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Seraphita



by　Honore　de　Balzac



Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley









DEDICATION



　　To　Madame　Eveline　de　Hanska；　nee　Comtesse　Rzewuska。



　　Madame；Here　is　the　work　which　you　asked　of　me。　I　am　happy；　in

　　thus　dedicating　it；　to　offer　you　a　proof　of　the　respectful

　　affection　you　allow　me　to　bear　you。　If　I　am　reproached　for

　　impotence　in　this　attempt　to　draw　from　the　depths　of　mysticism　a

　　book　which　seeks　to　give；　in　the　lucid　transparency　of　our

　　beautiful　language；　the　luminous　poesy　of　the　Orient；　to　you　the

　　blame！　Did　you　not　command　this　struggle　（resembling　that　of

　　Jacob）　by　telling　me　that　the　most　imperfect　sketch　of　this

　　Figure；　dreamed　of　by　you；　as　it　has　been　by　me　since　childhood；

　　would　still　be　something　to　you？



　　Here；　then；　it　is；that　something。　Would　that　this　book　could

　　belong　exclusively　to　noble　spirits；　preserved　like　yours　from

　　worldly　pettiness　by　solitude！　THEY　would　know　how　to　give　to　it

　　the　melodious　rhythm　that　it　lacks；　which　might　have　made　it；　in

　　the　hands　of　a　poet；　the　glorious　epic　that　France　still　awaits。

　　But　from　me　they　must　accept　it　as　one　of　those　sculptured

　　balustrades；　carved　by　a　hand　of　faith；　on　which　the　pilgrims

　　lean；　in　the　choir　of　some　glorious　church；　to　think　upon　the　end

　　of　man。



I　am；　madame；　with　respect；

Your　devoted　servant；

De　Balzac。









SERAPHITA







CHAPTER　I



SERAPHITUS



As　the　eye　glances　over　a　map　of　the　coasts　of　Norway；　can　the

imagination　fail　to　marvel　at　their　fantastic　indentations　and

serrated　edges；　like　a　granite　lace；　against　which　the　surges　of　the

North　Sea　roar　incessantly？　Who　has　not　dreamed　of　the　majestic　sights

to　be　seen　on　those　beachless　shores；　of　that　multitude　of　creeks　and

inlets　and　little　bays；　no　two　of　them　alike；　yet　all　trackless

abysses？　We　may　almost　fancy　that　Nature　took　pleasure　in　recording　by

ineffaceable　hieroglyphics　the　symbol　of　Norwegian　life；　bestowing　on

these　coasts　the　conformation　of　a　fish's　spine；　fishery　being　the

staple　commerce　of　the　country；　and　well…nigh　the　only　means　of　living

of　the　hardy　men　who　cling　like　tufts　of　lichen　to　the　arid　cliffs。

Here；　through　fourteen　degrees　of　longitude；　barely　seven　hundred

thousand　souls　maintain　existence。　Thanks　to　perils　devoid　of　glory；

to　year…long　snows　which　clothe　the　Norway　peaks　and　guard　them　from

profaning　foot　of　traveller；　these　sublime　beauties　are　virgin　still；

they　will　be　seen　to　harmonize　with　human　phenomena；　also　virginat

least　to　poetrywhich　here　took　place；　the　history　of　which　it　is　our

purpose　to　relate。



If　one　of　these　inlets；　mere　fissures　to　the　eyes　of　the　eider…ducks；

is　wide　enough　for　the　sea　not　to　freeze　between　the　prison…walls　of

rock　against　which　it　surges；　the　country…people　call　the　little　bay　a

〃fiord；〃a　word　which　geographers　of　every　nation　have　adopted　into

their　respective　languages。　Though　a　certain　resemblance　exists　among

all　these　fiords；　each　has　its　own　characteristics。　The　sea　has

everywhere　forced　its　way　as　through　a　breach；　yet　the　rocks　about

each　fissure　are　diversely　rent；　and　their　tumultuous　precipices　defy

the　rules　of　geometric　law。　Here　the　scarp　is　dentelled　like　a　saw；

there　the　narrow　ledges　barely　allow　the　snow　to　lodge　or　the　noble

crests　of　the　Northern　pines　to　spread　themselves；　farther　on；　some

convulsion　of　Nature　may　have　rounded　a　coquettish　curve　into　a　lovely

valley　flanked　in　rising　terraces　with　black…plumed　pines。　Truly　we

are　tempted　to　call　this　land　the　Switzerland　of　Ocean。



Midway　between　Trondhjem　and　Christiansand　lies　an　inlet　called　the

Strom…fiord。　If　the　Strom…fiord　is　not　the　loveliest　of　these　rocky

landscapes；　it　has　the　merit　of　displaying　the　terrestrial　grandeurs

of　Norway；　and　of　enshrining　the　scenes　of　a　history　that　is　indeed

celestial。



The　general　outline　of　the　Strom…fiord　seems　at　first　sight　to　be　that

of　a　funnel　washed　out　by　the　sea。　The　passage　which　the　waves　have

forced　present　to　the　eye　an　image　of　the　eternal　struggle　between　old

Ocean　and　the　granite　rock；two　creations　of　equal　power；　one　through

inertia；　the　other　by　ceaseless　motion。　Reefs　of　fantastic　shape　run

out　on　either　side；　and　bar　the　way　of　ships　and　forbid　their

entrance。　The　intrepid　sons　of　Norway　cross　these　reefs　on　foot；

springing　from　rock　to　rock；　undismayed　at　the　abyssa　hundred

fathoms　deep　and　only　six　feet　widewhich　yawns　beneath　them。　Here　a

