Margaret Fuller, Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli
W. H. Channing, Ed.

[2051] me wholly? shall I never know the deep delight of gratitude to any but the All-Knowing? I shall wait for ——very peaceably, in reverent love as ever; but I cannot see why he should not have the pleasure of knowing now a friend, who has been ‘so tender and true.’

——was here, and spent twenty-four hours in telling me a tale of deepest tragedy. Its sad changes should be written out in Godwin's best manner: such are the themes he loved, as did also Rousseau. Through all the dark shadows shone a pure white ray, one high, spiritual character, a man, too, and of advanced age. I begin to respect men more,—I mean actual men. What men may be, I know; but the men of to-day have seemed to me of such coarse fibre, or else such poor wan shadows.

——had scarcely gone, when——came and wished to spend a few hours with me. I was totally exhausted, but I lay down, and she sat beside me, and poured out all her noble feelings and bright fancies. There was little light in the room, and she gleamed like a cloud

of pearl and opal,

and reminded me more than ever of

the light-haired Lombardess
     Singing a song of her own native land,

to the dying Correggio, beside the fountain.

I am astonished to see how much Bettine's book is to all these people. This shows how little courage they have had to live out themselves. She really brings them a revelation. The men wish they had been loved by Bettine; the girls wish to write down the thoughts