Napoleon's Sorcerers: The Sophisians by Darius A.

Spieth
Review by: James Smith Allen
Nineteenth-Century French Studies, Vol. 37, No. 1/2 (FALLWINTER 20082009), pp. 144-146
Published by: University of Nebraska Press
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out

point

that liberation

hand

go

in hand

French

Regarding

welcome

liberation

do not
from heteronormativity
of forthrightness
often lacking
in

instances

criticism.

literary
works

Miller

race,

and

slavery

are

(320-21)

nineteenth-century
and

from

hard

to acknowledge

"resistance

from within,

below,

the inevitable
French abolition
imbalance
between
Acknowledging
the slaves who were silenced
at the time, Miller uses twentieth-century
novels

outside"(4).

ists and
and

films

to include
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back

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slave

trade

a wealth
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made

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Atlantic

ing Slavery,

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address
our

the lack

work,

Triangle

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of attention

Miller's

strength

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work

is Chalaye's

on

'woman'

that seems

crucial

it was

Miller

Although

asstheticism"
Flaubert
historically
as noted

Darius

sity of Delaware
James

144

Smith

complexity
here

and

in Miller's
work,

about

Duras

abolitionists

that
critics.

in Chapter

of L'Esclavage
published

such

in 2003,
8. More

as Mrime

(or

definition

of a

to the intellectual
is to miss

des

bibliography.

in Chapter

the point

of how

women

writers.

light on lesser-known

falls into the same

Tom's

Cabin

writers

to being

at the start, Miller's

Spieth,

least

Uncle
women

in addition

of every reader

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to dismiss

significant

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listed

Slavery")

to shed

to

- for
in speaking
of Gouges,
to be able to "analyze
the badness
of
command
without
of a misogynist
geography
being prisoners

(110), he ultimately

used

in Translating

still is today,

and

in 1994

claims,

her shaky

example,

to be at work

in 1994,

critics

writers

edition

of Duras's

more attention
to better-known
male
over, drawing
to propose
men
"several
who
conform
nominating

to Translat

that he discusses

Chalaye's

not even

of scholarship

of

Part Two

I find generally

Slavery),

of editions

adaptations

discussion

and

or well to women

in Sylvie
and

since

as a response

Miller fine-tunes
Although
that are helpful
(and will be

in ways

carefully

in 2006

theatrical

in the extensive

in favor of "a

World

can be acknowledged

translators

abolitionists.

specifics

provided

by L'Harmattan

the New

politics

to take a stand,

willing

triangle

of Translating

not lie in listening

of the talk about

14 provide

of cultural

to be objective

of women

footnotes,

re-edition

ngres, published
mentioned

a team

in his detailed

does

and

8) stands

5 through

to women

paid

13 and

not

in the

(330).

(Chapters

I produced

especially

Africa

does

complicity

Chapters
is also

on the Atlantic

Miller

sexuality,

as African

Miller

I may not be in a position

in the forthcoming

reflected

between

such

the complexities

world.

all points

into fetish objects"

to gender,

respect

division

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Africans.

slavery among
information
on

in the postcolonial
in which

taboos,

being

With

issues

up-to-date

the creolists's

without

slavery.

regarding

of color

against

arguing

on

or controversial

perspectives

provocative

of valuable,
persons

world

black

A. Napoleon's
Press,
Allen,

2007.

Southern

Sorcerers:
Illinois

David

Allen

and

It deserves

that

meticulously
a place

researched,"

on the book

shelf

Newark,

Sophisians.

Delaware:

Univer

978-0-87413-957-0

University,

legacy
Harvey

language

the entry of so many

Studies.

The

Pp. 215. isbn

of the Enlightenment

in the U.S.

