"Vous insultez Voltaire, et vous me faites l'honneur de m'injurier. C'est votre affaire.
"Nous sommes, vous et moi, deux hommes quelconque. L'avenir jugera. Vous dites que je suis vieux, et vous me faites entendre que vous êtes jeune. Je le crois.
"Le sens moral est encore si peu formé chez vous, que vous me faites 'une honte' de ce qui est mon honneur.
"Vous prétendez, monsieur, me faire la leçon. De quel droit? Qui êtes-vous? Aliens au fait. Le fait le voici: Qu'est-ce que c'est que votre conscience, et qu'est-ce que c'est que la mienne?
"Comparons-les.
"Un rapprochement suffira," etc[1]
And now he launches into a grand and dignified comparison, in which the words used are quite adequate to the weight of the feelings expressed.
No doubt there are other elements which contribute their share to make this letter so strong in style: as, for example, the great crescendo of the whole, which gradually and with a continual bridling in shows us the growing speed and bulk of his feelings, until they burst forth in grandeur. Then, again, we feel that the person who wrote this is on the one hand a man of the world, who can constrain passionate outbursts, and this prepares us for the subsequent great effect when his passion is let loose; for the man of the world is not the man of the street, who uses weighty language for light occasions. On the other hand, we hardly need fear, with Victor Hugo, that we may find the "typical" man of the world who has lost all power of passion in habitually repressing it; and we are prepared to receive the full meaning of deep words when they come.
However, the passage exemplifies what I mean. Instead of the word "imprudence," we expect something meaning unworthy, immoral action, or insolence. Instead of "un peu," we expect "profondément," etc. It will be seen that the whole beginning is in a tone of lightness which we would almost expect to notice in two gentlemen conversing in some public place quite simply, though without smiling. Still the essence which underlies the form is intensely passionate.
The reaction against this abuse of strong language may lead, on the one hand, to this disproportionate use of lighter words, or, on the
- ↑ "Sir, you are indiscreet. . . . That has already been said. I do not insist upon it. I rather despise useless things.
"You insult Voltaire, and you do me the honor to revile me. That is your affair.
"You and I are two men—what manner of men the future will decide. You say I am old, and you give mo to understand that you are young. I believe it.
"In you the moral sense is still so undeveloped that you pronounce that in me 'a shame' which is my honor.
"You presume, sir, to read me a lecture. By what right? Who are you? Let us come down to facts. Here is fact: What is your conscience, and what is mine?
"Compare the two.
"A comparison will be enough," etc.
