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diff --git a/2528-h/2528-h.htm b/2528-h/2528-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..05da247 --- /dev/null +++ b/2528-h/2528-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,9393 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <title> + The Women of the French Salons, by Amelia Gere Mason + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +Project Gutenberg's The Women of the French Salons, by Amelia Gere Mason + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Women of the French Salons + +Author: Amelia Gere Mason + +Release Date: December 13, 2008 [EBook #2528] +Last Updated: February 6, 2013 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WOMEN OF THE FRENCH SALONS *** + + + + +Produced by Theresa Armao, and David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + THE WOMEN OF THE FRENCH SALONS + </h1> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + By Amelia Gere Mason + </h2> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2H_PREF" id="link2H_PREF"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + PREFACE + </h2> + <p> + It has been a labor of love with many distinguished Frenchmen to recall + the memories of the women who have made their society so illustrious, and + to retouch with sympathetic insight the features which time was beginning + to dim. One naturally hesitates to enter a field that has been gleaned so + carefully, and with such brilliant results, by men like Cousin, + Sainte-Beuve, Goncourt, and others of lesser note. But the social life of + the two centuries in which women played so important a role in France is + always full of human interest from whatever point of view one may regard + it. If there is not a great deal to be said that is new, old facts may be + grouped afresh, and old modes of life and thought measured by modern + standards. + </p> + <p> + In searching through the numerous memoirs, chronicles, letters, and + original manuscripts in which the records of these centuries are hidden + away, nothing has struck me so forcibly as the remarkable mental vigor and + the far-reaching influence of women whose theater was mainly a social one. + Though society has its frivolities, it has also its serious side, and it + is through the phase of social evolution that was begun in the salons that + women have attained the position they hold today. However beautiful, or + valuable, or poetic may have been the feminine types of other + nationalities, it is in France that we find the forerunners of the + intelligent, self-poised, clear-sighted, independent modern woman. It is + possible that in the search for larger fields the smaller but not less + important ones have been in a measure forgotten. The great stream of + civilization flows from a thousand unnoted rills that make sweet music in + their course, and swell the current as surely as the more noisy torrent. + The conditions of the past cannot be revived, nor are they desirable. The + present has its own theories and its own methods. But at a time when the + reign of luxury is rapidly establishing false standards, and the best + intellectual life makes hopeless struggles against an ever aggressive + materialism, it may be profitable as well as interesting to consider the + possibilities that lie in a society equally removed from frivolity and + pretension, inspired by the talent, the sincerity, and the moral force of + American women, and borrowing a new element of fascination from the simple + and charming but polite informality of the old salons. + </p> + <p> + It has been the aim in these studies to gather within a limited compass + the women who represented the social life of their time on its most + intellectual side, and to trace lightly their influence upon civilization + through the avenues of literature and manners. Though the work may lose + something in fullness from the effort to put so much into so small a + space, perhaps there is some compensation in the opportunity of comparing, + in one gallery, the women who exercised the greatest power in France for a + period of more than two hundred years. The impossibility of entering into + the details of so many lives in a single volume is clearly apparent. Only + the most salient points can be considered. Many who would amply repay a + careful study have simply been glanced at, and others have been omitted + altogether. As it would be out of the question in a few pages to make an + adequate portrait of women who occupy so conspicuous a place in history as + Mme. De Maintenon and Mme. De Stael, the former has been reluctantly + passed with a simple allusion, and the latter outlined in a brief resume + not at all proportional to the relative interest or importance of the + subject. + </p> + <p> + I do not claim to present a complete picture of French society, and + without wishing to give too rose-colored a view, it has not seemed to me + necessary to dwell upon its corrupt phases. If truth compels one sometimes + to state unpleasant facts in portraying historic characters, it is as + needless and unjust as in private life to repeat idle and unproved tales, + or to draw imaginary conclusions from questionable data. The conflict of + contemporary opinion on the simplest matters leads one often to the + suspicion that all personal history is more or less disguised fiction. The + best one can do in default of direct records is to accept authorities that + are generally regarded as the most trustworthy. + </p> + <p> + This volume is affectionately dedicated to the memory of my mother, who + followed the work with appreciative interest in its early stages, but did + not live to see its conclusion. + </p> + <p> + Amelia Gere Mason Paris, July 6, 1891 + </p> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <blockquote> + <p class="toc"> + <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big> + </p> + <p> + <br /> <a href="#link2H_PREF"> PREFACE </a><br /><br /> <a + href="#link2H_TOC"> DETAILED CONTENTS </a><br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I. </a> SALONS OF THE + SEVENTEENTH CENTURY <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II. </a> THE + HOTEL DE RAMBOUILLET <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER III. + </a> MADEMOISELLE DE SCUDERY AND THE SAMEDIS <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV. </a> LA GRANDE MADEMOISELLE + <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER V. </a> A + LITERARY SALON AT PORT ROYAL <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0006"> CHAPTER + VI. </a> MADAME DE SEVIGNE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0007"> + CHAPTER VII. </a> MADAME DE LA FAYETTE <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII. </a> SALONS OF THE + EIGHTEENTH CENTURY <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX. </a> AN + ANTECHAMBER OF THE ACADEMIE FRANCAISE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0010"> + CHAPTER X. </a> THE DUCHESSE DU MAINE <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0011"> CHAPTER XI. </a> MADAME DE TENCIN AND + MADAME DU CHATELET <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0012"> CHAPTER XII. </a> MADAME + GEOFFRIN AND THE PHILOSOPHERS <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0013"> + CHAPTER XIII. </a> ULTRA-PHILOSOPHICAL SALONS—MADAME + D'EPINAY <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0014"> CHAPTER XIV. </a> SALONS + OF THE NOBLESSE—MADAME DU DEFFAND <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0015"> CHAPTER XV. </a> MADEMOISELLE DE + LESPINASSE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0016"> CHAPTER XVI. </a> THE + SALON HELVETIQUE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0017"> CHAPTER XVII. </a> SALONS + OF THE REVOLUTION—MADAME ROLAND <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0018"> + CHAPTER XVIII. </a> MADAME DE STAEL <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0019"> CHAPTER XIX. </a> THE SALONS OF THE + EMPIRE AND RESTORATION—MADAME RECAMIER <br /><br /> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2H_TOC" id="link2H_TOC"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <h2> + DETAILED CONTENTS + </h2> + <blockquote> + <p> + CHAPTER I. SALONS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY Characteristics of French + <br /> Woman—Gallic Genius for Conversation—Social Conditions—Origin + of the <br /> Salons—Their Power—Their Composition—Their + Records <br /> CHAPTER II. THE HOTEL DE RAMBOUILLET Mme. De Rambouillet—The + <br /> Salon Bleu—Its Habitues—Its <br /> Diversions—Corneille—Balzac—Richelieu—Romance + of the <br /> Grand Conde—the Young Bossuet—Voiture—The + Duchesse de <br /> Longueville—Angelique Paulet—Julie + d'Angennes—Les Precieuses <br /> Ridicules—Decline of the + Salon—Influence upon Literature and Manners <br /> CHAPTER III. + MADEMOISELLE DE SCUDERY AND THE SAMEDIS Salons of the <br /> Noblesse—"The + Illustrious Sappho"—Her Romances—The Samedis—Bons Mots + <br /> of Mme. Cornuel—Estimate of Mlle. De Scudery <br /> CHAPTER + IV. LA GRANDE MADEMOISELLE Her Character—Her Heroic Part in the + <br /> Fronde—Her Exile—Literary Diversions of her Salon—A + Romantic Episode <br /> CHAPTER V. A LITERARY SALON AT PORT ROYAL Mme. De + Sable—Her <br /> Worldly Life—Her Retreat—Her Friends—Pascal—The + Maxims of La <br /> Rochefoucauld—Last Days of the Marquise <br /> + CHAPTER VI. MADAME DE SEVIGNE Her Genius—Her Youth—Her + Unworthy <br /> Husband—Her Impertinent Cousin—Her love for + her Daughter—Her <br /> Letters—Hotel de Carnavalet—Mme. + Duplessis Guengaud—Mme. De <br /> Coulanges—The Curtain Falls + <br /> CHAPTER VII. MADAME DE LA FAYETTE Her Friendship with Mme. De + <br /> Sevigne—Her Education—Her Devotion to the Princess + Henrietta—Her <br /> Salon—La Rochefoucauld— Talent as + a Diplomatist—Comparison with Mme. <br /> De Maintenon—Her + Literary Work—Sadness of her Last Days—Woman in <br /> + Literature <br /> CHAPTER VIII. SALONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY + Characteristics of <br /> the Eighteenth Century—Its Epicurean + Philosophy—Anecdote of Mme. Du <br /> Deffand—The Salon an + Engine of Political Power—Great Influence of <br /> Woman—Salons + Defined—Literary Dinners—Etiquette of the Salons—An + <br /> Exotic on American Soil <br /> CHAPTER IX. AN ANTECHAMBER OF THE + ACADEMIE FRANCAISE The Marquise de <br /> Lambert—Her "Bureau + d'Esprit"—Fontenelle—Advice to her Son—Wise <br /> + Thoughts on the Education of Women—Her Love of Consideration—Her + <br /> Generosity—Influence of Women upon the Academy <br /> CHAPTER + X. THE DUCHESSE DU MAINE Her Capricious Character—Her <br /> Esprit—Mlle. + De Launay—Clever Portrait of her Mistress—Perpetual <br /> + Fetes at Sceaux—Voltaire and the "Divine Emilie"—Dilettante + Character <br /> of this Salon <br /> CHAPTER XI. MADAME DE TENCIN AND + MADAM DU CHATELET An Intriguing <br /> Chanoinesse—Her Singular + Fascination—Her Salon—Its Philosophical <br /> Character—Mlle. + Aisse—Romances of Mme. De Tencin—D'Alembert—La Belle + <br /> Emilie—Voltaire—the Two Women Compared <br /> CHAPTER + XII. MADAME GEOFFRIN AND THE PHILOSOPHERS Cradles of the New <br /> + Philosophy—Noted Salons of this Period—Character of Mme. + Geoffrin—Her <br /> Practical Education—Anecdotes of her + Husband—Composition of her <br /> Salon—Its Insidious + Influence—Her Journey to Warsaw—Her Death <br /> CHAPTER + XIII. ULTRA PHILOSOPHICAL SALONS—MADAME D'EPINAY Mme. De <br /> + Graffigny—Baron D'Holbach—Mme. D'Epinay's Portrait of + Herself—Mlle. <br /> Quinault—Rousseau—La Chevrette—Grimm—Diderot—The + Abbe <br /> Galiani—Estimate of Mme. D'Epinay <br /> CHAPTER XIV. + SALONS OF THE NOBLESSE—MADAME DU DEFFAND La Marechale <br /> de + Luxenbourg—The Temple—Comtesse de Boufflers—Mme. Du + Dufand—Her <br /> Convent Salon—Rupture with Mlle. De + Lespinasse—Her Friendship with <br /> Horace Walpole—Her + Brilliancy and her Ennui <br /> CHAPTER XV. MADEMOISELLE DE LESPINASSE A + Romantic Career—Companion <br /> of Mme. Du Deffand—Rival + Salons—Association with the <br /> Encyclopedists—D'Alembert—A + Heart Tragedy—Impassioned Letters—A Type <br /> Unique in her + Age <br /> CHAPTER XVI. THE SALON HELVETIQUE The Swiss Pastor's Daughter—Her + <br /> Social Ambition—Her Friends Mme. De Marchais—Mme. + D'Houdetot—Duchesse <br /> de Lauzun—Character of Mme. Necker—Death + at Coppet—Close of the Most <br /> Brilliant Period of the Salons + <br /> CHAPTER XVII. SALONS OF THE REVOLUTION—MADAME ROLAND Change + in the <br /> Character of the Salons—Mme. De Condorcet—Mme. + Roland's Story of <br /> her Own Life—A Marriage of Reason—Enthusiasm + for the Revolution—Her <br /> Modest Salon—Her Tragical Fate + <br /> CHAPTER XVIII. MADAM DE STAEL Supremacy of Her Genius—Her + Early <br /> Training—Her Sensibility—A Mariage de Convenance—Her + Salon—Anecdote <br /> of Benjamin Constant—Her Exile—Life + at Coppet—Secret Marriage—Close <br /> of a Stormy Life <br /> + CHAPTER XIX. SALONS OF THE EMPIRE AND RESTORATION—MADAME RECAMIER + A <br /> Transition period—Mme. De Montesson—Mme. De Genus—Revival + of the <br /> Literary Spirit—Mme. De Beaumont—Mme. De + Remusat—Mme. De Souza—Mme. <br /> De Duras—Mme. De + Krudener—Fascination of Mme. Recamier—Her <br /> Friends—Her + Convent Salon—Chateaubriand Decline of the Salon <br /> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER I. SALONS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY + </h2> + <p> + <i>Characteristics of French Woman—Gallic Genius for Conversation—Social + Conditions—Origin of the Salons—Their Power—Their + Composition—Their Records.</i> + </p> + <p> + "Inspire, but do not write," said LeBrun to women. Whatever we may think + today of this rather superfluous advice, we can readily pardon a man + living in the atmosphere of the old French salons, for falling somewhat + under the special charm of their leaders. It was a charm full of subtle + flattery. These women were usually clever and brilliant, but their + cleverness and brilliancy were exercised to bring into stronger relief the + talents of their friends. It is true that many of them wrote, as they + talked, out of the fullness of their own hearts or their own intelligence, + and with no thought of a public; but it was only an incident in their + lives, another form of diversion, which left them quite free from the + dreaded taint of feminine authorship. Their peculiar gift was to inspire + others, and much of the fascination that gave them such power in their day + still clings to their memories. Even at this distance, they have a + perpetual interest for us. It may be that the long perspective lends them + a certain illusion which a closer view might partly dispel. Something also + may be due to the dark background against which they were outlined. But, + in spite of time and change, they stand out upon the pages of history, + glowing with an ever-fresh vitality, and personifying the genius of a + civilization of which they were the fairest flower. + </p> + <p> + The Gallic genius is eminently a social one, but it is, of all others, the + most difficult to reproduce. The subtle grace of manner, the magic of + spoken words, are gone with the moment. The conversations of two centuries + ago are today like champagne which has lost its sparkle. We may recall + their tangible forms—the facts, the accessories, the thoughts, even + the words, but the flavor is not there. It is the volatile essence of + gaiety and wit that especially characterizes French society. It glitters + from a thousand facets, it surprises us in a thousand delicate turns of + thought, it appears in countless movements and shades of expression. But + it refuses to be imprisoned. Hence the impossibility of catching the + essential spirit of the salons. We know something of the men and women who + frequented them, as they have left many records of themselves. We have + numerous pictures of their social life from which we may partially + reconstruct it and trace its influence. But the nameless attraction that + held for so long a period the most serious men of letters as well as the + gay world still eludes us. + </p> + <p> + We find the same elusive quality in the women who presided over these + reunions. They were true daughters of a race of which Mme. De Graffigny + wittily said that it "escaped from the hands of Nature when there had + entered into its composition only air and fire." They certainly were not + faultless; indeed, some of them were very faulty. Nor were they, as a + rule, remarkable for learning. Even the leaders of noted literary salons + often lacked the common essentials of a modern education. But if they + wrote badly and spelled badly, they had an abundance of that delicate + combination of intellect and wit which the French call ESPRIT. They had + also, in superlative measure, the social gifts which women of genius + reared in the library or apart from the world, are apt to lack. The close + study of books leads to a knowledge of man rather than of men. It tends + toward habits of introspection which are fatal to the clear and swift + vision required for successful leadership of any sort. Social talent is + distinct, and implies a happy poise of character and intellect; the + delicate blending of many gifts, not the supremacy of one. It implies + taste and versatility, with fine discrimination, and the tact to sink + one's personality as well as to call out the best in others. It was this + flexibility of mind, this active intelligence tempered with sensibility + and the native instinct of pleasing, that distinguished the French women + who have left such enduring traces upon their time. "It is not sufficient + to be wise, it is necessary also to please," said the witty and + penetrating Ninon, who thus very aptly condensed the feminine philosophy + of her race. Perhaps she has revealed the secret of their fascination, the + indefinable something which is as difficult to analyze as the perfume of a + rose. + </p> + <p> + A history of the French salons would include the history of the entire + period of which they were so prominent a factor. It would make known to us + its statesmen and its warriors; it would trace the great currents of + thought; it would give us glimpses of every phase of society, from the + diversions of the old noblesse, with their sprinkling of literature and + philosophy, to the familiar life of the men of letters, who cast about + their intimate coteries the halo of their own genius. These salons were + closely interwoven with the best intellectual life of more than two + hundred years. Differing in tone according to the rank, taste, or + character of their leaders, they were rallying points for the most famous + men and women of their time. In these brilliant centers, a new literature + had its birth. Here was found the fine critical sense that put its stamp + on a new poem or a new play. Here ministers were created and deposed, + authors and artists were brought into vogue, and vacant chairs in the + Academie Francaise were filled. Here the great philosophy of the + eighteenth century was cradled. Here sat the arbiters of manners, the + makers of social success. To these high tribunals came, at last, every + aspirant for fame. + </p> + <p> + It was to the refinement, critical taste, and oral force of a rare woman, + half French and half Italian, that the first literary salons owed their + origin and their distinctive character. In judging of the work of Mme. De + Rambouillet, we have to consider that in the early days of the seventeenth + century knowledge was not diffused as it is today. A new light was just + dawning upon the world, but learning was still locked in the brains of + savants, or in the dusty tomes of languages that were practically + obsolete. Men of letters were dependent upon the favors of noble but often + ignorant patrons, whom they never met on a footing of equality. The + position of women was as inferior as their education, and the incredible + depravity of morals was a sufficient answer to the oft-repeated fallacy + that the purity of the family is best maintained by feminine seclusion. It + is true there were exceptions to this reign of illiteracy. With the + natural disposition to glorify the past, the writers of the next + generation liked to refer to the golden era of the Valois and the + brilliancy of its voluptuous court. Very likely they exaggerated a little + the learning of Marguerite de Navarre, who was said to understand Latin, + Italian, Spanish, even Greek and Hebrew. But she had rare gifts, wrote + religious poems, besides the very secular "Heptameron" which was not + eminently creditable to her refinement, held independent opinions, and + surrounded herself with men of letters. This little oasis of intellectual + light, shadowed as it was with vices, had its influence, and there were + many women in the solitude of remote chateaux who began to cultivate a + love for literature. "The very women and maidens aspired to this praise + and celestial manna of good learning," said Rabelais. But their reading + was mainly limited to his own unsavory satires, to Spanish pastorals, + licentious poems, and their books of devotion. It was on such a foundation + that Mme. De Rambouillet began to rear the social structure upon which her + reputation rests. She was eminently fitted for this role by her pure + character and fine intelligence; but she added to these the advantages of + rank and fortune, which gave her ample facilities for creating a social + center of sufficient attraction to focus the best intellectual life of the + age, and sufficient power to radiate its light. Still it was the tact and + discrimination to select from the wealth of material about her, and + quietly to reconcile old traditions with the freshness of new ideas, that + especially characterized Mme. De Rambouillet. + </p> + <p> + It was this richness of material, the remarkable variety and originality + of the women who clustered round and succeeded their graceful leader, that + gave so commanding an influence to the salons of the seventeenth century. + No social life has been so carefully studied, no women have been so + minutely portrayed. The annals of the time are full of them. They painted + one another, and they painted themselves, with realistic fidelity. The + lights and shadows are alike defined. We know their joys and their + sorrows, their passions and their follies, their tastes and their + antipathies. Their inmost life has been revealed. They animate, as living + figures, a whole class of literature which they were largely instrumental + in creating, and upon which they have left the stamp of their own vivid + personality. They appear later in the pages of Cousin and Sainte-Beuve, + with their radiant features softened and spiritualized by the touch of + time. We rise from a perusal of these chronicles of a society long passed + away, with the feeling that we have left a company of old friends. We like + to recall their pleasant talk of themselves, of their companions, of the + lighter happenings, as well as the more serious side of the age which they + have illuminated. We seem to see their faces, not their manner, watch the + play of intellect and feeling, while they speak. The variety is infinite + and full of charm. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Sevigne talks upon paper, of the trifling affairs of every-day + life, adding here and there a sparkling anecdote, a bit of gossip, a + delicate characterization, a trenchant criticism, a dash of wit, a touch + of feeling, or a profound thought. All this is lighted up by her + passionate love of her daughter, and in this light we read the many-sided + life of her time for twenty-five years. Mme. de La Fayette takes the world + more seriously, and replaces the playful fancy of her friend by a richer + vein of imagination and sentiment. She sketches for us the court of which + Madame (title given to the wife of the king's brother) is the central + figure—the unfortunate Princes Henrietta whom she loved so tenderly, + and who died so tragically in her arms. She writes novels too; not + profound studies of life, but fine and exquisite pictures of that side of + the century which appealed most to her poetic sensibility. We follow the + leading characters of the age through the ten-volume romances of Mlle. de + Scudery, which have mostly long since fallen into oblivion. Doubtless the + portraits are a trifle rose-colored, but they accord, in the main, with + more veracious history. The Grande Mademoiselle describes herself and her + friends, with the curious naivete of a spoiled child who thinks its + smallest experiences of interest to all the world. Mme. de Maintenon gives + us another picture, more serious, more thoughtful, but illuminated with + flashes of wonderful insight. + </p> + <p> + Most of these women wrote simply to amuse themselves and their friends. It + was only another mode of their versatile expression. With rare exceptions, + they were not authors consciously or by intention. They wrote + spontaneously, and often with reckless disregard of grammar and + orthography. But the people who move across their gossiping pages are + alive. The century passes in review before us as we read. The men and + women who made its literature so brilliant and its salons so famous, + become vivid realities. Prominent among the fair faces that look out upon + us at every turn, from court and salon, is that of the Duchesse de + Longueville, sister of the Grand Conde, and heroine of the Fronde. Her + lovely blue eyes, with their dreamy languor and "luminous awakenings," + turn the heads alike of men and women, of poet and critic, of statesman + and priest. We trace her brief career through her pure and ardent youth, + her loveless marriage, her fatal passion for La Rochefoucauld, the final + shattering of all her illusions; and when at last, tired of the world, she + bows her beautiful head in penitent prayer, we too love and forgive her, + as others have done. Were not twenty-five years of suffering and penance + an ample expiation? She was one of the three women of whom Cardinal + Mazarin said that they were "capable of governing and overturning three + kingdoms." The others were the intriguing Duchesse de Chevreuse, who + dazzled the age by her beauty and her daring escapades, and the + fascinating Anne de Gonzague, better known as the Princesse Palatine, of + whose winning manners, conversational charm, penetrating intellect, and + loyal character Bossuet spoke so eloquently at her death. We catch + pleasant glimpses of Mme. Deshoulieres, beautiful and a poet; of Mme. + Cornuel, of whom it was said that "every sin she confessed was an + epigram"; of Mme. de Choisy, witty and piquante; of Mme. de Doulanges, + also a wit and femme d'esprit. + </p> + <p> + Linked with these by a thousand ties of sympathy and affection were the + worthy counterparts of Pascal and Arnauld, of Bossuet and Fenelon, the + devoted women who poured out their passionate souls at the foot of the + cross, and laid their earthly hopes upon the altar of divine love. We + follow the devout Jacqueline Pascal to the cloister in which she buries + her brilliant youth to die at thirty-five of a wounded conscience and a + broken heart. Many a bruised spirit, as it turns from the gay world to the + mystic devotion which touches a new chord in its jaded sensibilities, + finds support and inspiration in the strong and fervid sympathy of + Jacqueline Arnauld, better known as Mere Angelique of Port Royal. This + profound spiritual passion was a part of the intense life of the century, + which gravitated from love and ambition to the extremes of penitence and + asceticism. + </p> + <p> + A multitude of minor figures, graceful and poetic, brilliant and + spirituelles, flit across the canvas, leaving the fragrance of an + exquisite individuality, and tempting one to extend the list of the + versatile women who toned and colored the society of the period. But we + have to do, at present, especially with those who gathered and blended + this fresh intelligence, delicate fancy, emotional wealth, and religious + fervor, into a society including such men as Corneille, Balzac, Bossuet, + Richelieu, Conde, Pascal, Arnault, and La Rochefoucauld—those who + are known as leaders of more or less celebrated salons. Of these, Mme. de + Rambouillet and Mme. de Sable were among the best representative types of + their time, and the first of the long line of social queens who, through + their special gift of leadership, held so potent a sway for two centuries. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER II. THE HOTEL DE RAMBOUILLET + </h2> + <p> + <i>Mme. de Rambouillet—The Salon Bleu—Its Habitues—Its + Diversions—Corneille—Balzac—Richelieu—Romance of + the Grand Conde—The Young Bossuet—Voiture—The Duchesse + de Longueville—Angelique Paulet—Julie d'Angennes—Les + Precieuses Ridicules—Decline of the Salon—Influence upon + Literature and Manners</i> + </p> + <p> + The Hotel de Rambouillet has been called the "cradle of polished society," + but the personality of its hostess is less familiar than that of many who + followed in her train. This may be partly due to the fact that she left no + record of herself on paper. She aptly embodied the kind advice of Le Brun. + It was her special talent to inspire others and to combine the various + elements of a brilliant and complex social life. The rare tact which + enabled her to do this lay largely in a certain self-effacement and the + peculiar harmony of a nature which presented few salient points. She is + best represented by the salon of which she was the architect and the + animating spirit; but even this is better known today through its faults + than its virtues. It is a pleasant task to clear off a little dust from + its memorials, and to paint in fresh colors one who played so important a + role in the history of literature and manners. + </p> + <p> + Catherine de Vivonne was born at Rome in 1588. Her father, the Marquis de + Pisani, was French ambassador, and she belonged through her mother to the + old Roman families of Strozzi and Savelli. Married at sixteen to the Count + d'Angennes, afterwards Marquis de Rambouillet, she was introduced to the + world at the gay court of Henry IV. But the coarse and depraved manners + which ruled there were altogether distasteful to her delicate and + fastidious nature. At twenty she retired from these brilliant scenes of + gilded vice, and began to gather round her the coterie of choice spirits + which later became so famous. + </p> + <p> + Filled with the poetic ideals and artistic tastes which had been nourished + in a thoughtful and elegant seclusion, it seems to have been the aim of + her life to give them outward expression. Her mind, which inherited the + subtle refinement of the land of her birth, had taken its color from the + best Italian and Spanish literature, but she was in no sense a learned + woman. She was once going to study Latin, in order to read Virgil, but was + prevented by ill health. It is clear, however, that she had a great + diversity of gifts, with a basis of rare good sense and moral elevation. + "She was revered, adored," writes Mme. de Motteville; "a model of + courtesy, wisdom, knowledge, and sweetness." She is always spoken of in + the chronicles of her time as a loyal wife, a devoted mother, the + benefactor of the suffering, and the sympathetic adviser of authors and + artists. The poet Segrais says: "She was amiable and gracious, of a sound + and just mind; it is she who has corrected the bad customs which prevailed + before her. She taught politeness to all those of her time who frequented + her house. She was also a good friend, and kind to every one." We are told + that she was beautiful, but we know only that her face was fair and + delicate, her figure tall and graceful, and her manner stately and + dignified. Her Greek love of beauty expressed itself in all her + appointments. The unique and original architecture of her hotel,—which + was modeled after her own designs,—the arrangement of her salon, the + pursuits she chose, and the amusements she planned, were all a part of her + own artistic nature. This was shown also in her code of etiquette, which + imposed a fine courtesy upon the members of her coterie, and infused into + life the spirit of politeness, which one of her countrymen has called the + "flower of humanity." But this esthetic quality was tempered with a clear + judgment, and a keen appreciation of merit and talent, which led her to + gather into her society many not "to the manner born." Sometimes she + delicately aided a needy man of letters to present a respectable + appearance—a kindness much less humiliating in those days of + patronage that it would be today. As may readily be imagined, these new + elements often jarred upon the tastes and prejudices of her noble guests, + but in spite of this it was considered an honor to be received by her, + and, though not even a duchess, she was visited by princesses. + </p> + <p> + Adding to this spirit of noble independence the prestige of rank, beauty, + and fortune; a temper of mingled sweetness and strength; versatile gifts + controlled by an admirable reason; a serene and tranquil character; a + playful humor, free from the caprices of a too exacting sensibility; a + perfect savoir-faire, and we have the unusual combination which enabled + her to hold her sway for so many years, without a word of censure from + even the most scandal-loving of chroniclers. + </p> + <p> + "We have sought in vain," writes Cousin, "for that which is rarely lacking + in any life of equal or even less brilliancy, some calumny or scandal, an + equivocal word, or the lightest epigram. We have found only a concert of + warm eulogies which have run through many generations.... She has disarmed + Tallemant himself. This caricaturist of the seventeenth century has been + pitiless towards the habitues of her illustrious house, but he praises her + with a warmth which is very impressive from such a source." + </p> + <p> + The modern spirit of change has long since swept away all vestiges of the + old Rue Saint-Thomas-du-Lourvre and the time-honored dwellings that + ornamented it. Conspicuous among these, and not far from the Palais Royal, + was the famous Hotel de Rambouillet. The Salon Bleu has become historic. + This "sanctuary of the Temple of Athene," as it was called in the stilted + language of the day, has been illuminated for us by the rank, beauty, and + talent of the Augustan age of France. We are more or less familiar with + even the minute details of the spacious room, whose long windows, looking + across the little garden towards the Tuileries, let in a flood of golden + sunlight. We picture to ourselves its draperies of blue and gold, its + curious cabinets, its choice works of art, its Venetian lamps, and its + crystal vases always filled with flowers that scatter the perfume of + spring. + </p> + <p> + It was here that Mme. de Rambouillet held her court for nearly thirty + years, her salon reaching the height of its power under Richelieu, and + practically closing with the Fronde. She sought to gather all that was + most distinguished, whether for wit, beauty, talent, or birth, into an + atmosphere of refinement and simple elegance, which should tone down all + discordant elements and raise life to the level of a fine art. There was a + strongly intellectual flavor in the amusements, as well as in the + discussions of this salon, and the place of honor was given to genius, + learning, and good manners, rather than to rank. But it was by no means + purely literary. The exclusive spirit of the old aristocracy, with its + hauteur and its lofty patronage, found itself face to face with fresh + ideals. The position of the hostess enabled her to break the traditional + barriers, and form a society upon a new basis, but in spite of the + mingling of classes hitherto separated, the dominant life was that of the + noblesse. Woman of rank gave the tone and made the laws. Their code of + etiquette was severe. They aimed to combine the graces of Italy with the + chivalry of Spain. The model man must have a keen sense of honor, and wit + without pedantry; he must be brave, heroic, generous, gallant, but he must + also possess good breeding and gentle courtesy. The coarse passions which + had disgraced the court were refined into subtle sentiments, and women + were raised upon a pedestal, to be respectfully and platonically adored. + In this reaction from extreme license, familiarity was forbidden, and + language was subjected to a critical censorship. It was here that the word + PRECIEUSE was first used to signify a woman of personal distinction, + accomplished in the highest sense, with a perfect accord of intelligence, + good taste, and good manners. Later, when pretension crept into the + inferior circles which took this one for a model, the term came to mean a + sort of intellectual parvenue, half prude and half pedant, who affected + learning, and paraded it like fine clothes, for effect. + </p> + <p> + "Do you remember," said Flechier, many years later, in his funeral oration + on the death of the Duchesse de Montausier, "the salons which are still + regarded with so much veneration, where the spirit was purified, where + virtue was revered under the name of the incomparable Arthenice; where + people of merit and quality assembled, who composed a select court, + numerous without confusion, modest without constraint, learned without + pride, polished without affectation?" + </p> + <p> + Whatever allowance we may be disposed to make for the friendship of the + eminent abbe, he spoke with the authority of personal knowledge, and at a + time when the memories of the Hotel de Rambouillet were still fresh. It is + true that those who belonged to this professed school of morals were not + all patterns of decorum. But we cannot judge by the Anglo-Saxon standards + of the nineteenth century the faults of an age in which a Ninon de + L'Enclos lives on terms of veiled intimacy with a strait-laced Mme. de + Maintenon, and, when age has given her a certain title to respectability, + receives in her salon women of as spotless reputation as Mme. de La + Fayette. Measured from the level of their time, the lives of the + Rambouillet coterie stand out white and shining. The pure character of the + Marquise and her daughters was above reproach, and they were quoted as + "models whom all the world cited, all the world admired, and every one + tried to imitate." To be a precieuse was in itself an evidence of good + conduct. + </p> + <p> + "This salon was a resort not only for all the fine wits, but for every one + who frequented the court," writes Mme. de Motteville. "It was a sort of + academy of beaux esprits, of gallantry, of virtue, and of science," says + St. Simon; "for these things accorded marvelously. It was a rendevous of + all that was most distinguished in condition and in merit; a tribunal with + which it was necessary to count, and whose decisions upon the conduct and + reputation of people of the court and the world, had great weight." + </p> + <p> + Corneille read most of his dramas here, and, if report be true, read them + very badly. He says of himself: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Et l'on peut rarement m'ecouter sans ennui, + Que quand je me produis par la bouche d'autrui. +</pre> + <p> + He was shy, awkward, ill at ease, not clear in speech, and rather heavy in + conversation, but the chivalric and heroic character of his genius was + quite in accord with the lofty and rather romantic standards affected by + this circle, and made him one of its central literary figures. Another was + Balzac, whose fine critical taste did so much for the elegance and purity + of the French language, and who was as noted in his day as was his + namesake, the brilliant author of the "Comedie Humaine," two centuries + later. His long letters to the Marquise, on the Romans, were read and + discussed in his absence, and it was through his influence, added to her + own classic ideals, that Roman dignity and urbanity were accepted as + models in the new code of manners; indeed, it was he who introduced the + word URBANITE into the language. Armand du Plessis, who aimed to be poet + as well as statesman, read here in his youth a thesis on love. When did a + Frenchman ever fail to write with facility upon this fertile theme? After + he became Cardinal de Richelieu he feared the influence of the Hotel de + Rambouillet, and sent a request to its hostess to report what was said of + him there. She replied with consummate tact, that her guests were so + strongly persuaded of her friendship for his Eminence, that no one would + have the temerity to speak ill of him in her presence. + </p> + <p> + Even the Grand Conde courted the muses, and wrote verses which were bad + for a poet, though fairly good for a warrior. If it be true that every man + is a poet once in his life, we may infer that this was about the time of + his sad little romance with the pretty and charming Mlle. du Vigean, who + was one of the youthful attractions of this coterie. Family ambition stood + in the way of their marriage, and the prince yielded to the wishes of his + friends. The Grande Mademoiselle tells us that this was the only veritable + passion of the brave young hero of many battles, and that he fainted at + the final separation. United to a wife he did not love, and whom he did + not scruple to treat very ill, he gave himself to glory and, it must be + added, to unworthy intrigues. The pure-hearted young girl buried her + beauty and her sorrows in the convent of the Carmelites, and was no more + heard of in the gay world. + </p> + <p> + It is evident that the great soldier sometimes forgot the urbanity which + was so strongly insisted upon in this society. He is said to have carried + the impetuosity of his character into his conversation. When he had a good + cause, he sustained it with grace and amiability. If it was a bad one, + however, his eyes flashed, and he became so violent that it was thought + prudent not to contradict him. It is related that Boileau, after yielding + one day in a dispute, remarked in a low voice to a friend: "Hereafter I + shall always be of the opinion of the Prince when he is wrong." + </p> + <p> + Bossuet, when a boy of seventeen, improvised here one evening a sermon on + a given theme, which was so eloquent that it held the company until near + midnight. "I have never heard any one preach so early and so late," + remarked the witty Voiture, as he congratulated the youthful orator at the + close. + </p> + <p> + This famous bel esprit played a very prominent part here. His role was to + amuse, and his talents gave him great vogue, but at this distance his + small vanities strike one much more vividly than the wit which flashed out + with the moment, or the vers de societe on which his fame rests. He owed + his social success to a rather high-flown love letter which he evidently + thought too good to be lost to the world. He sent it to a friend, who had + it printed and circulated. What the lady thought does not appear, but it + made the fortune of the poet. Though the son of a wine merchant, and + without rank, he had little more of the spirit of a courtier than + Voltaire, and his biting epigrams were no less feared. "If he were one of + us, he would be insupportable," said Conde. But his caprices were + tolerated for the sake of his inexhaustible wit, and he was petted and + spoiled to the end. + </p> + <p> + A list of the men of letters who appeared from time to time at the Hotel + de Rambouillet would include the most noted names of the century, besides + many which were famous in their day, but at present are little more than + historical shadows. The conversations were often learned, doubtless + sometimes pretentious. One is inclined to wonder if these noble cavaliers + and high-born woman did not yawn occasionally over the scholarly discourse + of Corneille and Balzac upon the Romans, the endless disputes about rival + sonnets, and the long discussions on the value of a word. "Doubtless it is + a very beautiful poem, but also very tiresome," said Mme. de Longueville, + after Chapelain had finished reading his "Pucelle"—a work which + aimed to be the Iliad of France, but succeeded only in being very long and + rather heavy. + </p> + <p> + This lovely young Princess, who at sixteen had the exaltation of a + religieuse, and was with difficulty won from her dreams of renunciation + and a cloister, had become the wife of a man many years her senior, whom + she did not love, and the idol of the brilliant world in which she lived. + La Rochefoucauld had not yet disturbed the serenity of her heart, nor + political intrigues her peace of mind. It was before the Fronde, in which + she was destined to play so conspicuous a part, and she was still content + with the role of a reigning beauty; but she was not at all averse to the + literary entertainments of this salon, in which her own fascinations were + so delightfully sung. She found the flattering verses of Voiture more to + her taste than the stately epic of Chapelain, took his side warmly against + Benserade in the famous dispute as to the merits of their two sonnets, + "Job" and "Urania," and won him a doubtful victory. The poems of Voiture + lose much of their flavor in translation, but I venture to give a verse in + the original, which was addressed to the charming princesse, and which + could hardly fail to win the favor of a young and beautiful woman. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + De perles, d'astres, et de fleurs, + Bourbon, le ciel fit tes couleurs, + Et mit dedans tout ce melange + L'esprit d'une ange. +</pre> + <p> + But the diversions were by no means always grave or literary. Life was + represented on many sides, one secret, doubtless, of the wide influence of + this society. The daughters of Mme. de Rambouillet, and her son, the + popular young Marquis de Pisani, formed a nucleus of youth and gaiety. To + these we may add the beautiful Angelique Paulet, who at seventeen had + turned the head of Henri IV, and escaped the fatal influence of that + imperious sovereign's infatuation by his timely, or untimely, death. Fair + and brilliant, the best singer of her time, skilled also in playing the + lute, and gifted with a special dramatic talent, she was always a + favorite, much loved by her friends and much sung by the poets. Her proud + and impetuous character, her frank and original manners, together with her + luxuriance of blonde hair, gained her the sobriquet of La Belle Lionne. + Nor must we forget Mlle. de Scudery, one of the most constant literary + lights of this salon, and in some sense its chronicler; nor the fastidious + Mme. de Sable. + </p> + <p> + The brightest ornament of the Hotel de Rambouillet, however, was Julie + d'Angennes, the petted daughter of the house, the devoted companion and + clever assistant of her mother. Her gaiety of heart, amiable temper, ready + wit, and gracious manners surrounded her with an atmosphere of perpetual + sunshine. Fertile in resources, of fine intelligence, winning the love + alike of men and women, she was the soul of the serious conversations, as + well as of the amusements which relieved them. These amusements were + varied and often original. They played little comedies. They had + mythological fetes, draping themselves as antique gods and goddesses. + Sometimes they indulged in practical jokes and surprises, which were more + laughable than dignified. Malherbe and Racan, the latter sighing + hopelessly over the attractions of the dignified Marquise, gave her the + romantic name of Arthenice, and forthwith the other members of the coterie + took some nom de parnasse, by which they were familiarly known. They read + the "Astree" of d'Urfe, that platonic dream of a disillusioned lover; + discussed the romances of Calprenede and the sentimental Bergeries of + Racan. Such Arcadian pictures seemed to have a singular fascination for + these courtly dames and plumed cavaliers. They tried to reproduce them. + Assuming the characters of the rather insipid Strephons and florimels, + they made love in pastoral fashion, with pipe and lute—these rustic + diversions serving especially to while away the long summer days in the + country at Rambouillet, at Chantilly, or at Ruel. They improvised sonnets + and madrigals; they praised each other in verse; they wrote long letters + on the slightest pretext. As a specimen of the badinage so much in vogue, + I quote from a letter written by Voiture to one of the daughters of Mme. + de Rambouillet, who was an abbess, and had sent him a present of a cat. + </p> + <p> + "Madame, I was already so devoted to you that I supposed you knew there + was no need of winning me by presents, or trying to take me like a rat, + with a cat. Nevertheless, if there was anything in my thought that was not + wholly yours, the cat which you have sent me has captured it." After a + eulogy upon the cat, he adds: "I can only say that it is very difficult to + keep, and for a cat religiously brought up it is very little inclined to + seclusion. It never sees a window without wishing to jump out, it would + have leaped over the wall twenty times if it had not been prevented, and + no secular cat could be more lawless or more self-willed." + </p> + <p> + The wit here is certainly rather attenuated, but the subject is an + ungrateful one. Mme. de Sevigne finds Voiture "libre, badin, charmant," + and disposes of his critics by saying, "So much the worse for those who do + not understand him." One is often puzzled to detect this rare spirituelle + quality; but it is fair to presume that it was of the volatile sort that + evaporates with time. + </p> + <p> + All this sentimental masquerading and exaggerated gallantry suggests the + vulnerable side of the Hotel de Rambouillet, and the side which its + enemies have been disposed to make very prominent. Among those who tried + to imitate this salon, Spanish chivalry doubtless degenerated into a + thousand absurdities, and it must be admitted that the salon itself was + not free from reproach on this point. It became the fashion to write and + talk in the language of hyperbole. Sighing lovers were consumed with + artificial fires, and ready to die with affected languors. Like the old + poets of Provence, whose spirit they caught and whose phrases they + repeated, they were dying of love they did not feel. The eyes of Phyllis + extinguished the sun. The very nightingales expired of jealousy, after + hearing the voice of Angelique. + </p> + <p> + It would be difficult, perhaps, to find anywhere a company of clever + people bent upon amusing themselves and passing every day more or less + together, whose sayings and doings would bear to be exactly chronicled. + The literary diversions and poetic ideals of this circle, too, gave a + certain color to the charge of affectation, among people of less refined + instincts, who found its esprit incomprehensible, its manners prudish, and + its virtue a tacit reproach; but the dignified and serious character of + many of its constant habitues should be a sufficient guarantee that it did + not greatly pass the limits of good taste and good sense. The only point + upon which Mme. de Rambouillet seems to have been open to criticism was a + certain formal reserve and an over-fastidious delicacy; but in an age when + the standards of both refinement and morals were so low, this implies a + virtue rather than a defect. Nor does her character appear to have been at + all tinged with pretension. "I should fear from your example to write in a + style too elevated," says Voiture, in a letter to her. But traditions are + strong, and people do not readily adapt themselves to new models. + Character and manners are a growth. That which is put on, and not + ingrained, is apt to lack true balance and proportion. Hence it is not + strange that this new order of things resulted in many crudities and + exaggerations. + </p> + <p> + It is not worth while to criticize too severely the plumed knights who + took the heroes of Corneille as models, played the harmless lover, and + paid the tribute of chivalric deference to women. The strained politeness + may have been artificial, and the forms of chivalry very likely outran the + feeling, but they served at least to keep it alive, while the false + platonism and ultra-refined sentiment were simply moral protests against + the coarse vices of the time. The prudery which reached a satirical climax + in "Les Precieuses Ridicules" was a natural reaction from the sensuality + of a Marguerite and a Gabrielle. Mme. de Rambouillet saw and enjoyed the + first performance of this celebrated play, nor does it appear that she was + at all disturbed by the keen satire which was generally supposed to have + been directed toward her salon. Moliere himself disclaims all intention of + attacking the true precieuse; but the world is not given to fine + discrimination, and the true suffers from the blow aimed at the false. + This brilliant comedian, whose manners were not of the choicest, was more + at home in the lax and epicurean world of Ninon and Mme. de la Sabliere—a + world which naturally did not find the decorum of the precieuses at all to + its taste; the witticism of Ninon, who defined them as the "Jansenists of + love," is well known. It is not unlikely that Moliere shared her dislike + of the powerful and fastidious coterie whose very virtues might easily + have furnished salient points for his scathing wit. + </p> + <p> + But whatever affectations may have grown out of the new code of manners, + it had a more lasting result in the fine and stately courtesy which + pervaded the later social life of the century. We owe, too, a profound + gratitude to these women who exacted and were able to command a + consideration which with many shades of variation has been left as a + permanent heritage to their sex. We may smile at some of their follies; + have we not our own which some nineteenth century Moliere may serve up for + the delight and possible misleading of future generations? + </p> + <p> + There is a warm human side to this daily intercourse, with its sweet and + gracious courtesies. The women who discuss grave questions and make or + unmake literary reputations in the salon, are capable of rare sacrifices + and friendships that seem quixotic in their devotion. Cousin, who has + studied them so carefully and so sympathetically, has saved from oblivion + many private letters which give us pleasant glimpses of their everyday + life. As we listen to their quiet exchange of confidences, we catch the + smile that plays over the light badinage, or the tear that lurks in the + tender words. + </p> + <p> + A little son of Mme. de Rambouillet has the small pox, and his sister + Julie shares the care of him with her mother, when every one else has + fled. At his death, she devotes herself to her friend Mme. de Longueville, + who soon after her marriage is attacked with the same dreaded malady. Mme. + de Sable is afraid of contagion, and refuses to see Mlle. de Rambouillet, + who writes her a characteristic letter. As it gives us a vivid idea of her + esprit as well as of her literary style, I copy it in full, though it has + been made already familiar to the English reader by George Eliot, in her + admirable review of Cousin's "Life of Mme. De Sable." + </p> + <p> + Mlle de Chalais (Dame de compagnie to the Marquise) will please read this + letter to Mme. la Marquise, out of the wind. + </p> + <p> + Madame, I cannot begin my treaty with you too early, for I am sure that + between the first proposition made for me to see you, and the conclusion, + you will have so many reflections to make, so many physicians to consult, + and so many fears to overcome, that I shall have full leisure to air + myself. The conditions which I offer are, not to visit you until I have + been three days absent from the Hotel de Conde, to change all my clothing, + to choose a day when it has frozen, not to approach you within four paces, + not to sit down upon more than one seat. You might also have a great fire + in your room, burn juniper in the four corners, surround yourself with + imperial vinegar, rue, and wormwood. If you can feel safe under these + conditions, without my cutting off my hair, I swear to you to execute them + religiously; and if you need examples to fortify you, I will tell you that + the Queen saw M. de Chaudebonne when he came from Mlle. de Bourbon's room, + and that Mme. d'Aiguillon, who has good taste and is beyond criticism on + such points, has just sent me word that if I did not go to see her, she + should come after me. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Sable retorts in a satirical vein, that her friend is too well + instructed in the needed precautions, to be quite free from the charge of + timidity, adding the hope that since she understands the danger, she will + take better care of herself in the future. + </p> + <p> + This calls forth another letter, in which Mlle. de Rambouillet says, "One + never fears to see those whom one loves. I would have given much, for your + sake, if this had not occurred." She closes this spicy correspondence, + however, with a very affectionate letter which calms the ruffled temper of + her sensitive companion. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Sable has another friend, Mlle. d'Attichy, who figures quite + prominently in the social life of a later period, as the Comtesse de + Maure. This lady was just leaving Paris to visit her in the country, when + she learned that Mme. de Sable had written to Mme. de Rambouillet that she + could conceive of no greater happiness than to pass her life alone with + Julie d'Angennes. This touches her sensibilities so keenly that she + changes her plans, and refuses to visit one who could find her pleasure + away from her. Mme. de Sable tries in vain to appease her exacting friend, + who replies to her explanations by a long letter in which she recalls + their tender and inviolable friendship, and closes with these words: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Malheurteuse est l'ignorance, + Et plus malheureux le savoir. +</pre> + <p> + Having thus lost a confidence which alone rendered life supportable to me, + I cannot dream of taking the journey so much talked of; for there would be + no propriety in traveling sixty leagues at this season, in order to burden + you with a person so uninteresting to you, that after years of a passion + without parallel you cannot help thinking that the greatest pleasure would + consist in passing life without her. I return then into my solitude, to + examine the faults which cause me so much unhappiness, and unless I can + correct them, I should have less joy than confusion in seeing you. I kiss + your hands very humbly. + </p> + <p> + How this affair was adjusted does not appear, but as they remained devoted + friends through life, unable to live apart, or pass a day happily without + seeing each other, it evidently did not end in a serious alienation. It + suggests, however, a delicacy and an exaltation of feeling which we are + apt to accord only to love, and which go far toward disproving the verdict + of Mongaigne, that "the soul of a woman is not firm enough for so durable + a tie as friendship." + </p> + <p> + We like to dwell upon these inner phases of a famous and powerful coterie, + not only because they bring before us so vividly the living, moving, + thinking, loving women who composed it, letting us into their intimate + life with its quiet shadings, its fantastic humors, and its wayward + caprices, but because they lead us to the fountain head of a new form of + literary expression. We have seen that the formal letters of Balzac were + among the early entertainments of the Hotel de Rambouillet, and that + Voiture had a witty or sentimental note for every occasion. Mlle. de + Scudery held a ready pen, and was in the habit of noting down in her + letters to absent friends the conversation, which ran over a great variety + of topics, from the gossip of the moment to the gravest questions. There + was no morning journal with its columns of daily news, no magazine with + its sketches of contemporary life, and these private letters were passed + from one to another to be read and discussed. The craze for clever letters + spread. Conversations literally overflowed upon paper. A romantic + adventure, a bit of scandal, a drawing room incident, or a personal pique, + was a fruitful theme. Everybody aimed to excel in an art which brought a + certain prestige. These letters, most of which had their brief day, were + often gathered into little volumes. Many have long since disappeared, or + found burial in the dust of old libraries from which they are occasionally + exhumed to throw fresh light upon some forgotten nook and by way of an age + whose habits and manners, virtues and follies, they so faithfully record. + A few, charged with the vitality of genius, retain their freshness and + live among the enduring monuments of the society that gave them birth. The + finest outcome of this prevailing taste was Mme. de Sevigne, who still + reigns as the queen of graceful letter writers. Although her maturity + belongs to a later period, she was familiar with the Rambouillet circle in + her youth, and inherited its best spirit. + </p> + <p> + The charm of this literature is its spontaneity. It has no ulterior aim, + but delights in simple expression. These people write because they like to + write. They are original because they sketch from life. There is something + naive and fresh in their vivid pictures. They give us all the accessories. + They tell us how they lived, how they dressed, how they thought, how they + acted. They talk of their plans, their loves, and their private piques, + with the same ingenuous frankness. They condense for us their worldly + philosophy, their sentiments, and their experience. The style of these + letters is sometimes heavy and stilted, the wit is often strained and + far-fetched, but many of them are written with an easy grace and a + lightness of touch as fascinating as inimitable. + </p> + <p> + The marriage of Julie d'Angennes, in 1645, deprived the Hotel de + Rambouillet of one of its chief attractions. It was only through the + earnest wish of her family that, after a delay of thirteen years, she + yielded at last to the persevering suit of the Marquis, afterwards the Duc + de Montausier, and became his wife. She was then thirty-eight, and he + three years younger. The famous "Guirlande de Julie," which he dedicated + and presented to her, still exists, as the unique memorial of his patient + and enduring love. This beautiful volume, richly bound, decorated with a + flower exquisitely painted on each of the twenty-nine leaves and + accompanied by a madrigal written by the Marquis himself or by some of the + poets who frequented her house, was a remarkable tribute to the graces of + the woman whose praises were so delicately sung. The faithful lover, who + was a Protestant, gave a crowning proof of his devotion, in changing his + religion. So much adoration could hardly fail to touch the most capricious + and obdurate of hearts. + </p> + <p> + We cannot dismiss this woman, whom Cousin regards as the most accomplished + type of the society she adorned, without a word more. Though her ambition + was gratified by the honors that fell upon her husband, who after holding + many high positions was finally entrusted with the education of the + Dauphin; and though her own appointment of dame d'honneur to the Queen + gave her an envied place at court, we trace with regret the close of her + brilliant career. As has been already indicated, she added to much esprit + a character of great sweetness, and manners facile, gracious, even + caressing. With less elevation, less independence, and less firmness than + her mother, she had more of the sympathetic quality, the frank unreserve, + that wins the heart. No one had so many adorers; no one scattered so many + hopeless passions; no one so gently tempered these into friendships. She + knew always how to say the fitting word, to charm away the clouds of ill + humor, to conciliate opposing interests. But this spirit of complaisance + which, however charming it may be, is never many degrees removed from the + spirit of the courtier, proved to be the misfortune of her later life. Too + amiable, perhaps too diplomatic, to frown openly upon the King's + irregularities, she was accused, whether justly or otherwise, of tacitly + favoring his relations with Mme. De Montespan. The husband of this lady + took his wife's infidelity very much to heart, and, failing to find any + redress, forced himself one day into the presence of Madam de Montausier, + and made a violent scene which so affected her that she fell into a + profound melancholy and an illness from which she never rallied. There is + always an air of mystery thrown about this affair, and it is difficult to + fathom the exact truth; but the results were sufficiently tragical to the + woman who was quoted by her age as a model of virtue and decorum. + </p> + <p> + In 1648, the troubles of the Fronde, which divided friends and added fuel + to petty social rivalries, scattered the most noted guests of the Hotel de + Rambouillet. Voiture was dead; Angelique Paulet died two years later. The + young Marquis de Pisani, the only son and the hope of his family, had + fallen with many brave comrades on the field of Nordlingen. Of the five + daughters, three were abbesses of convents. The health of the Marquise, + which had always been delicate, was still further enfeebled by the + successive griefs which darkened her closing years. Her husband, of whom + we know little save that he was sent on various foreign missions, and + "loved his wife always as a lover," died in 1652. She survived him + thirteen years, living to see the death of her youngest daughter, + Angelique, wife of the Comte de Grignan who was afterwards the son-in-law + of Mme. de Sevigne. She witnessed the elevation of her favorite Julie, but + was spared the grief of her death which occurred five or six years after + her own. The aged Marquise, true to her early tastes, continued to receive + her friends in her ruelle, and her salon had a brief revival when the + Duchesse de Montausier returned from the provinces, after the second + Fronde; but its freshness had faded with its draperies of blue and gold. + The brilliant company that made it so famous was dispersed, and the glory + of the Salon Bleu was gone. + </p> + <p> + There is something infinitely pathetic in the epitaph this much-loved and + successful woman wrote for herself when she felt that the end was near: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Ici git Arthenice, exempte des rigueurs + Don't la rigueur du sort l'a touours poursuivie. + Et si tu veux, passant, compter tous ses malheurs, + Tu n'aura qu'a, compter les moments de sa vie. +</pre> + <p> + The spirit of unrest is there beneath the calm exterior. It may be some + hidden wound; it may be only the old, old weariness, the inevitable burden + of the race. "Mon Dieu!" wrote Mme. de Maintenon, in the height of her + worldly success, "how sad life is! I pass my days without other + consolation than the thought that death will end it all." + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Rambouillet had worked unconsciously toward a very important end. + She found a language crude and inelegant, manners coarse and licentious, + morals dissolute and vicious. Her influence was at its height in the age + of Corneille and Descartes, and she lived almost to the culmination of the + era of Racine and Moliere, of Boileau and La Bruyere, of Bossuet and + Fenelon, the era of simple and purified language, of refined and stately + manners, and of at least outward respect for morality. To these results + she largely contributed. Her salon was the social and literary power of + the first half of the century. In an age of political espionage, it + maintained its position and its dignity. It sustained Corneille against + the persecutions of Richelieu, and numbered among its habitues the + founders of the Academie Francaise, who continued the critical reforms + begun there. + </p> + <p> + As a school of politeness, it has left permanent traces. This woman of + fine ideals and exalted standards exacted of others the purity of + character, delicacy of thought, and urbanity of manner, which she + possessed in so eminent a degree herself. Her code was founded upon the + best instincts of humanity, and whatever modifications of form time has + wrought its essential spirit remains unchanged. "Politeness does not + always inspire goodness, equity, complaisance, gratitude," says La + Bruyere, "but it gives at least the appearance of these qualities, and + makes man seem externally what he ought to be internally." + </p> + <p> + It was in this salon, too, that the modern art of conversation, which has + played so conspicuous a part in French life, may be said to have had its + birth. Men and women met on a footing of equality, with similar tastes and + similar interests. Different ranks and conditions were represented, giving + a certain cosmopolitan character to a society which had hitherto been + narrow in its scope and limited in its aims. Naturally conversation + assumed a new importance, and was subject to new laws. To quote again from + LaBruyere, who has so profoundly penetrated the secrets of human nature: + "The esprit of conversation consists much less in displaying itself than + in drawing out the wit of others... Men do not like to admire you, they + wish to please; they seek less to be instructed or even to be entertained, + than to be appreciated and applauded, and the most delicate pleasure is to + make that of others." "To please others," says La Rochefoucauld, "one must + speak of the things they love and which concern them, avoid disputes upon + indifferent maters, ask questions rarely, and never let them think that + one is more in the right than themselves." + </p> + <p> + Many among the great writers of the age touch in the same tone upon the + philosophy underlying the various rules of manners and conversation which + were first discussed at the Hotel de Rambouillet, and which have passed + into permanent though unwritten laws—unfortunately a little out of + fashion in the present generation. + </p> + <p> + It is difficult to estimate the impulse given to intelligence and literary + taste by this breaking up of old social crystallizations. What the savant + had learned in his closet passed more or less into current coin. + Conversation gave point to thought, clearness to expression, simplicity to + language. Women of rank and recognized ability imposed the laws of good + taste, and their vivid imaginations changed lifeless abstractions into + something concrete and artistic. Men of letters, who had held an inferior + and dependent position, were penetrated with the spirit of a refined + society, while men of the world, in a circle where wit and literary skill + were distinctions, began to aspire to the role of a bel esprit, to pride + themselves upon some intellectual gift and the power to write without + labor and without pedantry, as became their rank. Many of them lacked + seriousness, dealing mainly with delicate fancies and trivial incidents, + but pleasures of the intellect and taste became the fashion. Burlesques + and chansons disputed the palm with madrigals and sonnets. A neatly turned + epigram or a clever letter made a social success. + </p> + <p> + Perhaps it was not a school for genius of the first order. Society favors + graces of form and expression rather than profound and serious thought. No + Homer, nor Aeschylus, nor Milton, nor Dante is the outgrowth of such a + soil. The prophet or seer shines by the light of his own soul. He deals + with problems and emotions that lie deep in the pulsing heart of humanity, + but he does not best interpret his generation. It is the man living upon + the level of his time, and finding his inspiration in the world of events, + who reflects its life, marks its currents, and registers its changes. + Matthew Arnold has aptly said that "the qualities of genius are less + transferable than the qualities of intelligence, less can be immediately + learned and appropriated from their product; they are less direct and + stringent intellectual agencies, though they may be more beautiful and + divine." It was this quality of intelligence that eminently characterized + the literature of the seventeenth century. It was a mirror of social + conditions, or their natural outcome. The spirit of its social life + penetrated its thought, colored its language, and molded its forms. We + trace it in the letters and vers de societe which were the pastime of the + Hotel de Rambouillet and the Samedis of Mlle. de Scudery, as well as in + the romances which reflected their sentiments and pictured their manners. + We trace it in the literary portraits which were the diversion of the + coterie of Mademoiselle, at the Luxembourg, and in the voluminous memoirs + and chronicles which grew out of it. We trace it also in the "Maxims" and + "Thoughts" which were polished and perfected in the convent salon of Mme. + de Sable, and were the direct fruits of a wide experience and observation + of the great world. It would be unfair to say that anything so complex as + the growth of a new literature was wholly due to any single influence, but + the intellectual drift of the time seems to have found its impulse in the + salons. They were the alembics in which thought was fused and + crystallized. They were the schools in which the French mind cultivated + its extraordinary clearness and flexibility. + </p> + <p> + As the century advanced, the higher literature was tinged and modified by + the same spirit. Society, with its follies and affectations, inspired the + mocking laughter of Moliere, but its unwritten laws tempered his language + and refined his wit. Its fine urbanity was reflected in the harmony and + delicacy of Racine, as well as in the critical decorum of Boileau. The + artistic sentiment rules in letters, as in social life. It was not only + the thought that counted, but the setting of the thought. The majestic + periods of Bossuet, the tender persuasiveness of Fenelon, gave even truth + a double force. The moment came when this critical refinement, this + devotion to form, passed its limits, and the inevitable reaction followed. + The great literary wave of the seventeenth century reached its brilliant + climax and broke upon the shores of a new era. But the seeds of thought + had been scattered, to spring up in the great literature of humanity that + marked the eighteenth century. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER III. MADEMOISELLE DE SCUDERY AND THE SAMEDIS + </h2> + <p> + <i>Salons of the Noblesse—"The Illustrious Sappho"—Her + Romances—The Samedis—Bon Mots of Mme. Cornuel—Estimate + of Mlle. de Scudery</i> + </p> + <p> + There were a few contemporary salons among the noblesse, modeled more or + less after the Hotel de Rambouillet, but none of their leaders had the + happy art of conciliating so many elements. They had a literary flavor, + and patronized men of letters, often doubtless, because it was the fashion + and the name of a well-known litterateur gave them a certain eclat; but + they were not cosmopolitan, and have left no marked traces. One of the + most important of these was the Hotel de Conde, over which the beautiful + Charlotte de Montmorency presided with such dignity and grace, during the + youth of her daughter, the Duchesse de Longueville. Another was the Hotel + de Nevers, where the gifted Marie de Gonzague, afterward Queen of Poland, + and her charming sister, the Princesse Palatine, were the central + attractions of a brilliant and intellectual society. Richelieu, + recognizing the power of the Rambouillet circle, wished to transfer it to + the salon of his niece at the Petit Luxembourg. We have a glimpse of the + young and still worldly Pascal, explaining here his discoveries in + mathematics and his experiments in physics. The tastes of this courtly + company were evidently rather serious, as we find another celebrity, of + less enduring fame, discoursing upon the immortality of the soul. But the + rank, talent, and masterful character of the Duchesse d'Aiguillon did not + suffice to give her salon the wide influence of its model; it was tainted + by her own questionable character, and always hampered by the suspicion of + political intrigues. + </p> + <p> + There were smaller coteries, however, which inherited the spirit and + continued the traditions of the Hotel de Rambouillet. Prominent among + these was that of Madeleine de Scudery, who held her Samedis in modest + fashion in the Marais. These famous reunions lacked the prestige and the + fine tone of their model, but they had a definite position, and a wide + though not altogether favorable influence. As the forerunner of Mme. de La + Fayette and Mme. de Sevigne, and one of the most eminent literary women of + the century with which her life ran parallel, Mlle. de Scudery has a + distinct interest for us and it is to her keen observation and facile pen + that we are indebted for the most complete and vivid picture of the social + life of the period. + </p> + <p> + The "illustrious Sappho," as she was pleased to be called, certainly did + not possess the beauty popularly accorded to her namesake and prototype. + She was tall and thin, with a long, dark, and not at all regular face; + Mme. Cornuel said that one could see clearly "she was destined by + Providence to blacken paper, as she sweat ink from every pore." But, if we + may credit her admirers, who were numerous, she had fine eyes, a pleasing + expression, and an agreeable address. She evidently did not overestimate + her personal attractions, as will be seen from the following quatrain, + which she wrote upon a portrait made by one of her friends. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Nanteuil, en faisant mon image, + A de son art divin signale le pouvoir; + Je hais mes yeux dans mon miroir, + Je les aime dans son ouvrage. +</pre> + <p> + She had her share, however, of small but harmless vanities, and spoke of + her impoverished family, says Tallemant, "as one might speak of the + overthrow of the Greek empire." Her father belonged to an old and noble + house of Provence, but removed to Normandy, where he married and died, + leaving two children with a heritage of talent and poverty. A trace of the + Provencal spirit always clung to Madeleine, who was born in 1607, and + lived until the first year of the following century. After losing her + mother, who is said to have been a woman of some distinction, she was + carefully educated by an uncle in all the accomplishments of the age, as + well as in the serious studies which were then unusual. According to her + friend Conrart she was a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge both useful + and ornamental. "She had a prodigious imagination," he writes, "an + excellent memory, an exquisite judgment, a lively temper, and a natural + disposition to understand everything curious which she saw done, and + everything laudable which she heard talked of. She learned the things that + concern agriculture, gardening, housekeeping, cooking, and a life in the + country; also the causes and effects of maladies, the composition of an + infinite number of remedies, perfumes, scented waters and distillations + useful or agreeable. She wished to play the lute, and took some lessons + with success." In addition to all this, she mastered Spanish and Italian, + read extensively and conversed brilliantly. At the death of her uncle and + in the freshness of her youth, she went to Paris with her brother who had + some pretension as a poet and dramatic writer. He even posed as a rival of + Corneille, and was sustained by Richelieu, but time has long since + relegated him to comparative oblivion. His sister, who was a victim of his + selfish tyranny, is credited with much of the prose which appeared under + his name; indeed, her first romances were thus disguised. Her love for + conversation was so absorbing, that he is said to have locked her in her + room, and refused her to her friends until a certain amount of writing was + done. But, in spite of this surveillance, her life was so largely in the + world that it was a mystery when she did her voluminous work. + </p> + <p> + Of winning temper and pleasing address, with this full equipment of + knowledge and imagination, versatility and ambition, she was at an early + period domesticated in the family of Mme. de Rambouillet as the friend and + companion of Julie d'Angennes. Her graces of mind and her amiability made + her a favorite with those who frequented the house, and she was thus + brought into close contact with the best society of her time. She has + painted it carefully and minutely in the "Grand Cyrus," a romantic + allegory in which she transfers the French aristocracy and French manners + of the seventeenth century to an oriental court. The Hotel de Rambouillet + plays an important part as the Hotel Cleomire. When we consider that the + central figures were the Prince de Conde and his lovely sister the + Duchesse de Longueville, also that the most distinguished men and women of + the age saw their own portraits, somewhat idealized but quite recognizable + through the thin disguise of Persians, Greeks, Armenians, or Egyptians, it + is easy to imagine that the ten volumes of rather exalted sentiment were + eagerly sought and read. She lacked incident and constructive power, but + excelled in vivid portraits, subtle analysis, and fine conversations. She + made no attempt at local color; her plots were strained and unnatural, her + style heavy and involved. But her penetrating intellect was thoroughly + tinged with the romantic spirit, and she had the art of throwing a certain + glamour over everything she touched. Cousin, who has rescued the memory of + Mlle. de Scudery from many unjust aspersions, says that she was the + "creator of the psychological romance." Unquestionably her skill in + character painting set the fashion for the pen portraits which became a + mania a few years later. + </p> + <p> + She depicts herself as Sapppho, whose opinions may be supposed to reflect + her own. In these days, when the position of women is discussed from every + possible point of view, it may be interesting to know how it was regarded + by one who represented the thoughtful side of the age in which their + social power was first distinctly asserted. She classes her critics and + enemies under several heads. Among them are the "light and coquettish + women whose only occupation is to adorn their persons and pass their lives + in fetes and amusements—women who think that scrupulous virtue + requires them to know nothing but to be the wife of a husband, the mother + of children, and the mistress of a family; and men who regard women as + upper servants, and forbid their daughters to read anything but their + prayer books." + </p> + <p> + "One does not wish women to be coquettes," she writes again, "but permits + them to learn carefully all that fits them for gallantry, without teaching + them anything which can fortify their virtue or occupy their minds. They + devote ten or a dozen years to learning to appear well, to dress in good + style, to dance and sing, for five or six; but this same person, who + requires judgment all her life and must talk until her last sigh, learns + nothing which can make her converse more agreeably, or act with more + wisdom." + </p> + <p> + But she does not like a femme savante, and ridicules, under the name of + Damophile, a character which might have been the model for Moliere's + Philaminte. This woman has five or six masters, of whom the least learned + teaches astrology. She poses as a Muse, and is always surrounded with + books, pencils, and mathematical instruments, while she uses large words + in a grave and imperious tone, although she speaks only of little things. + After many long conversations about her, Sappho concludes thus: "I wish it + to be said of a woman that she knows a hundred things of which she does + not boast, that she has a well-informed mind, is familiar with fine works, + speaks well, writes correctly, and knows the world; but I do not wish it + to be said of her that she is a femme savante. The two characters have no + resemblance." She evidently recognized the fact that when knowledge has + penetrated the soul, it does not need to be worn on the outside, as it + shines through the entire personality. + </p> + <p> + After some further discussion, to the effect that the wise woman will + conceal superfluous learning and especially avoid pedantry, she defines + the limit to which a woman may safely go in knowledge without losing her + right to be regarded as the "ornament of the world, made to be served and + adored." + </p> + <p> + One may know some foreign languages and confess to reading Homer, Hesiod, + and the works of the illustrious Aristee (Chapelain), without being too + learned. One may express an opinion so modestly that, without offending + the propriety of her sex, she may permit it to be seen that she has wit, + knowledge, and judgment. That which I wish principally to teach women is + not to speak too much of that which they know well, never to speak of that + which they do not know at all, and to speak reasonably. + </p> + <p> + We note always a half-apologetic tone, a spirit of compromise between her + conscious intelligence and the traditional prejudice which had in no wise + diminished since Martial included, in his picture of a domestic menage, "a + wife not too learned..." She is not willing to lose a woman's birthright + of love and devotion, but is not quite sure how far it might be affected + by her ability to detect a solecism. Hence, she offers a great deal of + subtle flattery to masculine self-love. With curious naivete she says: + </p> + <p> + Whoever should write all that was said by fifteen or twenty women together + would make the worst book in the world, even if some of them were women of + intelligence. But if a man should enter, a single one, and not even a man + of distinction, the same conversation would suddenly become more + spirituelle and more agreeable. The conversation of men is doubtless less + sprightly when there are no women present; but ordinarily, although it may + be more serious, it is still rational, and they can do without us more + easily than we can do without them. + </p> + <p> + She attaches great importance to conversation as "the bond of society, the + greatest pleasure of well-bred people, and the best means of introducing, + not only politeness into the world, but a purer morality." She dwells + always upon the necessity of "a spirit of urbanity, which banishes all + bitter railleries, as well as everything that can offend the taste," also + of a certain "esprit de joie." + </p> + <p> + We find here the code which ruled the Hotel de Rambouillet, and the very + well-defined character of the precieuse. But it may be noted that Mlle. de + Scudery, who was among the avant-coureurs of the modern movement for the + advancement of women, always preserved the forms of the old traditions, + while violating their spirit. True to her Gallic instincts, she presented + her innovations sugar-coated. She had the fine sense of fitness which is + the conscience of her race, and which gave so much power to the women who + really revolutionized society without antagonizing it. + </p> + <p> + Her conversations, which were full of wise suggestions and showed a + remarkable insight into human character, were afterwards published in + detached form and had a great success. Mme. de Sevigne writes to her + daughter: "Mlle. De Scudery has just sent me two little volumes of + conversations; it is impossible that they should not be good, when they + are not drowned in a great romance." + </p> + <p> + When the Hotel de Rambouillet was closed, Mlle. de Scudery tried to + replace its pleasant reunions by receiving her friends on Saturdays. These + informal receptions were frequented by a few men and women of rank, but + the prevailing tone was literary and slightly bourgeois. We find there, + from time to time, Mme. de Sable, the Duc and Duchesse de Montausier, and + others of the old circle who were her lifelong friends. La Rochefoucauld + is there occasionally, also Mme. de. La Fayette, Mme. de Sevigne, and the + young Mme. Scarron whose brilliant future is hardly yet in her dreams. + Among those less known today, but of note in their age, were the Comtesse + de la Suze, a favorite writer of elegies, who changed her faith and became + a Catholic, as she said, that she "might not meet her husband in this + world or the next;" the versatile Mlle. Cheron who had some celebrity as a + poet, musician, and painter; Mlle. de la Vigne and Mme. Deshoulieres, also + poets; Mlle. Descartes, niece of the great philosopher; and, at rare + intervals, the clever Abbess de Rohan who tempered her piety with a little + sage worldliness. One of the most brilliant lights in this galaxy of + talent was Mme. Cornuel, whose bons mots sparkle from so many pages in the + chronicles of the period. A woman of high bourgeois birth and of the best + associations, she had a swift vision, a penetrating sense, and a clear + intellect prompt to seize the heart of a situation. Mlle. De Scudery said + that she could paint a grand satire in four words. Mme. de Sevigne found + her admirable, and even the grave Pomponne begged his friend not to forget + to send him all her witticisms. Of the agreeable but rather light Comtesse + de Fiesque, she said: "What preserves her beauty is that it is salted in + folly." Of James II of England, she remarked, "The Holy Spirit has eaten + up his understanding." The saying that the eight generals appointed at the + death of Turenne were "the small change for Turenne" has been attributed + to her. It is certainly not to a woman of such keen insight and ready wit + that one can attach any of the affectations which later crept into the + Samedis. + </p> + <p> + The poet Sarasin is the Voiture of this salon. Conrart, to whose house may + be traced the first meetings of the little circle of lettered men which + formed the nucleus of the Academie Francaise, is its secretary; Pellisson, + another of the founders and the historian of the same learned body, is its + chronicler. Chapelain is quite at home here, and we find also numerous + minor authors and artists whose names have small significance today. The + Samedis follow closely in the footsteps of the Hotel de Rambouillet. It is + the aim there to speak simply and naturally upon all subjects grave or + gay, to preserve always the spirit of delicacy and urbanity, and to avoid + vulgar intrigues. There is a superabundance of sentiment, some + affectation, and plenty of esprit. + </p> + <p> + They converse upon all the topics of the day, from fashion to politics, + from literature and the arts to the last item of gossip. They read their + works, talk about them, criticize them, and vie with one another in + improvising verses. Pellisson takes notes and leaves us a multitude of + madrigals, sonnets, chansons and letters of varied merit. He says there + reigned a sort of epidemic of little poems. "The secret influence began to + fall with the dew. Here one recites four verses; there, one writes a + dozen. All this is done gaily and without effort. No one bites his nails, + or stops laughing and talking. There are challenges, responses, + repetitions, attacks, repartees. The pen passes from hand to hand, and the + hand does not keep pace with the mind. One makes verses for every lady + present." Many of these verses were certainly not of the best quality, but + it would be difficult, in any age, to find a company of people clever + enough to divert themselves by throwing off such poetic trifles on the + spur of the moment. + </p> + <p> + In the end, the Samedis came to have something of the character of a + modern literary club, and were held at different houses. The company was + less choice, and the bourgeois coloring more pronounced. These reunions + very clearly illustrated the fact that no society can sustain itself above + the average of its members. They increased in size, but decreased in + quality, with the inevitable result of affectation and pretension. + Intelligence, taste, and politeness were in fashion. Those who did not + possess them put on their semblance, and, affecting an intellectual tone, + fell into the pedantry which is sure to grow out of the effort to speak + above one's altitude. The fine-spun theories of Mlle. de Scudery also + reached a sentimental climax in "Clelie," which did not fail of its + effect. Platonic love and the ton galant were the texts for innumerable + follies which finally reacted upon the Samedis. After a few years, they + lost their influence and were discontinued. But Mlle. de Scudery retained + the position which her brilliant gifts and literary fame had given her, + and was the center of a choice circle of friends until a short time before + her death at the ripe age of ninety-four. Even Tallemant, writing of the + decline of these reunions, says, "Mlle. De Scudery is more considered than + ever." At sixty-four she received the first Prix D'Eloquence from the + Academie Francaise, for an essay on Glory. This prize was founded by + Balzac, and the subject was specified. Thus the long procession of + laureates was led by a woman. + </p> + <p> + In spite of her subtle analysis of love, and her exact map of the Empire + of Tenderness, the sentiment of the "Illustrious Sappho" seems to have + been rather ideal. She had numerous adorers, of whom Conrart and Pellisson + were among the most devoted. During the long imprisonment of the latter + for supposed complicity with Fouquet, she was of great service to him, and + the tender friendship ended only with his life, upon which she wrote a + touching eulogy at its close. But she never married. She feared to lose + her liberty. "I know," she writes, "that there are many estimable men who + merit all my esteem and who can retain a part of my friendship, but as + soon as I regard them as husbands, I regard them as masters, and so apt to + become tyrants that I must hate them from that moment; and I thank the + gods for giving me an inclination very much averse to marriage." + </p> + <p> + It was the misfortune of Mlle. de Scudery to outlive her literary + reputation. The interminable romances which had charmed the eloquent + Flechier, the Grand Conde in his cell at Vincennes, the ascetic d'Andilly + at Port Royal, as well as the dreaming maidens who signed over their + fanciful descriptions and impossible adventures, passed their day. The + touch of a merciless criticism stripped them of their already fading + glory. Their subtle analysis and etherealized sentiment were declared + antiquated, and fashion ran after new literary idols. It was Boileau who + gave the severest blow. "This Despreaux," said Segrais, "knows how to do + nothing else but talk of himself and criticize others; why speak ill of + Mlle. de Scudery as he has done?" + </p> + <p> + There has been a disposition to credit the founder of the Samedis with + many of the affectations which brought such deserved ridicule upon their + bourgeois imitators, and to trace in her the original of Moliere's + "Madelon." But Cousin has relieved her of such reproach, and does ample + justice to the truth and sincerity of her character, the purity of her + manners, and the fine quality of her intellect. He calls her "a sort of + French sister of Addison." Perhaps her resemblance to one of the clearest, + purest, and simplest of English essayists is not quite apparent on the + surface; but as a moralist and a delineator of manners she may have done a + similar work in her own way. + </p> + <p> + Sainte-Beuve, who has left so many vivid and exquisite portraits of his + countrywomen, does not paint Mlle. de Scudery with his usual kindly touch. + He admits her merit, her accomplishments, her versatility, and the perfect + innocence of her life; but he finds her didactic, pedantic, and tiresome + as a writer, and without charm or grace as a woman. Doubtless one would + find it difficult to read her romances today. She lacks the genius which + has no age and belongs to all ages. Her literary life pertains to the + first half of the seventeenth century, when style had not reached the + Attic purity and elegance of a later period. She was teacher rather than + artist; but no one could be farther from a bas bleu, or more severe upon + pedantry or pretension of any sort. She takes the point of view of her + time, and dwells always upon the wisdom of veiling the knowledge she + claims for her sex behind the purely feminine graces. How far she + practiced her own theories, we can know only from the testimony of her + contemporaries. It is not possible to perpetuate so indefinable a thing as + personal charm, but we are told repeatedly that she had it in an eminent + degree. It is certain that no woman without beauty, fortune, or visible + rank, living simply and depending mainly upon her own talents, could have + retained such powerful and fastidious friends, during a long life, unless + she had had some rare attractions. That she was much loved, much praised, + and much sought, we have sufficient evidence among the writers of her own + time. She was familiarly spoken of as the tenth Muse, and she counted + among her personal friends the greatest men and women of the century. + Leibnitz sought her correspondence. The Abbe de Pure, who was not friendly + to the precieuses and made the first severe attack upon them, thus writes + of her: "One may call Mlle. de Scudery the muse of our age and the prodigy + of her sex. It is not only her goodness and her sweetness, but her + intellect shines with so much modesty, her sentiments are expressed with + so much reserve, she speaks with so much discretion, and all that she says + is so fit and reasonable, that one cannot help both admiring and loving + her. Comparing what one sees of her, and what one owes to her personally, + with what she writes, one prefers, without hesitation, her conversation to + her works. Although she has a wonderful mind, her heart outweighs it. It + is in the heart of this illustrious woman that one finds true and pure + generosity, an immovable constancy, a sincere and solid friendship." + </p> + <p> + The loyalty of her character was conspicuously shown in her brave devotion + to the interests of the Conde family, through all the reverses of the + Fronde. In one of her darkest moments Mme. de Longueville received the + last volume of the "Grand Cyrus," which was dedicated to her, and + immediately sent her own portrait encircled with diamonds, as the only + thing she had left worthy of this friend who, without sharing ardently her + political prejudices, had never deserted her waning fortunes. The same + rare quality was seen in her unwavering friendship for Fouquet, during his + long disgrace and imprisonment. Mme. de Sevigne, whose satire was so + pitiless toward affectation of any sort, writes to her in terms of + exaggerated tenderness. + </p> + <p> + "In a hundred thousand words, I could tell you but one truth, which + reduces itself to assuring you, Mademoiselle, that I shall love you and + adore you all my life; it is only this word that can express the idea I + have of your extraordinary merit. I am happy to have some part in the + friendship and esteem of such a person. As constancy is a perfection, I + say to myself that you will not change for me; and I dare to pride myself + that I shall never be sufficiently abandoned of God not to be always + yours... I take to my son your conversations. I wish him to be charmed + with them, after being charmed myself." + </p> + <p> + Mlle. de Scudery is especially interesting to us as marking a transition + point in the history of women; as the author of the first romances of any + note written by her sex; as a moral teacher in an age of laxity; and as a + woman who combined high aspirations, fine ideals, and versatile talents + with a pure and unselfish character. She aimed at universal + accomplishments from the distillation of a perfume to the writing of a + novel, from the preparation of a rare dish to fine conversation, from + playing the lute to the dissection of the human heart. In this versatility + she has been likened to Mme. de Genlis, whom she resembled also in her + moral teaching and her factitious sensibility. She was, however, more + genuine, more amiable, and far superior in true elevation of character. + She was full of theories and loved to air them, hence the people who move + across the pages of her novels are often lost in a cloud of speculation. + But she gave a fresh impulse to literature, adding a fine quality of + grace, tenderness, and pure though often exaggerated sentiment. Mme. de La + Fayette, who had more clearness of mind as well as a finer artistic sense, + gave a better form to the novel and pruned it of superfluous matter. The + sentiment which casts so soft and delicate a coloring over her romances + was more subtle and refined. It may be questioned, however, if she wrote + so much that has been incorporated in the thought of her time. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IV. LA GRANDE MADEMOISELLE + </h2> + <p> + <i>Her Character—Her Heroic Part in the Fronde—Her Exile—Literary + Diversions of her Salon—A Romantic Episode</i> + </p> + <p> + There are certain women preeminently distinguished by diversity of gifts, + who fail to leave behind them a fame at all commensurate with their + promise. It may be from a lack of unity, resulting from a series of + fragmentary efforts, no one of which is of surpassing excellence; it may + be that the impression of power they give is quite beyond any practical + manifestation of it; or it may be that talents in themselves remarkable + are cast into the shade by some exceptional brilliancy of position. The + success of life is measured by the harmony between its ideals and its + attainments. It is the symmetry of the temple that gives the final word, + not the breadth of its foundations nor the wealth of its material. + </p> + <p> + It was this lack of harmony and fine proportion which marred the career of + a woman who played a very conspicuous part in the social and political + life of her time, and who belongs to my subject only through a single + phase of a stormy and eventful history. No study of the salons would be + complete without that of the Grande Mademoiselle, but it was not as the + leader of a coterie that she held her special claim to recognition. By the + accident of birth she stood apart, subject to many limitations that + modified the character of her salon and narrowed its scope, though they + emphasized its influence. It was only an incident of her life, but through + the quality of its habitues and their unique diversions it became the + source of an important literature. + </p> + <p> + Anne Marie Louise d'Orleans, Duchesse de Montpensier, has left a very + distinct record of herself in letters, romances, memoirs and portraits, + written out of an abounding fullness of nature, but with infinite detail + and royal contempt for precision and orthography. She talks naively of her + happy childhood, of her small caprices, of the love of her grandmother, + Marie de Medicis, of her innocent impressions of the people about her. She + dwells with special pleasure upon a grand fete at the Palais Royal, in + which she posed as an incipient queen. She was then nineteen. "They were + three entire days in arranging my costume," she writes. "My robe was + covered with diamonds, and trimmed with rose, black, and white tufts. I + wore all the jewels of the crown and of the Queen of England, who still + had some left. No one could be better or more magnificently attired than I + was that day, and many people said that my beautiful figure, my imposing + mien, my fair complexion, and the splendor of my blonde hair did not adorn + me less than all the riches which were upon my person." She sat + resplendent upon a raised dais, with the proud consciousness of her right + and power to grace a throne. Louis XIV, than a child, and the Prince of + Wales, afterwards Charles II, were at her feet. The latter was a devoted + suitor. "My heart as well as my eyes regarded the prince de haut en bas," + she says. "I had the spirit to wed an emperor." + </p> + <p> + There were negotiations for her marriage with the Emperor of Austria, and + she thought it wise to adapt herself in advance to his tastes. She had + heard that he was religious, and immediately began to play the part of a + devote so seriously, that she was seized with a violent desire to become a + veritable religieuse and enter the convent of the Carmelites. She could + neither eat nor sleep, and it was feared that she would fall dangerously + ill. "I can only say that, during those eight days, the empire was nothing + to me," she writes. But she confesses to a certain feeling of vanity at + her own spirit of self-sacrifice, and the sensibility which made her weep + at the thought of leaving those she loved. This access of piety was of + short duration, however, as her father quickly put to flight all her + exalted visions of a cloister. Her dreams of an emperor for whom she lost + a prospective king were alike futile. + </p> + <p> + "She had beauty, talent, wealth, virtue, and a royal birth," says Mme. de + Motteville. "Her face was not without defects, and her intellect was not + one which always pleases. Her vivacity deprived all her actions of the + gravity necessary to people of her rank, and her mind was too much carried + away by her feelings. As she was fair, had fine eyes, a pleasing mouth, + was of good height, and blonde, she had quite the air of a great beauty." + But it was beauty of a commanding sort, without delicacy, and dependent + largely upon the freshness of youth. The same veracious writer says that + "she spoiled all she went about by the eagerness and impatience of her + temper. She was always too hasty and pushed things too far." What she may + have lacked in grace and charm, she made up by the splendors of rank and + position. + </p> + <p> + A princess by birth, closely related to three kings, and glowing with all + the fiery instincts of her race, the Grand Mademoiselle curiously blended + the courage of an Amazon with the weakness of a passionate and capricious + woman. As she was born in 1627, the most brilliant days of her youth were + passed amid the excitements of the Fronde. She casts a romantic light upon + these trivial wars, which were ended at last by her prompt decision and + masculine force. We see her at twenty-five, riding victoriously into the + city of Orleans at the head of her troops and, later, ordering the cannon + at the Bastile turned against the royal forces, and opening the gates of + Paris to the exhausted army of Conde. This adventure gives us the key-note + to her haughty and imperious character. She would have posed well for the + heroine of a great drama; indeed, she posed all her life in real dramas. + </p> + <p> + At this time she had hopes of marrying the Prince de Conde, whom she + regarded as a hero worthy of her. His wife, an amiable woman who was sent + to a convent after her marriage to learn to read and write, was + dangerously ill, and her illustrious husband did not scruple to make tacit + arrangements to supply her place. Unfortunately for these plans, and + fortunately perhaps for a certain interesting phase of literature, she + recovered. Soon afterwards, Mademoiselle found the reward of her heroic + adventures in a sudden exile to her estates at Saint Fargeau. The country + life, so foreign to her tastes, pressed upon her very heavily at first, + the more so as she was deserted by most of her friends. "I received more + compliments than visits," she writes. "I had made everybody ill. All those + who did not dare send me word that they feared to embroil themselves with + the court pretended that some malady or accident had befallen them." By + degrees, however, she adapted herself to her situation, and in her + loneliness and disappointment betook herself to pursuits which offered a + strong contrast to the dazzling succession of magnificent fetes and + military episodes which had given variety and excitement to her life at + the Tuileries. When she grew tired of her parrots, her dogs, her horses, + her comedians and her violin, she found solace in literature, beginning + the "Memoirs," which were finished thirty years later, and writing + romances, after the manner of Mlle. de Scudery. The drift of the first + one, "Les Nouvelles Francaises et les Divertissements de la Princesse + Aurelie," is suggested by its title. It was woven from the little stories + or adventures which were told to amuse their solitude by the small coterie + of women who had followed the clouded fortunes of Mademoiselle. A romance + of more pretension was the "Princesse de Paphlagonie," in which the writer + pictures her own little court, and introduces many of its members under + fictitious names. These romances have small interest for the world today, + but the exalted position of their author and their personal character made + them much talked of in their time. + </p> + <p> + It was in quite another fashion, however, that the Grande Mademoiselle + made her most important contribution to literature. One day in 1657, while + still in the country, she proposed to her friends to make pen portraits of + themselves, and set the fashion by writing her own, with a detailed + description of her physical, mental, and moral qualities. This was + followed by carefully drawn pictures of others, among whom were Louis XIV, + Monsieur, and the Grand Conde. All were bound in honor to give the lights + and shadows with the same fidelity, though it would be hardly wise to call + them to too strict an account on this point. As may be readily imagined, + the result was something piquant and original. That the amusement was a + popular one goes without saying. People like to talk of themselves, not + only because the subject is interesting, but because it gives them an + opportunity of setting in relief their virtues and tempering their + foibles. They like also to know what others think of them—at least, + what others say of them. It is too much to expect of human nature, least + of all, of French human nature, that an agreeable modicum of subtle + flattery should not be added under such conditions. + </p> + <p> + When Mademoiselle opened her salon in the Luxembourg, on her return from + exile, these portraits formed one of its most marked features. The salon + was limited mainly to the nobility, with the addition of a few men of + letters. Among those who frequented it on intimate terms were the Marquise + de Sable, the Comtesse de Maure, the beautiful and pure-hearted Mme. de + Hautefort, the dame d'honneur of Anne of Austria, so hopelessly adored by + Louis XIII, and Mme. de Choisy, the witty wife of the chancellor of the + Duc d'Orleans. Its most brilliant lights were Mme. de Sevigne, Mme. de La + Fayette, and La Rochefoucauld. It was here that Mme. de La Fayette made + the vivid portrait of her friend Mme. de Sevigne. "It flatters me," said + the latter long afterwards, "but those who loved me sixteen years ago may + have thought it true." The beautiful Comtesse de Bregy, who was called one + of the muses of the time, portrayed the Princess Henrietta and the + irrepressible Queen Christine of Sweden. Mme. de Chatillon, known later as + the Duchesse de Mecklenbourg, who was mingled with all the intrigues of + this period, traces a very agreeable sketch of herself, which may serve as + a specimen of this interesting diversion. After minutely describing her + person, which she evidently regards with much complacence, she continues: + </p> + <p> + "I have a temper naturally cheerful and a little given to raillery; but I + correct this inclination, for fear of displeasing. I have much esprit, and + enter agreeably into conversation. I have a pleasant voice and a modest + air. I am very sincere and do not fail my friends. I have not a trifling + mind, nor do I cherish a thousand small malices against my neighbor. I + love glory and fine actions. I have heart and ambition. I am very + sensitive to good and ill, but I never avenge myself for the ill that has + been done me, although I might have the inclination; I am restrained by + self-love. I have a sweet disposition, take pleasure in serving my + friends, and fear nothing so much as the petty drawing-room quarrels which + usually grow out of little nothings. I find my person and my temper + constructed something after this fashion; and I am so satisfied with both, + that I envy no one. I leave to my friends or to my enemies the care of + seeking my faults." + </p> + <p> + It was under this stimulating influence that La Rochefoucauld made the + well-known pen-portrait of himself. "I will lack neither boldness to speak + as freely as I can of my good qualities," he writes, "nor sincerity to + avow frankly that I have faults." After describing his person, temper, + abilities, passions, and tastes, he adds with curious candor: "I am but + little given to pity, and do not wish to be so at all. Nevertheless there + is nothing I would not do for an afflicted person; and I sincerely believe + one should do all one can to show sympathy for misfortune, as miserable + people are so foolish that this does them the greatest good in the world; + but I also hold that we should be content with expressing sympathy, and + carefully avoid having any. It is a passion that is wholly worthless in a + well-regulated mind, that only serves to weaken the heart, and should be + left to people, who, never doing anything from reason, have need of + passion to stimulate their actions. I love my friends; and I love them to + such an extent that I would not for a moment weigh my interest against + theirs. I condescend to them, I patiently endure their bad temper. But I + do not make much of their caresses, and I do not feel great uneasiness at + their absence." + </p> + <p> + It would be interesting to quote in full this sample of the close and not + always flattering self-analysis so much in fashion, but its length + forbids. Its revelation of the hidden springs of character is at least + unique. + </p> + <p> + The poet Segrais, who was attached to Mademoiselle's household, collected + these graphic pictures for private circulation, but they were so much in + demand that they were soon printed for the public under the title of + "Divers Portraits." They served the double purpose of furnishing to the + world faithful delineations of many more or less distinguished people and + of setting a literary fashion. The taste for pen-portraits, which + originated in the romances of Mlle. de Scudery, and received a fresh + impulse from this novel and personal application, spread rapidly among all + classes. It was taken up by men of letters and men of the world, the + nobility, and the bourgeoisie. There were portraits of every grade of + excellence and every variety of people, until they culminated, some years + later in "Les Caracteres" of La Bruyere, who dropped personalities and + gave them the form of permanent types. It is a literature peculiarly + adapted to the flexibility and fine perception of the French mind, and one + in which it has been preeminent, from the analytic but diffuse Mlle. de + Scudery, and the clear, terse, spirited Cardinal de Retz, to the fine, + penetrating, and exquisitely finished Sainte-Beuve, the prince of modern + critics and literary artists. It was this skill in vivid delineation that + gave such point and piquancy to the memoirs of the period, which are + little more than a series of brilliant and vigorous sketches of people + outlined upon a shifting background of events. In this rapid + characterization the French have no rivals. It is the charm of their + fiction as well as of their memoirs. Balzac, Victor Hugo, and Daudet, are + the natural successors of La Bruyere and Saint-Simon. + </p> + <p> + The marriage of Louis XIV shattered one of the most brilliant illusions of + the Grande Mademoiselle, and it was about this time that she wrote a + characteristic letter to Mme. de Motteville, picturing an Arcadia in some + beautiful forest, where people are free to do as they like. The most + ardent apostle of socialism could hardly dream of an existence more + democratic or more Utopian. These favored men and women lead a simple, + pastoral life. They take care of the house and the garden, milk the cows, + make cheese and cakes, and tend sheep on pleasant days. But this rustic + community must have its civilized amusements. They visit, drive, ride on + horseback, paint, design, play on the lute or clavecin, and have all the + new books sent to them. After reading the lives of heroes and + philosophers, the princess is convinced that no one is perfectly happy, + and that Christianity is desirable, as it gives hope for the future. Her + platonic and Christian republic is composed of "amiable and perfect + people," but it is quite free from the entanglements of love and the + "vulgar institution of marriage." Mme. de Motteville replies very + gracefully, accepting many of these ideas, but as it is difficult to + repress love altogether, she thinks "one will be obliged to permit that + error which an old custom has rendered legitimate, and which is called + marriage." This curious correspondence takes its color from the Spanish + pastorals which tinged the romantic literature of the time as well as its + social life. The long letters, carefully written on large and heavy sheets + yellow with age, have a peculiarly old-time flavor, and throw a vivid + light upon the woman who could play the role of a heroine of Corneille or + of a sentimental shepherdess, as the caprice seized her. + </p> + <p> + A tragical bit of romance colored the mature life of the Grande + Mademoiselle. She had always professed a great aversion to love, regarding + it as "unworthy of a well-ordered soul." She even went so far as to say + that it was better to marry from reason or any other thing imaginable, + dislike included, than from passion that was, in any case, short-lived. + But this princess of intrepid spirit, versatile gifts, ideal fancies, and + platonic theories, who had aimed at an emperor and missed a throne; this + amazon, with her penchant for glory and contempt for love, forgot all her + sage precepts, and at forty-two fell a victim to a violent passion for the + Comte de Lauzun. She has traced its course to the finest shades of + sentiment. Her pride, her infatuation, her scruples, her new-born humility—we + are made familiar with them all, even to the finesse of her respectful + adorer, and the reluctant confession of love which his discreet silence + wrings from her at last.. Her royal cousin, after much persuasion, + consented to the unequal union. The impression this affair made upon the + world is vividly shown in a letter written by Mme. de Sevigne to her + daughter: + </p> + <p> + I am going to tell you a thing the most astonishing, the most surprising, + the most marvelous, the most miraculous, the most triumphant, the most + astounding, the most unheard of, the most singular, the most + extraordinary, the most incredible, the most unexpected, the grandest, the + smallest, the rarest, the most common, the most dazzling, the most secret + even until today, the most brilliant, the most worthy of envy.... a thing + in fine which is to be done Sunday, when those who see it will believe + themselves dazed; a thing which is to be done Sunday and which will not + perhaps have been done Monday... M. de Lauzun marries Sunday, at the + Louvre—guess whom?... He marries Sunday at the Louvre, with the + permission of the King, Mademoiselle, Mademoiselle de, Mademoiselle; guess + the name; he marries Mademoiselle, MA FOI, PAR MA FOI, MA FOI JUREE, + Mademoiselle, la grande Mademoiselle, Mademoiselle, daughter of the late + Monsieur, Mademoiselle, grand-daughter of Henry IV, Mademoiselle d'Eu, + Mademoiselle de Dombes, Mademoiselle de Montpensier, Mademoiselle + d'Orleans, Mademoiselle, cousin of the king, Mademoiselle, destined to the + throne, Mademoiselle, the only parti in France worthy of Monsieur. VOILA a + fine subject for conversation. If you cry out, if you are beside yourself, + if you say that we have deceived you, that it is false, that one trifles + with you, that it is a fine bit of raillery, that it is very stupid to + imagine, if, in fine, you abuse us, we shall find that you are right; we + have done as much ourselves. + </p> + <p> + In spite of the prudent warnings of her friends, the happy princess could + not forego the eclat of a grand wedding, and before the hasty arrangements + were concluded, the permission was withdrawn. Her tears, her entreaties, + her cries, her rage, and her despair, were of no avail. Louis XIV took her + in his arms, and mingled his tears with hers, even reproaching her for the + two or three days of delay; but he was inexorable. Ten years of loyal + devotion to her lover, shortly afterward imprisoned at Pignerol, and of + untiring efforts for his release which was at last secured at the cost of + half her vast estates, ended in a brief reunion. A secret marriage, a + swift discovery that her idol was of very common clay, abuse so violent + that she was obliged to forbid him forever her presence, and the + disenchantment was complete. The sad remnant of her existence was devoted + to literature and to conversation; the latter she regarded as "the + greatest pleasure in life, and almost the only one." When she died, the + Count de Lauzun wore the deepest mourning, had portraits of her + everywhere, and adopted permanently the subdued colors that would fitly + express the inconsolable nature of his grief. + </p> + <p> + Without tact or fine discrimination, the Grande Mademoiselle was a woman + of generous though undisciplined impulses, loyal disposition, and pure + character; but her egotism was colossal. Under different conditions, one + might readily imagine her a second Joan of Arc, or a heroine of the + Revolution. She says of herself: "I know not what it is to be a heroine; I + am of a birth to do nothing that is not grand or elevated. One may call + that what one likes. As for myself, I call it to follow my own inclination + and to go my own way. I am not born to take that of others." She lacked + the measure, the form, the delicacy of the typical precieuse; but her + quick, restless intellect and ardent imagination were swift to catch the + spirit of the Hotel de Rambouillet, and to apply it in an original + fashion. Though many subjects were interdicted in her salon, and many + people were excluded, it gives us interesting glimpses into the life of + the literary noblesse, and furnishes a complete gallery of pen-portraits + of more or less noted men and women. With all the brilliant possibilities + of her life, it was through the diversion of her idle hours that this + princess, author, amazon, prospective queen, and disappointed woman has + left the most permanent trace upon the world. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER V. A LITERARY SALON AT PORT ROYAL + </h2> + <p> + <i>Mme. de Sable—Her Worldly Life—Her Retreat—Her + Friends—Pascal—The Maxims of La Rochefoucauld—Last Days + of the Marquise</i> + </p> + <p> + The transition from the restless character and stormy experiences of the + Grande Mademoiselle, to the gentler nature and the convent salon of her + friend and literary confidante, Mme. de Sable, is a pleasant one. Perhaps + no one better represents the true precieuse of the seventeenth century, + the happy blending of social savoir-faire with an amiable temper and a + cultivated intellect. Without the genius of Mme. de Sevigne or Mme. de La + Fayette, without the force or the rare attractions of Mme. de Longueville, + without the well-poised character and catholic sympathies of Mme. de + Rambouillet, she played an important part in the life of her time, through + her fine insight and her consummate tact in bringing together the choicest + spirits, and turning their thoughts into channels that were fresh and + unworn. Born in 1599, Madeleine de Souvre passed her childhood in + Touraine, of which province her father was governor. In the brilliancy of + her youth, we find her in Paris among the early favorites of the Hotel de + Rambouillet, and on terms of lifelong intimacy with its hostess and her + daughter Julie. Beautiful, versatile, generous, but fastidious and + exacting in her friendships, with a dash of coquetry—inevitable when + a woman is fascinating and French—she repeated the oft-played role + of a mariage de convenance at sixteen, a few brilliant years of social + triumphs marred by domestic neglect and suffering, a period of enforced + seclusion after the death of her unworthy husband, a brief return to the + world, and an old age of mild and comfortable devotion. + </p> + <p> + "The Marquise de Sable," writes Mme. de Motteville, "was one of those + whose beauty made the most sensation when the Queen (Anne of Austria) came + into France. But if she was amiable, she desired still more to appear so. + Her self-love rendered her a little too sensible to that which men + professed for her. There was still in France some remnant of the + politeness which Catherine de Medicis had brought from Italy, and Mme. de + Sable found so much delicacy in the new dramas, as well as in other works, + in prose and verse, which came from Madrid, that she conceived a high idea + of the gallantry which the Spaniards had learned from the Moors. She was + persuaded that men may without wrong have tender sentiments for women; + that the desire of pleasing them leads men to the greatest and finest + actions, arouses their spirit, and inspires them with liberality and all + sorts of virtues; but that, on the other side, women, who are the + ornaments of the world, and made to be served and adored, ought to permit + only respectful attentions. This lady, having sustained her views with + much talent and great beauty, gave them authority in her time." + </p> + <p> + The same writer says that she has "much light and sincerity," with + "penetration enough to unfold all the secrets of one's heart." + </p> + <p> + Mlle. de Scudery introduces her in the "Grand Cyrus," as Parthenie, "a + tall and graceful woman, with fine eyes, the most beautiful throat in the + world, a lovely complexion, blonde hair, and a pleasant mouth, with a + charming air, and a fine and eloquent smile, which expresses the sweetness + or the bitterness of her soul." She dwells upon her surprising and + changeful beauty, upon the charm of her conversation, the variety of her + knowledge, the delicacy of her tact, and the generosity of her tender and + passionate heart. One may suspect this portrait of being idealized, but it + seems to have been in the main correct. + </p> + <p> + Of her husband we know very little, excepting that he belonged to the + family of Montmorency, passed from violent love to heart-breaking + indifference, and died about 1640, leaving her with four children and + shattered fortunes. To recruit her failing health, and to hide her chagrin + and sorrow at seeing herself supplanted by unworthy rivals, she had lived + for some time in the country, where she had leisure for the reading and + reflection which fitted her for her later life. But after the death of her + husband she was obliged to sell her estates, and we find her established + in the Place Royale with her devoted friend, the Comtesse de Maure, and + continuing the traditions of the Hotel de Rambouillet. Her tastes had been + formed in this circle, and she had also been under the instruction of the + Chevalier de Mere, a litterateur and courtier who had great vogue, was + something of an oracle, and molded the character and manners of divers + women of this period, among others the future Mme. de Maintenon. His + confidence in his own power of bringing talent out of mediocrity was + certainly refreshing. Among his pupils was the Duchesse de Lesdiguieres, + who said to him one day, "I wish to have esprit."—"Eh bien, Madame," + replied the complaisant chevalier, "you shall have it." + </p> + <p> + How much Mme. de Sable may have been indebted to this modest bel esprit we + do not know, but her finished manner, fine taste, exquisite tact, + cultivated intellect, and great experience of the world made her an + authority in social matters. To be received in her salon was to be + received everywhere. Cardinal Mazarin watched her influence with a jealous + eye. "Mme. de Longueville is very intimate with the Marquise de Sable," he + writes in his private note book. "She is visited constantly by D'Andilly, + the Princesse de Guemene, d'Enghien and his sister, Nemours, and many + others. They speak freely of all the world. It is necessary to have some + one who will advise us of all that passes there." + </p> + <p> + But the death of her favorite son—a young man distinguished for + graces of person, mind, heart, and character, who lost his life in one of + the battles of his friend and comrade, the Prince de Conde—together + with the loss of her fortune and the fading of her beauty, turned the + thoughts of the Marquise to spiritual things. We find many traces of the + state of mind which led her first into a mild form of devotion, serious + but not too ascetic, and later into pronounced Jansenism. In a note to a + friend who had neglected her, she dwells upon "the misery and nothingness + of the world," recalls the strength of their long friendship, the depth of + her own affection, and tries to account for the disloyalty to herself, by + the inherent weakness and emptiness of human nature, which renders it + impossible for even the most perfect to do anything that is not defective. + All this is very charitable, to say the least, as well as a little + abstract. Time has given a strange humility and forgivingness to the woman + who broke with her dearest friend, the unfortunate Duc de Montmorency, + because he presumed to lift his eyes to the Queen, saying that she "could + not receive pleasantly the regards which she had to share with the + greatest princess in the world." + </p> + <p> + The fashion of the period furnished a peaceful and dignified refuge for + women, when their beauty waned and the "terrible forties" ended their + illusions. To go into brief retreat for penitence and prayer was at all + times a graceful thing to do, besides making for safety. It was only a + step further to retire altogether from the scenes of pleasure which had + begun to pall. The convent offered a haven of repose to the bruised heart, + a fresh aim for drooping energies, a needed outlet for devouring emotions, + and a comfortable sense of security, not only for this world, but for the + next. It was the next world which was beginning to trouble Mme. de Sable. + She had great fear of death, and after many penitential retreats to Port + Royal, she finally obtained permission to build a suite of apartments + within its precincts, and retired there about 1655 to prepare for that + unpleasant event which she put off as long as possible by the most + assiduous care of her health. "If she was not devoted, she had the idea of + becoming so," said Mademoiselle. But her devotion was in quite a mundane + fashion. Her pleasant rooms were separate and independent, thus enabling + her to give herself not only to the care of her health and her soul, but + to a select society, to literature, and to conversation. She never + practiced the severe asceticism of her friend, Mme. de Longueville. With a + great deal of abstract piety, the iron girdle and the hair shirt were not + included. She did not even forego her delicate and fastidious tastes. Her + elegant dinners and her dainty comfitures were as famous as ever. "Will + the anger of the Marquise go so far, in your opinion, as to refuse me her + recipe for salad?" writes Mme. de Choisy at the close of a letter to the + Comtesse de Maure, in which she has ridiculed her friend's Jansenist + tendencies; "If so, it will be a great inhumanity, for which she will be + punished in this world and the other." She had great skill in delicate + cooking, and was in the habit of sending cakes, jellies, and other + dainties, prepared by herself, to her intimate friends. La Rochefoucauld + says, "If I could hope for two dishes of those preserves, which I did not + deserve to eat before, I should be indebted to you all my life." Mme. de + Longueville, who is about to visit her, begs her not to give a feast as + she has "scruples about such indulgence." + </p> + <p> + This spice of worldliness very much tempered the austerity of her retreat, + and lent an added luster to its intellectual attractions. But the Marquise + had many conflicts between her luxurious tastes and her desire to be + devout. Her dainty and epicurean habits, her extraordinary anxiety about + her health, and her capricious humors were the subject of much light + badinage among her friends. The Grande Mademoiselle sketches these traits + with a satiric touch in the "Princesse de Paphlagonie," where she + introduces her with the Comtesse de Maure. "There are no hours when they + do not confer together upon the means of preventing themselves from dying, + and upon the art of rendering themselves immortal," she writes. "Their + conferences are not like those of other people; the fear of breathing an + air too cold or too hot, the apprehension that the wind may be too dry or + too damp, a fancy that the weather is not as moderate as they judge + necessary for the preservation of their health—these are sufficient + reasons for writing from one room to another...." If one could find this + correspondence, one might derive great advantages in every way; for they + were princesses who had nothing mortal, except the knowledge of being + so... Of Mme. de Sable she adds: "The Princess Parthenie had a taste as + dainty as her mind; nothing equaled the magnificence of her + entertainments; all the viands were exquisite, and her elegance was beyond + anything that one could imagine." The fastidious Marquise suffered, with + all the world, from the defects of her qualities. Her extreme delicacy and + sensibility appear under many forms and verge often upon weakness; but it + is an amiable weakness that does not detract greatly from her fascination. + She was not cast in a heroic mold, and her faults are those which the + world is pleased to call essentially feminine. + </p> + <p> + The records of her life were preserved by Conrart, also by her friend and + physician, Valant. They give us a clear picture of her character, with its + graces and its foibles, as well as of her pleasant intercourse and + correspondence with many noted men and women. They give us, too, + interesting glimpses of her salon. We find there the celebrated Jansenists + Nicole and Arnauld, the eminent lawyer Domat, Esprit, sometimes Pascal, + with his sister, Mme. Perier; the Prince and Princesse de Conti, the Grand + Conde, La Rochefoucauld, the penitent Mme. de Longueville, Mme. de La + Fayette, and many others among the cultivated noblesse, who are attracted + by its tone of bel esprit and graceful, but by no means severe, devotion. + The Duc d'Orleans and the lovely but unfortunate Madame were intimate and + frequent visitors. + </p> + <p> + In this little world, in which religion, literature, and fashion are + curiously blended, they talk of theology, morals, physics, Cartesianism, + friendship, and love. The youth and gaiety of the Hotel de Rambouillet + have given place to more serious thoughts and graver topics. The current + which had its source there is divided. At the Samedis, in the Marais, they + are amusing themselves about the same time with letters and Vers de + Societe. At the Luxembourg, a more exclusive coterie is exercising its + mature talent in sketching portraits. These salons touch at many points, + but each has a channel of its own. The reflective nature of Mme. de Sable + turns to more serious and elevated subjects, and her friends take the same + tone. They make scientific experiments, discuss Calvinism, read the + ancient moralists, and indulge in dissertations upon a great variety of + topics. Mme. de Bregy, poet, dame d'honneur and femme d'esprit, who amused + the little court of Mademoiselle with so many discreetly flattering + pen-portraits, has left two badly written and curiously spelled notes upon + the merits of Socrates and Epictetus, which throw a ray of light upon the + tastes of this aristocratic and rather speculative circle. Mme. de Sable + writes an essay upon the education of children, which is very much talked + about, also a characteristic paper upon friendship. The latter is little + more than a series of detached sentences, but it indicates the drift of + her thought, and might have served as an antidote to the selfish + philosophy of La Rochefoucauld. It calls out an appreciative letter from + d'Andilly, who, in his anchorite's cell, continues to follow the sayings + and doings of his friends in the little salon at Port Royal. + </p> + <p> + "Friendship," she writes, "is a kind of virtue which can only be founded + upon the esteem of people whom one loves—that is to say, upon + qualities of the soul, such as fidelity, generosity, discretion, and upon + fine qualities of mind." + </p> + <p> + After insisting that it must be reciprocal, disinterested, and based upon + virtue, she continues: "One ought not to give the name of friendship to + natural inclinations because they do not depend upon our will or our + choice; and, though they render our friendships more agreeable, they + should not be the foundation of them. The union which is founded upon the + same pleasures and the same occupations does not deserve the name of + friendship because it usually comes from a certain egotism which causes us + to love that which is similar to ourselves, however imperfect we may be." + She dwells also upon the mutual offices and permanent nature of true + friendship, adding, "He who loves his friend more than reason and justice, + will on some other occasion love his own pleasure and profit more than his + friend." + </p> + <p> + The Abbe Esprit, Jansenist and academician, wrote an essay upon "Des + Amities en Apparence les Plus Saints des Hommes avec les Femmes," which + was doubtless suggested by the conversations in this salon, where the + subject was freely discussed. The days of chivalry were not so far + distant, and the subtle blending of exalted sentiment with thoughtful + companionship, which revived their spirit in a new form, was too marked a + feature of the time to be overlooked. These friendships, half + intellectual, half poetic, and quite platonic, were mostly formed in + mature life, on a basis of mental sympathy. "There is a taste in pure + friendship which those who are born mediocre do not reach," said La + Gruyere. Mme. de Lambert speaks of it as "the product of a perfect social + culture, and, of all affections, that which has most charm." + </p> + <p> + The well-known friendship of Mme. de La Fayette and La Rochefoucauld, + which illustrates the mutual influence of a critical man of intellect and + a deep-hearted, thoughtful woman who has passed the age of romance, began + in this salon. Its nature was foreshadowed in the tribute La Rochefoucauld + paid to women in his portrait of himself. "Where their intellect is + cultivated," he writes, "I prefer their society to that of men. One finds + there a gentleness one does not meet with among ourselves; and it seems to + me, beyond this, that they express themselves with more neatness, and give + a more agreeable turn to the things they talk about." + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Sable was herself, in less exclusive fashion, the intimate friend + and adviser of Esprit, d'Andilly, and La Rochefoucauld. The letters of + these men show clearly their warm regard as well as the value they + attached to her opinions. "Indeed," wrote Voiture to her many years + before, "those who decry you on the side of tenderness must confess that + if you are not the most loving person in the world, you are at least the + most obliging. True friendship knows no more sweetness than there is in + your words." Her character, so delicately shaded and so averse to all + violent passions, seems to have been peculiarly fitted for this calm and + enduring sentiment which cast a soft radiance, as of Indian summer, over + her closing years. + </p> + <p> + At a later period, the sacred name of friendship was unfortunately used to + veil relations that had lost all the purity and delicacy of their + primitive character. This fact has sometimes been rather illogically + cited, as an argument not only against the moral influence of the salons + but against the intellectual development of women. There is neither excuse + nor palliation to be offered for the Italian manners and the recognized + system of amis intimes, which disgraced the French society the next + century. But, while it is greatly to be deplored that the moral sense has + not always kept pace with the cultivation of the intellect, there is no + reason for believing that license of manners is in any degree the result + of it. There is striking evidence to the contrary, in the incredible + ignorance and laxity that found its reaction in the early salons; also in + the dissolute lives of many distinguished women of rank who had no + pretension to wit or education. The fluctuation of morals, which has + always existed, must be traced to quite other causes. Virtue has not + invariably accompanied intelligence, but it has been still less the + companion of ignorance. + </p> + <p> + It was Mme. de Sable who set the fashion of condensing the thoughts and + experiences of life into maxims and epigrams. This was her specific gift + to literature; but her influence was felt through what she inspired others + to do rather than through what she did herself. It was her good fortune to + be brought into contact with the genius of a Pascal and a La + Rochefoucauld,—men who reared immortal works upon the pastime of an + idle hour. One or two of her own maxims will suffice to indicate her style + as well as to show the estimate she placed upon form and measure in the + conduct of life: + </p> + <p> + A bad manner spoils everything, even justice and reason. The HOW + constitutes the best part of things, and the air which one gives them + gilds, modifies, and softens the most disagreeable. + </p> + <p> + There is a certain command in the manner of speaking and acting, which + makes itself felt everywhere, and which gains, in advance, consideration + and respect. + </p> + <p> + We find here the spirit that underlies French manners, in which form + counts for so much. + </p> + <p> + There is another, which suggests the delicate flavor of sentiment then in + vogue: + </p> + <p> + Wherever it is, love is always the master. It seems truly that it is to + the soul of the one who loves, what the soul is to the body it animates. + </p> + <p> + Among the eminent men who lent so much brilliancy to this salon was the + great jurist Domat. He adds his contribution and falls into the moralizing + vein: + </p> + <p> + A little fine weather, a good word, a praise, a caress, draws me from a + profound sadness from which I could not draw myself by any effort of + meditation. What a machine is my soul, what an abyss of misery and + weakness! + </p> + <p> + Here is one by the Abbe d'Ailly, which foreshadows the thought of the next + century: + </p> + <p> + Too great submission to books, and to the opinions of the ancients, as to + the eternal truths revealed of God, spoils the head and makes pedants. + </p> + <p> + The finest and most vigorous of these choice spirits was Pascal, who + frequented more or less the salon of Mme. de Sable previous to his final + retirement to the gloom and austerity of the cloister. His delicate + platonism and refined spirituality go far towards offsetting the cold + cynicism of La Rochefoucauld. Each gives us a different phase of life as + reflected in a clear and luminous intelligence. The one led to Port Royal, + the other turned an electric light upon the selfish corruption of courts. + Many of the pensees of Pascal were preserved among the records of this + salon, and Cousin finds reason for believing that they were first + suggested and discussed here; he even thinks it possible, if not probable, + that the "Discours sur les Passions de L'amour," which pertains to his + mundane life, and presents the grave and ascetic recluse in a new light, + had a like origin. + </p> + <p> + But the presiding genius was La Rochefoucauld. He complains that the mode + of relaxation is fatiguing, and that the mania for sentences troubles his + repose. The subjects were suggested for conversation, and the thoughts + were condensed and reduced to writing at leisure. "Here are all the maxims + I have," he writes to Mme. de Sable; "but as one gives nothing for + nothing, I demand a potage aux carottes, un ragout de mouton, etc." + </p> + <p> + "When La Rochefoucauld had composed his sentences," says Cousin, "he + talked them over before or after dinner, or he sent them at the end of a + letter. They were discussed, examined, and observations were made, by + which he profited. One could lessen their faults, but one could lend them + no beauty. There was not a delicate and rare turn, a fine and keen touch, + which did not come from him." + </p> + <p> + After availing himself of the general judgment in this way, he took a + novel method of forestalling crtiticism before committing himself to + publication. Mme. de Sable sent a collection of the maxims to her friends, + asking for a written opinion. One is tempted to make long extracts from + their replies. The men usually indorse the worldly sentiments, the women + rarely. The Princesse de Guemene, who, in the decline of her beauty, was + growing devout, and also had apartments for penitential retreat at Port + Royal, responds: "I was just going to write to beg you to send me your + carriage as soon as you had dined. I have yet seen only the first maxims, + as I had a headache yesterday; but those I have read appear to me to be + founded more upon the disposition of the author than upon the truth, for + he believes neither in generosity without interest, nor in pity; that is, + he judges every one by himself. For the greater number of people, he is + right; but surely there are those who desire only to do good." The + Countesse de Maure, who does not believe in the absolute depravity of + human nature, and is inclined to an elevated Christian philosophy quite + opposed to Jansenism, writes with so much severity that she begs her + friend not to show her letter to the author. Mme. de Hautefort expresses + her disapproval of a theory which drives honor and goodness out of the + world. After many clever and well-turned criticisms, she says: "But the + maxim which is quite new to me, and which I admire, is that idleness, + languid as it is, destroys all the passions. It is true, and he had + searched his heart well to find a sentiment so hidden, but so just... I + think one ought, at present, to esteem idleness as the only virtue in the + world, since it is that which uproots all the vices. As I have always had + much respect for it, I am glad it has so much merit." But she adds wisely: + "If I were of the opinion of the author, I would not bring to the light + those mysteries which will forever deprive him of all the confidence one + might have in him." + </p> + <p> + There is one letter, written by the clever and beautiful Eleonore de + Rohan, Abbess de Malnoue, and addressed to the author, which deserves to + be read for its fine and just sentiments. In closing she says: + </p> + <p> + The maxim upon humility appears to me perfectly beautiful; but I have been + so surprised to find it there, that I had the greatest difficulty in + recognizing it in the midst of all that precedes and follows it. It is + assuredly to make this virtue practiced among your own sex, that you have + written maxims in which their self-love is so little flattered. I should + be very much humiliated on my own part, if I did not say to myself what I + have already said to you in this note, that you judge better the hearts of + men than those of women, and that perhaps you do not know yourself the + true motive which makes you esteem them less. If you had always met those + whose temperament had been submitted to virtue, and in whom the senses + were less strong than reason, you would think better of a certain number + who distinguish themselves always from the multitude; and it seems to me + that Mme. de La Fayette and myself deserve that you should have a better + opinion of the sex in general. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de La Fayette writes to the Marquise: "All people of good sense are + not so persuaded of the general corruption as is M. de La Rochefoucauld. I + return to you a thousand thanks for all you have done for this gentleman."—At + a later period she said: "La Rochefoucauld stimulated my intellect, but I + reformed his heart." It is to be regretted that he had not known her + sooner. + </p> + <p> + At his request Mme. de Sable wrote a review of the maxims, which she + submitted to him for approval. It seems to have been a fair presentation + of both sides, but he thought it too severe, and she kindly gave him + permission to change it to suit himself. He took her at her word, dropped + the adverse criticisms, retained the eulogies, and published it in the + "Journal des Savants" as he wished it to go to the world. The diplomatic + Marquise saved her conscience and kept her friend. + </p> + <p> + The maxims of La Rochefoucauld, which are familiar to all, have extended + into a literature. That he generalized from his own point of view, and + applied to universal humanity the motives of a class bent upon favor and + precedence, is certainly true. But whatever we may think of his + sentiments, which were those of a man of the world whose observations were + largely in the atmosphere of courts, we are compelled to admit his + unrivaled finish and perfection of form. Similar theories of human nature + run through the maxims of Esprit and Saint Evremond, without the exquisite + turn which makes each one of La Rochefoucauld's a gem in itself. His tone + was that of a disappointed courtier, with a vein of sadness only half + disguised by cold philosophy and bitter cynicism. La Bruyere, with a + broader outlook upon humanity, had much of the same fine analysis, with + less conciseness and elegance of expression. Vauvenargues and Joubert were + his legitimate successors. But how far removed in spirit! + </p> + <p> + "The body has graces," writes Vauvenargues, "the mind has talents; has the + heart only vices? And man capable of reason, shall he be incapable of + virtue?" + </p> + <p> + With a fine and delicate touch, Joubert says: "Virtue is the health of the + soul. It gives a flavor to the smallest leaves of life." + </p> + <p> + These sentiments are in the vein of Pascal, who represents the most + spiritual element of the little coterie which has left such a legacy of + condensed thought to the world. + </p> + <p> + The crowning act of the life of Mme. de Sable was her defense of Port + Royal. She united with Mme. de Longueville in protecting the persecuted + Jansenists, Nicole and Arnauld, but she had neither the courage, the + heroism, nor the partisan spirit of her more ardent companion. With all + her devotion she was something of a sybarite and liked repose. She had the + tact, during all the troubles which scattered her little circle, to retain + her friends, of whatever religious color, though not without a few + temporary clouds. Her diplomatic moderation did not quite please the + religieuses of Port Royal, and chilled a little her pleasant relations + with d'Andilly. + </p> + <p> + Toward the close of her life, the Marquise was in the habit of secluding + herself for days together, and declining to see even her dearest friends. + The Abbe de la Victoire, piqued at not being received, spoke of her one + day as "the late Mme. la Marquise de Sable." + </p> + <p> + La Rochefoucauld writes to her, "I know no more inventions for entering + your house; I am refused at the door every day." Mme. de La Fayette + declares herself offended, and cites this as a proof of her attachment, + saying, "There are very few people who could displease me by not wishing + to see me." But the friends of the Marquise are disposed to treat her + caprices very leniently. As the years went by and the interests of life + receded, Mme. de Sable became reconciled to the thought that had inspired + her with so much dread. When she died at the advanced age of seventy-nine, + the longed-for transition was only the quiet passing from fevered dreams + to peaceful sleep. + </p> + <p> + It is a singular fact that this refined, exclusive, fastidious woman, in + whom the artistic nature was always dominant to the extent of weakness, + should have left a request to be buried, without ceremony, in the parish + cemetery with the people, remote alike from the tombs of her family and + the saints of Port Royal. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VI. MADAME DE SEVIGNE + </h2> + <p> + <i>Her Genius—Her Youth—Her unworthy Husband—Her + impertinent Cousin—Her love for her Daughter—Her Letters—Hotel + de Carnavalet—Mme. Duiplessis Guenegaud—Mme. de Coulanges—The + Curtain Falls</i> + </p> + <p> + Among the brilliant French women of the seventeenth century, no one is so + well-known today as Mme. de Sevigne. She has not only been sung by poets + and portrayed by historians, but she has left us a complete record of her + own life and her own character. Her letters reflect every shade of her + many-sided nature, as well as the events, even the trifling incidents, of + the world in which she lived; the lineaments, the experiences, the + virtues, and the follies of the people whom she knew. We catch the + changeful tints of her mind that readily takes the complexion of those + about her, while retaining its independence; we are made familiar with her + small joys and sorrows, we laugh with her at her own harmless weaknesses, + we feel the inspiration of her sympathy, we hear the innermost throbbings + of her heart. No one was ever less consciously a woman of letters. No one + would have been more surprised than herself at her own fame. One is + instinctively sure that she would never have seated herself deliberately + to write a book of any sort whatever. While she was planning a form for + her thoughts, they would have flown. She was essentially a woman of the + great world, for which she was fitted by her position, her temperament, + her esprit, her tastes, and her character. She loved its variety, its + movement, its gaiety; she judged leniently even its faults and its + frailties. If they often furnished a target for her wit, behind her + sharpest epigrams one detects an indulgent smile. + </p> + <p> + The natural outlet for her full mind and heart was in conversation. When + she was alone, they found vent in conversation of another sort. She talks + on paper. Her letters have the unstudied freedom, the rapidity, the + shades, the inflections of spoken words. She gives her thoughts their own + course, "with reins upon the neck," as she was fond of saying, and without + knowing where they will lead her. But it is the personal element that + inspires her. Let her heart be piqued, or touched by a profound affection, + and her mind is illuminated; her pen flies. Her nature unveils itself, her + emotions chase one another in quick succession, her thoughts crystallize + with wonderful brilliancy, and the world is reflected in a thousand + varying colors. The sparkling wit, the swift judgment, the subtle insight, + the lightness of touch, the indefinable charm of style—these belong + to her temperament and her genius. But the clearness, the justness of + expression, the precision, the simplicity that was never banal—such + qualities nature does not bestow. One must find their source in careful + training, in wise criticism, in early familiarity with good models. + </p> + <p> + Living from 1626 to 1696, Mme. de Sevigne was en rapport with the best + life of the great century of French letters. She was the granddaughter of + the mystical Mme. de Chantal, who was too much occupied with her convents + and her devotions to give much attention to the little Marie, left an + orphan at the age of six years. The child did not inherit much of her + grandmother's spirit of reverence, and at a later period was wont to + indulge in many harmless pleasantries about her pious ancestress and "our + grandfather, St. Francois de Sales." Deprived so early of the care of a + mother, she was brought up by an uncle, the good Abbe de Coulanges—the + "Bien-Bon"—whose life was devoted to her interests. Though born in + the Place Royale, that long-faded center of so much that was brilliant and + fascinating two centuries ago, much of her youth was passed in the family + chateau at Livry, where she was carefully educated in a far more solid + fashion than was usual among the women of her time. She had an early + introduction to the Hotel de Rambouillet, and readily caught its + intellectual tastes, though she always retained a certain bold freedom of + speech and manners, quite opposed to its spirit. + </p> + <p> + Her instructors were Chapelain and Menage, both honored habitues of that + famous salon. The first was a dull poet, a profound scholar, somewhat of a + pedant, and notoriously careless in his dress—le vieux Chapelain, + his irreverent pupil used to call him. When he died of apoplexy, years + afterwards, she wrote to her daughter: "He confesses by pressing the hand; + he is like a statue in his chair. So God confounds the pride of + philosophers." But he taught her Latin, Spanish, and Italian, made her + familiar with the beauties of Virgil and Tasso, and gave her a critical + taste for letters. + </p> + <p> + Menage was younger, and aspired to be a man of the world as well as a + savant. Repeating one day the remark of a friend, that out of ten things + he knew he had learned nine in conversation, he added, "I could say about + the same thing myself"—a confession that savors more of the salon + than of the library. He had a good deal of learning, but much pretension, + and Moliere has given him an undesirable immortality as Vadius in "Les + Femmes Savantes," in company with his deadly enemy, the Abbe Cotin, who + figures as "Trissotin." It appears that the susceptible savant lost his + heart to his lively pupil, and sighed not only in secret but quite openly. + He wrote her bad verses in several languages, loaded her with eulogies, + and followed her persistently. "The name of Mme. de Sevigne," said the + Bishop of Laon, "is in the works of Menage what Bassan's dog is in his + portraits. He cannot help putting it there." She treated him in a sisterly + fashion that put to flight all sentimental illusions, but she had often to + pacify his wounded vanity. One day, in the presence of several friends, + she gave him a greeting rather more cordial than dignified. Noticing the + looks of surprise, she turned away laughing and said, "So they kissed in + the primitive church." But the wide knowledge and scholarly criticism of + Menage were of great value to the versatile woman, who speedily surpassed + her master in style if not in learning. Evidently she appreciated him, + since she addressed him in one of her letters as "friend of all friends, + the best." + </p> + <p> + At eighteen the gay and unconventional Marie de Rabutin-Chantal was + married to the Marquis de Sevigne; but her period of happiness was a short + one. The husband, who was rich, handsome, and agreeable, proved weak and + faithless. He was one of the temporary caprices of the dangerous Ninon, + led a dashing, irresponsible life, spent his fortune recklessly, and left + his pretty young wife to weep alone at a convenient distance, under the + somber skies of Brittany. Fortunately for her and for posterity, his + career was rapid and brief. For some trifling affair of so-called honor—a + quality of which, from our point of view, he does not seem to have + possessed enough to be worth the trouble of defending—he had the + kindness to get himself killed in a duel, after seven years of marriage. + His spirited wife had loved him sincerely, and first illusions die slowly. + She shed many bitter and natural tears, but she never showed any + disposition to repeat the experiment. Perhaps she was of the opinion of + another young widow who thought it "a fine thing to bear the name of a man + who can commit no more follies." But it is useless to speculate upon the + reasons why a woman does or does not marry. It is certain that the love of + her two children filled the heart of Mme. de Sevigne; her future life was + devoted to their training, and to repairing a fortune upon which her + husband's extravagance had made heavy inroads. + </p> + <p> + But the fascinating widow of twenty-five had a dangerous path to tread. + That she lived in a society so lax and corrupt, unprotected and surrounded + by distinguished admirers, without a shadow of suspicion having fallen + upon her fair reputation is a strong proof of her good judgment and her + discretion. She was not a great beauty, though the flattering verses of + her poet friends might lead one to think so. A complexion fresh and fair, + eyes of remarkable brilliancy, an abundance of blond hair, a face mobile + and animated, and a fine figure—these were her visible attractions. + She danced well, sang well, talked well, and had abounding health. Mme. de + La Fayette made a pen-portrait of her, which was thought to be strikingly + true. It was in the form of a letter from an unknown man. A few extracts + will serve to bring her more vividly before us. + </p> + <p> + "Your mind so adorns and embellishes your person, that there is no one in + the world so fascinating when you are animated by a conversation from + which constraint is banished. All that you say has such a charm, and + becomes you so well, that the words attract the Smiles and the Graces + around you; the brilliancy of your intellect gives such luster to your + complexion and your eyes, that although it seems that wit should touch + only the ears, yours dazzles the sight. + </p> + <p> + "Your soul is great and elevated. You are sensitive to glory and to + ambition, and not less so to pleasures; you were born for them and they + seem to have been made for you... In a word, joy is the true state of your + soul, and grief is as contrary to it as possible. You are naturally tender + and impassioned; there was never a heart so generous, so noble, so + faithful... You are the most courteous and amiable person that ever lived, + and the sweet, frank air which is seen in all your actions makes the + simplest compliments of politeness seem from your lips protestations of + friendship." + </p> + <p> + Mlle. de Scudery sketches her as the Princesse Clarinte in "Clelie," + concluding with these words: "I have never seen together so many + attractions, so much gaiety, so much coquetry, so much light, so much + innocence and virtue. No one ever understood better the art of having + grace without affectation, raillery without malice, gaiety without folly, + propriety without constraint, and virtue without severity." + </p> + <p> + Her malicious cousin, Bussy-Rabutin, who was piqued by her indifference, + and basely wished to avenge himself, said that her "warmth was in her + intellect;" that for a woman of quality she was too badine, too + economical, too keenly alive to her own interests; that she made too much + account of a few trifling words from the queen, and was too evidently + flattered when the king danced with her. This opinion of a vain and + jealous man is not entitled to great consideration, especially when we + recall that he had already spoken of her as "the delight of mankind," and + said that antiquity would have dressed altars for her and she would + "surely have been goddess of something." The most incomprehensible page in + her history is her complaisance towards the persistent impertinences of + this perfidious friend. The only solution of it seems to lie in the + strength of family ties, and in her unwillingness to be on bad terms with + one of her very few near relatives. Bussy-Rabutin was handsome, witty, + brilliant, a bel esprit, a member of the Academie Francaise, and very much + in love with his charming cousin, who clearly appreciated his talents, if + not his character. "You are the fagot of my intellect," she says to him; + but she forbids him to talk of love. Unfortunately for himself, his vanity + got the better of his discretion. He wrote the "Histoire Amoureuse des + Gauls," and raised such a storm about his head by his attack upon many + fair reputations, that, after a few months of lonely meditation in the + Bastille, he was exiled from Paris for seventeen years. Long afterwards he + repented the unkind blow he had given to Mme. de Sevigne, confessed its + injustice, apologized, and made his peace. But the world is less + forgiving, and wastes little sympathy upon the base but clever and + ambitious man who was doomed to wear his restless life away in the + uncongenial solitude of his chateau. + </p> + <p> + Among the numerous adorers of Mme. de Sevigne were the Prince de Conti, + the witty Comte de Lude, the poet Segrais, Fouquet, and Turenne. Her + friendship for the last two seems to have been the most lively and + permanent. We owe to her sympathetic pen the best account of the death of + Turenne. Her devotion to the interests of Fouquet and his family lasted + though the many years of imprisonment that ended only with his life. There + was nothing of the spirit of the courtier in her generous affection for + the friends who were out of favor. The loyalty of her character was + notably displayed in her unwavering attachment to Cardinal de Retz, during + his long period of exile and misfortune, after the Fronde. + </p> + <p> + But one must go outside the ordinary channels to find the veritable + romance of Mme. de Sevigne's life. Her sensibility lent itself with great + facility to impressions, and her gracious manners, her amiable character, + her inexhaustible fund of gaiety could not fail to bring her a host of + admirers. She had doubtless a vein of harmless coquetry, but it was little + more than the natural and variable grace of a frank and sympathetic woman + who likes to please, and who scatters about her the flowers of a rich mind + and heart, without taking violent passions too seriously, if, indeed, she + heeds them at all. Friendship, too, has its shades, its subtleties, its + half-perceptible and quite unconscious coquetries. But the supreme passion + of Mme. de Sevigne was her love for her daughter. It was the exaltation of + her mystical grandmother, in another form. "To love as I love you makes + all other friendships frivolous," she writes. Whatever her gifts and + attractions may have been, she is known to the world mainly through this + affection and the letters which have immortalized it. Nowhere in + literature has maternal love found such complete and perfect expression. + Nowhere do we find a character so clearly self-revealed. Others have + professed to unveil their innermost lives, but there is always a suspicion + of posing in deliberate revelations. Mme. De Sevigne has portrayed herself + unconsciously. It is the experience of yesterday, the thought of today, + the hope of tomorrow, the love that is at once the joy and sorrow of all + the days, that are woven into a thousand varying but living forms. One + naturally seeks in the character of the daughter a key to the absorbing + sentiment which is the inspiration and soul of these letters; but one does + not find it there. More beautiful than her mother, more learned, more + accomplished, she lacked her sympathetic charm. Cold, reserved, timid, and + haughty, without vivacity and apparently without fine sensibility, she was + much admired but little loved by the world in which she lived. "When you + choose, you are adorable," wrote her mother; but evidently she did not + always so choose. Bussy-Rabutin says of her, "This woman has esprit, but + it is esprit soured and of insupportable egotism. She will make as many + enemies as her mother makes friends and adorers." He did not like her, and + one must again take his opinion with reserve; but she says of herself that + she is "of a temperament little communicative." In her mature life she + naively writes: "At first people thought me amiable enough, but when they + knew me better they loved me no more." "The prettiest girl in France," + whose beauty was expected to "set the world on fire," created a mild + sensation at court; was noticed by the king, who danced with her, received + her share of adulation, and finally became the third wife of the Comte de + Grignan, who carried her off to Provence, to the lasting grief of her + adoring mother, and to the great advantage of posterity, which owes to + this fact the series of incomparable letters that made the fame of their + writer, and threw so direct and vivid a light upon an entire generation. + </p> + <p> + The world has been inclined to regard the son of Mme. de Sevigne as the + more lovable of her two children, but she doubtless recognized in his + light and inconsequent character many of the qualities of her husband + which had given her so much sorrow during the brief years of her marriage. + Amiable, affectionate, and not without talent, he was nevertheless the + source of many anxieties and little pride. He followed in the footsteps of + his father, and became a willing victim to the fascinations of Ninon; he + frequented the society of Champmesle, where he met habitually Boileau and + Racine. He recited well, had a fine literary taste, much sensibility, and + a gracious ease of manner that made him many friends. "He was almost as + much loved as I am," remarked the brilliant Mme. de Coulanges, after + accompanying him on a visit to Versailles. He appealed to Mme. de La + Fayette to use her influence with his mother to induce her to pay his + numerous debts. There is a touch of satire in the closing line of the note + in which she intercedes for him. "The great friendship you have for Mme. + de Grignan," she writes, "makes it necessary to show some for her + brother."—But we have glimpses of his weakness and instability in + many of his mother's intimate letters. In the end, however, having + exhausted the pleasures of life and felt the bitterness of its + disappointments, he took refuge in devotion, and died in the odor of + sanctity, after the example of his devout ancestress. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Grignan certainly offered a more solid foundation for her mother's + confidence and affection. It is quite possible, too, that her reserve + concealed graces of character only apparent on a close intimacy. But love + does not wait for reasons, and this one had all the shades and intensities + of a passion, with few of its exactions. D'Andilly called the mother a + "pretty pagan," because she made such an idol of her daughter. She + sometimes has her own misgivings on the score of religion. "I make this a + little Trappe," she wrote from Livry, after the separation. "I wish to + pray to God and make a thousand reflections; but, Ma pauvre chere, what I + do better than all that is to think of you. .. I see you, you are present + to me, I think and think again of everything; my head and my mind are + racked; but I turn in vain, I seek in vain; the dear child whom I love + with so much passion is two hundred leagues away. I have her no more. Then + I weep without the power to help myself." She rings the changes upon this + inexhaustible theme. A responsive word delights her; a brief silence + terrifies her; a slight coldness plunges her into despair. "I have an + imagination so lively that uncertainty makes me die," she writes. If a + shadow of grief touches her idol, her sympathies are overflowing. "You + weep, my very dear child; it is an affair for you; it is not the same + thing for me, it is my temperament." + </p> + <p> + But though this love pulses and throbs behind all her letters, it does not + make up the substance of them. To amuse her daughter she gathers all the + gossip of the court, all the news of her friends; she keeps her au courant + with the most trifling as well as the most important events. Now she + entertains her with a witty description of a scene at Versailles, a + tragical adventure, a gracious word about Mme. Scarron, "who sups with me + every evening," a tender message from Mme. de La Fayette; now it is a + serious reflection upon the death of Turenne, a vivid picture of her own + life, a bit of philosophy, a spicy anecdote about a dying man who takes + forty cups of tea every morning, and is cured. A few touches lay bare a + character or sketch a vivid scene. It is this infinite variety of detail + that gives such historic value to her letters. In a correspondence so + intimate she has no interest to conciliate, no ends to gain. She is simply + a mirror in which the world about her is reflected. + </p> + <p> + But the most interesting thing we read in her letters is the life and + nature of the woman herself. She has a taste for society and for + seclusion, for gaiety and for thought, for friendship and for books. For + the moment each one seems dominant. "I am always of the opinion of the one + heard last," she says, laughing at her own impressibility. It is an + amiable admission, but she has very fine and rational ideas of her own, + notwithstanding. In books, for which she had always a passion, she found + unfailing consolation. Corneille and La Fontaine were her favorite + traveling companions. "I am well satisfied to be a substance that thinks + and reads," she says, finding her good uncle a trifle dull for a compagnon + de voyage. Her tastes were catholic. She read Astree with delight, loved + Petrarch, Ariosto, and Montaigne; Rabelais made her "die of laughter," she + found Plutarch admirable, enjoyed Tacitus as keenly as did Mme. Roland a + century later, read Josephus and Lucian, dipped into the history of the + crusades and of the iconoclasts, of the holy fathers and of the saints. + She preferred the history of France to that of Rome because she had + "neither relatives nor friends in the latter place." She finds the music + of Lulli celestial and the preaching of Bourdaloue divine. Racine she did + not quite appreciate. In his youth, she said he wrote tragedies for + Champmesle and not for posterity. Later she modified her opinion, but + Corneille held always the first place in her affection. She had a great + love for books on morals, read and reread the essays of Nicole, which she + found a perpetual resource against the ills of life—even rain and + bad weather. St. Augustine she reads with pleasure, and she is charmed + with Bossuet and Pascal; but she is not very devout, though she often + tries to be. There is a serious naivete in all her efforts in this + direction. She seems to have always one eye upon the world while she + prays, and she mourns over her own lack of devotion. "I wish my heart were + for God as it is for you," she writes to her daughter. "I am neither of + God nor of the devil," she says again; "that state troubles me though, + between ourselves, I find it the most natural in the world." Her reason + quickly pierces to the heart of superstition; sometimes she cannot help a + touch of sarcasm. "I fear that this trappe, which wishes to pass humanity, + may become a lunatic asylum," she says. She believes little in saints and + processions. Over the high altar of her chapel she writes SOLI DEO HONOR + ET GLORIA. "It is the way to make no one jealous," she remarks. + </p> + <p> + She was rather inclined toward Jansenism, but she could not fathom all the + subtleties of her friends the Port Royalists, and begged them to "have the + kindness, out of pity for her, to thicken their religion a little as it + evaporated in so much reasoning." As she grows older the tone of + seriousness is more perceptible. "If I could only live two hundred years," + she writes, "it seems to me that I might be an admirable person." The + rationalistic tendencies of Mme. de Grignan give her some anxiety, and she + rallies her often upon the doubtful philosophy of her PERE DESCARTES. She + could not admit a theory which pretended to prove that her dog Marphise + had no soul, and she insisted that if the Cartesians had any desire to go + to heaven, it was out of curiosity. "Talk to the Cardinal (de Retz) a + little of your MACHINES; machines that love, machines that have a choice + for some one, machines that are jealous, machines that fear. ALLEZ, ALLEZ, + you are jesting! Descartes never intended to make us believe all that." + </p> + <p> + In her youth Mme. de Sevigne did not like the country because it was windy + and spoiled her beautiful complexion; perhaps, too, because it was lonely. + But with her happy gift of adaptation she came to love its tranquillity. + She went often to the solitary old family chateau in Brittany to make + economies and to retrieve the fortune which suffered successively from the + reckless extravagance of her husband and son, and from the expensive + tastes of the Comte de Grignan, who was acting governor of Provence, and + lived in a state much too magnificent for his resources. Of her life at + The Rocks she has left us many exquisite pictures. "I go out into the + pleasant avenues; I have a footman who follows me; I have books, I change + place, I vary the direction of my promenade; a book of devotion, a book of + history; one changes from one to the other; that gives diversion; one + dreams a little of God, of his providence; one possesses one's soul, one + thinks of the future." + </p> + <p> + She embellishes her park, superintends the planting of trees, and "a + labyrinth from which one could not extricate one's self without the thread + of Ariadne;" she fills her garden with orange trees and jessamine until + the air is so perfumed that she imagines herself in Provence. She sits in + the shade and embroiders while her son "reads trifles, comedies which he + plays like Moliere, verses, romances, tales; he is very amusing, he has + esprit, he is appreciative, he entertains us." She notes the changing + color of the leaves, the budding of the springtime. "It seems to me that + in case of need I should know very well how to make a spring," she writes. + She loves too the "fine, crystal days of autumn." Sometimes, in the + evening, she has "gray-brown thoughts which grow black at night," but she + never dwells upon these. Her "habitual thought—that which one must + have for God, if one does his duty"—is for her daughter. "My dear + child," she writes, "it is only you that I prefer to the tranquil repose I + enjoy here." + </p> + <p> + If her own soul is open to us in all its variable and charming moods, we + also catch in her letters many unconscious reflections of her daughter's + character. She offers her a little needed worldly advice. "Try, my child," + she says, "to adjust yourself to the manners and customs of the people + with whom you live; adapt yourself to that which is not bad; do not be + disgusted with that which is only mediocre; make a pleasure of that which + is not ridiculous." She entreats her to love the little Pauline and not to + scold her, nor send her away to the convent as she did her sister + Marie-Blanche. With what infinite tenderness she always speaks of this + child, smiling at her small outbursts of temper, soothing her little + griefs, and giving wise counsels about her education. Evidently she + doubted the patience of the mother. "You do not yet too well comprehend + maternal love," she writes; "so much the better, my child; it is violent." + </p> + <p> + Unfortunately this adoring mother could not get on very well with her + daughter when they were together. She drowned her with affection, she + fatigued her with care for her health, she was hurt by her ungracious + manner, she was frozen by her indifference in short, they killed each + other. It is not a rare thing to make a cult of a distant idol, and to + find one's self unequal to the perpetual shock of the small collisions + which diversities of taste and temperament render inevitable in daily + intercourse. In this instance, one can readily imagine that a love so + interwoven with every fiber of the mother's life, must have been a little + over-sensitive, a little exacting, a trifle too demonstrative for the + colder nature of the daughter; but that it was the less genuine and + profound, no one who has at all studied the character of Mme. de Sevigne + can for a moment imagine. How she suffers when it becomes necessary for + Mme. de Grignan to go back to Provence! How the tears flow! How readily + she forgives all, even to denying that there is anything to forgive. "A + word, a sweetness, a return, a caress, a tenderness, disarms me, cures me + in a moment," she writes. And again: "Would to God, my daughter, that I + might see you once more at the Hotel de Carnavalet, not for eight days, + nor to make there a penitence, but to embrace you and to make you see + clearly that I cannot be happy without you, and that the chagrins which my + friendship for you might give me are more agreeable than all the false + peace of a wearisome absence." In spite of these little clouds, the old + love is never dimmed; we are constantly bewildered with the inexhaustible + riches of a heart which gives so lavishly and really asks so little for + itself. + </p> + <p> + The Hotel de Carnavalet was one of the social centers of the latter part + of the century, but it was the source of no special literature and of no + new diversions. Mme. de Sevigne was herself luminous, and her fame owes + none of its luster to the reflection from those about her. She was + original and spontaneous. She read because she liked to read, and not + because she wished to be learned. She wrote as she talked, from the + impulse of the moment, without method or aim excepting to follow where her + rapid thought led her. Her taste for society was of the same order. Her + variable and sparkling genius would have broken loose from the formal + conversations and rather studied brilliancy that had charmed her youth at + the Hotel de Rambouillet. The onerous duties of a perpetual hostess would + not have suited her temperament, which demanded its hours of solitude and + repose. But she was devoted to her friends, and there was a delightful + freedom in all her intercourse with them. She has not chronicled her + salon, but she has chronicled her world, and we gather from her letters + the quality of her guests. She liked to pass an evening in the literary + coterie at the Luxembourg; to drop in familiarly upon Mme. de La Fayette, + where she found La Rochefoucauld, Cardinal de Retz, sometimes Segrais, + Huet, La Fontaine, Moliere, and other wits of the time; to sup with Mme. + de Coulanges and Mme. Scarron. She is a constant visitor at the old Hotel + de Nevers, where Marie de Gonzague and the Princesse Palatine had charmed + an earlier generation, and where Mme. Duplessis Guenegaud, a woman of + brilliant intellect, heroic courage, large heart, and pure character, whom + d'Andilly calls one of the great souls, presided over a new circle of + young poets and men of letters, reviving the fading memories of the Hotel + de Rambouillet. Mme. De Sevigne, who had fine dramatic talent, acted here + in little comedies. She heard Boileau read his satires and Racine his + tragedies. She met the witty Chevalier de Chatillon, who asked eight days + to make an impromptu, and Pomponne, who wrote to his father that the great + world he found in this salon did not prevent him from appearing in a gray + habit. In a letter from the country house of Mme. Duplessis, at Fresnes, + to the same Pomponne, then ambassador to Sweden, Mme. de Sevigne says: "I + have M. d'Andilly at my left, that is, on the side of my heart; I have + Mme. de La Fayette at my right; Mme. Duplessis before me, daubing little + pictures; Mme. De Motteville a little further off, who dreams profoundly; + our uncle de Cessac, whom I fear because I do not know him very well." + </p> + <p> + It is this life of charming informality; this society of lettered tastes, + of wit, of talent, of distinction, that she transfers to her own salon. + Its continuity is often broken by her long absences in the country or in + Provence, but her irresistible magnetism quickly draws the world around + her, on her return. In addition to her intimate friends and to men of + letters like Racine, Boileau, Benserade, one meets representatives of the + most distinguished of the old families of France. Conde, Richelieu, + Colberg, Louvois, and Sully are a few among the great names, of which the + list might be indefinitely extended. We have many interesting glimpses of + the Grande Mademoiselle, the "adorable" Duchesse de Chaulnes, the Duc and + Duchesse de Rohan, who were "Germans in the art of savoir-vivre," the + Abbess de Fontevrault, so celebrated for her esprit and her virtue, and a + host of others too numerous to mention. The sculptured portals and + time-stained walls of the Hotel de Carnavalet are still alive with the + memories of these brilliant reunions and the famous people who shone there + two hundred years ago. + </p> + <p> + Among those who exercised the most important influence upon the life of + Mme. de Sevigne was Corbinelli, the wise counselor, who, with a soul + untouched by the storms of adversity through which he had passed, devoted + his life to letters and the interests of his friends. No one had a finer + appreciation of her gifts and her character. Her compared her letters to + those of Cicero, but he always sought to temper her ardor, and to turn her + thoughts toward an elevated Christian philosophy. "In him," said Mme. de + Sevigne, "I defend one who does not cease to celebrate the perfections and + the existence of God; who never judges his neighbor, who excuses him + always; who is insensible to the pleasures and delights of life, and + entirely submissive to the will of Providence; in fine, I sustain the + faithful admirer of Sainte Therese, and of my grandmother, Sainte + Chantal." This gentle, learned, and disinterested man, whose friendship + deepened with years, was an unfailing resource. In her troubles and + perplexities she seeks his advice; in her intellectual tastes she is + sustained by his sympathy. She speaks often of the happy days in Provence, + when, together with her daughter, they translate Tacitus, read Tasso, and + get entangled in endless discussions upon Descartes. Even Mme. de Grignan, + who rarely likes her mother's friends, in the end gives due consideration + to this loyal confidant, though she does not hesitate to ridicule the + mysticism into which he finally drifted. + </p> + <p> + After Mme. de La Fayette, the woman whose relations with Mme. de Sevigne + were the most intimate was Mme. de Coulanges, who merits here more than a + passing word. Her wit was proverbial, her popularity universal. The Leaf, + the Fly, the Sylph, the Goddess, her friend calls her in turn, with many a + light thrust at her volatile but loyal character. This brilliant, + spirituelle, caustic woman was the wife of a cousin of the Marquis de + Sevigne, who was as witty as herself and more inconsequent. Both were + amiable, both sparkled with bons mots and epigrams, but they failed to + entertain each other. The husband goes to Italy or Germany or passes his + time in various chateaux, where he is sure of a warm welcome and good + cheer. The wife goes to Versailles, visits her cousin Louvois, the + Duchesse de Richelieu, and Mme. de Maintenon, who loves her much; or + presides at home over a salon that is always well filled. "Ah, Madame," + said M. de Barillon, "how much your house pleases me! I shall come here + very evening when I am tired of my family." "Monsieur," she replied, "I + expect you tomorrow." When she was ill and likely to die, her husband had + a sudden access of affection, and nursed her with great tenderness. Mme. + de Coulanges dying and her husband in grief, seemed somehow out of the + order of things. "A dead vivacity, a weeping gaiety, these are prodigies," + wrote Mme. de Sevigne. When the wife recovered, however, they took their + separate ways as before. + </p> + <p> + "Your letters are delicious," she wrote once to Mme. de Sevigne, "and you + are as delicious as your letters." Her own were as much sought in her + time, but she had no profound affection to consecrate them and no children + to collect them, so that only a few have been preserved. There is a + curious vein of philosophy in one she wrote to her husband, when the + pleasures of life began to fade. "As for myself, I care little for the + world; I find it no longer suited to my age; I have no engagements, thank + God, to retain me there. I have seen all there is to see. I have only an + old face to present to it, nothing new to show nor to discover there. Ah! + What avails it to recommence every day the visits, to trouble one's self + always about things that do not concern us? .... My dear sir, we must + think of something more solid." She disappears from the scene shortly + after the death of Mme. De Sevigne. Long years of silence and seclusion, + and another generation heard one day that she had lived and that she was + dead. + </p> + <p> + The friends of Mme. de Sevigne slip away one after another; La + Rochefoucauld, De Retz, Mme. de La Fayette are gone. "Alas!" she writes, + "how this death goes running about and striking on all sides." The thought + troubles her. "I am embarked in life without my consent," she says; "I + must go out of it—that overwhelms me. And how shall I go? Whence: By + what door? When will it be? In what disposition: How shall I be with God? + What have I to present to him? What can I hope?—Am I worthy of + paradise? Am I worthy of hell? What an alternative! What a complication! I + would like better to have died in the arms of my nurse." + </p> + <p> + The end came to her in the one spot where she would most have wished it. + She died while on a visit to her daughter in Provence. Strength and + resignation came with the moment, and she faced with calmness and courage + the final mystery. To the last she retained her wit, her vivacity, and + that eternal youth of the spirit which is one of the rarest of God's gifts + to man. "There are no more friends left to me," said Mme. de Coulanges; + and later she wrote to Mme. de Grignan, "The grief of seeing her no longer + is always fresh to me. I miss too many things at the Hotel de Carnavalet." + </p> + <p> + The curtain falls upon this little world which the magical pen of Mme. de + Sevigne has made us know so well. The familiar faces retreat into the + darkness, to be seen no more. But the picture lives, and the woman who has + outlined it so clearly, and colored it so vividly and so tenderly, smiles + upon us still, out of the shadows of the past, crowned with the white + radiance of immortal genius and immortal love. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VII. MADAME DE LA FAYETTE + </h2> + <p> + <i>Her Friendship with Mme. de Sevigne—Her Education—Her + Devotion to the Princess Henrietta—Her Salon—La Rochefoucauld—Talent + as a Diplomatist—Comparison with Mme. de Maintenon Her Literary Work—Sadness + of her Last Days—Woman in Literature</i> + </p> + <p> + "Believe me, my dearest, you are the person in the world whom I have most + truly loved," wrote Mme. de La Fayette to Mme. de Sevigne a short time + before her death. This friendship of more than forty years, which Mme. de + Sevigne said had never suffered the least cloud, was a living tribute to + the mind and heart of both women. It may also be cited for the benefit of + the cynically disposed who declare that feminine friendships are simply + "pretty bows of ribbon" and nothing more. These women were fundamentally + unlike, but they supplemented each other. The character of Mme. de La + Fayette was of firmer and more serious texture. She had greater precision + of thought, more delicacy of sentiment, and affections not less deep. But + her temperament was less sunny, her genius less impulsive, her wit less + sparkling, and her manner less demonstrative. "She has never been without + that divine reason which was her dominant trait," wrote her friend. No + praise pleased her so much as to be told that her judgment was superior to + her intellect, and that she loved truth in all things. "She would not have + accorded the least favor to any one, if she had not been convinced it was + merited," said Segrais; "this is why she was sometimes called hard, though + she was really tender." As an evidence of her candor, he thinks it worth + while to record that "she did not even conceal her age, but told freely in + what year and place she was born." But she combined to an eminent degree + sweetness with strength, sensibility with reason, and it was the blending + of such diverse qualities that gave so rare a flavor to her character. In + this, too, lies the secret of the vast capacity for friendship which was + one of her most salient points. It is through the records which these + friendships have left, through the literary work that formed the solace of + so many hours of sadness and suffering, and through the letters of Mme. de + Sevigne, that we are able to trace the classic outlines of this fine and + complex nature, so noble, so poetic, so sweet, and yet so strong. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de La Fayette was eight years younger than Mme. de Sevigne, and died + three years earlier; hence they traversed together the brilliant world of + the second half of the century of which they are among the most + illustrious representatives. The young Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne + had inherited a taste for letters and was carefully instructed by her + father, who was a field-marshal and the governor of Havre, where he died + when she was only fifteen. She had not passed the first flush of youth + when her mother contracted a second marriage with the Chevalier Renaud de + Sevigne, whose name figures among the frondeurs as the ardent friend of + Cardinal de Retz, and later among the devout Port Royalists. It is a fact + of more interest to us that he was an uncle of the Marquis de Sevigne, and + the best result of the marriage to the young girl, who was not at all + pleased and whose fortunes it clouded a little, was to bring her into + close relations with the woman to whom we owe the most intimate details of + her life. + </p> + <p> + The rare natural gifts of Mlle. De La Vergne were not left without due + cultivation. Rapin and Menage taught her Latin. "That tiresome Menage," as + she lightly called him, did not fail, according to his custom, to lose his + susceptible heart to the remarkable pupil who, after three months of + study, translated Virgil and Horace better than her masters. He put this + amiable weakness on record in many Latin and Italian verses, in which he + addresses her as Laverna, a name more musical than flattering, if one + recalls its Latin significance. She received an education of another sort, + in the salon of her mother, a woman of much intelligence, as well as a + good deal of vanity, who posed a little as a patroness of letters, + gathering about her a circle of beaux esprits, and in other ways signaling + the taste which was a heritage from her Provencal ancestry. On can readily + imagine the rapidity with which the young girl developed in such an + atmosphere. The abbe Costar, "most gallant of pedants and most pedantic of + gallants," who had an equal taste for literature and good dinners, calls + her "the incomparable," sends her his books, corresponds with her, and + expresses his delight at finding her "so beautiful, so spirituelle, so + full of reason." The poet Scarron speaks of her as "toute lumineuse, toute + precieuse." + </p> + <p> + The circle she met in the salon of her godmother, the Duchesse + d'Aiguillon, had no less influence in determining her future fortunes. + With her rare reputation for beauty and esprit, as well as learning, she + took her place early in this brilliant and distinguished society in which + she was to play so graceful and honored a part. She was sought and admired + not only by the men of letters who were so cordially welcomed by the + favorite niece of Richelieu, but by the gay world that habitually + assembled at the Petit Luxembourg. It was here that she perfected the tone + of natural elegance which always distinguished her and made her + conspicuous even at court, where she passed so many years of her life. + </p> + <p> + She was not far from twenty-one when she became the wife of the Comte de + La Fayette, of whom little is known save that he died early, leaving her + with two sons. He is the most shadowy of figures, and whether he made her + life happy or sad does not definitely appear, though there is a vague + impression that he left something to be desired in the way of devotion. A + certain interest attaches to him as the brother of the beautiful Louise de + La Fayette, maid of honor to Anne of Austria, who fled from the + compromising infatuation of Louis XIII, to hide her youth and fascinations + in the cloister, under the black robe and the cherished name of Mere + Angelique de Chaillot. + </p> + <p> + The young, brilliant, and gifted comtesse goes to the convent to visit her + gently austere sister-in-law, and meets there the Princess Henrietta of + England, than a child of eleven years. The attraction is mutual and ripens + into a deep and lasting friendship. When this graceful and light-hearted + girl becomes the Duchesse d'Orleans, and sister-in-law of the king, she + attaches her friend to her court and makes her the confidante of her + romantic experiences. "Do you not think," she said to her one day, "that + if all which has happened to me, and the things relating to it, were told + it would make a fine story? You write well; write; I will furnish you good + materials." The interesting memorial, to which madame herself contributes + many pages, is interrupted by the mysterious death of the gay and charming + woman who had found so sympathetic and so faithful a chronicler. She + breathed her last sigh in the arms of this friend. "It is one of those + sorrows for which one never consoles one's self, and which leave a shadow + over the rest of one's life," wrote Mme. de La Fayette. She had no heart + to finish the history, and added only the few simple lines that record the + touching incidents which left upon her so melancholy and lasting an + impression. She did not care to remain longer at court, where she was + constantly reminded of her grief, and retired permanently from its + gaieties; but in these years of intimacy with one of its central figures, + she had gained an insight into its spirit and its intrigues, which was of + inestimable value in the memoirs and romances of her later years. + </p> + <p> + The natural place of Mme. de La Fayette was in a society of more serious + tone and more lettered tastes. In her youth she had been taken by her + mother to the Hotel de Rambouillet, and she always retained much of its + spirit, without any of its affectations. We find her sometimes at the + Samedis, and she belonged to the exclusive coterie of the Grande + Mademoiselle, at the Luxembourg, where her facile pen was in demand for + the portraits so much in vogue. She was also a frequent visitor in the + literary salon of Mme. de Sable, at Port Royal. It was here that her + friendship with La Rochefoucauld glided imperceptibly into the intimacy + which became so important a feature in her life. This intimacy was + naturally a matter of some speculation, but the world made up its mind of + its perfectly irreproachable character. "It appears to be only + friendship," writes Mme. de Scudery to Bussy-Rabutin; "in short the fear + of God on both sides, and perhaps policy, have cut the wings of love. She + is his favorite and his first friend." "I do not believe he has ever been + what one calls in love," writes Mme. de Sevigne. But this friendship was a + veritable romance, without any of the storms or vexations or jealousies of + a passionate love. "You may imagine the sweetness and charm of an + intercourse full of all the friendship and confidence possible between two + people whose merit is not ordinary," she says again; "add to this the + circumstance of their bad health, which rendered them almost necessary to + each other, and gave them the leisure not to be found in other relations, + to enjoy each other's good qualities. It seems to me that at court people + have no time for affection; the whirlpool which is so stormy for others + was peaceful for them, and left ample time for the pleasures of a + friendship so delicious. I do not believe that any passion can surpass the + strength of such a tie." + </p> + <p> + In the earlier stages of this intimacy, Mme. de La Fayette was a little + sensitive as to how the world might regard it, as may be seen in a note to + Mme. de Sable, in which she asks her to explain it to the young Comte de + Saint-Paul, a son of Mme. de Longueville. + </p> + <p> + "I beg of you to speak of the matter in such a way as to put out of his + head the idea that it is anything serious," she writes. "I am not + sufficiently sure what you think of it yourself to feel certain that you + will say the right thing, and it may be necessary to begin by convincing + my embassador. However, I must trust to your tact, which is superior to + ordinary rules. Only convince him. I dislike mortally that people of his + age should imagine that I have affairs of gallantry. It seems to them that + every one older than themselves is a hundred, and they are astonished that + such should be regarded of any account. Besides, he would believe these + things of M. de La Rochefoucauld more readily than of any one else. In + fine, I do not want him to think anything about it except that the + gentleman is one of my friends." + </p> + <p> + The picture we have of La Rochefoucauld from the pen of Mme. de Sevigne + has small resemblance to the ideal that one forms of the cynical author of + the Maxims. He had come out of the storms of the Fronde a sad and + disappointed man. The fires of his nature seem to have burned out with the + passions of his youth, if they had ever burned with great intensity. "I + have seen love nowhere except in romances," he says, and even his devotion + to Mme. de Longueville savors more of the ambitious courtier than of the + lover. His nature was one that recoiled from all violent commotions of the + soul. The cold philosophy of the Maxims marked perhaps the reaction of his + intellect against the disenchanting experiences of his life. In the + tranquil atmosphere of Mme. de Sable he found a certain mental + equilibrium; but his character was finally tempered and softened by the + gentle influence of Mme. de La Fayette, whose exquisite poise and delicacy + were singularly in harmony with a nature that liked nothing in + exaggeration. "I have seen him weep with a tenderness that made me adore + him," writes Mme. de Sevigne, after the death of his mother. "The heart or + M. de La Rochefoucauld for his family is a thing incomparable." When the + news came that his favorite grandson had been killed in battle, she says + again: "I have seen his heart laid bare in this cruel misfortune; he ranks + first among all I have ever known for courage, fortitude, tenderness, and + reason; I count for nothing his esprit and his charm." In all the + confidences of the two women, La Rochefoucauld makes a third. He seems + always to be looking over the shoulder of Mme. de La Fayette while she + writes to the one who "satisfies his idea of friendship in all its + circumstances and dependences"; adding usually a message, a line or a + pretty compliment to Mme. de Grignan that is more amiable than sincere, + because he knows it will gladden the heart of her adoring mother. + </p> + <p> + The side of Mme. de La Fayette which has the most fascination for us is + this intimate life of which Mme. de Sevigne gives such charming glimpses. + For a moment it was her ambition to establish a popular salon, a role for + which she had every requisite of position, talent, and influence. "She + presumed very much upon her esprit," says Gourville, who did not like her, + "and proposed to fill the place of the Marquise de Sable, to whom all the + young people were in the habit of paying great deference, because, after + she had fashioned them a little, it was a passport for entering the world; + but this plan did not succeed, as Mme. de La Fayette was not willing to + give her time to a thing so futile." One can readily understand that it + would not have suited her tastes or her temperament. Besides, her health + was too delicate, and her moods were too variable. "You know how she is + weary sometimes of the same thing," wrote Mme. de Sevigne. But she had her + coterie, which was brilliant in quality if not in numbers. The fine house + with its pretty garden, which may be seen today opposite the Petit + Luxembourg, was a favorite meeting place for a distinguished circle. The + central figure was La Rochefoucauld. Every day he came in and seated + himself in the fauteuil reserved for him. One is reminded of the little + salon in the Abbaye-aux-Bois, where more than a century later + Chateaubriand found the pleasure and the consolation of his last days in + the society of Mme. Recamier. They talk, they write, they criticize each + other, they receive their friends. The Cardinal de Retz comes in, and they + recall the fatal souvenirs of the Fronde. Perhaps he thinks of the time + when he found the young Mlle. De LaVergne pretty and amiable, and she did + not smile upon him. The Prince de Conde is there sometimes, and honors her + with his confidence, which Mme. de Sevigne thinks very flattering, as he + does not often pay such consideration to women. Segrais has transferred + his allegiance from the Grande Mademoiselle to Mme. de La Fayette, and is + her literary counselor as well as a constant visitor. La Fontaine, "so + well known by his fables and tales, and sometimes so heavy in + conversation," may be found there. Mme. de Sevigne comes almost every day + with her sunny face and her witty story. "The Mist" she calls Mme. de La + Fayette, who is so often ill and sad. She might have called herself The + Sunbeam, though she, too, has her hours when she can only dine tete-a-tete + with her friend, because she is "so gloomy that she cannot support four + people together." Mme. de Coulanges adds her graceful, vivacious, and + sparkling presence. Mme. Scarron, before her days of grandeur, is + frequently of the company, and has lost none of the charm which made the + salon of her poet-husband so attractive during his later years. "She has + an amiable and marvelously just mind," says Mme. de Sevigne... "It is + pleasant to hear her talk. These conversations often lead us very far, + from morality to morality, sometimes Christian, sometimes political." This + circle was not limited however to a few friends, and included from time to + time the learning, the elegance and the aristocracy of Paris. + </p> + <p> + But Mme. de La Fayette herself is the magnet that quietly draws together + this fascinating world. In her youth she had much life and vivacity, + perhaps a spice of discreet coquetry, but at this period she was serious, + and her fresh beauty had given place to the assured and captivating grace + of maturity. She had a face that might have been severe in its strength + but for the sensibility expressed in the slight droop of the head to one + side, the tender curve of the full lips, and the variable light of the + dark, thoughtful eyes. In her last years, when her stately figure had + grown attenuated, and her face was pallid with long suffering, the + underlying force of her character was more distinctly defined in the clear + and noble outlines of her features. Her nature was full of subtle shades. + Over her reserved strength, her calm judgment, her wise penetration played + the delicate light of a lively imagination, the shifting tints of a tender + sensibility. Her sympathy found ready expression in tears, and she could + not even bear the emotion of saying good-by to Mme. de Sevigne when she + was going away to Provence. But her accents were always tempered, and her + manners had the gracious and tranquil ease of a woman superior to + circumstances. Her extreme frankness lent her at times a certain + sharpness, and she deals many light blows at the small vanities and + affectations that come under her notice. "Mon Dieu," said the frivolous + Mme. de Marans to her one day, "I must have my hair cut." "Mon Dieu," + replied Mme. de La Fayette simply, "do not have it done; that is becoming + only to young persons." Gourville said she was imperious and over-bearing, + scolding those she loved best, as well as those she did not love. But this + valet-de-chambre of La Rochefoucauld, who amassed a fortune and became a + man of some note, was jealous of her influence over his former master, and + his opinions should be taken with reservation. Her delicate satire may + have been sometimes a formidable weapon, but it was directed only against + follies, and rarely, if ever, used unkindly. She was a woman for + intimacies, and it is to those who knew her best that we must look for a + just estimate of her qualities. "You would love her as soon as you had + time to be with her, and to become familiar with her esprit and her + wisdom," wrote Mme. de Sevigne to her daughter, who was disposed to be + critical; "the better one knows her, the more one is attached to her." + </p> + <p> + One must also take into consideration her bad health. People thought her + selfish or indifferent when she was only sad and suffering. For more than + twenty years she was ill, consumed by a slow fever which permitted her to + go out only at intervals. La Rochefoucauld had the gout, and they consoled + each other. Mme. de Sevigne thought it better not to have the genius of a + Pascal, than to have so many ailments. "Mme. De La Fayette is always + languishing, M. de La Rochefoucauld always lame," she writes; "we have + conversations so sad that it seems as if there were nothing more to do but + to bury us; the garden of Mme. de La Fayette is the prettiest spot in the + world, everything blooming, everything perfumed; we pass there many + evenings, for the poor woman does not dare go out in a carriage." "Her + health is never good," she writes again, "nevertheless she sends you word + that she should not like death better; AU CONTRAIRE." There are times when + she can no longer "think, or speak, or answer, or listen; she is tired of + saying good morning and good evening." Then she goes away to Meudon for a + few days, leaving La Rochefoucauld "incredibly sad." She speaks for + herself in a letter from the country house which Gourville has placed at + her disposal. + </p> + <p> + "I am at Saint Maur; I have left all my affairs and all my husbands; I + have my children and the fine weather; that suffices. I take the waters of + Forges; I look after my health, I see no one. I do not mind at all the + privation; every one seems to me so attached to pleasures which depend + entirely upon others, that I find my disposition a gift of the fairies. + </p> + <p> + "I do not know but Mme de Coulanges has already sent you word of our + after-dinner conversations at Gourville's about people who have taste + above or below their intelligence. Mme. Scarron and the Abbe Tetu were + there; we lost ourselves in subtleties until we no longer understood + anything. If the air of Provence, which subtilizes things still more, + magnifies for you our visions, you will be in the clouds. You have taste + below your intelligence; so has M. de La Rochefoucauld; and myself also, + but not so much as you two. VOILA an example which will guide you." + </p> + <p> + She disliked writing letters, and usually limited herself to a few plain + facts, often in her late years to a simple bulletin of her health. This + negligence was the subject of many passages-at-arms between herself and + Mme. de Sevigne. "If I had a lover who wished my letters every morning, I + would break with him," she writes. "Do not measure our friendship by our + letters. I shall love you as much in writing you only a page in a month, + as you me in writing ten in eight days." Again she replies to some + reproach: "Make up your mind, ma belle, to see me sustain, all my life, + with the whole force of my eloquence, that I love you still more than you + love me. I will make Corbinelli agree with me in a quarter of an hour; + your distrust is your sole defect, and the only thing in you that can + displease me." + </p> + <p> + But in spite of a certain apparent indolence, and her constant ill health, + there were many threads that connected with the outside world the pleasant + room in which Mme. de La Fayette spent so many days of suffering. "She + finds herself rich in friends from all sides and all conditions," writes + Mme. de Sevigne; "she has a hundred arms; she reaches everywhere. Her + children appreciate all this, and thank her every day for possessing a + spirit so engaging." She goes to Versailles, on one of her best days, to + thank the king for a pension, and receives so many kind words that it + "suggests more favors to come." He orders a carriage and accompanies her + with other ladies through the park, directing his conversation to her, and + seeming greatly pleased with her judicious praise. She spends a few days + at Chantilly, where she is invited to all the fetes, and regrets that Mme. + de Sevigne could not be with her in that charming spot, which she is + "fitted better than anyone else to enjoy." No one understands so well the + extent of her influence and her credit as this devoted friend, who often + quotes her to Mme. de Grignan as a model. "Never did any one accomplish so + much without leaving her place," she says. + </p> + <p> + But there was one phase in the life of Mme. de La Fayette which was not + fully confided even to Mme. de Sevigne. It concerns a chapter of obscure + political history which it is needless to dwell upon here, but which + throws much light upon her capacity for managing intricate affairs. Her + connection with it was long involved in mystery, and was only unveiled in + a correspondence given to the world at a comparatively recent date. It was + in the salon of the Grande Mademoiselle that she was thrown into frequent + relations with the two daughters of Charles Amedee de Savoie, Duc de + Nemours, one of whom became Queen of Portugal, the other Duchesse de + Savoie and, later, Regent during the minority of her son. These relations + resulted in one of the ardent friendships which played so important a part + in her career. Her intercourse with the beautiful but vain, intriguing, + and imperious Duchesse de Savoie assumed the proportion of a delicate + diplomatic mission. "Her salon," says Lescure, "was, for the affairs of + Savoy, a center of information much more important in the eyes of shrewd + politicians than that of the ambassador." She not only looked after the + personal matters of Mme. Royale, but was practically entrusted with the + entire management of her interests in Paris. From affairs of state and + affairs of the heart to the daintiest articles of the toilette her + versatile talent is called into requisition. Now it is a message to + Louvois or the king, now a turn to be adroitly given to public opinion, + now the selection of a perfume or a pair of gloves. "She watches + everything, thinks of everything, combines, visits, talks, writes, sends + counsels, procures advice, baffles intrigues, is always in the breach, and + renders more service by her single efforts than all the envoys avowed or + secret whom the Duchesse keeps in France." Nor is the value of these + services unrecognized. "Have I told you," wrote Mme. de Sevigne to her + daughter, "that Mme. de Savoie has sent a hundred ells of the finest + velvet in the world to Mme. de La Fayette, and a hundred ells of satin to + line it, and two days ago her portrait, surrounded with diamonds, which is + worth three hundred louis?" + </p> + <p> + The practical side of Mme. de La Fayette's character was remarkable in a + woman of so fine a sensibility and so rare a genius. Her friends often + sought her counsel; and it was through her familiarity with legal + technicalities that La Rochefoucauld was enabled to save his fortune, + which he was at one time in danger of losing. In clear insight, profound + judgment, and knowledge of affairs, she was scarcely, if at all, surpassed + by Mme. de Maintenon, the feminine diplomatist par excellence of her time, + though her field of action was less broad and conspicuous. But her love of + consideration was not so dominant and her ambition not so active. It was + one of her theories that people should live without ambition as well as + without passion. "It is sufficient to exist," she said. Her energy when + occasion called for it does not quite accord with this passive philosophy, + and suggests at least a vast reserved force; but if she directed her + efforts toward definite ends it was usually to serve other interests than + her own. She had been trained in a different school from Mme. de + Maintenon, her temperament was modified by her frail health, and the + prizes of life had come to her apparently without special exertion. She + was a woman, too, of more sentiment and imagination. Her fastidious + delicacy and luxurious tastes were the subject of critical comment on the + part of this austere censor, who condemned the gilded decorations of her + bed as a useless extravagance, giving the characteristic reason that "the + pleasure they afforded was not worth the ridicule they excited." The old + friendship that had existed when Mme. Scarron was living in such elegant + and mysterious seclusion, devoting herself to the king's children, and + finding her main diversion in the little suppers enlivened by the wit of + Mme. de Sevigne and Mme. de Coulanges, and the more serious, but not less + agreeable, conversation of Mme. de La Fayette, had evidently grown cool. + They had their trifling disagreements. "Mme. de La Fayette puts too high a + price upon her friendship," wrote Mme. de Maintenon, who had once attached + such value to a few approving words from her. In her turn Mme. de La + Fayette indulged in a little light satire. Referring to the comedy of + Esther, which Racine had written by command for the pupils at Saint Cyr, + she said, "It represents the fall of Mme. de Montespan and the rise of + Mme. de Maintenon; all the difference is that Esther was rather younger, + and less of a precieuse in the matter of piety." There was certainly less + of the ascetic in Mme. de La Fayette. She had more color and also more + sincerity. In symmetry of character, in a certain feminine quality of + taste and tenderness, she was superior, and she seems to me to have been + of more intrinsic value as a woman. Whether under the same conditions she + would have attained the same power may be a question. If not, I think it + would have been because she was unwilling to pay the price, not because + she lacked the grasp, the tact, or the diplomacy. + </p> + <p> + It is mainly as a woman of letters that Mme. de La Fayette is known today, + and it was through her literary work that she made the strongest + impression upon her time. Boileau said that she had a finer intellect and + wrote better than any other woman in France. But she wrote only for the + amusement of idle or lonely hours, and always avoided any display of + learning, in order not to attract jealousy as well as from instinctive + delicacy of taste. "He who puts himself above others," she said, "whatever + talent he may possess, puts himself below his talent." But her natural + atmosphere was an intellectual one, and the friend of La Rochefoucauld, + who would have "liked Montaigne for a neighbor," had her own message for + the world. Her mind was clear and vigorous, her taste critical and severe, + and her style had a flexible quality that readily took the tone of her + subject. In concise expression she doubtless profited much from the author + of the MAXIMS, who rewrote many of his sentences at least thirty times. "A + phrase cut out of a book is worth a louis d'or," she said, "and every word + twenty sous." Unfortunately her "Memoires de la Cour de France" is + fragmentary, as her son carelessly lent the manuscripts, and many of them + were lost. But the part that remains gives ample evidence of the breadth + of her intelligence, the penetrating, lucid quality of her mind, and her + talent for seizing the salient traits of the life about her. In her + romances, which were first published under the name of Segrais, one finds + the touch of an artist, and the subtle intuitions of a woman. In the rapid + evolution of modern taste and the hopeless piling up of books, these works + have fallen somewhat into the shade, but they are written with a vivid + naturalness of style, a truth of portraiture, and a delicacy of sentiment, + that commend them still to all lovers of imaginative literature. + Fontenelle read the "Princesse de Cleves" four times when it appeared. La + Harpe said it was "the first romance that offered reasonable adventures + written with interest and elegance." It marked an era in the history of + the novel. "Before Mme. de La Fayette," said Voltaire, "people wrote in a + stilted style of improbable things." We have the rare privilege of reading + her own criticism in a letter to the secretary of the Duchesse de Savoie, + in which she disowns the authorship, and adds a few lines of discreet + eulogy. + </p> + <p> + "As for myself," she writes, "I am flattered at being suspected of it. I + believe I should acknowledge the book, if I were assured the author would + never appear to claim it. I find it very agreeable and well written + without being excessively polished, full of things of admirable delicacy, + which should be read more than once; above all, it seems to be a perfect + presentation of the world of the court and the manner of living there. It + is not romantic or ambitious; indeed it is not a romance; properly + speaking, it is a book of memoirs, and that I am told was its title, but + it was changed. VOILA, monsieur, my judgment upon Mme. De Cleves; I ask + yours, for people are divided upon this book to the point of devouring + each other. Some condemn what others admire; whatever you may say, do not + fear to be alone in your opinion." + </p> + <p> + Sainte-Beuve, whose portrait of Mme. de La Fayette is so delightful as to + make all others seem superfluous, has devoted some exquisite lines to this + book. "It is touching to think," he writes, "of the peculiar situation + which gave birth to these beings so charming, so pure, these characters so + noble and so spotless, these sentiments so fresh, so faultless, so + tender;" how Mme. de La Fayette put into it all that her loving, poetic + soul retained of its first, ever-cherished dreams, and how M. de La + Rochefoucauld was pleased doubtless to find once more in "M. De Nemours" + that brilliant flower of chivalry which he had too much misused—a + sort of flattering mirror in which he lived again his youth. Thus these + two old friends renewed in imagination the pristine beauty of that age + when they had not known each other, hence could not love each other. The + blush so characteristic of Mme. De Cleves, and which at first is almost + her only language, indicates well the design of the author, which is to + paint love in its freshest, purest, vaguest, most adorable, most + disturbing, most irresistible—in a word, in its own color. It is + constantly a question of that joy which youth joined to beauty gives, of + the trouble and embarrassment that love causes in the innocence of early + years, in short, of all that is farthest from herself and her friend in + their late tie." + </p> + <p> + But whatever tints her tender and delicate imaginings may have taken from + her own soul, Mme. de La Fayette has caught the eternal beauty of a pure + and loyal spirit rising above the mists of sense into the serene air of a + lofty Christian renunciation. + </p> + <p> + The sad but triumphant close of her romance foreshadowed the swift + breaking up of her own pleasant life. In 1680, not long after the + appearance of the "Princesse de Cleves," La Rochefoucauld died, and the + song of her heart was changed to a miserere. "Mme. de La Fayette has + fallen from the clouds," says Mme. de Sevigne. "Where can she find such a + friend, such society, a like sweetness, charm, confidence, consideration + for her and her son?" A little later she writes from The Rocks, "Mme. de + La Fayette sends me word that she is more deeply affected than she herself + believed, being occupied with her health and her children; but these cares + have only rendered more sensible the veritable sadness of her heart. She + is alone in the world... The poor woman cannot close the ranks so as to + fill this place." + </p> + <p> + The records of the thirteen years that remain to Mme. de La Fayette are + somber and melancholy. "Nothing can replace the blessings I have lost," + she says. Restlessly she seeks diversion in new plans. She enlarges her + house as her horizon diminishes; she finds occupation in the affairs of + Mme. Royale and interests herself in the marriage of the daughter of her + never-forgotten friend, the Princess Henrietta, with the heir to the + throne of Savoy. She writes a romance without the old vigor, occupies + herself with historic reminiscences, and takes a passing refuge in an + ardent affection for the young Mme. de Schomberg, which excites the + jealousy of some older friends. But the strongest link that binds her to + the world is the son whose career opens so brilliantly as a young officer + and for whom she secures an ample fortune and a fine marriage. In this son + and the establishment of a family centered all her hopes and ambitions. + She was spared the pain of seeing them vanish like the "baseless fabric of + a vision." The object of so many cares survived her less than two years; + her remaining son and the only person left to represent her was the abbe + who had so little care for her manuscripts and her literary fame. A + century later, through a collateral branch of the family, the glory of the + name was revived by the distinguished general so dear to the American + heart. It was in the less tangible realm of the intellect that Mme. de La + Fayette was destined to an unlooked-for immortality. + </p> + <p> + But in spite of these interests, the sense of loneliness and desolation is + always present. Her few letters give us occasional flashes of the old + spirit, but the burden of them is inexpressibly sad. Her sympathies and + associations led her toward a mild form of Jansenism, and as the evening + shadows darkened, her thoughts turned to fresh speculations upon the + destiny of the soul. She went with Mme. de Coulanges to visit Mme. de La + Sabliere, who was expiating the errors and follies of her life in austere + penitence at the Incurables. The devotion of this once gay and brilliant + woman, who had been so deeply tinged with the philosophy of Descartes, + touched her profoundly, and suggested a source of consolation which she + had never found. She sought the counsels of her confessor, who did not + spare her, and though she was never sustained by the ardor and exaltation + of the religieuse, her last days were not without peace and a tranquil + hope. To the end she remained a gracious, thoughtful, self-poised, + calmly-judging woman whose illusions never blinded her to the simple facts + of existence, though sometimes throwing over them a transparent veil woven + from the tender colors of her own heart. Above the weariness and + resignation of her last words written to Mme. de Sevigne sounds the + refrain of a life that counts among its crowning gifts and graces a genius + for friendship. + </p> + <p> + "Alas, ma belle, all I have to tell you of my health is very bad; in a + word, I have repose neither night nor day, neither in body nor in mind. I + am no more a person either by one or the other. I perish visibly. I must + end when it pleases God, and I am submissive. BELIEVE ME, MY DEAREST, YOU + ARE THE PERSON IN THE WORLD WHOM I HAVE MOST TRULY LOVED." + </p> + <p> + Mme. de La Fayette represents better than any other woman the social and + literary life of the last half of the seventeenth century. Mme. de Sevigne + had an individual genius that might have made itself equally felt in any + other period. Mme. de Maintenon, whom Roederer regards as the true + successor of Mme. de Rambouillet, was narrowed by personal ambition, and + by the limitations of her early life. Born in a prison, reared in poverty, + wife in name, but practically secretary and nurse of a crippled, witty, + and licentious poet over whose salon she presided brilliantly; discreet + and penniless widow, governess of the illegitimate children of the king, + adviser and finally wife of that king, friend of Ninon, model of virtue, + femme d'esprit, politician, diplomatist, and devote—no fairy tale + can furnish more improbable adventures and more striking contrasts. But + she was the product of exceptional circumstances joined to an exceptional + nature. It is true she put a final touch upon the purity of manners which + was so marked a feature of the Hotel de Rambouillet, and for a long period + gave a serious tone to the social life of France. But she ruled through + repression, and one is inclined to accept the opinion of Sainte-Beuve that + she does not represent the distinctive social current of the time. In Mme. + de La Fayette we find its delicacy, its courtesy, its elegance, its + intelligence, its critical spirit, and its charm. + </p> + <p> + In considering the great centers in which the fashionable, artistic, + literary, and scientific Paris of the seventeenth century found its + meeting ground, one is struck with the practical training given to its + versatile, flexible feminine minds. Women entered intelligently and + sympathetically into the interests of men, who, in turn, did not reserve + their best thoughts for the club or an after-dinner talk among themselves. + There was stimulus as well as diversity in the two modes of thinking and + being. Men became more courteous and refined, women more comprehensive and + clear. But conversation is the spontaneous overflow of full minds, and the + light play of the intellect is only possible on a high level, when the + current thought has become a part of the daily life, so that a word + suggests infinite perspectives to the swift intelligence. It is not what + we know, but the flavor of what we know, that adds"sweetness and light" to + social intercourse. With their rapid intuition and instinctive love of + pleasing, these French women were quick to see the value of a ready + comprehension of the subjects in which clever men are most interested. It + was this keen understanding, added to the habit of utilizing what they + thought and read, their ready facility in grasping the salient points + presented to them, a natural gift of graceful expression, with a delicacy + of taste and an exquisite politeness which prevented them from being + aggressive, that gave them their unquestioned supremacy in the salons + which made Paris for so long a period the social capital of Europe. It was + impossible that intellects so plastic should not expand in such an + atmosphere, and the result is not difficult to divine. From Mme. de + Rambouillet to Mme. de La Fayette and Mme. de Sevigne, from these to Mme. + de Stael and George Sand, there is a logical sequence. The Saxon + temperament, with a vein of La Bruyere, gives us George Eliot. + </p> + <p> + This new introduction of the feminine element into literature, which is + directly traceable to the salons of the seventeenth century, suggests a + point of special interest to the moralist. It may be assumed that, whether + through nature or a long process of evolution, the minds of women as a + class have a different coloring from the minds of men as a class. Perhaps + the best evidence of this lies in the literature of the last two + centuries, in which women have been an important factor, not only through + what they have done themselves, but through their reflex influence. The + books written by them have rapidly multiplied. Doubtless, the excess of + feeling is often unbalanced by mental or artistic training; but even in + the crude productions, which are by no means confined to one sex, it may + be remarked that women deal more with pure affections and men with the + coarser passions. A feminine Zola of any grade of ability has not yet + appeared. + </p> + <p> + It is not, however, in literature of pure sentiment that the influence of + women has been most felt. It is true that, as a rule, they look at the + world from a more emotional standpoint than men, but both have written of + love, and for one Sappho there have been many Anacreons. Mlle. de Scudery + and Mme. de La Fayette did not monopolize the sentiment of their time, but + they refined and exalted it. The tender and exquisite coloring of Mme. de + Stael and George Sand had a worthy counterpart in that of Chateaubriand or + Lamartine. But it is in the moral purity, the touch of human sympathy, the + divine quality of compassion, the swift insight into the soul pressed down + by + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + The heavy and weary weight + Of all this unintelligible world, +</pre> + <p> + that we trace the minds of women attuned to finer spiritual issues. This + broad humanity has vitalized modern literature. It is the penetrating + spirit of our century, which has been aptly called the Woman's Century. We + do not find it in the great literatures of the past. The Greek poets give + us types of tragic passions, of heroic virtues, of motherly and wifely + devotion, but woman is not recognized as a profound spiritual force. This + masculine literature, so perfect in form and plastic beauty, so vigorous, + so statuesque, so calm, and withal so cold, shines across the centuries + side by side with the feminine Christian ideal—twin lights which + have met in the world of today. It may be that from the blending of the + two, the crowning of a man's vigor with a woman's finer insight, will + spring the perfected flower of human thought. + </p> + <p> + Robert Browning in his poem "By the Fireside" has said a fitting word: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Oh, I must feel your brain prompt mine, + Your heart anticipate my heart. + You must be just before, in fine, + See and make me see, for your part, + New depths of the Divine! +</pre> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VIII. SALONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY + </h2> + <p> + <i>Characteristics of the Eighteenth Century—Its Epicurean + Philosophy—Anecdote of Mme. du Deffand—the Salon an Engine of + Political Power—Great Influence of Women—Salons Defined + Literary Dinners—Etiquette of the Salons—An Exotic on American + Soil.</i> + </p> + <p> + The traits which strike us most forcibly in the lives and characters of + the women of the early salons, which colored their minds, ran through + their literary pastimes, and gave a distinctive flavor to their + conversation, are delicacy and sensibility. It was these qualities, added + to a decided taste for pleasures of the intellect, and an innate social + genius, that led them to revolt from the gross sensualism of the court, + and form, upon a new basis, a society that has given another complexion to + the last two centuries. The natural result was, at first, a reign of + sentiment that was often over-strained, but which represented on the whole + a reaction of morality and refinement. The wits and beauties of the Salon + Bleu may have committed a thousand follies, but their chivalrous codes of + honor and of manners, their fastidious tastes, even their prudish + affectations, were open though sometimes rather bizarre tributes to the + virtues that lie at the very foundation of a well-ordered society. They + had exalted ideas of the dignity of womanhood, of purity, of loyalty, of + devotion. The heroines of Mlle. de Scudery, with their endless discourses + upon the metaphysics of love, were no doubt tiresome sometimes to the + blase courtiers, as well as to the critics; but they had their originals + in living women who reversed the common traditions of a Gabrielle and a + Marion Delorme, who combined with the intellectual brilliancy and fine + courtesy of the Greek Aspasia the moral graces that give so poetic a + fascination to the Christian and medieval types. Mme. de la Fayette + painted with rare delicacy the old struggle between passion and duty, but + character triumphs over passion, and duty is the final victor. In spite of + the low standards of the age, the ideal woman of society, as of + literature, was noble, tender, modest, pure, and loyal. + </p> + <p> + But the eighteenth century brings new types to the surface. The + precieuses, with their sentimental theories and naive reserves, have had + their day. It is no longer the world of Mme. de Rambouillet that confronts + us with its chivalrous models, its refined platonism, and its flavor of + literature, but rather that of the epicurean Ninon, brilliant, versatile, + free, lax, skeptical, full of intrigue and wit, but without moral sense of + spiritual aspiration. Literary portraits and ethical maxims have given + place to a spicy mixture of scandal and philosophy, humanitarian + speculations and equivocal bons mots. It is piquant and amusing, this + light play of intellect, seasoned with clever and sparkling wit, but the + note of delicacy and sensibility is quite gone. Society has divested + itself of many crudities and affectations perhaps, but it has grown as + artificial and self-conscious as its rouged and befeathered leaders. + </p> + <p> + The woman who presided over these centers of fashion and intelligence + represent to us the genius of social sovereignty. We fall under the + glamour of the luminous but factitious atmosphere that surrounded them. We + are dazzled by the subtlety and clearness of their intellect, the + brilliancy of their wit. Their faults are veiled by the smoke of the + incense we burn before them, or lost in the dim perspective. It is + fortunate, perhaps, for many of our illusions, that the golden age, which + is always receding, is seen at such long range that only the softly + colored outlines are visible. Men and women are transfigured in the rosy + light that rests on historic heights as on far-off mountain tops. But if + we bring them into closer view, and turn on the pitiless light of truth, + the aureole vanishes, a thousand hidden defects are exposed, and our idol + stands out hard and bare, too often divested of its divinity and its + charm. + </p> + <p> + To do justice to these women, we must take the point of view of an age + that was corrupt to the core. It is needless to discuss here the merits of + the stormy, disenchanting eighteenth century, which was the mother of our + own, and upon which the world is likely to remain hopelessly divided. But + whatever we may think of its final outcome, it can hardly be denied that + this period, which in France was so powerful in ideas, so active in + thought, so teeming with intelligence, so rich in philosophy, was poor in + faith, bankrupt in morals, without religion, without poetry, and without + imagination. The divine ideals of virtue and renunciation were drowned in + a sea of selfishness and materialism. The austere devotion of Pascal was + out of fashion. The spiritual teachings of Bossuet and Fenelon represented + the out-worn creeds of an age that was dead. It was Voltaire who gave the + tone, and even Voltaire was not radical enough for many of these + iconoclasts. "He is a bigot and a deist," exclaimed a feminine disciple of + d'Holbach's atheism. The gay, witty, pleasure-loving abbe, who derided + piety, defied morality, was the pet of the salon, and figured in the worst + scandals, was a fair representative of the fashionable clergy who had no + attribute of priesthood but the name, and clearly justified the sneers of + the philosophers. Tradition had given place to private judgment and in its + first reaction private judgment knew no law but its own caprices. The + watchword of intellectual freedom was made to cover universal license, and + clever sophists constructed theories to justify the mad carnival of vice + and frivolity. "As soon as one does a bad action, one never fails to make + a bad maxim," said the clever Marquise de Crequi. "As soon as a school boy + has his love affairs, he wishes no more to say his prayers; and when a + woman wrongs her husband, she tries to believe no more in God." + </p> + <p> + The fact that this brilliant but heartless and epicurean world was + tempered with intellect and taste changed its color but not its moral + quality. Talent turned to intrigue, and character was the toy of the + scheming and flexible brain. The maxims of La Rochefoucauld were the rule + of life. Wit counted for everything, the heart for nothing. The only sins + that could not be pardoned were stupidity and awkwardness. "Bah! He has + only revealed every one's secret," said Mme. du Defand to an acquaintance + who censured Helvetius for making selfishness the basis of all human + actions. To some one who met this typical woman of her time, in the gay + salon of Mme. de Marchais, and condoled with her upon the death of her + lifelong friend and lover, Pont de Veyle, she quietly replied, "Alas! He + died this evening at six o'clock; otherwise you would not see me here." + "My friend fell ill, I attended him; he died, and I dissected him" was the + remark of a wit on reading her satirical pen portrait of the Marquise du + Chatelet. This cold skepticism, keen analysis, and undisguised + heartlessness strike the keynote of the century which was socially so + brilliant, intellectually so fruitful, and morally so weak. + </p> + <p> + The liberty and complaisance of the domestic relations were complete. It + is true there were examples of conjugal devotion, for the gentle human + affections never quite disappear in any atmosphere; but the fact that they + were considered worthy of note sufficiently indicates the drift of the + age. In the world of fashion and of form there was not even a pretense of + preserving the sanctity of marriage, if the chronicles of the time are to + be credited. It was simply a commercial affair which united names and + fortunes, continued the glory of the families, replenished exhausted + purses, and gave freedom to women. If love entered into it at all, it was + by accident. This superfluous sentiment was ridiculed, or relegated to the + bourgeoisie, to whom it was left to preserve the tradition of household + virtues. Every one seems to have accepted the philosophy of the + irrepressible Ninon, who "returned thanks to God every evening for her + esprit, and prayed him every morning to be preserved from follies of the + heart." If a young wife was modest or shy, she was the object of + unflattering persiflage. If she betrayed her innocent love for her + husband, she was not of the charmed circle of wit and good tone which + frowned upon so vulgar a weakness, and laughed at inconvenient scruples. + </p> + <p> + "Indeed," says a typical husband of the period, "I cannot conceive how, in + the barbarous ages, one had the courage to wed. The ties of marriage were + a chain. Today you see kindness, liberty, peace reign in the bosom of + families. If husband and wife love each other, very well; they live + together; they are happy. If they cease to love, they say so honestly, and + return to each other the promise of fidelity. They cease to be lovers; + they are friends. That is what I call social manners, gentle manners." + This reign of the senses is aptly illustrated by the epitaph which the + gay, voluptuous, and spirtuelle Marquise de Boufflers wrote for herself: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Ci-git dans une paix profonde + Cette Dame de Volupte + Qui, pour plus grande surete, + Fit son paradis de ce monde. +</pre> + <p> + "Courte et bonne," said the favorite daughter of the Regent, in the same + spirit. + </p> + <p> + It is against such a background that the women who figure so prominently + in the salons are outlined. Such was the air they breathed, the spirit + they imbibed. That it was fatal to the finer graces of character goes + without saying. Doubtless, in quiet and secluded nooks, there were many + human wild flowers that had not lost their primitive freshness and + delicacy, but they did not flourish in the withering atmosphere of the + great world. The type in vogue savored of the hothouse. With its striking + beauty of form and tropical richness of color, it had no sweetness, no + fragrance. Many of these women we can only consider on the worldly and + intellectual side. Sydney Smith has aptly characterized them as "women who + violated the common duties of life, and gave very pleasant little + suppers." But standing on the level of a time in which their faults were + mildly censured, if at all, their characteristic gifts shine out with + marvelous splendor. It is from this standpoint alone that we can present + them, drawing the friendly mantle of silence over grave weaknesses and + fatal errors. + </p> + <p> + In this century, in which women have so much wider scope, when they may + paint, carve, act, sing, write, enter professional life, or do whatever + talent and inclination dictate, without loss of dignity or prestige, + unless they do it ill,—and perhaps even this exception is a trifle + superfluous,—it is difficult to understand fully, or estimate + correctly, a society in which the best feminine intellect was centered + upon the art of entertaining and of wielding an indirect power through the + minds of men. These Frenchwomen had all the vanity that lies at the bottom + of the Gallic character, but when the triumphs of youth were over, the + only legitimate path to individual distinction was that of social + influence. This was attained through personal charm, supplemented by more + or less cleverness, or through the gift of creating a society that cast + about them an illusion of talent of which they were often only the + reflection. To these two classes belong the queens of the salons. But the + most famous of them only carried to the point of genius a talent that was + universal. + </p> + <p> + In its best estate a brilliant social life is essentially an external one. + Its charm lies largely in the superficial graces, in the facile and + winning manners, the ready tact, the quick intelligence, the rare and + perishable gifts of conversation—in the nameless trifles which are + elusive as shadows and potent as light. It is the way of putting things + that tells, rather than the value of the things themselves. This world of + draperies and amenities, of dinners and conversaziones, of epigrams, + coquetries, and sparkling trivialities in the Frenchwoman's milieu. It has + little in common with the inner world that surges forever behind and + beneath it; little sympathy with inconvenient ideals and exalted + sentiments. The serious and earnest soul to which divine messages have + been whispered in hours of solitude finds its treasures unheeded, its + language unspoken here. The cares, the burdens, the griefs that weigh so + heavily on the great heart of humanity are banished from this social Eden. + The Frenchman has as little love for the somber side of life as the + Athenian, who veiled every expression of suffering. "Joy marks the force + of the intellect," said the pleasure-loving Ninon. It is this peculiar + gift of projecting themselves into a joyous atmosphere, of treating even + serious subjects in a piquant and lively fashion, of dwelling upon the + pleasant surface of things, that has made the French the artists, above + all others, of social life. The Parisienne selects her company, as a + skillful leader forms his orchestra, with a fine instinct of harmony; no + single instrument dominates, but every member is an artist in his way, + adding his touch of melody or color in the fitting place. She aims, + perhaps unconsciously, at a poetic ideal which shall express the best in + life and thought, divested of the rude and commonplace, untouched by + sorrow or passion, and free from personality. + </p> + <p> + But the representative salons, which have left a permanent mark upon their + time, and a memory that does not seem likely to die, were no longer simply + centers of refined and intellectual amusement. The moral and literary + reaction of the seventeenth century was one of the great social and + political forces of the eighteenth. The salon had become a vast engine of + power, an organ of public opinion, like the modern press. Clever and + ambitious women had found their instrument and their opportunity. They had + long since learned that the homage paid to weakness is illusory; that the + power of beauty is short-lived. With none of the devotion which had made + the convent the time-honored refuge of tender and exalted souls, finding + little solace in the domestic affections which played so small a role in + their lives, they turned the whole force of their clear and flexible minds + to this new species of sovereignty. Their keenness of vision, their + consummate skill in the adaptation of means to ends, their knowledge of + the world, their practical intelligence, their instinct of pleasing, all + fitted them for the part they assumed. They distinctly illustrated the + truth that "our ideal is not out of ourselves, but in ourselves wisely + modified." The intellect of these women was rarely the dupe of the + emotions. Their clearness was not befogged by sentiment, nor, it may be + added, were their characters enriched by it. "The women of the eighteenth + century loved with their minds and not with their hearts," said the Abbe + Galiani. The very absence of the qualities so essential to the highest + womanly character, according to the old poetic types, added to their + success. To be simple and true is to forget often to consider effects. + Spontaneity is not apt to be discriminating, and the emotions are not safe + guides to worldly distinction. It is not the artist who feels the most + keenly, who sways men the most powerfully; it is the one who has most + perfectly mastered the art of swaying men. Self-sacrifice and a lofty + sense of duty find their rewards in the intangible realm of the spirit, + but they do not find them in a brilliant society whose foundations are + laid in vanity and sensualism. "The virtues, though superior to the + sentiments, are not so agreeable," said Mme. du Deffand; and she echoed + the spirit of an age of which she was one of the most striking + representatives. To be agreeable was the cardinal aim in the lives of + these women. To this end they knew how to use their talents, and they + studied, to the minutest shade, their own limitations. They had the gift + of the general who marshals his forces with a swift eye for combination + and availability. To this quality was added more or less mental + brilliancy, or, what is equally essential, the faculty of calling out the + brilliancy of others; but their education was rarely profound or even + accurate. To an abbe who wished to dedicate a grammar to Mme. Geoffrin she + replied: "To me? Dedicate a grammar to me? Why, I do not even know how to + spell." Even Mme. du Deffand, whom Sainte Beuve ranks next to Voltaire as + the purest classic of the epoch in prose, says of herself, "I do not know + a word of grammar; my manner of expressing myself is always the result of + chance, independent of all rule and all art." + </p> + <p> + But it is not to be supposed that women who were the daily and lifelong + companions and confidantes of men like Fontenelle, d'Alembert, + Montesquieu, Helvetius, and Marmontel were deficient in a knowledge of + books, though this was always subservient to a knowledge of life. It was a + means, not an end. When the salon was at the height of its power, it was + not yet time for Mme. de Stael; and, with rare exceptions, those who wrote + were not marked, or their literary talent was so overshadowed by their + social gifts as to be unnoted. Their writings were no measure of their + abilities. Those who wrote for amusement were careful to disclaim the + title of bel esprit, and their works usually reached the public through + accidental channels. Mme. de Lambert herself had too keen an eye for + consideration to pose as an author, but it is with an accent of regret at + the popular prejudice that she says of Mme. Dacier, "She knows how to + associate learning with the amenities; for at present modesty is out of + fashion; there is no more shame for vices, and women blush only for + knowledge." + </p> + <p> + But if they did not write, they presided over the mint in which books were + coined. They were familiar with theories and ideas at their fountain + source. Indeed the whole literature of the period pays its tribute to + their intelligence and critical taste. "He who will write with precision, + energy, and vigor only," said Marmontel, "may live with men alone; but he + who wishes for suppleness in his style, for amenity, and for that + something which charms and enchants, will, I believe, do well to live with + women. When I read that Pericles sacrificed every morning to the Graces, I + understand by it that every day Pericles breakfasted with Aspasia." This + same author was in the habit of reading his tales in the salon, and noting + their effect. He found a happy inspiration in "the most beautiful eyes in + the world, swimming in tears;" but he adds, "I well perceived the cold and + feeble passages, which they passed over in silence, as well as those where + I had mistaken the word, the tone of nature, or the just shade of truth." + He refers to the beautiful, witty, but erring and unfortunate Mme. de la + Popeliniere, to whom he read his tragedy, as the best of all his critics. + "Her corrections," he said, "struck me as so many rays of light." "A point + of morals will be no better discussed in a society of philosophers than in + that of a pretty woman of Paris," said Rousseau. This constant habit of + reducing thoughts to a clear and salient form was the best school for + aptness and ready expression. To talk wittily and well, or to lead others + to talk wittily and well, was the crowning gift of these women. This + evanescent art was the life and soul of the salons, the magnet which + attracted the most brilliant of the French men of letters, who were glad + to discuss safely and at their ease many subjects which the public + censorship made it impossible to write about. They found companions and + advisers in women, consulted their tastes, sought their criticism, courted + their patronage, and established a sort of intellectual comradeship that + exists to the same extent in no country outside of France. Its model may + be found in the limited circle that gathered about Aspasia in the old + Athenian days. + </p> + <p> + It is perhaps this habit of intellectual companionship that, more than any + other single thing, accounts for the practical cleverness of the + Frenchwomen and the conspicuous part they have played in the political as + well as social life of France. Nowhere else are women linked to the same + degree with the success of men. There are few distinguished Frenchmen with + whose fame some more or less gifted woman is not closely allied. Montaigne + and Mlle. de Gournay, La Rochefoucauld and Mme. de La Fayette, d'Alembert + and Mlle. de Lespinasse, Chateaubriand and Mme. Recamier, Joubert and Mme. + de Beaumont—these are only a few of the well-known and unsullied + friendships that suggest themselves out of a list that might be extended + indefinitely. The social instincts of the French, and the fact that men + and women met on a common plane of intellectual life, made these + friendships natural; that they excited little comment and less criticism + made them possible. + </p> + <p> + The result was that from the quiet and thoughtful Marquise de Lambert, who + was admitted to have made half of the Academicians, to the clever but less + scrupulous Mme. de Pompadour, who had to be reckoned with in every + political change in Europe, women were everywhere the power behind the + throne. No movement was carried through without them. "They form a kind of + republic," said Montesquieu, "whose members, always active, aid and serve + one another. It is a new state within a state; and whoever observes the + action of those in power, if he does not know the women who govern them, + is like a man who sees the action of a machine but does not know its + secret springs." Mme. de Tenein advised Marmontel, before all things, to + cultivate the society of women, if he wished to succeed. It is said that + both Diderot and Thomas, two of the most brilliant thinkers of their time, + failed of the fame they merited, through their neglect to court the favor + of women. Bolingbroke, then an exile in Paris, with a few others, formed a + club of men for the discussion of literary and political questions. While + it lasted it was never mentioned by women. It was quietly ignored. + Cardinal Fleury considered it dangerous to the State, and suppressed it. + At the same time, in the salon of Mme. de Tenein, the leaders of French + thought were safely maturing the theories which Montesquieu set forth in + his "Esprit des Lois," the first open attack on absolute monarchy, the + forerunner of Rousseau, and the germ of the Revolution. — — + — — — — — — — — — + — — — — — + </p> + <p> + But the salons were far from being centers of "plain living and high + thinking." "Supper is one of the four ends of man," said Mme. du Deffand; + and it must be admitted that the great doctrine of human equality was + rather luxuriously cradled. The supreme science of the Frenchwomen was a + knowledge of men. Understanding their tastes, their ambitions, their + interests, their vanities, and their weaknesses, they played upon this + complicated human instrument with the skill of an artist who knows how to + touch the lightest note, to give the finest shade of expression, to bring + out the fullest harmony. In their efforts to raise social life to the most + perfect and symmetrical proportions, the pleasures of sense and the + delicate illusions of color were not forgotten. They were as noted for + their good cheer, for their attention to the elegances that strike the + eye, the accessories that charm the taste, as for their intelligence, + their tact, and their conversation. + </p> + <p> + But one must look for the power and the fascination of the French salons + in their essential spirit and the characteristics of the Gallic race, + rather than in any definite and tangible form. The word simply suggests + habitual and informal gatherings of men and women of intelligence and good + breeding in the drawing-room, for conversation and amusement. The hostess + who opened her house for these assemblies selected her guests with + discrimination, and those who had once gained an entree were always + welcome. In studying the character of the noted salons, one is struck with + a certain unity that could result only from natural growth about a nucleus + of people bound together by many ties of congeniality and friendship. + Society, in its best sense, does not signify a multitude, nor can a salon + be created on commercial principles. This spirit of commercialism, so + fatal to modern social life, was here conspicuously absent. It was not at + all a question of debit and credit, of formal invitations to be given and + returned. Personal values were regarded. The distinctions of wealth were + ignored and talent, combined with the requisite tact, was, to a certain + point, the equivalent of rank. If rivalries existed, they were based upon + the quality of the guests rather than upon material display. But the modes + of entertainment were as varied as the tastes and abilities of the women + who presided. Many of the well-known salons were open daily. Sometimes + there were suppers, which came very much into vogue after the petits + soupers of the regent. The Duchesse de Choiseul, during the ministry of + her husband, gave a supper every evening excepting on Friday and Sunday. + At a quarter before ten the steward glanced through the crowded rooms, and + prepared the table for all who were present. The Monday suppers at the + Temple were thronged. On other days a more intimate circle gathered round + the tables, and the ladies served tea after the English fashion. A few + women of rank and fortune imitated these princely hospitalities, but it + was the smaller coteries which presented the most charming and distinctive + side of French society. It was not the luxurious salon of the Duchesse du + Maine, with its whirl of festivities and passion for esprit, nor that of + the Temple, with its brilliant and courtly, but more or less intellectual, + atmosphere; nor that of the clever and critical Marechale de Luxembourg, + so elegant, so witty, so noted in its day—which left the most + permanent traces and the widest fame. It was those presided over by women + of lesser rank and more catholic sympathies, of whom Voltaire aptly said + that "the decline of their beauty revealed the dawn of their intellect;" + women who had the talent, tact, and address to gather about them a circle + of distinguished men who have crowned them with a luminous