❦
Tuesday, 23 January 1883
That is why I threw myself on my knees on my bed yesterday, to implore a miracle!
C'est pourquoi je me suis jetee a genoux sur mon lit hier, pour implorer un miracle !
M. Clemenceau has given an immense speech on the eligibility of judges... It is of a truly extraordinary precision — tight as a Holbein; one has almost difficulty following this admirable argumentation... And frankly I am eclectic and can only admire a certain kind of eloquence... Without having the breadth, the genius of the Other [blacked-out words: he has enough to] make himself admired, and to compensate by other means... Less gripping ones, no doubt...
M. Clemenceau a fait un immense discours sur l'eligibillite des juges...
But in any case he is someone — someone very powerful in his logic, combative, impeccable, implacable, metaphysical... Yes, but passionate.
Mais enfin c'est quelqu'un, quelqu'un de tres fort dans sa logique, rageuse, impeccable, implaccable, metaphysique...
Useless to compare him with the breadth and sublime accessibility of the other. This little mathematical gentleman, combative and coldly nervous, is all the same the only one after the other whose supple and universal genius had the charm of an artist and the knowledge of a statesman...
Inutile de comparer avec l'ampleur et la sublime familiarite de l'autre.