tottering　block　of　gneiss　falling　athwart　two　rocks　gives　an　uncertain

footway；　there　the　hunters　or　the　fishermen；　carrying　their　loads；

have　flung　the　stems　of　fir…trees　in　guise　of　bridges；　to　join　the

projecting　reefs；　around　and　beneath　which　the　surges　roar

incessantly。　This　dangerous　entrance　to　the　little　bay　bears　obliquely

to　the　right　with　a　serpentine　movement；　and　there　encounters　a

mountain　rising　some　twenty…five　hundred　feet　above　sea…level；　the

base　of　which　is　a　vertical　palisade　of　solid　rock　more　than　a　mile

and　a　half　long；　the　inflexible　granite　nowhere　yielding　to　clefts　or

undulations　until　it　reaches　a　height　of　two　hundred　feet　above　the

water。　Rushing　violently　in；　the　sea　is　driven　back　with　equal

violence　by　the　inert　force　of　the　mountain　to　the　opposite　shore；

gently　curved　by　the　spent　force　of　the　retreating　waves。



The　fiord　is　closed　at　the　upper　end　by　a　vast　gneiss　formation

crowned　with　forests；　down　which　a　river　plunges　in　cascades；　becomes

a　torrent　when　the　snows　are　melting；　spreads　into　a　sheet　of　waters；

and　then　falls　with　a　roar　into　the　bay；vomiting　as　it　does　so　the

hoary　pines　and　the　aged　larches　washed　down　from　the　forests　and

scarce　seen　amid　the　foam。　These　trees　plunge　headlong　into　the　fiord

and　reappear　after　a　time　on　the　surface；　clinging　together　and

forming　islets　which　float　ashore　on　the　beaches；　where　the

inhabitants　of　a　village　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Strom…fiord　gather

them　up；　split；　broken　（though　sometimes　whole）；　and　always　stripped

of　bark　and　branches。　The　mountain　which　receives　at　its　base　the

assaults　of　Ocean；　and　at　its　summit　the　buffeting　of　the　wild　North

wind；　is　called　the　Falberg。　Its　crest；　wrapped　at　all　seasons　in　a

mantle　of　snow　and　ice；　is　the　sharpest　peak　of　Norway；　its　proximity

to　the　pole　produces；　at　the　height　of　eighteen　hundred　feet；　a　degree

of　cold　equal　to　that　of　the　highest　mountains　of　the　globe。　The

summit　of　this　rocky　mass；　rising　sheer　from　the　fiord　on　one　side；

slopes　gradually　downward　to　the　east；　where　it　joins　the　declivities

of　the　Sieg　and　forms　a　series　of　terraced　valleys；　the　chilly

temperature　of　which　allows　no　growth　but　that　of　shrubs　and　stunted

trees。



The　upper　end　of　the　fiord；　where　the　waters　enter　it　as　they　come

down　from　the　forest；　is　called　the　Siegdahlen；a　word　which　may　be

held　to　mean　〃the　shedding　of　the　Sieg；〃the　river　itself　receiving

that　name。　The　curving　shore　opposite　to　the　face　of　the　Falberg　is

the　valley　of　Jarvis；a　smiling　scene　overlooked　by　hills　clothed

with　firs；　birch…trees；　and　larches；　mingled　with　a　few　oaks　and

beeches；　the　richest　coloring　of　all　the　varied　tapestries　which

Nature　in　these　northern　regions　spreads　upon　the　surface　of　her

rugged　rocks。　The　eye　can　readily　mark　the　line　where　the　soil；　warmed

by　the　rays　of　the　sun；　bears　cultivation　and　shows　the　native　growth

of　the　Norwegian　flora。　Here　the　expanse　of　the　fiord　is　broad　enough

to　allow　the　sea；　dashed　back　by　the　Falberg；　to　spend　its　expiring

force　in　gentle　murmurs　upon　the　lower　slope　of　these　hills；a　shore

bordered　with　finest　sand；　strewn　with　mica　and　sparkling　pebbles；

porphyry；　and　marbles　of　a　thousand　tints；　brought　from　Sweden　by　the

river　floods；　together　with　ocean　waifs；　shells；　and　flowers　of　the

sea　driven　in　by　tempests；　whether　of　the　Pole　or　Tropics。



At　the　foot　of　the　hills　of　Jarvis　lies　a　village　of　some　two　hundred

wooden　houses；　where　an　isolated　population　lives　like　a　swarm　of　bees

in　a　forest；　without　increasing　or　diminishing；　vegetating　happily；

while　wringing　their　means　of　living　from　the　breast　of　a　stern

Nature。　The　almost　unknown　existence　of　the　little　hamlet　is　readily

accounted　for。　Few　of　its　inhabitants　were　bold　enough　to　risk　their

lives　among　the　reefs　to　reach　the　deep…sea　fishing；the　staple

industry　of　Norwegians　on　the　least　dangerous　portions　of　their　coast。

The　fish　of　the　fiord　were　numerous　enough　to　suffice；　in　part　at

least；　for　the　sustenance　of　the　inhabitants；　the　valley　pastures

provided　milk　and　butter；　a　certain　amount　of　fruitful；　well…tilled

soil　yielded　rye　and　hemp　and　vegetables；　which　necessity　taught　the

people　to　protect　against　the　severity　of　the　cold　and　the　fleeting

but　terrible　heat　of　the　sun　with　the　shrewd　ability　which　Norwegians

display　in　the　two…fold　struggle。　The　difficulty　of　communication　with

the　outer　world；　either　by