French

evaluative

canon.

authoritative,

is provocative.

of Nineteenth-Century

dismissive,

that has blocked

into the literary

"dazzling,

book

and

Carbondale

is a recent

(2005),

John

source
Warne

of serious
Monroe

Reviews

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

study,

(2008),

at

and

(2006),

Lynn Sharp
Occultism,
able

de Nerval,

in France,

and

paranormal

but

Spiritism

and

not just among

empirical

albeit

Spieth's
society,

and

symbolism

arcane

had

Egypt

the Ordre

diers who

elicited

participated

to define

Sophisians

celebration

had

a remark
Grard

Hugo,

a dim view

Romantics

of these

to debunk

sought

eagerly

were

its rich implications

moment

and

empiricism

and

occultism

devotes

the largest

text of one

cryptic

in the fonds

thus

not

for rational,

of the Order's

of knowledge

[by the Sophisians],

a book

for exams

blueprint

and

ancient

of laws

exercises

carefully

explores,

chapter

Diderot,

the many

eighteenth-century

Institut

d'Egypte

the boulevard

during

theaters

the controversies
evolution.

The

mentioned

over Egyptosophy,

in 1800

Spieth's

book

in the Livre d'or and

to its demise
makes

the Hellenistic
Guiseppe

clear

Cagliostro,

before
better

Moreover,

(1809,1814).
who

would

Napolon

and

like the pyramids

influence,
one

the source

of the museum's

French Studies

37, Nos.

to mount

hieroglyphics,
in Alexandre
was

general
many

and

of

in 1824.
on ancient

none

Much

are owed
Lenoir's
other

1 & 2 Fall-Winter

of the
to

largely
fanciful

than

artifacts

2008-2009

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the

the mother

of the Louvre

Egyptian

Egypt

his campaign,

in 1784.

adepts

by

from the founding

death

Triomphante

the director

played

of vitalism

established

as described

to

of the

lists all Sophisians

Balsamo,

and

of Cagliostro's

become

eventually

Nineteenth-Century

as Joseph

known

Spieth

as a conclusion,

and,

commentary

decision

Napolon's

rite, the Sagesse

Egyptian

iconography,

their activities

of esoteric

history

itself, the role

which

de Trie's

(70).

from Plutarch

discussion

appendix,

explains

after Cuvelier

the long

brief, but bright

Cagliostro's

soon

era. Well

of the Masonic

Freemasonry's

a valuable

as

finally a

the fortunes

its adepts,

the scientific

including

as well,

d'or

served

and

submitted"

of Egyptology

and

rue

David,

to be performed

to be followed,

the Livre

order

and
now

Nationale,

of rituals

of the Sophisians,

campaign,

(26).

images

of Jacques-Louis

initiates

aspiring

in the secret

the lavish

de Trie, the work

principles

precursors

Napolon's

provides,

moral

the development

by chapter,

of Paris

work

by name

the Order

and

to which

'Other'"

Livre d'or (1819-21),

an outline

Egypt,

"The

Western

with the super

symbiosis

a student

J.G. A. Cuvelier

founder,

about

where

of the Bibliothque

Ponce-Camus,

ar

indebted

progress.

of colonialism

sol

mysticism

otherwise

cultural

to explicating

des Manuscrits

by Nicolas

and exoteric

law, and
close

and
Spieth

Egyptomania,

politics,

an

Egyptian

the scholars

among

of the Sophisians'

a copy

imagery

Napolons

with the Oriental

of his attention

manuscript
in the Salle

the direction

before
Their

live in a dangerously

share

focuses

the cult of Isis. Although

history

identified

book

its ritualistic

(17) in a regime

natural

reason,

owed

well

power"

typically
book,

Illuminated

"a repository

and

The

interest.

which

cultural

in the cultural

maonnique

de Richelieu.

this scholarly

commentary

of human

a ...

represent

Spieth

shares

of Napoleonic

rationality,

under

took

The

and

light on how colonialism,

mysticism,

Denon,

world

and

like Victor

academies

success.

that had their

in the nineteenth.

appearance
Church

des Sophisiens,

considerable

stition,

counts

and

uneven

the spirit

reason,

lodge

Catholic

societies
with

Sacr

the episteme

to the lumires'

Count

Roman

heterodoxies

literati

it inspired
much more enthusiasm
in Bonaparte's
ill-fated expedition.

gues, casts "a revealing

since

an early
Parisian

to the texts of Egyptologists

(1798-1801),

campaign

under

made

Sorcerers

Napoleon's

on a secret

came

with

various

a life of their own

knowledge.

