The Jealousies of a Country Town · Chapter
Dedication explained
Balzac dedicates his work to Baron Von Hammer-Purgstall, acknowledging the Baron's encouragement and support for his 'History of French Manners in the Nineteenth Century.' He praises the Baron's scholarly methods and expresses his admiratio
What happens
Balzac dedicates his work to Baron Von Hammer-Purgstall, acknowledging the Baron's encouragement and support for his 'History of French Manners in the Nineteenth Century.' He praises the Baron's scholarly methods and expresses his admiration and friendship.
Key passages
“You have taken so warm an interest in my long, vast “History of French Manners in the Nineteenth Century,” you have given me so much encouragement to persevere with my work, that you have given me a right to associate your name with some portion of it.”
Your enthusiastic support for my extensive work on 19th-century French society has inspired me to continue, and I feel justified in linking your name to this part of it.
Balzac expresses gratitude for the Baron's encouragement and justifies the dedication.
“Your sympathy with such labor as you yourself have bestowed upon the most brilliant civilization of the East, has often sustained my ardor through nights of toil given to the details of our modern civilization.”
Your own dedication to studying Eastern civilization has often motivated me during my long nights of work on modern Western society.
Balzac draws a parallel between their scholarly efforts.