywhere else than in France when one is French. The Germans are quite kind to me, though, and I already have a chest full of poems and notes. I have been writing down some of my reflections about all that, which might be of interest if ever see my friends again, since nothing will ever make me publish one line for any other public than the French. Please do write to me; consider that if you spent five minutes at it every night, the result would be a week of relief for me. But I have never been able to give you an idea of how much your letters please me; you would not be so sparing with them if you knew. Kindly remember me to all those who care for me". - Madame de Staël wrote this letter at the beginning of her exile. Her duel with Napoleon, stemming from her recalcitrance to his influence, had led to his orders that she was not to reside within forty leagues of Paris. This occurred in the fall of 1803. After considerable delay she decided to go to Germany. She travelled in the company of Benjamin Constant, by Metz and Frankfurt to Weimar, arriving there in December. She stayed in Weimar during the winter, and then went on to Berlin..

In the note on opposite natures, there is a line you wrote which I find extremely witty and true at the same time: there is no doubt that the big difference that exists between some souls, whose cause is unknown from us, makes it impossible for certain persons to understand each other ever and I think I would understand more easily the expression in the eye of some Persian than what some people say, even though they speak French. Thank you very much for giving me the hope that we will see each other in Milan. Your kindness to me makes you feel more attached to me: this is the sure sign of a generous nature. It is in six weeks probably that I will have the pleasure of seeing you again. I have enjoyed the arts and nature in the South of Italy, but my most tender affections were born when I first got to Milan, and returning there gives me a renewed pleasure, since you have shown me so clearly that my friends there have not forgotten me"..