Darius

cient

The

scientific

phenomena,

in their fascination

alone

considered
developed

and

J.-K. Huysmans.

of course,

activities,

and

century

Mesmerism,

influence

have

others,

among

in the eighteenth

origins

ac

Vinant

Museum
brought

145

back
also

from Bonaparte's
produce

arguably

tion de l'Egypte
From

adventure.

the philosophes'

efforts

Dream,"

Spieth

the world

of Islam

and

and

dedicates

the longest

the sheer

joy of it. But Spieth's

of the Frres

work

other,

equally
the

Perhaps

Cuvelier

thing

of a rival
which

court,
order.

reviews

in light
earned

risian

in the Livre d'or. Mutual

influence

between

is entirely

consistent

to loss of the tragic

the Napoleonic

when

for the regime

and

book

Spieth's

teenth-century

vision"

its colonial

And

in the Enlightenment
that

"thought

son, science

with vitalism,
of their times"

dilemmas

on the stage

insight

standing
why, among
- and the cultural

"The

with

religion

things,

significance

and

offered

the book

some

de Pixr

a talent
and

described
the popular

Pa
as "a
128).

(quoted

their nostalgia

in their initiations.
Egypt
and

in early

at

concludes,
with

mysticism

a solution

contributes

nine

contradictions

the author

for reconciling

nature

For this reason,

(140).

alive

of ancient

Sophisians,"

as a model

Egypt

and

keep

the paradoxes

highlights

him

designer,

Revolution

would

the place

of the
Resto

of the melodrama

of the French

into

its aftermath.

stage
initiations

notion

both

and

others

vogue

in the wake

the study

and

Brooks's

interests

ancient

reviving

Peter

from

to the Sophisian

the Sophisians

fell, the Sophisians

Empire

offers valuable
France.

with

de

Bible.

place

Guilbert

commitments

as a professional

sets for Sophisian

response

Egypt

author's

his keep

the

making

R.-C.

theatrical

theater

work

of their

derived

the Hebrew

the Bourbon

productions,

melodramatist

to the fantastic

that contributed
painted

two dozen

Orient

less than Spieth

is on
and

for
and

was "a quirky

heritage
was

scholars

the First Empire

known

Ponce-Camus

Spieth

Similarly,

than

better

symbolic
of which

to literary

during

more

to the much

its own

not the least

interest

theaters

de Trie wrote

ration.

the Craft had

at times

Grand

is much

in

Spieth

intellectual

he admits

to Freemasonry

to

still con

order.

exercise

in the official

lodge

reason

as reflected

world,

the complex

highlights

Masonic

sources,

of most

in the boulevard

Sophisians

Descrip

to Napolons

for the Sophisian

in the text for what

connection

compelling

chapter

of the ancient

of Isis

effectively

a regular

artistes"

of reason

to this text, an erudite

together

of it, in large part because

many

this part

of his book

As it is, the Sophisian

(19).

the official

efforts to bring Western

failure to do so, however,

Their

of the cult

that come

developments

makes

And

with

its codification
chapter

a laboratory

Egypt

despotism.

obsession

d'or

France

would

the expedition

joined

text on Egypt,

the ambivalent

Oriental

to the French

offshoot

French

to make

explains

the Livre

artistic

who

Sophisians

influential

(1809-22).

"Oriental
tributed

Other

the most

rea

to the manifold
to a better

under

the Empire
style of furniture and clothes had the
- that it did
came back from
long after Napolon

in 1799.

Porterfield,

Todd,

vid. University

and

Park:

Susan

L. Siegfried.

Pennsylvania

Staging

Empire:

State

University

State

University

Press,

Napoleon,
2007.

Ingres

Pp. 287. isbn

and

Da

0-2710

2858-0
Andrew
In an
modern
and

146

Carrington

innovative

collaborative

art historical

original

Shelton,

analyses

scholarship,

Ohio

effort that subverts

Todd

Porterfield

of two of the most

important

the individualist
and Susan
artistic

ethos

L. Siegfried
monuments

Reviews

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dominating

offer profound
of the Napole