“ Love of the head has doubtless more intelligence than true love, but it only has moments of enthusiasm. ”
Stendhal, The Red and the Black (1830). copy citation
| Author | Stendhal |
|---|---|
| Source | The Red and the Black |
| Topic | intelligence enthusiasm |
| Date | 1830 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | Translated by Horace B. Samuel |
| Weblink | https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Red_and_the_Black |
Context
“The divinely graceful melody to which the maxim, which seemed to have such a striking application to her own position, was sung, engrossed all the minutes when she was not actually thinking of Julien. Thanks to her love for music she was on this particular evening like madame de Rênal always was, when she thought of Julien. Love of the head has doubtless more intelligence than true love, but it only has moments of enthusiasm. It knows itself too well, it sits in judgment on itself incessantly; far from distracting thought it is made by sheer force of thought.
On returning home Mathilde, in spite of Madame de la Mole's remonstrances, pretended to have a fever and spent a part of the night in going over this melody on her piano.”
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