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the　end　of　my　race；　I　have　felt　when　it　began；　and　during　its

continuance。　　Even　in　the　midst　of　great　undertakings；　domestic

affections　form　the　basis　of　life；　and　the　most　brilliant　career

has　only　superficial　and　incomplete　enjoyments；　if　a　stranger　to

the　happy　ties　of　family　and　friendship。〃



The　circumstances　connected　with　M。　Guizot's　courtship　and

marriage　are　curious　and　interesting。　　While　a　young　man　living　by

his　pen　in　Paris；　writing　books；　reviews；　and　translations；　he

formed　a　casual　acquaintance　with　Mademoiselle　Pauline　de　Meulan；

a　lady　of　great　ability；　then　editor　of　the　PUBLICISTE。　A　severe

domestic　calamity　having　befallen　her；　she　fell　ill；　and　was

unable　for　a　time　to　carry　on　the　heavy　literary　work　connected

with　her　journal。　　At　this　juncture　a　letter　without　any　signature

reached　her　one　day；　offering　a　supply　of　articles；　which　the

writer　hoped　would　be　worthy　of　the　reputation　of　the　PUBLICISTE。

The　articles　duly　arrived；　were　accepted；　and　published。　　They

dealt　with　a　great　variety　of　subjectsart；　literature；

theatricals；　and　general　criticism。　　When　the　editor　at　length

recovered　from　her　illness；　the　writer　of　the　articles　disclosed

himself：　it　was　M。　Guizot。　　An　intimacy　sprang　up　between　them；

which　ripened　into　mutual　affection；　and　before　long　Mademoiselle

de　Meulan　became　his　wife。



From　that　time　forward；　she　shared　in　all　her　husband's　joys　and

sorrows；　as　well　as　in　many　of　his　labours。　　Before　they　became

united；　he　asked　her　if　she　thought　she　should　ever　become

dismayed　at　the　vicissitudes　of　his　destiny；　which　he　then　saw

looming　before　him。　　She　replied　that　he　might　assure　himself　that

she　would　always　passionately　enjoy　his　triumphs；　but　never　heave

a　sigh　over　his　defeats。　　When　M。　Guizot　became　first　minister　of

Louis　Philippe；　she　wrote　to　a　friend：　〃I　now　see　my　husband　much

less　than　I　desire；　but　still　I　see　him。。。。　　If　God　spares　us　to

each　other；　I　shall　always　be；　in　the　midst　of　every　trial　and

apprehension；　the　happiest　of　beings。〃　　Little　more　than　six

months　after　these　words　were　written；　the　devoted　wife　was　laid

in　her　grave；　and　her　sorrowing　husband　was　left　thenceforth　to

tread　the　journey　of　life　alone。



Burke　was　especially　happy　in　his　union　with　Miss　Nugent；　a

beautiful；　affectionate；　and　highminded　woman。　　The　agitation

and　anxiety　of　his　public　life　was　more　than　compensated

by　his　domestic　happiness；　which　seems　to　have　been　complete。

It　was　a　saying　of　Burke；　thoroughly　illustrative　of　his

character；　that　〃to　love　the　little　platoon　we　belong　to

in　society　is　the　germ　of　all　public　affections。〃　　His

description　of　his　wife；　in　her　youth；　is　probably　one

of　the　finest　word…portraits　in　the　language：



〃She　is　handsome；　but　it　is　a　beauty　not　arising　from　features；

from　complexion；　or　from　shape。　　She　has　all　three　in　a　high

degree；　but　it　is　not　by　these　she　touches　the　heart；　it　is　all

that　sweetness　of　temper；　benevolence；　innocence；　and　sensibility；

which　a　face　can　express；　that　forms　her　beauty。　　She　has　a　face

that　just　raises　your　attention　at　first　sight；　it　grows　on　you

every　moment；　and　you　wonder　it　did　no　more　than　raise　your

attention　at　first。



〃Her　eyes　have　a　mild　light；　but　they　awe　when　she　pleases；

they　command；　like　a　good　man　out　of　office；　not　by　authority；

but　by　virtue。



〃Her　stature　is　not　tall；　she　is　not　made　to　be　the　admiration

of　everybody；　but　the　happiness　of　one。



〃She　has　all　the　firmness　that　does　not　exclude　delicacy；

she　has　all　the　softness　that　does　not　imply　weakness。



〃Her　voice　is　a　soft　low　musicnot　formed　to　rule　in　public

assemblies；　but　to　charm　those　who　can　distinguish　a　company

from　a　crowd；　it　has　this　advantageYOU　MUST　COME　CLOSE　TO

HER　TO　HEAR　IT。



〃To　describe　her　body　describes　her　mindone　is　the　transcript

of　the　other；　her　understanding　is　not　shown　in　the　variety

of　matters　it　exerts　itself　on；　but　in　the　goodness　of　the

choice　she　makes。



〃She　does　not　display　it　so　much　in　saying　or　doing　striking

things；　as　in　avoiding　such　as　she　ought　not　to　say　or　do。



〃No　person　of　so　few　years　can　know　the　world　better；　no　person

was　ever　less　corrupted　by　the　knowledge　of　it。



〃Her　politeness　flows　rather　from　a　natural　disposition　to　oblige；

than　from　any　rules　on　that　subject；　and　therefore　never　fails　to

strike　those　who　understand　good　breeding　and　those　who　do　not。



