Microscopic Love

AMIEL'S PHILINE--Translated by Van Wyck Brooks--Houghton Mifflin ($3.50). Henri Frederic Amiel's (1821-81) chief claim to fame is that he wrote a diary. Enough of its 16,000 pages have been published to prove its author one of the most fully confessed men in history. Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Geneva, director of Geneva's Conservatoire, author of a few volumes of bad verse, friend of women, he led a not-unmethodical life, let hardly a day pass without recording his actions microscopically in his journal. First partly published in 1882-84, Amiel's Journal has never been completely given to the public. These further selections from his diary all have to do with the one consummated love affair of his life. The late great Anatole France was skeptical of confessions, admitted a really complete confession would be interesting, denied one had ever been written. Few could be more exhaustively complete than Amiel's, but he stops short at describing some things, and though his references to other people are not guarded, their anonymity is so discreetly veiled that the reader is sometimes unable to decide what actually happened, and to whom. The history of his love affair with "Philine," however, seems clear enough in outline. "Philine" was a young widow with one child, living in Geneva. She met the attractive, not-too-middle-aged Professor Amiel at a party, wrote to him anonymously, met him privately, offered him her love. This, says Amiel, was not unheard-of in his life. He had received "five or six" declarations, had never made any himself "Philine" and Amiel met often, became intimate, caressive. But he was always her spiritual counselor, moral guide, intellectual leader. A celibate to the age of 39, eventually he was persuaded to bed. He never, so far as the Journal admits, repeated the experience with "Philine" or anybody else. Said he: "For the first time I have received a woman's favors, and frankly, compared to what the imagination assumes or expects, they are a small matter. It was like a bucket of cold water. . . . X is pretty and well made, and yet I said to myself: 'Is that all?' " "Philine" also was disappointed, in a different way. She wanted him to marry her, thought she could maneuver him into it, almost got him to agree, made a scene when he finally refused her. Amiel preferred women's society to their warmth. For a long time he toyed with the idea of marriage. But it was actually repulsive to him. He could never bring himself to the point. He had several intimate friendships with women, and conducted them all peaceably together, on however platonic a plane. This took considerable tact, was often an emotional strain. "Philine" he finally calmed back into friendship.

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