After some days, Lamartine returned to Paris, and the next day informed himself where M. Gustave Flaubert lived.  He sent to the Revue to learn where M. Gustave Flaubert lived, who had published in the magazine some articles under the title of Madame Bovary.  He then directed his secretary to go and present his compliments to M. Flaubert, to express for him the satisfaction he had found in reading his book, and also his desire to see the new author who revealed himself in an essay of that order.

My client went to Lamartine’s house; and he found in him not only a man who encouraged him, but who said to him: 

“You have made the best book I have read in twenty years.”

In a word, his praise was such that, in his modesty, my client scarcely liked to repeat it to me.  Lamartine proved to him that he had read each number, proving it most graciously by repeating entire pages from them.  Lamartine only added: 

“While I have read even to the last page without reserve, I did blame the last pages.  You have hurt me, you have literally made me suffer!  The punishment is beyond all proportion to the crime; you have created a pitiably frightful death!  Assuredly the woman who defiles the marriage bed should expect punishment, but this is horrible; it is a punishment such as I have never seen.  You have gone too far; you have done mischief to my nerves.  That power of description which you have applied to the last moment of death has left upon me an indelible suffering!”

And when Gustave Flaubert said to him: 

“But, Monsieur de Lamartine, do you know that I have been indicted and summoned to a court of correction for an offense against public morals and religion for having made a book like that?”

Lamartine answered: 

“I believe that I have been all my life a man who, in literary works as well as others, comprehends fully what makes for public and religious morals; my dear child, it is not possible to find in France a tribunal that will convict you.”

This is what passed between Lamartine and Flaubert yesterday, and I have the right to say to you that this approval is among those which are worthy to be well weighed.

This well understood, let us see how my conscience could tell me that Madame Bovary was a good book, a good deed.  And I ask your permission to add that I do not take to these things easily, this facility is not my habit.  Some literary works I take up which, although emanating from our great writers, do not remain two minutes before my eyes.  I will pass to you in the council chamber some lines that I took no delight in reading, and I will ask your permission to say to you that when I came to the end of M. Flaubert’s work, I was convinced that a cutting made by the Revue de Paris was the cause of all this.  I shall ask you further to add my appreciation to this highest and most distinguished appreciation which I am about to mention.