〃She　has　a　steady　and　firm　mind；　which　takes　no　more　from　the

solidity　of　the　female　character　than　the　solidity　of　marble　does

from　its　polish　and　lustre。　　She　has　such　virtues　as　make　us　value

the　truly　great　of　our　own　sex。　　She　has　all　the　winning　graces

that　make　us　love　even　the　faults　we　see　in　the　weak　and

beautiful；　in　hers。〃



Let　us　give；　as　a　companion　picture；　the　not　less　beautiful

delineation　of　a　husband；　that　of　Colonel　Hutchinson；　the

Commonwealth　man；　by　his　widow。　　Shortly　before　his　death；

he　enjoined　her　〃not　to　grieve　at　the　common　rate　of　desolate

women。〃　　And；　faithful　to　his　injunction；　instead　of　lamenting

his　loss；　she　indulged　her　noble　sorrow　in　depicting　her　husband

as　he　had　lived。



〃They　who　dote　on　mortal　excellences；〃　she　says；　in　her

Introduction　to　the　'Life；'　〃when；　by　the　inevitable　fate　of　all

things　frail；　their　adored　idols　are　taken　from　them；　may　let

loose　the　winds　of　passion　to　bring　in　a　flood　of　sorrow；　whose

ebbing　tides　carry　away　the　dear　memory　of　what　they　have　lost；

and　when　comfort　is　essayed　to　such　mourners；　commonly　all　objects

are　removed　out　of　their　view　which　may　with　their　remembrance

renew　the　grief；　and　in　time　these　remedies　succeed；　and

oblivion's　curtain　is　by　degrees　drawn　over　the　dead　face；　and

things　less　lovely　are　liked；　while　they　are　not　viewed　together

with　that　which　was　most　excellent。　　But　I；　that　am　under　a

command　not　to　grieve　at　the　common　rate　of　desolate　women；　（14）

while　I　am　studying　which　way　to　moderate　my　woe；　and　if　it　were

possible　to　augment　my　love；　I　can　for　the　present　find　out　none

more　just　to　your　dear　father；　nor　consolatory　to　myself；　than　the

preservation　of　his　memory；　which　I　need　not　gild　with　such

flattering　commendations　as　hired　preachers　do　equally　give　to　the

truly　and　titularly　honourable。　　A　naked　undressed　narrative；

speaking　the　simple　truth　of　him；　will　deck　him　with　more

substantial　glory；　than　all　the　panegyrics　the　best　pens　could

ever　consecrate　to　the　virtues　of　the　best　men。〃



The　following　is　the　wife's　portrait　of　Colonel　Hutchinson

as　a　husband：



〃For　conjugal　affection　to　his　wife；　it　was　such　in　him　as

whosoever　would　draw　out　a　rule　of　honour；　kindness；　and　religion；

to　be　practised　in　that　estate；　need　no　more　but　exactly　draw　out

his　example。　　Never　man　had　a　greater　passion　for　a　woman；　nor　a

more　honourable　esteem　of　a　wife：　yet　he　was　not　uxorious；　nor

remitted　he　that　just　rule　which　it　was　her　honour　to　obey；　but

managed　the　reins　of　government　with　such　prudence　and　affection；

that　she　who　could　not　delight　in　such　an　honourable　and

advantageable　subjection；　must　have　wanted　a　reasonable　soul。



〃He　governed　by　persuasion；　which　he　never　employed　but　to　things

honourable　and　profitable　to　herself；　he　loved　her　soul　and　her

honour　more　than　her　outside；　and　yet　he　had　ever　for　her　person　a

constant　indulgence；　exceeding　the　common　temporary　passion　of　the

most　uxorious　fools。　　If　he　esteemed　her　at　a　higher　rate　than　she

in　herself　could　have　deserved；　he　was　the　author　of　that　virtue

he　doated　on；　while　she　only　reflected　his　own　glories　upon　him。

All　that　she　was；　was　HIM；　while　he　was　here；　and　all　that　she　is

now；　at　best；　is　but　his　pale　shade。



〃So　liberal　was　he　to　her；　and　of　so　generous　a　temper；　that　he

hated　the　mention　of　severed　purses；　his　estate　being　so　much　at

her　disposal　that　he　never　would　receive　an　account　of　anything

she　expended。　　So　constant　was　he　in　his　love；　that　when　she

ceased　to　be　young　and　lovely　he　began　to　show　most　fondness。　　He

loved　her　at　such　a　kind　and　generous　rate　as　words　cannot

express。　　Yet　even　this；　which　was　the　highest　love　he　or　any　man

could　have；　was　bounded　by　a　superior：　he　loved　her　in　the　Lord　as

his　fellow…creature；　not　his　idol；　but　in　such　a　manner　as　showed

that　an　affection；　founded　on　the　just　rules　of　duty；　far　exceeds

every　way　all　the　irregular　passions　in　the　world。　　He　loved　God

above　her；　and　all　the　other　dear　pledges　of　his　heart；　and　for

his　glory　cheerfully　resigned　them。〃　（15）



Lady　Rachel　Russell　is　another　of　the　women　of　history　celebrated

for　her　devotion　and　faithfulness　as　a　wife。　　She　laboured　and

pleaded　for　her　husband's　release　so　long　as　she　could　do　so

with　honour；　but　when　she　saw　that　all　was　in　vain；　she　collected

her　courage；　and　strove　by　her　example　to　strengthen　the　resolution

of　her　dear　lord。　　And　when　his　last　hour　had　nearly　come；　a