ray from their + own immortality. The names of Mme. de Lambert, Mme. de Tencin, Mme. + Geoffrin, Mme. du Deffand, Mme. Necker, Mme. de Stael, and others of + lesser note, call up visions of a society which the world is not likely to + see repeated. + </p> + <p> + Not the least among the attractions of this society was its charming + informality. A favorite custom in the literary and philosophical salons + was to give dinners, at an early hour, two or three times a week. In the + evening a larger company assembled without ceremony. A popular man of + letters, so inclined, might dine Monday and Wednesday with Mme. Geoffrin, + Tuesday with Mme. Helvetius, Friday with Mme. Necker, Sunday and Thursday + with Mme. d'Holbach, and have ample time to drop into other salons + afterward, passing an hour or so, perhaps, before going to the theater, in + the brilliant company that surrounded Mlle. de Lespinasse, and, very + likely, supping elsewhere later. At many of these gatherings he would be + certain to find readings, recitations, comedies, music, games, or some + other form of extemporized amusement. The popular mania for esprit, for + literary lions, for intellectual diversions ran through the social world, + as the craze for clubs and culture, poets and parlor readings, musicales + and amateur theatricals, runs through the society of today. It had + numberless shades and gradations, with the usual train of pretentious + follies which in every age furnish ample material for the pen of the + satirist, but it was a spontaneous expression of the marvelously quickened + taste for things of the intellect. The woman who improvised a witty verse, + invented a proverb, narrated a story, sang a popular air, or acted a part + in a comedy entered with the same easy grace into the discussion of the + last political problem, or listened with the subtlest flattery to the new + poem, essay, or tale of the aspiring young author, whose fame and fortune + perhaps hung upon her smile. In the musical and artistic salon of Mme. de + la Popeliniere the succession of fetes, concerts, and receptions seems to + have been continuous. On Sunday there was a mass in the morning, afterward + a grand dinner, at five o'clock a light repast, at nine a supper, and + later a musicale. One is inclined to wonder if there was ever any + retirement, any domesticity in this life so full of movement and variety. + </p> + <p> + But it was really the freedom, wit, and brilliancy of the conversation + that constituted the chief attraction of the salons. Men were in the habit + of making the daily round of certain drawing rooms, just as they drop into + clubs in our time, sure of more or less pleasant discussion on whatever + subject was uppermost at the moment, whether it was literature, + philosophy, art, politics, music, the last play, or the latest word of + their friends. The talk was simple, natural, without heat, without + aggressive egotism, animated with wit and repartee, glancing upon the + surface of many things, and treating all topics, grave or gay, with the + lightness of touch, the quick responsiveness that make the charm of social + intercourse. + </p> + <p> + The unwritten laws that governed this brilliant world were drawn from the + old ideas of chivalry, upon which the etiquette of the early salons was + founded. The fine morality and gentle virtues which were the bases of + these laws had lost their force in the eighteenth century, but the manners + which grew out of them had passed into a tradition. If morals were in + reality not pure, nor principles severe, there was at least the vanity of + posing as models of good breeding. Honor was a religion; politeness and + courtesy were the current, though by no means always genuine, coin of + unselfishness and amiability; the amenities stood in the place of an + ethical code. Egotism, ill temper, disloyalty, ingratitude, and scandal + were sins against taste, and spoiled the general harmony. Evil passions + might exist, but it was agreeable to hide them, and enmities slept under a + gracious smile. noblesse OBLIGE was the motto of these censors of manners; + and as it is perhaps a Gallic trait to attach greater importance to + reputation than to character, this sentiment was far more potent than + conscience. Vice in many veiled forms might be tolerated, but that which + called itself good society barred its doors against those who violated the + canons of good taste, which recognize at least the outward semblance of + many amiable virtues. Sincerity certainly was not one of these virtues; + but no one was deceived, as it was perfectly well understood that + courteous forms meant little more than the dress which may or may not + conceal a physical defect, but is fit and becoming. It was not best to + inquire too closely into character and motives, so long as appearances + were fair and decorous. How far the individual may be affected by putting + on the garb of qualities and feelings that do not exist may be a question + for the moralist; but this conventional untruth has its advantages, not + only in reducing to a minimum the friction of social machinery, and + subjecting the impulses to the control of the will, but in the subtle + influence of an ideal that is good and true, however far one may in + reality fall short of it. + </p> + <p> + Imagine a society composed of a leisure class with more or less + intellectual tastes; men eminent in science and letters; men less eminent, + whose success depended largely upon their social gifts, and clever women + supremely versed in the art of pleasing, who were the intelligent + complements of these men; add a universal talent for conversation, a + genius for the amenities of social life, habits of daily intercourse, and + manners formed upon an ideal of generosity, amiability, loyalty, and + urbanity; consider, also, the fact that the journals and the magazines, + which are so conspicuous a feature of modern life, were practically + unknown; that the salons were centers in which the affairs of the world + were discussed, its passing events noted—and the power of these + salons may be to some extent comprehended. + </p> + <p> + The reason, too, why it is idle to dream of reproducing them today on + American soil will be readily seen. The forms may be repeated, but the + vitalizing spirit is not there. We have no leisure class that finds its + occupation in this pleasant daily converse. Our feverish civilization has + not time for it. We sit in our libraries and scan the news of the world, + instead of gathering it in the drawing rooms of our friends. Perhaps we + read and think more, but we talk less, and conversation is a relaxation + rather than an art. The ability to think aloud, easily and gracefully, is + not eminently an Anglo-Saxon gift, though there are many individual + exceptions to this limitation. Our social life is largely a form, a whirl, + a commercial relation, a display, a duty, the result of external + accretion, not of internal growth. It is not in any sense a unity, nor an + expression of our best intellectual life; this seeks other channels. Men + are immersed in business and politics, and prefer the easy, less exacting + atmosphere of the club. The woman who aspires to hold a salon is + confronted at the outset by this formidable rival. She is a queen without + a kingdom, presiding over a fluctuating circle without homogeneity, and + composed largely of women—a fact in itself fatal to the true esprit + de societe. It is true we have our literary coteries, but they are apt to + savor too much of the library; we take them too seriously, and bring into + them too strong a flavor of personality. We find in them, as a rule, + little trace of the spontaneity, the variety, the wit, the originality, + the urbanity, the polish, that distinguished the French literary salons of + the last century. Even in their own native atmosphere, the salons exist no + longer as recognized institutions. This perfected flower of a past + civilization has faded and fallen, as have all others. The salon in its + widest sense, and in some modified form, may always constitute a feature + of French life, but the type has changed, and its old glory has forever + departed. In a foreign air, even in its best days, it could only have been + an exotic, flourishing feebly, and lacking both color and fragrance. As a + copy of past models it is still less likely to be a living force. Society, + like government, takes its spirit and its vitality from its own soil. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IX. AN ANTECHAMBER OF THE ACADEMIE FRANCAISE + </h2> + <p> + <i>The Marquise de Lambert—Her "Bureau d'Esprit"—Fontenelle—Advice + to her Son—Wise Thoughts on the Education of Women—Her love of + Consideration—Her Generosoty—Influence of Women upon the + Academy.</i> + </p> + <p> + While the gay suppers of the regent were giving a new but by no means + desirable tone to the great world of Paris, and chasing away the last + vestiges of the stately decorum that marked the closing days of Louis XIV, + and Mme. de Maintenon, there was one quiet drawing room which still + preserved the old traditions. The Marquise de Lambert forms a connecting + link between the salons of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, + leaning to the side of the latter, intellectually, but retaining much of + the finer morality that distinguished the best life of the former. Her + attitude towards the disorders of the regency was similar to that which + Mme. de Rambouillet had held towards the profligate court of Henry IV, + though her salon never attained the vogue of its model. It lacked a + certain charm of youth and freshness perhaps, but it was one of the few in + which gambling was not permitted, and in which conversation had not lost + its serious and critical flavor. + </p> + <p> + If Mme. de Lambert were living today she would doubtless figure openly as + an author. Her early tastes pointed clearly in that direction. She was + inclined to withdraw from the amusements of her age, and to pass her time + in reading, or in noting down the thoughts that pleased her. The natural + bent of her mind was towards moral reflections. In this quality she + resembled Mme. de Sable, but she was a woman of greater breadth and + originality, though less fine and exclusive. She wrote much in later life + on educational themes, for the benefit of her children and for her own + diversion; but she yielded to the prejudices of her age against the woman + author, and her works were given to the world only through the medium of + friends to whom she had read or lent them. "Women," she said, "should have + towards the sciences a modesty almost as sensitive as towards vices." But + in spite of her studied observance of the conventional limits which + tradition still assigned to her sex, her writings suggest much more care + than is usually bestowed upon the amusement of an idle hour. If, like many + other women of her time, she wrote only for her friends, she evidently + doubted their discretion in the matter of secrecy. + </p> + <p> + As the child who inherited the rather formidable name of Anne Theresa de + Marguenat de Coucelles was born during the last days of the Hotel de + Rambouillet, she doubtless cherished many illusions regarding this famous + salon. Its influence was more or less apparent when the time came to open + one of her own. Her father was a man of feeble intellect, who died early; + but her mother, a woman more noted for beauty than for decorum, was + afterward married to Bachaumont, a well-known bel esprit, who appreciated + the gifts of the young girl, and brought her within a circle of wits who + did far more towards forming her impressible mind than her light and + frivolous mother had done. She was still very young when she became the + wife of the Marquis de Lambert, an officer of distinction, to whose + interests she devoted her talents and her ample fortune. The exquisitely + decorated Hotel Lambert, on the Ile Saint Louis, still retains much of its + old splendor, though the finest masterpieces of Lebrun and Lesueur which + ornamented its walls have found their way to the Louvre. "It is a home + made for a sovereign who would be a philosopher," wrote Voltaire to + Frederick the Great. In these magnificent salons, Mme. de Lambert, + surrounded by every luxury that wealth and taste could furnish, + entertained a distinguished company. She carried her lavish hospitalities + also to Luxembourg, where she adorned the position of her husband, who was + governor of that province for a short period before his death in 1686. + After this event, she was absorbed for some years in settling his affairs, + which were left in great disorder, and in protecting the fortunes of her + two children. This involved her in long and vexatious lawsuits which she + seems to have conducted with admirable ability. "There are so few great + fortunes that are innocent," she writes to her son, "that I pardon your + ancestors for not leaving you one. I have done what I could to put in + order our affairs, in which there is left to women only the glory of + economy." It was not until the closing years of her life, from 1710 to + 1733, that her social influence was at its height. She was past sixty, at + an age when the powers of most women are on the wane, when her real career + began. She fitted up luxurious apartments in the Palais Mazarin, employing + artists like Watteau upon the decorations, and expending money as lavishly + as if she had been in the full springtide of life, instead of the golden + autumn. Then she gathered about her a choice and lettered society, which + seemed to be a world apart, a last revival of the genius of the + seventeenth century, and quite out of the main drift of the period. "She + was born with much talent," writes one of her friends; "she cultivated it + by assiduous reading; but the most beautiful flower in her crown was a + noble and luminous simplicity, of which, at sixty years, she took it into + her head to divest herself. She lent herself to the public, associated + with the Academicians, and established at her house a bureau d'esprit." + Twice a week she gave dinners, which were as noted for the cuisine as for + the company, and included, among others, the best of the forty Immortals. + Here new works were read or discussed, authors talked of their plans, and + candidates were proposed for vacant chairs in the Academy. "The learned + and the lettered formed the dominant element," says a critic of the time. + "They dined at noon, and the rest of the day was passed in conversations, + in readings, in literary and scientific discussions. No card tables; it + was in ready wit that each one paid his contribution." Ennui never came to + shed its torpors over these reunions, of which the Academy furnished the + most distinguished guests, in company with grands seigneurs eager to show + themselves as worthy by intelligence as by rank to play a role in these + gatherings of the intellectual elite. Fontenelle was the presiding genius + of this salon, and added to its critical and literary spirit a tinge of + philosophy. This gallant savant, who was adored in society as "a man of + rare and exquisite conversation," has left many traces of himself here. No + one was so sparkling in epigram; no one talked so beautifully of love, of + which he knew nothing; and no one talked to delightfully of science, of + which he knew a great deal. But he thought that knowledge needed a + seasoning of sentiment to make it palatable to women. In his "Pluralite + des Mondes," a singular melange of science and sentiment, which he had + written some years before and dedicated to a daughter of the gay and + learned Mme. de La Sabliere, he talks about the stars, to la belle + marquise, like a lover; but his delicate flatteries are the seasoning of + serious truths. It was the first attempt to offer science sugar-coated, + and suggests the character of this coterie, which prided itself upon a + discreet mingling of elevated thought with decorous gaiety. The world + moves. Imagine a female undergraduate of Harvard or Columbia taking her + astronomy diluted with sentiment! + </p> + <p> + President Henault, the life-long friend of Mme. du Deffand, whose light + criticism of a pure-minded woman might be regarded as rather flattering + than otherwise, says: "It was apparent that Mme. de Lambert touched upon + the time of the Hotel de Rambouillet; she was a little affected, and had + not the force to overstep the limits of the prude and the precieuse. Her + salon was the rendevous of celebrated men.... In the evening the scenery + changed as well as the actors. A more elegant world assembled at the + suppers. The Marquise took pleasure in receiving people who were agreeable + to each other. Her tone, however, did not vary, and she preached la belle + galanterie to some who went a little beyond it. I was of the two parties; + I dogmatized in the morning and sang in the evening." The two eminent + Greek Scholars, La Motte and Mme. Dacier, held spirited discussions on the + merits of Homer, which came near ending in permanent ill-feeling, but the + amiable hostess gave a dinner for them, "they drank to the health of the + poet, and all was forgotten." The war between the partizans of the old and + the new was as lively then as it is today. "La Motte and Fontenelle prefer + the moderns," said the caustic Mme. du Deffand; "but the ancients are + dead, and the moderns are themselves." The names of Sainte-Aulaire, de + Sacy, Mairan, President Henault, and others equally scholarly and witty, + suffice to indicate the quality of the conversation, which treated lightly + and gracefully of the most serious things. The Duchesse du Maine and her + clever companion, Mlle. de Launay were often among the guests; also the + beautiful and brilliant Mme. de Caylus, a niece of Mme. de Maintenon, whom + some poetical critic has styled "the last flower of the seventeenth + century." Sainte-Aulaire, tired of the perpetual excitement at Sceaux, + characterized this salon by a witty quatrain: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Je suis las de l'esprit, il me met en courroux, + Il me renverse la cervelle; + Lambert, je viens chercher un asile chez vous, + Entre La Motte et Fontenelle. +</pre> + <p> + The wits of the day launched many a shaft of satire against it, as they + had against the Hotel de Rambouillet a century earlier; but it was an + intellectual center of great influence, and was regarded as the sanctuary + of old manners as well as the asylum of new liberties. Its decorous + character gave it the epithet of "very respectable;" but this eminently + respectable company, which represented the purest taste of the time, often + included Adrienne Lecouvreur, who was much more remarkable for talent than + for respectability. We have a direct glimpse of it through the pen of + d'Artenson: + </p> + <p> + "I have just met with a very grievous loss in the death of the Marquise de + Lambert" (he writes in 1733). "For fifteen years I have been one of her + special friends, and she has done me the favor of inviting me to her + house, where it is an honor to be received. I dined there regularly on + Wednesday, which was one of her days.... She was rich, and made a good and + amiable use of her wealth, for the benefit of her friends, and above all + for the unfortunate. A pupil of Bachaumont, having frequented only the + society of people of the world, and of the highest intelligence, she knew + no other passion than a constant and platonic tenderness." + </p> + <p> + The quality of character and intellect which gave Mme. de Lambert so + marked an influence, we find in her own thoughts on a great variety of + subjects. She gives us the impression of a woman altogether sensible and + judicious, but not without a certain artificial tone. Her well-considered + philosophy of life had an evident groundwork of ambition and worldly + wisdom, which appears always in her advice to her children. She counsels + her son to aim high and believe himself capable of great things. "Too much + modesty," she says, "is a languor of the soul, which prevents it from + taking flight and carrying itself rapidly towards glory"—a + suggestion that would be rather superfluous in this generation. Again, she + advises him to seek the society of his superiors, in order to accustom + himself to respect and politeness. "With equals one grows negligent; the + mind falls asleep." But she does not regard superiority as an external + thing, and says very wisely, "It is merit which should separate you from + people, not dignity or pride." By "people" she indicates all those who + think meanly and commonly. "The court is full of them," she adds. Her + standards of honor are high, and her sentiments of humanity quite in the + vein of the coming age. She urges her daughter to treat her servants with + kindness. "One of the ancients says they should be regarded as unfortunate + friends. Think that humanity and Christianity equalize all." + </p> + <p> + Her criticisms on the education of women are of especial interest. Behind + her conventional tastes and her love of consideration she has a clear + perception of facts and an appreciation of unfashionable truths. She + recognizes the superiority of her sex in matters of taste and in the + enjoyment of "serious pleasures which make only the MIND LAUGH and do not + trouble the heart" She reproaches men with "spoiling the dispositions + nature has given to women, neglecting their education, filling their minds + with nothing solid, and destining them solely to please, and to please + only by their graces or their vices." But she had not always the courage + of her convictions, and it was doubtless quite as much her dislike of + giving voice to unpopular opinions as her aversion to the publicity of + authorship, that led her to buy the entire edition of her "Reflexions sur + les Femmes," which was published without her consent. + </p> + <p> + One of her marked traits was moderation. "The taste is spoiled by + amusements," she writes. "One becomes so accustomed to ardent pleasures + that one cannot fall back upon simple ones. We should fear great + commotions of the soul, which prepare ennui and disgust." This wise + thought suggests the influence of Fontenelle, who impressed himself + strongly upon the salons of the first half of the century. His calm + philosophy is distinctly reflected in the character of Mme. de Lambert, + also in that of Mme. Geoffrin, with whom he was on very intimate terms. It + is said that this poet, critic, bel esprit, and courtly favorite, whom + Rousseau calls "the daintiest pedant in the world," was never swayed by + any emotion whatever. He never laughed, only smiled; never wept; never + praised warmly, though he did say pretty things to women; never hurried; + was never angry; never suffered, and was never moved by suffering. "He had + the gout," says one of his critics, "but no pain; only a foot wrapped in + cotton. He put it on a footstool; that was all." It is perhaps fair to + present, as the other side of the medallion, the portrait drawn by the + friendly hand of Adrienne LeCouvreur. "The charms of his intellect often + veiled its essential qualities. Unique of his kind, he combines all that + wins regard and respect. Integrity, rectitude, equity compose his + character; an imagination lively and brilliant, turns fine and delicate, + expressions new and always happy ornament it. A heart pure, actions clear, + conduct uniform, and everywhere principles.... Exact in friendship, + scrupulous in love; nowhere failing in the attributes of a gentleman. + Suited to intercourse the most delicate, though the delight of savants; + modest in his conversation, simple in his actions, his superiority is + evident, but he never makes one feel it." He lived a century, apparently + because it was too much trouble to die. When the weight of years made it + too much trouble to live, he simply stopped. "I do not suffer, my friends, + but I feel a certain difficulty in existing," were his last words. With + this model of serene tranquillity, who analyzed the emotions as he would a + problem in mathematics, and reduced life to a debit and credit account, it + is easy to understand the worldly philosophy of the women who came under + his influence. + </p> + <p> + But while Mme. de Lambert had a calm and equable temperament, and loved to + surround herself with an atmosphere of repose, she was not without a fine + quality of sentiment. "I exhort you much more to cultivate your heart," + she writes to her son, "than to perfect your mind; the true greatness of + the man is in the heart." "She was not only eager to serve her friends + without waiting for their prayers or the humiliating exposure of their + needs," said Fontenelle, "but a good action to be done in favor of + indifferent people always tempted her warmly.... The ill success of some + acts of generosity did not correct the habit; she was always equally ready + to do a kindness." She has written very delicately and beautifully of + friendships between men and women; and she had her own intimacies that + verged upon tenderness, but were free from any shadow of reproach. Long + after her death, d'Alembert, in his academic eulogy upon de Sacy, refers + touchingly to the devoted friendship that linked this elegant savant with + Mme. de Lambert. "It is believed," says President Henault, "that she was + married to the Marquis de Sainte-Aulaire. He was a man of esprit, who only + bethought himself, after more than sixty years, of his talent for poetry; + and Mme. de Lambert, whose house was filled with Academicians, gained him + entrance into the Academy, not without strong opposition on the part of + Boileau and some others." Whether the report of this alliance was true or + not, the families were closely united, as the daughter of Mme. de Lambert + was married to a son of Sainte-Aulaire; it is certain that the enduring + affection of this ancient friend lighted the closing years of her life. + </p> + <p> + Though tinged with the new philosophy, Mme. de Lambert regarded religion + as a part of a respectable, well-ordered life. "Devotion is a becoming + sentiment in women, and befitting in both sexes," she writes. But she + clearly looked upon it as an external form, rather than an internal flame. + When about to die, at the age of eighty-six, she declined the services of + a friendly confessor, and sent for an abbe who had a great reputation for + esprit. Perhaps she thought he would give her a more brilliant + introduction into the next world; this points to one of her weaknesses, + which was a love of consideration that carried her sometimes to the verge + of affectation. It savors a little of the hypercritical spirit that is + very well illustrated by an anecdote of the witty Duchesse de Luxenbourg. + One morning she took up a prayer book that was lying upon the table and + began to criticize severely the bad taste of the prayers. A friend + ventured to remark that if they were said reverently and piously, God + surely would pay no attention to their good or bad form. "Indeed," + exclaimed the fastidious Marechale, whose religion was evidently a + becoming phase of estheticism, "do not believe that." + </p> + <p> + The thoughts of Mme. de Lambert, so elevated in tone, so fine in moral + quality, so rich in worldly wisdom, and often so felicitous in expression, + tempt one to multiply quotations, especially as they show us an intimate + side of her life, of which otherwise we know very little. Her personality + is veiled. Her human experiences, her loves, her antipathies, her + mistakes, and her errors are a sealed book to us, excepting as they may be + dimly revealed in the complexion of her mind. Of her influence we need no + better evidence than the fact that her salon was called the antechamber to + the Academie Francaise. + </p> + <p> + The precise effect of this influence of women over the most powerful + critical body of the century, or of any century, perhaps, we can hardly + measure. In the fact that the Academy became for a time philosophical + rather than critical, and dealt with theories rather than with pure + literature, we trace the finger of the more radical thinkers who made + themselves so strongly felt in the salons. Sainte=Beuve tells us that + Fontenelle, with other friends of Mme. de Lambert, first gave it this + tendency; but his mission was apparently an unconscious one, and + strikingly illustrates the accidental character of the sources of the + intellectual currents which sometimes change the face of the world. "If I + had a handful of truths, I should take good care not to open it," said + this sybarite, who would do nothing that was likely to cause him trouble. + But the truths escaped in spite of him, and these first words of the new + philosophy were perhaps the more dangerous because veiled and insidious. + "You have written the 'Histoire des Oracles,'" said a philosopher to him, + after he had been appointed the royal censor, "and you refuse me your + approbation." "Monsieur," replied Fontenelle, "if I had been censor when I + wrote the 'Histoire des Oracles,' I should have carefully avoided giving + it my approbation." But if the philosophers finally determined the drift + of this learned body, it was undoubtedly the tact and diplomacy of women + which constituted the most potent factor in the elections which placed + them there. The mantle of authority, so gracefully worn by Mme. de + Lambert, fell upon her successors, Mme. Geoffrin and Mlle. de Lespinasse, + losing none of its prestige. As a rule, the best men in France were sooner + or later enrolled among the Academicians. If a few missed the honor + through failure to enlist the favor of women, as has been said, and a few + better courtiers of less merit attained it, the modern press has not + proved a more judicious tribunal. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER X. THE DUCHESSE DU MAINE + </h2> + <p> + <i>Her Capricious Character—Her Esprit—Mlle. de Launay—Clever + Portrait of Her Mistress—Perpetual Fetes at Sceaux—Voltaire + and the "Divine Emilie"—Dilettante Character of this Salon.</i> + </p> + <p> + The life of the eighteenth century, with its restlessness, its love of + amusements, its ferment of activities, and its essential frivolity, finds + a more fitting representative in the Duchesse du Maine, granddaughter of + the Grand Conde, and wife of the favorite son of Louis XIV, and Mme. de + Montespan. The transition from the serene and thoughtful atmosphere which + surrounded Mme. de Lambert, to the tumultuous whirl of existence at + Sceaux, was like passing from the soft light and tranquillity of a summer + evening to the glare and confusion of perpetual fireworks. Of all the + unique figures of a masquerading age this small and ambitious princess was + perhaps the most striking, the most pervading. It was by no means her aim + to take her place in the world as queen of a salon. Louise-Benedicte de + Bourbon belonged to the royal race, and this was by far the most vivid + fact in her life. She was but a few steps from the throne, and political + intrigues played a conspicuous part in her singular career. But while she + waited for the supreme power to which she aspired, and later, when the + feverish dream of her life was ended, she must be amused, and her + diversions must have an intellectual and imaginative flavor. Wits, + artists, literary men, and savants were alike welcome at Sceaux, if they + amused her and entertained her guests. "One lived there by esprit, and + esprit is my God," said Mme. du Deffand, who was among the brightest + ornaments of this circle. + </p> + <p> + Born in 1676, the Duchesse du Maine lived through the first half of the + next century, of which her little court was one of the most notable + features. Scarcely above the stature of a child of ten years, slightly + deformed, with a fair face lighted by fine eyes; classically though + superficially educated; gifted in conversation, witty, brilliant, adoring + talent, but cherishing all the prejudices of the old noblesse—she + represented in a superlative degree the passion for esprit which lent such + exceptional brilliancy to the social life of the time. + </p> + <p> + In character the duchess was capricious and passionate. "If she were as + good as she is wicked," said the sharp-tongued Palatine, "there would be + nothing to say against her. She is tranquil during the day and passes it + playing at cards, but at its close the extravagances and fits of passion + begin; she torments her husband, her children, her servants, to such a + point that they do not know which way to turn." Her will brooked no + opposition. When forced to leave the Tuileries after the collapse of her + little bubble of political power, she deliberately broke every article of + value in her apartments, consigning mirrors, vases, statues, porcelains + alike to a common ruin, that no one else might enjoy them after her. This + fiery scion of a powerful family, who had inherited its pride, its + ambition, its uncontrollable passions, and its colossal will, had little + patience with the serene temperament and dilettante tastes of her amiable + husband, and it is said she did not scruple to make him feel the force of + her small hands. "You will waken some morning to find yourself in the + Academie Francaise, and the Duc d'Orleans regent," she said to him one day + when he showed her a song he had translated. Her device was a bee, with + this motto: "I am small, but I make deep wounds." Doubtless its fitness + was fully realized by those who belonged to the Ordre de la Mouche-a-miel + which she had instituted, and whose members were obliged to swear, by + Mount Hymettus, fidelity and obedience to their perpetual dictator. But + what pains and chagrins were not compensated by the bit of lemon-colored + ribbon and its small meed of distinction! + </p> + <p> + The little princess worked valiantly for political power, but she worked + in vain. The conspiracy against the regent, which seemed to threaten + another Fronde, came to nothing, and this ardent instrigante, who had the + disposition to "set the four corners of the kingdom on fire" to attain her + ends, found her party dispersed and herself in prison. But this was only + an episode, and though it gave a death blow to her dreams of power, it did + not quench her irrepressible ardor. If she could not rule in one way, she + would in another. As soon as she regained her freedom, her little court + was again her kingdom, and no sovereign ever reigned more imperiously. "I + am fond of company," she said, "for I listen to no one, and every one + listens to me." It was an incessant thirst for power, a perpetual need of + the sweet incense of flattery, that was at the bottom of this "passion for + a multitude." "She believed in herself," writes Mlle. de Launay, afterward + Baronne de Staal, "as she believed in God or Descartes, without + examination and without discussion." + </p> + <p> + This lady's maid, who loved mathematics and anatomy, was familiar with + Malebranche and Descartes, and left some literary reputation as a writer + of gossipy memoirs, was a prominent figure in the lively court at Sceaux + for more than forty years, and has given us some vivid pictures of her + capricious mistress. A young girl of clear intellect and good education, + but without rank, friends, or fortune, she was forced to accept the + humiliating position of femme de chambre with the Duchesse du Maine, who + had been attracted by her talents. She was brought into notice through a + letter to Fontenelle, which was thought witty enough to be copied and + circulated. If she had taken this cool dissector of human motives as a + model, she certainly did credit to his teaching. Her curiously analytical + mind is aptly illustrated by her novel method of measuring her lover's + passion. He was in the habit of accompanying her home from the house of a + friend. When he began to cross the square, instead of going round it, she + concluded that his love had diminished in the exact proportion of two + sides of a square to the diagonal. Promoted to the position of a + companion, she devoted herself to the interests of her restless mistress, + read to her, talked with her, wrote plays for her, and was the animating + spirit of the famous Nuits Blanches. While the duchess was in exile she + shared her disgrace, refused to betray her, and was sent to the Bastille + for her loyalty. She resigned herself to her imprisonment with admirable + philosophy, amused herself in the study of Latin, in watching the gambols + of a cat and kitten, and in carrying on a safe and sentimental flirtation + with the fascinating Duc de Richelieu, who occupied an adjoining cell and + passed the hours in singing with her popular airs from Iphigenie. + "Sentimental" is hardly a fitting word to apply to the coquetries of this + remarkably clear and calculating young woman. She returned with her + patroness to Sceaux, found many admirers, but married finally with an eye + to her best worldly interests, and, it appears, in the main happily—at + least, not unhappily. The shade of difference implies much. She had a + keen, penetrating intellect which nothing escaped, and as it had the + peculiar clearness in which people and events are reflected as in a + mirror, her observations are of great value. "Aside from the prose of + Voltaire, I know of none more agreeable than that of Mme. de Staal de + Launay," said Grimm. Her portrait of her mistress serves to paint herself + as well. + </p> + <p> + "Mme. la Duchesse du Maine, at the age of sixty years, has yet learned + nothing from experience; she is a child of much talent; she has its + defects and its charms. Curious and credulous, she wishes to be instructed + in all the different branches of knowledge; but she is contented with + their surface. The decisions of those who educated her have become for her + principles and rules upon which her mind has never formed the least doubt; + she submits once for all. Her provision for ideas is made; she rejects the + best demonstrated truths and resists the best reasonings, if they are + contrary to the first impressions she has received. All examination is + impossible to her lightness, and doubt is a state which her weakness + cannot support. Her catechism and the philosophy of Descartes are two + systems which she understands equally well.... Her mirror cannot make her + doubt the charms of her face; the testimony of her eyes is more + questionable than the judgment of those who have decided that she is + beautiful and well-formed. Her vanity is of a singular kind, but seems the + less offensive because it is not reflective, though in reality it is the + more ridiculous, Intercourse with her is a slavery; her tyranny is open; + she does not deign to color it with the appearance of friendship. She says + frankly that she has the misfortune of not being able to do without people + for whom she does not care. She proves it effectually. One sees her learn + with indifference the death of those who would call forth torrents of + tears if they were a quarter of an hour too late for a card party or a + promenade." + </p> + <p> + But this vain and self-willed woman read Virgil and Terence in the + original, was devoted to Greek tragedies, dipped into philosophy, + traversed the surface of many sciences, turned a madrigal with facility, + and talked brilliantly. "The language is perfect only when you speak it or + when one speaks of you," wrote Mme. de Lambert, in a tone of discreet + flattery. "No one has ever spoken with more correctness, clearness, and + rapidity, neither in a manner more noble or more natural," said Mlle. de + Launay. + </p> + <p> + Through this feminine La Bruyere, as Sainte-Beuve has styled her, we are + introduced to the life at Sceaux. It was the habit of the guests to + assemble at eight, listen to music or plays, improvise verses for popular + airs, relate racy anecdotes, or amuse themselves with proverbs. "Write + verses for me," said the insatiable duchess when ill; "I feel that verses + only can give me relief." The quality does not seem to have been + essential, provided they were sufficiently flattering. Sainte-Aulaire + wrote madrigals for her. Malezieu, the learned and versatile preceptor of + the Duc du Maine, read Sophocles and Euripides. Mme. du Maine herself + acted the roles of Athalie and Iphigenie with the famous Baron. They + played at science, contemplated the heavens through a telescope and the + earth through a microscope. In their eager search for novelty they + improvised fetes that rivaled in magnificence the Arabian Nights; they + posed as gods and goddesses, or, affecting simplicity, assumed rustic and + pastoral characters, even to their small economies and romantic + platitudes. Mythology, the chivalry of the Middle Ages, costumes, + illuminations, scenic effects, the triumphs of the artists, the wit of the + bel esprit—all that ingenuity could devise or money could buy was + brought into service. It was the life that Watteau painted, with its + quaint and grotesque fancies, its sylvan divinities, and its sighing + lovers wandering in endless masquerade, or whispering tender nothings on + banks of soft verdure, amid the rustle of leaves, the sparkle of + fountains, the glitter of lights, and the perfume of innumerable flowers. + It was a perpetual carnival, inspired by imagination, animated by genius, + and combining everything that could charm the taste, distract the mind, + and intoxicate the senses. The presiding genius of this fairy scene was + the irrepressible duchess, who reigned as a goddess and demanded the + homage due to one. Well might the weary courtiers cry out against les + galeres du bel esprit. + </p> + <p> + But this fantastic princess who carried on a sentimental correspondence + with the blind La Motte, and posed as the tender shepherdess of the + adoring but octogenarian Sainte-Aulaire, had no really democratic notions. + There was no question in her mind of the divine right of kings or of + princesses. She welcomed Voltaire because he flattered her vanity and + amused her guests, but she was far enough from the theories which were + slowly fanning the sparks of the Revolution. Her rather imperious + patronage of literary and scientific men set a fashion which all her world + tried to follow. It added doubtless to the prestige of those who were + insidiously preparing the destruction of the very foundations on which + this luxurious and pleasure-loving society rested. But, after all, the + bond between this restless, frivolous, heartless coterie and the genuine + men of letters was very slight. There was no seriousness, no earnestness, + no sincerity, no solid foundation. + </p> + <p> + The literary men, however, who figured most conspicuously in the intimate + circle of the Duchesse du Maine were not of the first order. Malezieu was + learned, a member of two Academies, faintly eulogized by Fontenelle, + warmly so by Voltaire, and not at all by Mlle. de Launay; but twenty-five + years devoted to humoring the caprices and flattering the tastes of a vain + and exacting patroness were not likely to develop his highest + possibilities. There is a point where the stimulating atmosphere of the + salon begins to enervate. His clever assistant, the Abbe Genest, poet and + Academician, was a sort of Voiture, witty, versatile, and available. He + tried to put Descartes into verse, which suggests the quality of his + poetry. Sainte-Aulaire, who, like his friend Fontenelle, lived a century, + frequented this society more or less for forty years, but his poems are + sufficiently light, if one may judge from a few samples, and his genius + doubtless caught more reflections in the salon than in a larger world. He + owed his admission to the Academy partly to a tender quatrain which he + improvised in praise of his lively patroness. It is true we have + occasional glimpses of Voltaire. Once he sought an asylum here for two + months, after one of his numerous indiscretions, writing tales during the + day, which he read to the duchess at night. Again he came with his "divine + Emilie," the learned Marquise du Chatelet, who upset the household with + her eccentric ways. "Our ghosts do not show themselves by day," writes + Mlle. de Launay; "they appeared yesterday at ten o'clock in the evening. I + do not think we shall see them earlier today; one is writing high facts, + the other, comments upon Newton. They wish neither to play nor to + promenade; they are very useless in a society where their learned writings + are of no account." But Voltaire was a courtier, and, in spite of his + frequent revolts against patronage, was not at all averse to the incense + of the salons and the favors of the great. It was another round in the + ladder that led him towards glory. + </p> + <p> + The cleverest women in France were found at Sceaux, but the dominant + spirit was the princess herself. It was amusement she wanted, and even men + of talent were valued far less for what they were intrinsically than for + what they could contribute to her vanity or to her diversion. "She is a + predestined soul," wrote Voltaire. "She will love comedy to the last + moment, and when she is ill I counsel you to administer some beautiful + poem in the place of extreme unction. One dies as one has lived." + </p> + <p> + Mme. du Maine represented the conservative side of French society in spite + of the fact that her abounding mental vitality often broke through the + stiff boundaries of old traditions. It was not because she did not still + respect them, but she had the defiant attitude of a princess whose will is + an unwritten law superior to all traditions. The tone of her salon was in + the main dilettante, as is apt to be the case with any circle that plumes + itself most upon something quite apart from intellectual distinction. It + reflected the spirit of an old aristocracy, with its pride, its + exclusiveness, its worship of forms, but faintly tinged with the new + thought that was rapidly but unconsciously encroaching upon time-honored + institutions. Beyond the clever pastimes of a brilliant coterie, it had no + marked literary influence. This ferment of intellectual life was one of + the signs of the times, but it led to no more definite and tangible + results than the turning of a madrigal or the sparkle of an epigram. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XI. MADAME DE TENCIN AND MADAME DU CHATELET + </h2> + <p> + <i>An Intriguing Chanoinesse—Her Singular Fascination—Her + Salon—Its Philosophical Character—Mlle. Aisse—Romances + of Mme. de Tencin—D'Alembert—La Belle Emilie—Voltaire—The + Two Women Compared</i> + </p> + <p> + It was not in the restless searchings of an old society for new + sensations, new diversions, nor in the fleeting expressions of individual + taste or caprice, which were often little more than the play of small + vanities, that the most potent forces in the political as well as in the + intellectual life of France were found. It was in the coteries which + attracted the best representatives of modern thought, men and women who + took the world on a more serious side, and mingled more or less of + earnestness even in their amusements. While the Duchesse du Maine was + playing her little comedy, which began and ended in herself, another + woman, of far different type, and without rank or riches, was scheming for + her friends, and nursing the germs of the philosophic party in one of the + most notable salons of the first half of the century. Mme. de Tencin is + not an interesting figure to contemplate from a moral standpoint. "She was + born with the most fascinating qualities and the most abominable defects + that God ever gave to one of his creatures," said Mme. du Deffand, who was + far from being able to pose, herself, as a model of virtue or decorum. But + sin has its degrees, and the woman who errs within the limits of + conventionality considers herself entitled to sit in judgment upon her + sister who wanders outside of the fold. Measured even by the complaisant + standards of her own time, there can be but one verdict upon the character + of Mme. de Tencin, though it is to be hoped that the scandal-loving + chroniclers have painted her more darkly than she deserved. But whatever + her faults may have been, her talent and her influence were unquestioned. + She posed in turn as a saint, an intrigante, and a femme d'esprit, with + marked success in every one of these roles. But it was not a comedy she + was playing for the amusement of the hour. Beneath the velvet softness of + her manner there was a definite aim, an inflexible purpose. With the tact + and facility of a Frenchwoman, she had a strong, active intellect, + boundless ambition, indomitable energy, and the subtlety of an Italian. + </p> + <p> + An incident of her early life, related by Mme. du Deffand, furnishes a key + to her complex character, and reveals one secret of her influence. Born of + a poor and proud family in Grenoble, in 1681, Claudine Alexandrine Guerin + de Tencin was destined from childhood for the cloister. Her strong + aversion to the life of a nun was unavailing, and she was sent to a + convent at Montfleury. This prison does not seem to have been a very + austere one, and the discipline was far from rigid. The young novice was + so devout that the archbishop prophesied a new light for the church, and + she easily persuaded him of the necessity of occupying the minds of the + religieuses by suitable diversions. Though not yet sixteen, this pretty, + attractive, vivacious girl was fertile in resources, and won her way so + far into the good graces of her superiors as to be permitted to organize + reunions, and to have little comedies played which called together the + provincial society. She transformed the convent, but her secret + disaffection was unchanged. She took the final vows under the compulsion + of her inflexible father, then continued her role of devote to admirable + purpose. By the zeal of her piety, the severity of her penance, and the + ardor of her prayers, she gained the full sympathy of her ascetic young + confessor, to whom she confided her feeling of unfitness for a religious + life, and her earnest desire to be freed from the vows which sat so + uneasily upon her sensitive conscience. He exhorted her to steadfastness, + but finally she wrote him a letter in which she confessed her hopeless + struggle against a consuming passion, and urged the necessity of immediate + release. The conclusion was obvious. The Abbe Fleuret was horrified by the + conviction that this pretty young nun was in love with himself, and used + his influence to secure her transference to a secular order at Neuville, + where as chanoinesse, she had many privileges and few restrictions. Here + she became at once a favorite, as before, charming by her modest devotion, + and amusing by her brilliant wit. Artfully, and by degrees, she convinced + those in authority of the need of a representative in Paris. This office + she was chosen to fill. Playing her pious part to the last, protesting + with tears her pain at leaving a life she loved, and her unfitness for so + great an honor she set out upon her easy mission. There are many tales of + a scandalous life behind all this sanctity and humility, but her new + position gave her consideration, influence, and a good revenue. "Young, + beautiful, clever, with an adorable talent," this "nun unhooded" + fascinated the regent, and was his favorite for a few days. But her + ambition got the better of her prudence. She ventured upon political + ground, and he saw her no more. With his minister, the infamous Dubois, + she was more successful, and he served her purpose admirably well. Through + her notorious relations with him she enriched her brother and secured him + a cardinal's hat. The intrigues of this unscrupulous trio form an + important episode in the history of the period. When Dubois died, within a + few months of the regent, she wept, as she said, "that fools might believe + she regretted him." + </p> + <p> + Her clear, incisive intellect and conversational charm would have assured + the success of any woman at a time when these things counted for so much. + "At thirty-six," wrote Mme. du Deffand, "she was beautiful and fresh as a + woman of twenty; her eyes sparkled, her lips had a smile at the same time + sweet and perfidious; she wished to be good, and gave herself great + trouble to seem so, without succeeding." Indolent and languid with flashes + of witty vivacity, insinuating and facile, unconscious of herself, + interested in everyone with whom she talked, she combined the tact, the + finesse, the subtle penetration of a woman with the grasp, the + comprehensiveness, and the knowledge of political machinery which are + traditionally accorded to a man. "If she wanted to poison you, she would + use the mildest poison," said the Abbe Trublet. + </p> + <p> + "I cannot express the illusion which her air of nonchalance and easy grace + left with me," says Marmontel. "Mme. de Tencin, the woman in the kingdom + who moved the most political springs, both in the city and at court, was + for me only an indolente. Ah, what finesse, what suppleness, what activity + were concealed beneath this naive air, this appearance of calm and + leisure!" But he confesses that she aided him greatly with her counsel, + and that he owed to her much of his knowledge of the world. + </p> + <p> + "Unhappy those who depend upon the pen," she said to him; "nothing is more + chimerical. The man who makes shoes is sure of his wages; the man who + makes a book or a tragedy is never sure of anything." She advises him to + make friends of women rather than of men. "By means of women, one attains + all that one wishes from men, of whom some are too pleasure-loving, others + too much preoccupied with their personal interests not to neglect yours; + whereas women think of you, if only from idleness. Speak this evening to + one of them of some affair that concerns you; tomorrow at her wheel, at + her tapestry, you will find her dreaming of it, and searching in her head + for some means of serving you." + </p> + <p> + Prominent among her friends were Bolingbroke and Fontenelle. "It is not a + heart which you have there," she said to the latter, laying her hand on + the spot usually occupied by that organ, "but a second brain." She had + enlisted what stood in the place of it, however, and he interested himself + so far as to procure her final release from her vows, through Benedict + XIV, who, as Cardinal Lambertini, had frequented her salon, and who sent + her his portrait as a souvenir, after his election to the papacy. + </p> + <p> + Through her intimacy with the Duc de Richelieu, Mme. de Tencin made + herself felt even in the secret councils of Louis XV. Her practical mind + comprehended more clearly than many of the statesmen the forces at work + and the weakness that coped with them. "Unless God visibly interferes," + she said, "it is physically impossible that the state should not fall in + pieces." It was her influence that inspired Mme. de Chateauroux with the + idea of sending her royal lover to revive the spirits of the army in + Flanders. "It is not, between ourselves, that he is in a state to command + a company of grenadiers," she wrote to her brother, "but his presence will + avail much. The troops will do their duty better, and the generals will + not dare to fail them so openly... A king, whatever he may be, is for the + soldiers and people what the ark of the covenant was for the Hebrews; his + presence alone promises success." + </p> + <p> + Her devotion to her friends was the single redeeming trait in her + character, and she hesitated at nothing to advance the interests of her + brother, over whose house she gracefully presided. But she failed in her + ultimate ambition to elevate him to the ministry, and her intrigues were + so much feared that Cardinal Fleury sent her away from Paris for a short + time. Her disappointments, which it is not the purpose to trace here, left + her one of the disaffected party, and on her return her drawing room + became a rallying point for the radical thinkers of France. + </p> + <p> + Such was the woman who courted, flattered, petted, and patronized the + literary and scientific men of Paris, called them her menagerie, put them + into a sort of uniform, gave them two suppers a week, and sent them two + ells of velvet for small clothes at New Year's. Of her salon, Marmontel + gives us an interesting glimpse. He had been invited to read one of his + tragedies, and it was his first introduction. + </p> + <p> + "I saw assembled there Montesquieu, Fontenelle, Mairan, Marivaux, the + young Helvetius, Astruc, and others, all men of science or letters, and, + in the midst of them, a woman of brilliant intellect and profound + judgment, who, with her kind and simple exterior, had rather the + appearance of the housekeeper than the mistress. This was Mme. de + Tencin.... I soon perceived that the guests came there prepared to play + their parts, and that their wish to shine did not leave the conversation + always free to follow its easy and natural course. Every one tried to + seize quickly and on the wing the moment to bring in his word, his story, + his anecdote, his maxim, or to add his dash of light and sparkling wit; + and, in order to do this opportunely, it was often rather far-fetched. In + Marivaux, the impatience to display his finesse and sagacity was quite + apparent. Montesquieu, with more calmness, waited for the ball to come to + him, but he waited. Mairan watched his opportunity. Astruc did not deign + to wait. Fontenelle alone let it come to him without seeking it, and he + used so discreetly the attention given him, that his witty sayings and his + clever stories never occupied more than a moment. Alert and reserved, + Helvetius listened and gathered material for the future." + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Tencin loved literature and philosophy for their own sake, and + received men of letters at their intrinsic value. She encouraged, too, the + freedom of thought and expression at that time so rare and so dangerous. + It was her influence that gave its first impulse to the success of + Montesquieu's esprit DES LOIS, of which she personally bought and + distributed many copies. If she talked well, she knew also how to listen, + to attract by her sympathy, to aid by her generosity, to inspire by her + intelligence, to charm by her versatility. + </p> + <p> + Another figure flits in and out of this salon, whose fine qualities of + soul shine so brightly in this morally stifling atmosphere that one + forgets her errors in a mastering impulse of love and pity. There is no + more pathetic history in this arid and heartless age than that of Mlle. + Aisse, the beautiful Circassian, with the lustrous, dark, Oriental eyes, + who was brought from Constantinople in infancy by the French envoy, and + left as a precious heritage to Mme. de Ferriol, the intriguing sister of + Mme. de Tencin, and her worthy counterpart, if not in talent, in the + faults that darkened their common womanhood. This delicate young girl, + surrounded by worldly and profligate friends, and drawn in spite of + herself into the errors of her time, redeemed her character by her + romantic heroism, her unselfish devotion, and her final revolt against + what seemed to be an inexorable fate. The struggle between her + self-forgetful love for the knightly Chevalier d'Aydie and her sensitive + conscience, her refusal to cloud his future by a portionless marriage, and + her firmness in severing an unholy tie, knowing that the sacrifice would + cost her life, as it did, form an episode as rare as it is tragical. But + her exquisite personality, her rich gifts of mind and soul, her fine + intelligence, her passionate love, almost consecrated by her pious but + fatal renunciation, call up one of the loveliest visions of the century—a + vision that lingers in the memory like a medieval poem. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Tencin amused her later years b writing sentimental tales, which + were found among her papers after her death. These were classed with the + romances of Mme. de La Fayette. Speaking of the latter, La Harpe said, + "Only one other woman succeeded, a century later, in painting with equal + power the struggles of love and virtue." It is one of the curious + inconsistencies of her character, that her creations contained an element + which her life seems wholly to have lacked. Behind all her faults of + conduct there was clearly an ideal of purity and goodness. Her stories are + marked by a vividness and an ardor of passion rarely found in the insipid + and colorless romances of the preceding age. Her pictures of love and + intrigue and crime are touched with the religious enthusiasm of the + cloister, the poetry of devotion, the heroism of self-sacrifice. Perhaps + the dark and mysterious facts of her own history shaped themselves in her + imagination. Did the tragedy of La Fresnaye, the despairing lover who blew + out his brains at her feet, leaving the shadow of a crime hanging over + her, with haunting memories of the Bastille, recall the innocence of her + own early convent days? Did she remember some long-buried love, and the + child left to perish upon the steps of St. Jean le Rond, but grown up to + be her secret pride in the person of the great mathematician and + philosopher d'Alembert? What was the subtle link between this worldly + woman and the eternal passion, the tender self-sacrifice of Adelaide, the + loyal heroine who breathes out her solitary and devoted soul on the ashes + of La Trappe, unknown to her faithful and monastic lover, until the last + sigh? The fate of Adelaide has become a legend. It has furnished a theme + for the poet and the artist, an inspiration for the divine strains of + Beethoven, another leaf in the annals of pure and heroic love. But the + woman who conceived it toyed with the human heart as with a beautiful + flower, to be tossed aside when its first fragrance was gone. She + apparently knew neither the virtue, nor the honor, nor the purity, nor the + truth of which she had so exquisite a perception in the realm of the + imagination. Or were some of the episodes which darken the story of her + life simply the myths of a gossiping age, born of the incidents of an idle + tale, to live forever on the pages of history? + </p> + <p> + But it was not as a literary woman that Mme. de Tencin held her position + and won her fame. Her gifts were eminently those of her age and race, and + it may be of interest to compare her with a woman of larger talent of a + purely intellectual order, who belonged more or less to the world of the + salons, without aspiring to leadership, and who, though much younger, died + in the same year. Mme. du Chatelet was essentially a woman of letters. She + loved the exact sciences, expounded Leibnitz, translated Newton, gave + valuable aid to Voltaire in introducing English thought into France, and + was one of the first women among the nobility to accept the principles of + philosophic deism. "I confess that she is tyrannical," said Voltaire; "one + must talk about metaphysics, when the temptation is to talk of love. Ovid + was formerly my master; it is now the turn of Locke." She has been clearly + but by no means pleasantly painted for us in the familiar letters of Mme. + de Graffigny, in the rather malicious sketches of the Marquise de Crequi, + and in the still more strongly outlined portrait or Mme. du Deffand, as a + veritable bas bleu, learned, pedantic, eccentric, and without grace or + beauty. "Imagine a woman tall and hard, with florid complexion, face + sharp, nose pointed—VOILA LA BELLE EMILIE," writes the latter; "a + face with which she was so contented that she spared nothing to set it + off; curls, topknots, precious stones, all are in profusion... She was + born with much esprit; the desire of appearing to have more made her + prefer the study of the abstract sciences to agreeable branches of + knowledge; she thought by this singularity to attain a greater reputation + and a decided superiority over all other women. Madame worked with so much + care to seem what she was not, that no one knew exactly what she was; even + her defects were not natural." "She talks like an angel"—"she sings + divinely"—"our sex ought to erect altars to her," wrote Mme. de + Graffigny during a visit at her chateau. A few weeks later her tone + changed. They had quarreled. Of such stuff is history made. But she had + already given a charming picture of the life at Cirey. + </p> + <p> + Mme. du Chatelet plunged into abstractions during the day. In the evening + she was no more the savante, but gave herself up to the pleasures of + society with the ardor of a nature that was extreme in everything. + Voltaire read his poetry and his dramas, told stories that made them weep + and then laugh at their tears, improvised verses, and amused them with + marionettes, or the magic lantern. La belle Emilie criticized the poems, + sang, and played prominent parts in the comedies and tragedies of the + philosopher poet, which were first given in her little private theater. + Among the guests were the eminent scientist, Maupertuis, her life-long + friend and teacher; the Italian savant, Algarotti, President Henault, + Helvetius, the poet, Saint-Lambert, and many others of equal distinction. + "Of what do we not talk!" writes Mme. de Graffigny. "Poetry, science, art, + everything, in a tone of graceful badinage. I should like to be able to + send you these charming conversations, these enchanting conversations, but + it is not in me." + </p> + <p> + Mme. du Chatelet owned for several years the celebrated Hotel Lambert, and + a choice company of savants assembled there as in the days when Mme. de + Lambert presided in those stately apartments. But this learned salon had + only a limited vogue. The thinking was high, but the dinners were too + plain. The real life of Mme. du Chatelet was an intimate one. "I confess + that in love and friendship lies all my happiness," said this astronomer, + metaphysician, and mathematician, who wrote against revelation and went to + mass with her free-thinking lover. Her learning and eccentricities made + her the target for many shafts of ridicule, but she counted for much with + Voltaire, and her chief title to fame lies in his long and devoted + friendship. He found the "sublime and respectable Emilie" the incarnation + of all the virtues, though a trifle ill-tempered. The contrast between his + kindly portrait and those of her feminine friends is striking and rather + suggestive. + </p> + <p> + "She joined to the taste for glory a simplicity which does not always + accompany it, but which is often the fruit of serious studies. No woman + was ever so learned, and no one deserves less to be called a femme + savante. Born with a singular eloquence, this eloquence manifested itself + only when she found subjects worthy of it... The fitting word, precision, + justness, and force were the characteristics of her style. She would + rather write like Pascal and Nicole than like Mme. de Sevigne; but this + severe strength and this vigorous temper of her mind did not render her + inaccessible to the beauties of sentiment. The charms of poetry and + eloquence penetrated her, and no one was ever more sensitive to harmony... + She gave herself to the great world as to study. Everything that occupies + society was in her province except scandal. She was never known to repeat + an idle story. She had neither time nor disposition to give attention to + such things, and when told that some one had done her an injustice, she + replied that she did not wish to hear about it." + </p> + <p> + "She led him a life a little hard," said Mme. de Graffigny, after her + quarrel; but he seems to have found it agreeable, and broke his heart—for + a short time—when she died. "I have lost half of my being," he wrote—"a + soul for which mine was made." To Marmontel he says: "Come and share my + sorrow. I have lost my illustrious friend. I am in despair. I am + inconsolable." One cannot believe that so clear-sighted a man, even though + a poet, could live for twenty years under the spell of a pure illusion. + What heart revelations, what pictures of contemporary life, were lost in + the eight large volumes of his letters which were destroyed at her death! + </p> + <p> + While Mme. de Tencin studied men and affairs, Mme. du Chatelet studied + books. One was mistress of the arts of diplomacy, gentle but intriguing, + ambitious, always courting society and shunning solitude. The other was + violent and imperious, hated finesse, and preferred burying herself among + the rare treasures of her library at Cirey. + </p> + <p> + The influence of Mme. de Tencin was felt, not only in the social and + intellectual, but in the political life of the century. The traditions of + her salon lingered in those which followed, modified by the changes that + time and personal taste always bring. Mme. du Chatelet was more learned, + but she lacked the tact and charm which give wide personal ascendancy. Her + influence was largely individual, and her books have been mostly + forgotten. These women were alike defiant of morality, but taken all in + all, the character of Mme. Chatelet has more redeeming points, though + little respect can be accorded to either. With the wily intellect of a + Talleyrand, Mme. de Tencin represents the social genius, the intelligence, + the esprit, and the worst vices of the century on which she has left such + conspicuous traces. + </p> + <p> + "She knew my tastes and always offered me those dishes I preferred," said + Fontenelle when she died in 1740. "It is an irreparable loss." Perhaps his + hundred years should excuse his not going to her funeral for fear of + catching cold. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XII. MADAME GEOFFRIN AND THE PHILOSOPHERS + </h2> + <p> + <i>Cradles of the New Philosophy—Noted Salons of this Period— + Character of Mme. Geoffrin—Her Practical Education—Anecdotes + of her Husband—Composition of her Salon—Its Insidious + Influence—Her Journey to Warsaw—Her Death</i> + </p> + <p> + During the latter half of the eighteenth century the center of social life + was no longer the court, but the salons. They had multiplied indefinitely, + and, representing every shade of taste and thought, had reached the climax + of their power as schools of public opinion, as well as their highest + perfection in the arts and amenities of a brilliant and complex society. + There was a slight reaction from the reckless vices and follies of the + regency. If morals were not much better, manners were a trifle more + decorous. Though the great world did not take the tone of stately elegance + and rigid propriety which it had assumed under the rule of Mme. de + Maintenon, it was superficially polished, and a note of thoughtfulness was + added. Affairs in France had taken too serious an aspect to be ignored, + and the theories of the philosophers were among the staple topics of + conversation; indeed, it was the great vogue of the philosophers that gave + many of the most noted social centers their prestige and their fame. It is + not the salons of the high nobility that suggest themselves as the typical + ones of this age. It is those which were animated by the habitual presence + of the radical leaders of French thought. Economic questions and the + rights of man were discussed as earnestly in these brilliant coteries as + matters of faith and sentiment, of etiquette and morals, had been a + hundred years before. Such subjects were forced upon them by the + inexorable logic of events; and fashion, which must needs adapt itself in + some measure to the world over which it rules, took them up. If the + drawing rooms of the seventeenth century were the cradles of refined + manners and a new literature, those of the eighteenth were literally the + cradles of a new philosophy. + </p> + <p> + The practical growth and spread of French philosophy was too closely + interwoven with the history of the salons not to call for a word here. Its + innovations were faintly prefigured in the coterie of Mme. de Lambert, + where it colored almost imperceptibly the literary and critical + discussions. But its foundations were more firmly laid in the drawing room + of Mme. de Tencin, where the brilliant wit and radical theories of + Montesquieu, as well as the pronounced materialism of Helvetius, found a + congenial atmosphere. Though the mingled romance and satire of the + "Persian Letters," with their covert attack upon the state and society, + raised a storm of antagonism, they called out a burst of admiration as + well. The original and aggressive thought of men like Voltaire, Rousseau, + d'Alembert, and Diderot, with its diversity of shading, but with the + cardinal doctrine of freedom and equality pervading it all, had found a + rapidly growing audience. It no longer needed careful nursing, in the + second half of the century. It had invaded the salons of the haute + noblesse, and was discussed even in the anterooms of the court. Mme. de + Pompadour herself stole away from her tiresome lover-king to the + freethinking coterie that met in her physician's apartments in the + Entresol at Versailles, and included the greatest iconoclasts of the age. + If she had any misgivings as to the outcome of these discussions, they + were fearlessly cast aside with "Apres Nous le Deluge." "In the depth of + her heart she was with us," said Voltaire when she died. + </p> + <p> + There were clairvoyant spirits who traced the new theories to their + logical results. Mme. du Deffand speaks with prophetic vision of the + reasoners and beaux esprits "who direct the age and lead it to its ruin." + There were conservative women, too, who used their powerful influence + against them. It was in the salon of the delicate but ardent young + Princesse de Robecq that Palissot was inspired to write the satirical + comedy of "The Philosophers," in which Rousseau was represented as + entering on all fours, browsing a lettuce, and the Encyclopedists were so + mercilessly ridiculed. This spirited and heroic daughter-in-law of the + Duchesse de Luxembourg, the powerful patroness of Rousseau, was hopelessly + ill at the time, and, in a caustic reply to the clever satire, the abbe + Morellet did not spare the beautiful invalid who desired for her final + consolation only to see its first performance and be able to say, "Now, + Lord, thou lettest thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen + vengeance." The cruel attack was thought to have hastened her death, and + the witty abbe was sent to the Bastille; but he came out in two months, + went away for a time, and returned a greater hero than ever. There is a + picture, full of pathetic significance, which represents the dying + princess on her pillow, crowned with a halo of sanctity, as she devotes + her last hours to the defense of the faith she loves. One is reminded of + the sweet and earnest souls of Port Royal; but her vigorous protest, which + furnished only a momentary target for the wit of the philosophers, was + lost in the oncoming wave of skepticism. + </p> + <p> + The vogue of these men received its final stamp in the admiring patronage + of the greatest sovereigns in Europe. Voltaire had his well-known day of + power at the court of Frederick the Great. Grimm and Diderot, too, were + honored guests of that most liberal of despots, and discussed their novel + theories in familiar fashion with Catherine II, at St. Petersburg. The + reply of this astute and clear-sighted empress to the eloquent plea of + Diderot may be commended for its wisdom to the dreamers and theorists of + today. + </p> + <p> + "I have heard, with the greatest pleasure, all that your brilliant + intellect has inspired you to say; but with all your grand principles, + which I comprehend very well, one makes fine books and bad business. You + forget in all your plans of reform the difference of our two positions. + You work only on paper, which permits everything; it is quite smooth and + pliant, and opposes no obstacles to your imagination nor to your pen; + while I, poor empress, I work upon the human cuticle, which is quite + sensitive and irritable." + </p> + <p> + It is needless to say that the men so honored by sovereigns were petted in + the salons, in spite of their disfavor with the Government. They dined, + talked, posed as lions or as martyrs, and calmly bided their time. The + persecution of the Encyclopedists availed little more than satire had + done, in stemming the slowly rising tide of public opinion. Utopian + theories took form in the ultra circles, were insidiously disseminated in + the moderate ones, and were lightly discussed in the fashionable ones. Men + who talked, and women who added enthusiasm, were alike unconscious of the + dynamic force of the material with which they were playing. + </p> + <p> + Of the salons which at this period had a European reputation, the most + noted were those of Mme. du Deffand, Mlle. de Lespinasse, and Mme. + Geoffrin. The first was the resort of the more intellectual of the + noblesse, as well as the more famous of the men of letters. The two worlds + mingled here; the tone was spiced with wit and animated with thought, but + it was essentially aristocratic. The second was the rallying point of the + Encyclopedists and much frequented by political reformers, but the rare + gifts of its hostess attracted many from the great world. The last was + moderate in tone, though philosophical and thoroughly cosmopolitan. + Sainte-Beuve pronounced it "the most complete, the best organized, and + best conducted of its time; the best established since the foundation of + the salons; that is, since the Hotel de Rambouillet." + </p> + <p> + "Do you know why La Geoffrin comes here? It is to see what she can gather + from my inventory," remarked Mme. de Tencin on her death bed. She + understood thoroughly her world, and knew that her friend wished to + capture the celebrities who were in the habit of meeting in her salon. But + she does not seem to have borne her any ill will for her rather premature + schemes, as she gave her a characteristic piece of advice: "Never refuse + any advance of friendship," she said; "for, if nine out of ten bring you + nothing, one alone may repay you. Everything is of service in a menage if + one knows how to use his tools." Mme. Geoffrin was an apt pupil in the + arts of diplomacy, and the key to her remarkable social success may be + found in her ready assimilation of the worldly wisdom of her sage + counselor. But to this she added a far kinder heart and a more estimable + character. + </p> + <p> + Of all the women who presided over famous salons, Mme. Geoffrin had + perhaps the least claim to intellectual preeminence. The secret of her + power must have lain in some intangible quality that has failed to be + perpetuated in any of her sayings or doings. A few commonplace and + ill-spelled letters, a few wise or witty words, are all the direct record + she has left of herself. Without rank, beauty, youth, education, or + remarkable mental gifts of a sort that leave permanent traces, she was the + best representative of the women of her time who held their place in the + world solely through their skill in organizing and conducting a salon. She + was in no sense a luminary; and conscious that she could not shine by her + own light, she was bent upon shining by that of others. But, in a social + era so brilliant, even this implied talent of a high order. A letter to + the Empress of Russia, in reply to a question concerning her early + education, throws a ray of light upon her youth and her peculiar training. + </p> + <p> + "I lost my father and mother," she writes, "in the cradle. I was brought + up by an aged grandmother, who had much intelligence and a well-balanced + head. She had very little education; but her mind was so clear, so ready, + so active, that it never failed her; it served always in the place of + knowledge. She spoke so agreeably of the things she did not know that no + one wished her to understand them better; and when her ignorance was too + visible, she got out of it by pleasantries which baffled the pedants who + tried to humiliate her. She was so contented with her lot that she looked + upon knowledge as a very useless thing for a woman. She said: 'I have done + without it so well that I have never felt the need of it. If my + granddaughter is stupid, learning will make her conceited and + insupportable; if she has talent and sensibility, she will do as I have + done—supply by address and with sentiment what she does not know; + when she becomes more reasonable, she will learn that for which she has + the most aptitude, and she will learn it very quickly.' She taught me in + my childhood simply to read, but she made me read much; she taught me to + think by making me reason; she taught me to know men by making me say what + I thought of them, and telling me also the opinion she had formed. She + required me to render her an account of all my movements and all my + feelings, correcting them with so much sweetness and grace that I never + concealed from her anything that I thought or felt; my internal life was + as visible as my external. My education was continual." + </p> + <p> + The daughter of a valet de chambre of the Duchess of Burgundy, who gave + her a handsome dowry, Marie Therese Rodet became, at fourteen, the wife of + a lieutenant-colonel of the National Guard and a rich manufacturer of + glass. Her husband did not count for much among the distinguished guests + who in later years frequented her salon, and his part in her life seems to + have consisted mainly in furnishing the money so essential to her success, + and in looking carefully after the interests of the menage. It is related + that some one gave him a history to read, and when he called for the + successive volumes the same one was always returned to him. Not observing + this, he found the work interesting, but "thought the author repeated a + little." He read across the page a book printed in two columns, remarking + that "it seemed to be very good, but a trifle abstract." One day a visitor + inquired for the white-haired old gentleman who was in the habit of + sitting at the head of the table. "That was my husband," replied Mme. + Geoffrin; "he is dead." + </p> + <p> + But if her marriage was not an ideal one, it does not appear that it was + unhappy. Perhaps her bourgeois birth and associations saved her youth from + the domestic complications which were so far the rule in the great world + as to have, in a measure, its sanction. At all events her life was + apparently free from the shadows that rested upon many of her + contemporaries. + </p> + <p> + "Her character was a singular one," writes Marmontel, who lived for ten + years in her house, "and difficult to understand or paint, because it was + all in half-tints and shades; very decided nevertheless, but without the + striking traits by which one's nature distinguishes and defines itself. + She was kind, but had little sensibility; charitable, without any of the + charms of benevolence; eager to aid the unhappy, but without seeing them, + for fear of being moved; a sure, faithful, even officious friend, but + timid and anxious in serving others, lest she should compromise her credit + or her repose. She was simple in her taste, her dress, and her furniture, + but choice in her simplicity, having the refinements and delicacies of + luxury, but nothing of its ostentation nor its vanity; modest in her air, + carriage, and manners, but with a touch of pride, and even a little + vainglory. Nothing flattered her more than her intercourse with the great. + At their houses she rarely saw them,—indeed she was not at her ease + there,—but she knew how to attract them to her own by a coquetry + subtly flattering; and in the easy, natural, half-respectful and + half-familiar air with which she received them, I thought I saw remarkable + address." + </p> + <p> + In a woman of less tact and penetration, this curious vein of hidden + vanity would have led to pretension. But Mme. Geoffrin was preeminently + gifted with that fine social sense which is apt to be only the fruit of + generations of culture. With her it was innate genius. She was mistress of + the amiable art of suppressing herself, and her vanity assumed the form of + a gracious modesty. "I remain humble, but with dignity," she writes to a + friend; "that is, in depreciating myself I do not suffer others to + depreciate me." She had the instinct of the artist who knows how to offset + the lack of brilliant gifts by the perfection of details, the modesty that + disarms criticism, and a rare facility in the art of pleasing. + </p> + <p> + There was an air of refinement and simple elegance in her personality that + commanded respect. Tall and dignified, with her silvery hair concealed by + her coif, she combined a noble presence with great kindliness of manner. + She usually wore somber colors and fine laces, for which she had great + fondness. Her youth was long past when she came before the world, and that + sense of fitness which always distinguished her led her to accept her age + seriously and to put on its hues. The "dead-leaf mantle" of Mme. de + Maintenon was worn less severely perhaps, but it was worn without + affectation. Diderot gives us a pleasant glimpse of her at Grandval, where + they were dining with Baron d'Holbach. "Mme. Geoffrin was admirable," he + wrote to Mlle. Volland. "I remark always the noble and quiet taste with + which this woman dresses. She wore today a simple stuff of austere color, + with large sleeves, the smoothest and finest linen, and the most elegant + simplicity throughout." + </p> + <p> + In her equanimity and her love of repose she was a worthy disciple of + Fontenelle. She carefully avoided all violent passions and all + controversies. To her lawyer, who was conducting a suit that worried her, + she said, "Wind up my case. Do they want my money? I have some, and what + can I do with money better than to buy tranquillity with it?" This + aversion to annoyance often reached the proportions of a very amiable + selfishness. "She has the habit of detesting those who are unhappy," said + the witty Abbe Galiani, "for she does not wish to be so, even by the sight + of the unhappiness of others. She has an impressionable heart; she is old; + she is well; she wishes to preserve her health and her tranquillity. As + soon as she learns that I am happy she will love me to folly." + </p> + <p> + But her generosity was exceptional. "Donner et pardonner" was her device. + Many anecdotes are related of her charitable temper. She had ordered two + marble vases of Bouchardon. One was broken before reaching her. Learning + that the man who broke it would lose his place if it were known, and that + he had a family of four children, she immediately sent word to the atelier + that the sculptor was not to be told of the loss, adding a gift of twelve + francs to console the culprit for his fright. She often surprised her + impecunious friends with the present of some bit of furniture she thought + they needed, or an annuity delicately bestowed. "I have assigned to you + fifteen thousand francs," she said one day to the Abbe Morellet; "do not + speak of it and do not thank me." "Economy is the source of independence + and liberty" was one of her mottoes, and she denied herself the luxuries + of life that she might have more to spend in charities. But she never + permitted any one to compromise her, and often withheld her approbation + where she was free with her purse. To do all the good possible and to + respect all the convenances were her cardinal principles. Marmontel was + sent to the Bastille under circumstances that were rather creditable than + otherwise; but it was a false note, and she was never quite the same to + him afterwards. She wept at her own injustice, schemed for his election to + the Academy, and scolded him for his lack of diplomacy; but the little + cloud was there. When the Sorbonne censured his Belisarius her friendship + could no longer bear the strain, and, though still received at her + dinners, he ceased to live in her house. + </p> + <p> + Her dominant passion seems to have been love of consideration, if a calm + and serene, but steadily persistent, purpose can be called a passion. No + trained diplomatist ever understood better the world with which he had to + deal, or managed more adroitly to avoid small antagonisms. It was her + maxim not to create jealousy by praising people, nor irritation by + defending them. If she wished to say a kind word, she dwelt upon good + qualities that were not contested. She prided herself upon ruling her life + by reason. Sainte-Beuve calls her the Fontenelle of women, but it was + Fontenelle tempered with a heart. + </p> + <p> + This "foster-mother of philosophers" evidently wished to make sure of her + own safety, however matters might turn out in the next world. She had a + devotional vein, went to mass privately, had a seat at the Church of the + Capucins, and an apartment for retreat in a convent. During her last + illness the Marquise de la Ferte-Imbault, who did not love her mother's + freethinking friends, excluded them, and sent for a confessor. Mme. + Geoffrin submitted amiably, and said, smiling, "My daughter is like + Godfrey of Bouillon; she wishes to defend my tomb against the infidels." + </p> + <p> + Into the composition of her salon she brought the talent of an artist. We + have a glimpse of her in 1748 through a letter from Montesquieu. She was + then about fifty, and had gathered about her a more or less distinguished + company, which was enlarged after the death of Mme. de Tencin, in the + following year. She gave dinners twice a week—one on Monday for + artists, among whom were Vanloo, Vernet, and Boucher; and one on Wednesday + for men of letters. As she believed that women were apt to distract the + conversation, only one was usually invited to dine with them. Mlle. de + Lespinasse, the intellectual peer and friend of these men, sat opposite + her, and aided in conducting the conversation into agreeable channels. The + talent of Mme. Geoffrin seems to have consisted in telling a story well, + in a profound knowledge of people, ready tact, and the happy art of + putting every one at ease. She did not like heated discussions nor a too + pronounced expression of opinion. "She was willing that the philosophers + should remodel the world," says one of her critics, "on condition that the + kingdom of Diderot should come without disorder or confusion." But though + she liked and admired this very free and eloquent Diderot, he was too bold + and outspoken to have a place at her table. Helvetius, too, fell into + disfavor after the censure which his atheistic DE L'esprit brought upon + him; and Baron d'Holbach was too apt to overstep the limits at which the + hostess interfered with her inevitable "Voila qui est bien." Indeed, she + assumed the privilege of her years to scold her guests if they interfered + with the general harmony or forgot any of the amenities. But her scoldings + were very graciously received as a slight penalty for her favor, and more + or less a measure of her friendship. She graded her courtesies with fine + discrimination, and her friends found the reflection of their success or + failure in her manner of receiving them. Her keen, practical mind pierced + every illusion with merciless precision. She defined a popular abbe who + posed for a bel esprit, as a "fool rubbed all over with wit." Rulhiere had + read in her salon a work on Russia, which she feared might compromise him, + and she offered him a large sum of money to throw it into the fire. The + author was indignant at such a reflection upon his courage and honor, and + grew warmly eloquent upon the subject. She listened until he had finished, + then said quietly, "How much more do you want, M. Rulhiere?" + </p> + <p> + The serene poise of a character without enthusiasms and without illusions + is very well illustrated by a letter to Mme. Necker. After playfully + charging her with being always infatuated, never cool and reserved, she + continues: + </p> + <p> + "Do you know, my pretty one, that your exaggerated praises confound me, + instead of pleasing and flattering me? I am always afraid that your + giddiness will evaporate. You will then judge me to be so different from + your preconceived opinion that you will punish me for your own mistake, + and allow me no merit at all. I have my virtues and my good qualities, but + I have also many faults. Of these I am perfectly well aware, and every day + I try to correct them. + </p> + <p> + "My dear friend, I beg of you to lessen your excessive admiration. I + assure you that you humiliate me; and that is certainly not your + intention. The angels think very little about me, and I do not trouble + myself about them. Their praise or their blame is indifferent to me, for I + shall not come in their way; but what I do desire is that you should love + me, and that you should take me as you find me." + </p> + <p> + Again she assumes her position of mentor and writes: "How is it possible + not to answer the kind and charming letter I have received from you? But + still I reply only to tell you that it made me a little angry. I see that + it is impossible to change anything in your uneasy, restless, and at the + same time weak character." + </p> + <p> + Horace Walpole, who met her during his first visit to Paris, and before + his intimacy with Mme. du Deffand had colored his opinions, has left a + valuable pen-portrait of Mme. Geoffrin. In a letter to Gray, in 1766, he + writes: + </p> + <p> + "Mme. Geoffrin, of whom you have heard much, is an extraordinary woman, + with more common sense than I almost ever met with, great quickness in + discovering characters, penetrating and going to the bottom of them, and a + pencil that never fails in a likeness, seldom a favorable one. She exacts + and preserves, spite of her birth and their nonsensical prejudices about + nobility, great court and attention. This she acquires by a thousand + little arts and offices of friendship, and by a freedom and severity which + seem to be her sole end for drawing a concourse to her. She has little + taste and less knowledge, but protects artisans and authors, and courts a + few people to have the credit of serving her dependents. In short, she is + an epitome of empire, subsisting by rewards and punishments." + </p> + <p> + Later, when he was less disinterested, perhaps, he writes to another + friend: "Mme. du Deffand hates the philosophers, so you must give them up + to her. She and Mme. Geoffrin are no friends; so if you go thither, don't + tell her of it—Indeed you would be sick of that house whither all + the pretended beaux esprits and false savants go, and where they are very + impertinent and dogmatic." + </p> + <p> + The real power of this woman may be difficult to define, but a glance at + her society reveals, at least partly, its secret. Nowhere has the glamour + of a great name more influence than at Paris. A few celebrities form a + nucleus of sufficient attraction to draw all the world, if they are + selected with taste and discrimination. After the death of Fontenelle, + d'Alembert, always witty, vivacious, and original, in spite of the serious + and exact nature of his scientific studies, was perhaps the leading spirit + of this salon. Among its constant habitues were Helvetius, who put his + selfishness into his books, reserving for his friends the most amiable and + generous of tempers; Marivaux, the novelist and dramatist, whose vanity + rivaled his genius, but who represented only the literary spirit, and did + not hesitate to ridicule his companions the philosophers; the caustic but + brilliant and accomplished Abbe Morellet, who had "his heart in his head + and his head in his heart;" the severe and cheerful Mairan, mathematician, + astronomer, physician, musical amateur, and member of two academies, whose + versatile gifts and courtly manners gave him as cordial a welcome in the + exclusive salon at the Temple as among his philosophical friends; the gay + young Marmontel, who has left so clear and simple a picture of this famous + circle and its gentle hostess; Grimm, who combined the SAVANT and the + courtier; Saint-Lambert, the delicate and scholarly poet; Thomas, grave + and thoughtful, shining by his character and intellect, but forgetting the + graces which were at that time so essential to brilliant success; the + eloquent Abbe Raynal; and the Chevalier de Chastellux, so genial, so + sympathetic, and so animated. To these we may add Galiani, the smallest, + the wittiest, and the most delightful of abbes, whose piercing insight and + Machiavellian subtlety lent a piquant charm to the stories with which for + hours he used to enliven this choice company; Caraccioli, gay, simple, + ingenuous, full of Neapolitan humor, rich in knowledge and observation, + luminous with intelligence and sparkling with wit; and the Comte de + Crentz, the learned and versatile Swedish minister, to whom nature had + "granted the gift of expressing and painting in touches of fire all that + had struck his imagination or vividly seized his soul." Hume, Gibbon, + Walpole, indeed every foreigner of distinction who visited Paris, lent to + this salon the eclat of their fame, the charm of their wit, or the + prestige of their rank. It was such men as these who gave it so rare a + fascination and so lasting a fame. + </p> + <p> + A strong vein of philosophy was inevitable, though in this circle of + diplomats and litterateurs there were many counter-currents of opinion. It + was her consummate skill in blending these diverse but powerful elements, + and holding them within harmonious limits, that made the reputation of the + autocratic hostess. The friend of savants and philosophers, she had + neither read nor studied books, but she had studied life to good purpose. + Though superficial herself, she had the delicate art of putting every one + in the most advantageous light by a few simple questions or words. It was + one of her maxims that "the way not to get tired of people is to talk to + them of themselves; at the same time, it is the best way to prevent them + from getting tired of you." Perhaps Mme. Necker was thinking of her when + she compared certain women in conversation to "light layers of cotton wool + in a box packed with porcelain; we do not pay much attention to them, but + if they were taken away everything would be broken." + </p> + <p> + Mme. Geoffrin was always at home in the evening, and there were simple + little suppers to which a few women were invited. The fare was usually + little more than "a chicken, some spinach, and omelet." Among the most + frequent guests were the charming, witty, and spirituelle Comtesse + d'Egmont, daughter of the Duc de Richelieu, who added to the vivacious and + elegant manners of her father an indefinable grace of her own, and a vein + of sentiment that was doubtless deepened by her sad little romance; the + Marquise de Duras, more dignified and discreet; and the beautiful Comtesse + de Brionne, "a Venus who resembled Minerva." These women, with others who + came there, were intellectual complements of the men; some of them gay and + not without serious faults, but adding beauty, rank, elegance, and the + delicate tone of esprit which made this circle so famous that it was + thought worth while to have its sayings and doings chronicled at Berlin + and St. Petersburg. Perhaps its influence was the more insidious and far + reaching because of its polished moderation. The "let us be agreeable" of + Mme. Geoffrin was a potent talisman. + </p> + <p> + Among the guests at one time was Stanislas Poniatowski, afterwards King of + Poland. Hearing that he was about to be imprisoned by his creditors, Mme. + Geoffrin came forward and paid his debts. "When I make a statue of + friendship, I shall give it your features," he said to her; "this divinity + is the mother of charity." On his elevation to the throne he wrote to her, + "Maman, your son is king. Come and see him." This led to her famous + journey when nearly seventy years of age. It was a series of triumphs at + which no one was more surprised than herself, and they were all due, she + modestly says, "to a few mediocre dinners and some petits soupers." One + can readily pardon her for feeling flattered, when the emperor alights + from his carriage on the public promenade at Vienna and pays her some + pretty compliments, "just as if he had been at one of our little Wednesday + suppers." There is a charm in the simple naivete with which she tells her + friends how cordially Maria Theresa receives her at Schonbrunn, and she + does not forget to add that the empress said she had the most beautiful + complexion in the world. She repeats quite naturally, and with a slight + touch of vanity perhaps, the fine speeches made to her by the "adorable + Prince Galitzin" and Prince Kaunitz, "the first minister in Europe," both + of whom entertained her. But she would have been more than a woman to have + met all this honor with indifference. No wonder she believes herself to be + dreaming. "I am known here much better than in the Rue St. Honore," she + writes, "and in a fashion the most flattering. My journey has made an + incredible sensation for the last fifteen days." To be sure, she spells + badly for a woman who poses as the friend of litterateurs and savants, and + says very little about anything that does not concern her own fame and + glory. But she does not cease to remember her friends, whom she "loves, if + possible, better than ever." Nor does she forget to send a thousand + caresses to her kitten. + </p> + <p> + A messenger from Warsaw meets her with everything imaginable that can add + to the comfort and luxury of her journey, and on reaching there she finds + a room fitted up for her like her own boudoir in the Rue St. Honore. She + accepts all this consideration with great modesty and admirable good + sense. "This tour finished," she writes to d'Alembert, "I feel that I + shall have seen enough of men and things to be convinced that they are + everywhere about the same. I have my storehouse of reflections and + comparisons well furnished for the rest of my life. All that I have seen + since leaving my Penates makes me thank God for having been born French + and a private person." + </p> + <p> + The peculiar charm which attracted such rare and marked attentions to a + woman not received at her own court, and at a time when social + distinctions were very sharply defined, eludes analysis, but it seems to + have lain largely in her exquisite sense of fitness, her excellent + judgment, her administrative talent, the fine tact and penetration which + enabled her to avoid antagonism, an instinctive knowledge of the art of + pleasing, and a kind but not too sensitive heart. These qualities are not + those which appeal to the imagination or inspire enthusiasm. We find in + her no spark of that celestial flame which gives intellectual distinction. + In her amiability there seems to be a certain languor of the heart. Her + kindness has a trace of calculation, and her friendship of + self-consciousness. Of spontaneity she has none. "She loved nothing + passionately, not even virtue," says one of her critics. There was a + certain method in her simplicity. She carried to perfection the art of + savoir vivre, and though she claimed freedom of thought and action, it was + always strictly within conventional limits. + </p> + <p> + She suffered the fate of all celebrities in being occasionally attacked. + The role assigned to her in the comedy of "The Philosophers" was not a + flattering one, and some criticisms of Montesquieu wounded her so deeply + that she succeeded in having them suppressed. She did not escape the + shafts of envy, nor the sneers of the grandes dames who did not relish her + popularity. But these were only spots on the surface of a singularly + brilliant career. Calm, reposeful, charitable, without affectation or + pretension, but not untouched by ennui, the malady of her time, she held + her position to the end of a long life which closed in 1777. + </p> + <p> + "Alas," said d'Alembert, who had been in the habit of spending his + mornings with Mlle. de Lespinasse until her death, and his evenings with + Mme. Geoffrin, "I have neither evenings nor mornings left." + </p> + <p> + "She has made for fifty years the charm of her society," said the Abbe + Morellet. "She has been constantly, habitually virtuous and benevolent." + Her salon brought authors and artists into direct relation with + distinguished patrons, especially foreigners, and thus contributed largely + to the spread of French art and letters. It was counted among "the + institutions of the eighteenth century." + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0013" id="link2HCH0013"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIII. ULTRA-PHILOSOPHICAL SALONS—MADAME D'EPINAY + </h2> + <p> + <i>Mme. de Graffigny—Baron d'Holbach—Mme. d'Epinay's Portrait + of Herself—Mlle. Quinault—Rousseau—La Chevrette—Grimm—Diderot—The + Abbe Galiani—Estimate of Mme. d'Epinay</i> + </p> + <p> + A few of the more radical and earnest of the philosophers rarely, if ever, + appeared at the table of Mme. Geoffrin. They would have brought too much + heat to this company, which discussed everything in a light and agreeable + fashion. Perhaps, too, these free and brilliant spirits objected to the + leading-strings which there held every one within prescribed limits. They + could talk more at their ease at the weekly dinners of Baron d'Holbach, in + the salons of Mme. Helvetius, Mme. de Marchais, or Mme. de Graffigny, in + the Encyclopedist coterie of Mlle. de Lespinasse, or in the liberal + drawing room of Mme. d'Epinay, who held a more questionable place in the + social world, but received much good company, Mme. Geoffrin herself + included. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Graffigny is known mainly as a woman of letters whose life had in + it many elements of tragedy. Her youth was passed in the brilliant society + of the little court at Luneville. She was distantly related to Mme. du + Chatelet, and finally took refuge from the cruelties of a violent and + brutal husband in the "terrestrial paradise" at Cirey. La belle Emilie was + moved to sympathy, and Voltaire wept at the tale of her sorrows. A little + later she became a victim to the poet's sensitive vanity. He accused her + of sending to a friend a copy of his "Pucello," an unfinished poem which + was kept under triple lock, though parts of it had been read to her. Her + letters were opened, her innocent praises were turned against her, there + was a scene, and Cirey was a paradise no more. She came to Paris, ill, + sad, and penniless. She wrote "Les Lettres d'une Peruvienne" and found + herself famous. She wrote "Cenie," which was played at the Comedie + Francaise, and her success was established. Then she wrote another drama. + "She read it to me," says one of her friends; "I found it bad; she found + me ill-natured. It was played; the public died of ennui and the author of + chagrin." "I am convinced that misfortune will follow me into paradise," + she said. At all events, it seems to have followed her to the entrance. + </p> + <p> + Her salon was more or less celebrated. The freedom of the conversations + may be inferred from the fact that Helvetius gathered there the materials + for his "De l'Esprit," a book condemned by the Pope, the Parliament, and + the Sorbonne. It was here also that he found his charming wife, a niece of + Mme. de Graffigny, and the light of her house as afterwards of his own. + </p> + <p> + A more permanent interest is attached to the famous dinners of Baron + d'Holbach, where twice a week men like Diderot, Helvetius, Grimm, + Marmontel, Duclos, the Abbe Galiani and for a time Buffon and Rousseau, + met in an informal way to enjoy the good cheer and good wines of this + "maitre d'hotel of philosophy," and discuss the affairs of the universe. + The learned and free-thinking baron was agreeable, kind, rich, and lavish + in his hospitality, but without pretension. "He was a man simply simple," + said Mme. Geoffrin. We have many pleasant glimpses of his country place at + Grandval, with its rich and rare collections, its library, its pictures, + its designs, and of the beautiful wife who turned the heads of some of the + philosophers, whom, as a rule, she did not like overmuch, though she + received them so graciously. "We dine well and a long time," wrote + Diderot. "We talk of art, of poetry, of philosophy, and of love, of the + greatness and vanity of our own enterprises... Of gods and kings, of space + and time, of death and of life." + </p> + <p> + "They say things to make a thunderbolt strike the house a hundred times, + if it struck for that," said the Abbe Morellet. + </p> + <p> + Among the few women admitted to these dinners was Mme. d'Epinay, for whom + d'Holbach, as well as his amiable wife, always entertained the warmest + friendship. This woman, whose position was not assured enough to make + people overlook her peculiar and unfortunate domestic complications, has + told the story of her own life in her long and confidential correspondence + with Grimm, Galiani, and Voltaire. The senseless follies of a cruel and + worthless husband, who plunged her from great wealth into extreme poverty, + and of whom Diderot said that "he had squandered two millions without + saying a good word or doing a good action," threw her into intimate + relations with Grimm; this brought her into the center of a famous circle. + Her letters give us a clear but far from flattering reflection of the + manners of the time. She unveils the bare and hard facts of her own + experience, the secret workings of her own soul. The picture is not a + pleasant one, but it is full of significance to the moralist, and + furnishes abundant matter for psychological study. + </p> + <p> + The young girl, who had entered upon the scene about 1725, under the name + of Louise Florence Petronille-Tardieu d'Esclavelles, was married at twenty + to her cousin. It seems to have been really a marriage of love; but the + weak and faithless M. d'Epinay was clearly incapable of truth or honor, + and the torturing process by which the confiding young wife was + disillusioned, the insidious counsel of a false and profligate friend, + with the final betrayal of a tender and desolate heart, form a chapter as + revolting as it is pathetic. The fresh, lively, pure-minded, sensitive + girl, whose intellect had been fed on Rollin's history and books of + devotion, who feared the dissipations of the gay world and shrank with + horror from the rouge which her frivolous husband compelled her to put on, + learned her lesson rapidly in the school of suffering. + </p> + <p> + At thirty she writes of herself, after the fashion of the pen portraits of + the previous century: + </p> + <p> + "I am not pretty; yet I am not plain. I am small, thin, very well formed. + I have the air of youth, without freshness, but noble, sweet, lively, + spirituelle, and interesting. My imagination is tranquil. My mind is slow, + just, reflective, and inconsequent. I have vivacity, courage, firmness, + elevation, and excessive timidity. I am true without being frank. Timidity + often gives me the appearance of dissimulation and duplicity; but I have + always had the courage to confess my weakness, in order to destroy the + suspicion of a vice which I have not. I have the finesse to attain my end + and to remove obstacles; but I have none to penetrate the purposes of + others. I was born tender and sensible, constant and no coquette. I love + retirement, a life simple and private; nevertheless I have almost always + led one contrary to my taste. Bad health, and sorrows sharp and repeated, + have given a serious cast to my character, which is naturally very gay." + </p> + <p> + Her first entrance into the world in which wit reigned supreme was in the + free but elegant salon of Mlle. Quinault, an actress of the Comedie + Francaise, who had left the stage, and taking the role of a femme + d'esprit, had gathered around her a distinguished and fashionable coterie. + This woman, who had received a decoration for a fine motet she had + composed for the queen's chapel, who was loved and consulted by Voltaire, + and who was the best friend of d'Alembert after the death of Mlle. de + Lespinasse, represented the genius of esprit and finesse. She was the + companion of princes, the adoration of princesses, the oracle of artists + and litterateurs, the model of elegance, and the embodiment of social + success. It did not matter much that the tone of her salon was lax; it was + fashionable. "It distilled dignity, la convenance, and formality," says + the Marquise de Crequi, who relates an anecdote that aptly illustrates the + glamour which surrounded talent at that time. She was taken by her + grandmother to see Mlle. Quinault, and by some chance mistook her for + Mlle. de Vertus, who was so much flattered by her innocent error that she + left her forty thousand francs, when she died a few months later. + </p> + <p> + Mme. d'Epinay was delighted to find herself in so brilliant a world, and + was greatly fascinated by its wit, though she was not sure that those who + met there did not "feel too much the obligation of having it." But she + caught the spirit, and transferred it, in some degree, to her own salon, + which was more literary than fashionable. Here Francueil presents "a sorry + devil of an author who is as poor as Job, but has wit and vanity enough + for four." This is Rousseau, the most conspicuous figure in the famous + coterie. "He is a man to whom one should raise altars," wrote Mme. + d'Epinay. "And the simplicity with which he relates his misfortunes! I + have still a pitying soul. It is frightful to imagine such a man in + misery." She fitted up for him the Hermitage, and did a thousand kind + things which entitled her to a better return than he gave. There is a + pleasant moment when we find him the center of an admiring circle at La + Chevrette, falling madly in love with her clever and beautiful + sister-in-law the Comtesse d'Houdetot, writing "La Nouvelle Heloise" under + the inspiration of this passion, and dreaming in the lovely promenades at + Montmorency, quite at peace with the world. But the weeping philosopher, + who said such fine things and did such base ones, turned against his + benefactress and friend for some imaginary offense, and revenged himself + by false and malicious attacks upon her character. The final result was a + violent quarrel with the whole circle of philosophers, who espoused the + cause of Mme. d'Epinay. This little history is interesting, as it throws + so much light upon the intimate relations of some of the greatest men of + the century. Behind the perpetual round of comedies, readings, dinners, + music, and conversation, there is a real comedy of passion, intrigue, + jealousy, and hidden misery that destroys many illusions. + </p> + <p> + Mme. d'Epinay has been made familiar to us by Grimm, Galiani, Diderot, + Rousseau, and Voltaire. Perhaps, on the whole, Voltaire has given us the + most agreeable impression. She was ill of grief and trouble, and had gone + to Geneva to consult the famous Tronchin when she was thrown into more or + less intimacy with the Sage of Ferney. He invited her to dinner + immediately upon her arrival. "I was much fatigued, besides having + confessed and received communion the evening before. I did not find it + fitting to dine with Voltaire two days afterward," writes this curiously + sensitive friend of the free-thinkers. He addresses her as ma belle + philosophe, speaks of her as "an eagle in a cage of gauze," and praises in + verse her philosophy, her esprit, her heart, and her "two great black + eyes." He weeps at her departure, tells her she is "adored at Delices, + adored at Paris, adored present and absent." But "the tears of a poet do + not always signify grief," says Mme. d'Epinay. + </p> + <p> + There is a second period in her life, when she introduces us again to the + old friends who always sustained her, and to many new ones. The world that + meets in her salon later is much the same as that which dines with Baron + d'Holbach. To measure its attractions one must recall the brilliancy and + eloquence of Diderot; the wit, the taste, the learning, the courtly + accomplishments of Grimm; the gaiety and originality of d'Holbach, who had + "read everything and forgotten nothing interesting;" the sparkling + conversation of the most finished and scholarly diplomats in Europe, many + of whom we have already met at the dinners of Mme. Geoffrin. They discuss + economic questions, politics, religion, art, literature, with equal + freedom and ardor. They are as much divided on the merits of Gluck's + "Armida" and Piccini's "Roland" as upon taxes, grains, and the policy of + the government. The gay little Abbe Galiani brings perennial sunshine with + the inexhaustible wit and vivacity that lights his clear and subtle + intellect. "He is a treasure on rainy days," says Diderot. "If they made + him at the toy shops everybody would want one for the country." "He was + the nicest little harlequin that Italy has produced," says Marmontel, "but + upon the shoulders of this harlequin was the head of a Machiavelli. + Epicurean in his philosophy and with a melancholy soul, seeing everything + on the ridiculous side, there was nothing either in politics or morals + apropos of which he had not a good story to tell, and these stories were + always apt and had the salt of an unexpected and ingenious allusion." He + did not accept the theories of his friends, which he believed would "cause + the bankruptcy of knowledge, of pleasure, and of the human intellect." + "Messieurs les philosophes, you go too fast," he said. "I begin by saying + that if I were pope I would put you in the Inquisition, and if I were king + of France, into the Bastille." He saw the drift of events; but if he + reasoned like a philosopher he laughed like a Neapolitan. What matters + tomorrow if we are happy today! + </p> + <p> + The familiar notes and letters of these clever people picture for us a + little world with its small interests, its piques, its loves, its + friendships, its quarrels, and its hatreds. Diderot, who refused for a + long time to meet Mme. d'Epinay, but finally became an intimate and + lasting friend, touches often, in his letters to Sophie, upon the pleasant + informality of La Chevrette, with its curious social episodes and its + emotional undercurrents. He does not forget even the pigeons, the geese, + the ducks, and the chickens, which he calls his own. Pouf, the dog, has + his place here too, and flits often across the scene, a tiny bit of + reflected immortality. These letters represent the bold iconoclast on his + best side, kind, simple in his tastes, and loyal to his friends. He was + never at home in the great world. He was seen sometimes in the salons of + Mme. Geoffrin, Mme. Necker, and others, but he made his stay as brief as + possible. Mme. d'Epinay succeeded better in attaching him to her coterie. + There was more freedom, and he probably had a more sympathetic audience. + "Four lines of this man make me dram more and occupy me more," she said, + "than a complete work of our pretended beaux esprits." Grimm, too, was a + central figure here, and Grimm was his friend. But over his genius, as + over that of Rousseau, there was the trail of the serpent. The breadth of + his thought, the brilliancy of his criticisms, the eloquence of his style + were clouded with sensualism. "When you see on his forehead the reflection + of a ray from Plato," says Sainte-Beuve, "do not trust it; look well, + there is always the foot of a satyr." + </p> + <p> + It was to the clear and penetrating intellect of Grimm, with its vein of + German romanticism, that Mme. d'Epinay was indebted for the finest + appreciation and the most genuine sympathy. "Bon Dieu," he writes to + Diderot, "how this woman is to be pitied! I should not be troubled about + her if she were as strong as she is courageous. She is sweet and trusting; + she is peaceful, and loves repose above all; but her situation exacts + unceasingly a conduct forced and out of her character; nothing so wears + and destroys a machine naturally frail." She aided him in his + correspondance litteraire; wrote a treatise on education, which had the + honor of being crowned by the Academy; and, among other things of more or + less value, a novel, which was not published until long after her death. + With many gifts and attractions, kind, amiable, forgiving, and essentially + emotional, Mme. d'Epinay seems to have been a woman of weak and undecided + character, without sufficient strength of moral fiber to sustain herself + with dignity under the unfortunate circumstances which surrounded her. "It + depends only upon yourself," said Grimm, "to be the happiest and most + adorable creature in the world, provided that you do not put the opinions + of others before your own, and that you know how to suffice for yourself." + Her education had not given her the worldly tact and address of Mme. + Geoffrin, and her salon never had a wide celebrity; but it was a meeting + place of brilliant and radical thinkers, of the men who have perhaps done + the most to change the face of the modern world. In a quiet and intimate + way, it was one among the numberless forces which were gathering and + gaining momentum to culminate in the great tragedy of the century. Mme. + d'Epinay did not live to see the catastrophe. Worn out by a life of + suffering and ill health, she died in 1783. + </p> + <p> + Whatever her faults and weaknesses may have been, the woman who could + retain the devoted affection of so brilliant and versatile a man as Grimm + for twenty-seven years, who was the lifelong friend and correspondent of + Galiani and Voltaire, and the valued confidante of Diderot, must have had + some rare attractions of mind, heart, or character. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0014" id="link2HCH0014"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIV. SALONS OF THE NOBLESSE—MADAME DU DEFFAND + </h2> + <p> + <i>La Marechale de Luxembourg—The Temple—Comtesse de Boufflers— + Mme. du Deffand—Her Convent Salon—Rupture with Mlle. de + Lespinasse—Her Friendship with Horace Walpole—Her brilliancy + and Her Ennui</i> + </p> + <p> + While the group of iconoclasts who formed the nucleus of the philosophical + salons was airing its theories and enjoying its increasing vogue, there + was another circle which played with the new ideas more or less as a sort + of intellectual pastime, but was aristocratic au fond, and carefully + preserved all the traditions of the old noblesse. One met here the + philosophers and men of letters, but they did not dominate; they simply + flavored these coteries of rank and fashion. In this age of esprit no + salon was complete without its sprinkling of literary men. We meet the shy + and awkward Rousseau even in the exclusive drawing room of the clever and + witty but critical Marechale de Luxembourg, who presides over a world in + which the graces rule—a world of elegant manners, of etiquette, and + of forms. This model of the amenities, whose gay and faulty youth ripened + into a pious and charitable age, was at the head of that tribunal which + pronounced judgment upon all matters relating to society. She was learned + in genealogy, analyzed and traced to their source the laws of etiquette, + possessed a remarkable memory, and without profound education, had learned + much from conversation with the savants and illustrious men who frequented + her house. Her wit was proverbial, and she was never at a loss for a ready + repartee or a spicy anecdote. She gave two grand suppers a week. Mme. de + Genlis, who was often there, took notes, according to her custom, and has + left an interesting record of conversations that were remarkable not only + for brilliancy, but for the thoughtful wisdom of the comments upon men and + things. La Harpe read a great part of his works in this salon. Rousseau + entertained the princely guests at Montmorency with "La Nouvelle Heloise" + and "Emile," and though never quite at ease, his democratic theories did + not prevent him from feeling greatly honored by their friendly courtesies; + indeed, he loses his usual bitterness when speaking of this noble + patroness. He says that her conversation was marked by an exquisite + delicacy that always pleased, and her flatteries were intoxicating because + they were simple and seemed to escape without intention. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Luxembourg was an autocrat, and did not hesitate to punish errors + in taste by social ostracism. "Erase the name of Monsieur — — + from my list," she said, as a gentleman left after relating a scandalous + story reflecting upon some one's honor. It was one of her theories that + "society should punish what the law cannot attack." She maintained that + good manners are based upon noble and delicate sentiments, that mutual + consideration, deference, politeness, gentleness, and respect to age are + essential to civilization. The disloyal, the ungrateful bad sons, bad + brothers, bad husbands, and bad wives, whose offenses were serious enough + to be made public, she banished from that circle which called itself la + bonne compagnie. It must be admitted, however, that it was les convenances + rather than morality which she guarded. + </p> + <p> + A rival of this brilliant salon, and among the most celebrated of its day, + was the one at the Temple. The animating spirit here was the amiable and + vivacious Comtesse de Boufflers, celebrated in youth for her charms, and + later for her talent. She was dame d'honneur to the Princesse de Conti, + wife of the Duc d'Orleans, who was noted for her caustic wit, as well as + for her beauty. It was in the salon of his clever and rather capricious + sister that the learned Prince de Conti met her and formed the intimacy + that ended only with his life. She was called the idole of the Temple, and + her taste for letters gave her also the title of Minerve savante. She + wrote a tragedy which was said to be good, though she would never let it + go out of her hands, and has been immortalized by Rousseau, with whom she + corresponded for sixteen years. Hume also exchanged frequent letters with + her, and she tried in vain to reconcile these two friends after their + quarrel. President Henault said he had never met a woman of so much + esprit, adding that "outside all her charms she had character." For + society she had a veritable passion. She said that when she loved England + the best she could not think of staying there without "taking twenty-four + or twenty-five intimate friends, and sixty or eighty others who were + absolutely necessary to her." Her conversation was full of fire and + brilliancy, and her gaiety of heart, her gracious manners, and her frank + appreciation of the talent of others added greatly to her piquant + fascination. She delighted in original turns of expression, which were + sometimes far-fetched and artificial. One of her friends said that "she + made herself the victim of consideration, and lost it by running after + it." Her rule of life may be offered as a model. "In conduct, simplicity + and reason; in manners, propriety and decorum; in actions, justice and + generosity; in the use of wealth, economy and liberality; in conversation, + clearness, truth, precision; in adversity, courage and pride; in + prosperity, modesty and moderation." Unfortunately she did not put all + this wisdom into practice, if we judge her by present standards. We have a + glimpse of the famous circle over which she presided in an interesting + picture formerly at Versailles, now at the Louvre. The figures are + supposed to be portraits. Among others are Mme. de Luxembourg, the + Comtesse de Boufflers, and the lovely but ill-fated young stepdaughter, + Amelie, Comtesse de Lauzun, to whom she is so devoted; the beautiful + Comtesse d'Egmont, Mme. de Beauvan, President Henault, the witty Pont de + Veyle, Mairan, the versatile scientist, and the Prince de Conti. In the + midst of this group the little Mozart, whose genius was then delighting + Europe, sits at the harpsichord. The chronicles of the time give us + pleasant descriptions of the literary diversions of this society, which + met by turns at the Temple and Ile-Adam. But the Prince as well as the + clever Comtesse had a strong leaning towards philosophy, and the + amusements were interspersed with much conversation of a serious character + that has a peculiar interest today when read by the light of after events. + </p> + <p> + Among the numerous salons of the noblesse there was one which calls for + more than a passing word, both on account of its world-wide fame and the + exceptional brilliancy of its hostess. Though far less democratic and + cosmopolitan than that of Mme. Geoffrin, with which it was contemporary, + its character was equally distinct and original. Linked by birth with the + oldest of the nobility, allied by intellect with the most distinguished in + the world of letters, Mme. du Deffand appropriated the best in thought, + while retaining the spirit of an elegant and refined social life. She was + exclusive by nature and instinct, as well as by tradition, and could not + dispense with the arts and amenities which are the fruit of generations of + ease; but the energy and force of her intellect could as little tolerate + shallowness and pretension, however disguised beneath the graceful tyranny + of forms. Her salon offers a sort of compromise between the freedom of the + philosophical coteries and the frivolities of the purely fashionable ones. + It included the most noted of the men of letters—those who belonged + to the old aristocracy and a few to whom nature had given a prescriptive + title of nobility—as well as the flower of the great world. Her + sarcastic wit, her clear intelligence, and her rare conversational gifts + added a tone of individuality that placed her salon at the head of the + social centers of the time in brilliancy and in esprit. In this group of + wits, LITTERATEURS, philosophers, statesmen, churchmen, diplomats, and men + of rank, Mme. du Deffand herself is always the most striking figure. The + art of self-suppression she clearly did not possess. But the art of so + blending a choice society that her own vivid personality was a pervading + note of harmony she had to an eminent degree. She could easily have made a + mark upon her time through her intellectual gifts without the factitious + aid of the men with whom her name is associated. But society was her + passion society animated by intellect, sparkling with wit, and expressing + in all its forms the art instincts of her race. She never aspired to + authorship, but she has left a voluminous correspondence in which one + reads the varying phases of a singularly capricious character. In her old + age she found refuge from a devouring ennui in writing her own memoirs. + Merciless to herself as to others, she veils nothing, revealing her + frailties with a freedom that reminds one of Rousseau. + </p> + <p> + It is not the portrait of an estimable woman that we can paint from these + records; but in her intellectual force, her social gifts, and her moral + weakness she is one of the best exponents of an age that trampled upon the + finest flowers of the soul in the blind pursuit of pleasure and the + cynical worship of a hard and unpitying realism. Living from 1697 to 1780, + she saw the train laid for the Revolution, and died in time to escape its + horrors. She traversed the whole experience of the women of her world with + the independence and abandon of a nature that was moderate in nothing. It + is true she felt the emptiness of this arid existence, and had an + intellectual perception of its errors, but she saw nothing better. "All + conditions appear to me equally unhappy, from the angel to the oyster," is + the burden of her hopeless refrain. + </p> + <p> + She reveals herself to us as two distinct characters. The one best known + is hard, bitter, coldly analytic, and mocks at everything bordering upon + sentiment or feeling. The other, which underlies this, and of which we + have rare glimpses, is frank, tender, loving even to weakness, and forever + at war with the barrenness of a period whose worst faults she seems to + have embodied, and whose keenest penalties she certainly suffered. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire, the lifelong friend whom she loved, but critically measured, was + three years old when she was born; Mme. de Sevigne had been dead nearly a + year. Of a noble family in Burgundy, Marie de Vichy-Chamroud was brought + to Paris at six years of age and placed in the convent of St. Madeleine de + Traisnel, where she was educated after the superficial fashion which she + so much regrets in later years. She speaks of herself as a romantic, + imaginative child, but she began very early to shock the pious sisters by + her dawning skepticism. One of the nuns had a wax figure of the infant + Jesus, which she discovered to have been a doll formerly dressed to + represent the Spanish fashions to Anne of Austria. This was the first blow + to her illusions, and had a very perceptible influence upon her life. She + pronounced it a deception. Eight days of solitude with a diet of bread and + water failed to restore her reverence. "It does not depend upon me to + believe or disbelieve," she said. The eloquent and insinuating Massillon + was called in to talk with her. "She is charming," was his remark, as he + left her after two hours of conversation; adding thoughtfully, "Give her a + five-cent catechism." + </p> + <p> + Skeptical by nature and saturated with the free-thinking spirit of the + time, she reasoned that all religion was au fond, only paganism disguised. + In later years, when her isolated soul longed for some tangible support, + she spoke regretfully of the philosophic age which destroyed beliefs by + explaining and analyzing everything. + </p> + <p> + But a beautiful, clever, high-spirited girl of sixteen is apt to feel her + youth all suffering. It is certain that she had no inclination towards the + life of a religieuse, and the country quickly became insupportable after + her return to its provincial society. Ennui took possession of her. She + was glad even to go to confessional, for the sake of telling her thoughts + to some one. She complained bitterly that the life of women compelled + dependence upon the conduct of others, submission to all ills and all + consequences. Long afterwards she said that she would have married the + devil if he had been clothed as a gentleman and assured her a moderate + life. But a husband was at last found for her, and merely to escape the + monotony of her secluded existence, she was glad, at twenty-one, to become + the wife of the Marquis du Deffand—a good but uninteresting man, + much older than herself. + </p> + <p> + Brilliant, fascinating, restless, eager to see and to learn, she felt + herself in her element in the gay world of Paris. She confessed that, for + the moment, she almost loved her husband for bringing her there. But the + moment was a short one. They did not even settle down to what a witty + Frenchman calls the "politeness of two indifferences." It is a curious + commentary upon the times, that the beautiful but notorious Mme. de + Parabere, who introduced her at once into her own unscrupulous world and + the petits soupers of the Regent, condoled with the young bride upon her + marriage, regretting that she had not taken the easy vows of a + chanoinesse, as Mme. de Tencin had done. "In that case," she said, "you + would have been free; well placed everywhere; with the stability of a + married woman; a revenue which permits one to live and accept aid from + others; the independence of a widow, without the ties which a family + imposes; unquestioned rank, which you would owe to no one; indulgence, and + impunity. For these advantages there is only the trouble of wearing a + cross, which is becoming; black or gray habits, which can be made as + magnificent as one likes; a little imperceptible veil, and a knitting + sheath." + </p> + <p> + Under such teaching she was not long in taking her own free and + independent course, which was reckless even in that age of laxity. At her + first supper at the Palais Royal she met Voltaire and fascinated the + Regent, though her reign lasted but a few days. The counsels of her aunt, + the dignified Duchesse de Luynes, availed nothing. Her husband was + speedily sent off on some mission to the provinces and she plunged into + the current. Once afterwards, in a fit of ennui, she recalled him, frankly + stating her position. But she quickly wearied of him again, grew dull, + silent, lost her vivacity, and fell into a profound melancholy. Her friend + Mme. de Parabere took it upon herself to explain to him the facts, and he + kindly relieved her forever of his presence, leaving a touching and + pathetic letter which gave her a moment of remorse in spite of her + lightened heart. This sin against good taste the Parisian world could not + forgive, and even her friends turned against her for a time. But the + Duchesse due Maine came to her aid with an all-powerful influence, and + restored her finally to her old position. For some years she passed the + greater part of her time at Sceaux, and was a favorite at this lively + little court. + </p> + <p> + It is needless to trace here the details of a career which gives us little + to admire and much to condemn. It was about 1740 when her salon became + noted as a center for the fashionable and literary world of Paris. + Montesquieu and d'Alembert were then among her intimate friends. Of the + latter she says: "The simplicity of his manners, the purity of his morals, + the air of youth, the frankness of character, joined to all his talents, + astonished at first those who saw him." It is said to have been through + her zeal that he was admitted to the Academy so young. Among others who + formed her familiar circle were her devoted friend Pont de Veyle; the + Chevalier d'Aydie; Formont, the "spirituel idler and amiable egotist," who + was one of the three whom she confesses really to have loved; and + President Henault, who brought always a fund of lively anecdote and + agreeable conversation. This world of fashion and letters, slightly + seasoned with philosophy, is also the world of Mme. de Luxembourg, of the + brilliant Mme. de Mirepoix, of the Prince and Princesse de Beauvau, and of + the lovely Duchesse de Choiseul, a femme d'esprit and "mistress of all the + elegances," whose gentle virtues fall like a ray of sunlight across the + dark pages of this period. It is the world of elegant forms, the world in + which a sin against taste is worse than a sin against morals, the world + which hedges itself in by a thousand unwritten laws that save it from + boredom. + </p> + <p> + After the death of the Duchesse du Maine, Mme. du Deffand retired to the + little convent of St. Joseph, where, after the manner of many women of + rank with small fortunes, she had her menage and received her friends. "I + have a very pretty apartment," she writes to Voltaire; "very convenient; I + only go out for supper. I do not sleep elsewhere, and I make no visits. My + society is not numerous, but I am sure it will please you; and if you were + here you would make it yours. I have seen for some time many savants and + men of letters; I have not found their society delightful." The good nuns + objected a little to Voltaire at first, but seem to have been finally + reconciled to the visits of the arch-heretic. At this time Mme. du Deffand + had supposably reformed her conduct, if not her belief. + </p> + <p> + She continued to entertain the flower of the nobility and the stars of the + literary and scientific world. But while the most famous of the men of + letters were welcome in her salon, the tone was far from pedantic or even + earnest. It was a society of conventional people, the elite of fashion and + intelligence, who amused themselves in an intellectual but not too serious + way. Montesquieu, who liked those houses in which he could pass with his + every-day wit, said, "I love this woman with all my heart; she pleases and + amuses me; it is impossible to feel a moment's ennui in her company." Mme. + de Genlis, who did not love her expressed her surprise at finding her so + natural and so kindly. Her conversation was simple and without pretension. + When she was pleased, her manners were even affectionate. She never + entered into a discussion, confessing that she was not sufficiently + attached to any opinion to defend it. She disliked the enthusiasm of the + philosophers unless it was hidden behind the arts of the courtier, as in + Voltaire, whose delicate satire charmed her. Diderot came once, "eyed her + epicurean friends," and came no more. The air was not free enough. When at + home she had three or four at supper every day, often a dozen, and, once a + week, a grand supper. All the intellectual fashions of the time are found + here. La Harpe reads a translation from Sophocles and his own tragedy. + Clairon, the actress in vogue, recites the roles of Phedre and Agrippine, + Lekain reads Voltaire, and Goldoni a comedy of his own, which the hostess + finds tiresome. New books, new plays, the last song, the latest word of + the philosophers—all are talked about, eulogized, or dismissed with + a sarcasm. The wit of Mme. du Deffand is feared, but it fascinates. She + delights in clever repartees and sparkling epigrams. A shaft of wit + silences the most complacent of monologues. "What tiresome book are you + reading?" she said one day to a friend who talked too earnestly and too + long—saving herself from the charge of rudeness by an easy refuge in + her blindness. + </p> + <p> + Her criticisms are always severe. "There are only two pleasures for me in + the world—society and reading," she writes. "What society does one + find? Imbeciles, who utter only commonplaces, who know nothing, feel + nothing, think nothing; a few people of talent, full of themselves, + jealous, envious, wicked, whom one must hate or scorn." To some one who + was eulogizing a mediocre man, adding that all the world was of the same + opinion, she replied, "I make small account of the world, Monsieur, since + I perceive that one can divide it into three parts, les trompeurs, les + trompes, et les trompettes." Still it is life alone that interests her. + Though she is not satisfied with people, she has always the hope that she + will be. In literature she likes only letters and memoirs, because they + are purely human; but the age has nothing that pleases her. "It is cynical + or pedantic," she writes to Voltaire; "there is no grace, no facility, no + imagination. Everything is a la glace, hardness without force, license + without gaiety; no talent, much presumption." + </p> + <p> + As age came on, and she felt the approach of blindness, she found a + companion in Mlle. de Lespinasse, a young girl of remarkable gifts, who + had an obscure and unacknowledged connection with her family. For ten + years the young woman was a slave to the caprices of her exacting + mistress, reading to her through long nights of wakeful restlessness, and + assisting to entertain her guests. The one thing upon which Mme. du + Deffand most prided herself was frankness. She hated finesse, and had + stipulated that she would not tolerate artifice in any form. It was her + habit to lie awake all night and sleep all day, and as she did not receive + her guests until six o'clock, Mlle. de Lespinasse, whose amiable character + and conversational charm had endeared her at once to the circle of her + patroness, arranged to see her personal friends—among whom were + d'Alembert, Turgot, Chastellux, and Marmontel—in her own apartments + for an hour before the marquise appeared. When this came to the knowledge + of the latter, she fell into a violent rage at what she chose to regard as + a treachery to herself, and dismissed her companion at once. The result + was the opening of a rival salon which carried off many of her favorite + guests, notably d'Alembert, to whom she was much attached. "If she had + died fifteen years earlier, I should not have lost d'Alembert," was her + sympathetic remark when she heard of the death of Mlle. de Lespinasse. + </p> + <p> + But the most striking point in the career of this worldly woman was her + friendship for Horace Walpole. When they first met she was nearly seventy, + blind, ill-tempered, bitter, and hopelessly ennuyee. He was not yet fifty, + a brilliant, versatile man of the world, and saw her only at long + intervals. Their curious correspondence extends over a period of fifteen + years, ending only with her death. + </p> + <p> + In a letter to Grayson, after meeting her, he writes: "Mme. du Deffand is + now very old and stone blind, but retains all her vivacity, wit, memory, + judgment, passion, and agreeableness. She goes to operas, plays, suppers, + Versailles; gives supper twice a week; has everything new read to her; + makes new songs and epigrams—aye, admirably—and remembers + every one that has been made these fourscore years. She corresponds with + Voltaire, dictates charming letters to him, contradicts him, is no bigot + to him or anybody, and laughs both at the clergy and the philosophers. In + a dispute, into which she easily falls, she is very warm, and yet scarce + ever in the wrong; her judgment on every subject is as just as possible; + on every point of conduct as wrong as possible; for she is all love and + hatred, passionate for her friends to enthusiasm, still anxious to be + loved—I don't mean by lovers—and a vehement enemy openly." + </p> + <p> + The acquaintance thus begun quickly drilled into an intimacy. Friendship + she calls this absorbing sentiment, but it has all the caprices and + inconsistencies of love. Fed by the imagination, and prevented by + separation from wearing itself out, it became the most permanent interest + of her life. There is something curiously pathetic in the submissive + attitude of this blind, aged, but spirited woman—who scoffs at + sentiment and confesses that she could never love anything—towards + the man who criticizes her, scolds her, crushes back her too ardent + feeling, yet calls her his dear old friend, writes her a weekly letter, + and modestly declares that she "loves him better than all France + together." + </p> + <p> + The spirit of this correspondence greatly modifies the impression which + her own words, as well as the facts of her career, would naturally give + us. We find in the letters of this period little of the freshness and + spontaneity that lent such a charm to the letters of Mme. de Sevigne and + her contemporaries. Women still write of the incidents of their lives, the + people they meet, their jealousies, their rivalries, their loves, and + their follies; but they think, where they formerly mirrored the world + about them. They analyze, they compare, the criticize, they formulate + their own emotions, they add opinions to facts. The gaiety, the sparkle, + the wit, the play of feeling, is not there. Occasionally there is the tone + of passion, as in the letters of Mlle. Aisse and Mlle. de Lespinasse, but + this is rare. Even passion has grown sophisticated and deals with phrases. + There is more or less artificiality in the exchange of written thoughts. + Mme. du Deffand thinks while she writes, and what she sees takes always + the color of her own intelligence. She complains of her inability to catch + the elusive quality, the clearness, the flexibility of Mme. de Sevigne, + whom she longs to rival because Walpole so admires her. But if she lacks + the vivacity, the simplicity, the poetic grace of her model, she has + qualities not less striking, though less lovable. Her keen insight is + unfailing. With masterly penetration she grasps the essence of things. No + one has portrayed so concisely and so vividly the men and women of her + time. No one has discriminated between the shades of character with such + nicety. No one has so clearly fathomed the underlying motives of action. + No one has forecast the outcome of theories and events with such prophetic + vision. The note of bitterness and cynicism is always there. The nature of + the woman reveals itself in every line: keen, dry, critical, with clear + ideals which she can never hope to attain. But we feel that she has + stripped off the rags of pretension and brought us face to face with + realities. "All that I can do is to love you with all my heart, as I have + done for about fifty years," wrote Voltaire. "How could I fail to love + you? Your soul seeks always the true; it is a quality as rare as truth + itself." So far does she carry her hatred of insincerity that one is often + tempted to believe she affects a freedom from affectation. "I am so + fatigued with the vanity of others that I avoid the occasion of having any + myself," she writes. Is there not here a trace of the quality she so + despises? + </p> + <p> + But beneath all this runs the swift undercurrent of an absorbing passion. + A passion of friendship it may be, but it forces itself through the arid + shells of conventionalism; it is at once the agony and the consolation of + a despairing soul. Heartless, Mme. du Deffand is called, and her life + seems to prove the truth of the verdict; but these letters throb and + palpitate with feeling which she laughs at, but cannot still. It is the + cry of the soul for what it has not; what the world cannot give; what it + has somehow missed out of a cold, hard, restless, and superficial + existence. With a need of loving, she is satisfied with no one. There is + something wanting; even in the affection of her friends. "Ma grand'maman," + she says to the gentle Duchesse de Choiseul, "you KNOW that you love me, + but you do not FEEL it." + </p> + <p> + Devouring herself in solitude, she despises the society she cannot do + without. "Men and women appear to me puppets who go, come, talk, laugh, + without thinking, without reflecting, without feeling," she writes. She + confesses that she has a thousand troubles in assembling a choice company + of people who bore her to death. "One sees only masks, one hears only + lies," is her constant refrain. She does not want to live, but is afraid + to die; she says she is not made for this world, but does not know that + there is any other. She tries devotion, but has no taste for it. Of the + light that shines from within upon so many darkened and weary souls she + has no knowledge. Her vision is bounded by the tangible, which offers only + a rigid barrier, against which her life flutters itself away. She dies as + she has lived, with a deepened conviction of the nothingness of existence. + "Spare me three things," she said to her confessor in her last moments; + "let me have no questions, no reasons, and no sermons." Seeing Wiart, her + faithful servitor, in tears, she remarks pathetically, as if surprised, + "You love me then?" "Divert yourself as much as you can," was her final + message to Walpole. "You will regret me, because one is very glad to know + that one is loved." She commends to his care and affection Tonton, her + little dog. + </p> + <p> + Strong but not gentle, brilliant but not tender, too penetrating for any + illusions, with a nature forever at war with itself, its surroundings, and + its limitations, no one better points the moral of an age without faith, + without ideals, without the inner light that reveals to hope what is + denied to sense. + </p> + <p> + The influence of such a woman with her gifts, her energy, her power, and + her social prestige, can hardly be estimated. It was not in the direction + of the new drift of thought. "I am not a fanatic as to liberty," she said; + "I believe it is an error to pretend that it exists in a democracy. One + has a thousand tyrants in place of one." She had no breadth of sympathy, + and her interests were largely personal; but in matters of style and form + her taste was unerring. Pitiless in her criticisms, she held firmly to her + ideals of clear, elegant, and concise expression, both in literature and + in conversation. She tolerated no latitudes, no pretension, and left + behind her the traditions of a society that blended, more perfectly, + perhaps, than any other of her time, the best intellectual life with + courtly manners and a strict observance of les convenances. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0015" id="link2HCH0015"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XV. MADEMOISELLE DE LESPINASSE + </h2> + <p> + <i>A Romantic Career—Companion of Mme. du Deffand—Rival Salons— + Association with the Encyclopedists—D'Alembert—A Heart Tragedy—Impassioned + Letters—A Type Unique in her Age</i> + </p> + <p> + Inseparably connected with the name of Mme. du Deffand is that of her + companion and rival, Mlle. de Lespinasse, the gifted, charming, tender and + loving woman who presided over one of the most noted of the philosophical + salons; who was the chosen friend and confidante of the Encyclopedists; + and who died in her prime of a broken heart, leaving the world a legacy of + letters that rival those of Heloise or the poems of Sappho, as "immortal + pictures of passion." The memory of her social triumphs, remarkable as + they were, pales before the singular romances of her life. In the midst of + a cold, critical, and heartless society, that adored talent and ridiculed + sentiment, she became the victim of a passion so profound, so ardent, so + hopeless, that her powerful intellect bent before it like a reed before a + storm. She died of that unsuspected passion, and years afterwards these + letters found the light and told the tale. + </p> + <p> + The contrast between the two women so closely linked together is complete. + Mme. du Deffand belonged to the age of Voltaire by every fiber of her hard + and cynical nature. What she called love was a fire of the intellect which + consumed without warming. It was a violent and fierce prejudice in favor + of those who reflected something of herself. The tenderness of + self-sacrifice was not there. Mlle. de Lespinasse was of the later era of + Rousseau; the era of exaggerated feeling, of emotional delirium, of + romantic dreams; the era whose heroine was the loving and sentimental + "Julie," for whose portrait she might have sat, with a shade or so less of + intellect and brilliancy. But it was more than a romantic dream that + shadowed and shortened the life of Mlle. de Lespinasse. She had a + veritable heart of flame, that consumed not only itself but its frail + tenement as well. + </p> + <p> + Julie-Jeanne-Eleonore de Lespinasse, who was born at Lyons in 1732, had a + birthright of sorrow. Her mother, the Comtesse d'Albon, could not + acknowledge this fugitive and nameless daughter, but after the death of + her husband she received her on an inferior footing, had her carefully + educated, and secretly gave her love and care. Left alone and without + resources at fifteen, Julie was taken, as governess and companion, into + the family of a sister who was the wife of Mme. du Deffand's brother. Here + the marquise met her on one of her visits and heard the story of her + sorrows. Tearful, sad, and worn out by humiliations, the young girl had + decided to enter a convent. "There is no misfortune that I have not + experienced," she wrote to Guibert many years afterwards. "Some day, my + friend, I will relate to you things not to be found in the romances of + Prevost nor of Richardson... I ought naturally to devote myself to hating; + I have well fulfilled my destiny; I have loved much and hated very little. + Mon Dieu, my friend, I am a hundred years old." Mme. du Deffand was struck + with her talent and a certain indefinable fascination of manner which + afterwards became so potent. "You have gaiety," she wrote to her, "you are + capable of sentiment; with these qualities you will be charming so long as + you are natural and without pretension." After a negotiation of some + months, Mlle. de Lespinasse went to Paris to live with her new friend. The + history of this affair has been already related. + </p> + <p> + Parisian society was divided into two factions on the merits of the + quarrel—those who censured the ingratitude of the younger woman, and + those who accused the marquise of cruelty and injustice. But many of the + oldest friends of the latter aided her rival. The Marechale de Luxembourg + furnished her apartments in the Rue de Belle-Chasse. The Duc de Choiseul + procured her a pension, and Mme. Geoffrin gave her an annuity. She carried + with her a strong following of eminent men from the salon of Mme. du + Deffand, among whom was d'Alembert, who remained faithful and devoted to + the end. It is said that President Henault even offered to marry her, but + how, under these circumstances, he managed to continue in the good graces + of his lifelong friend, the unforgiving marquise, does not appear. A + letter which he wrote to Mlle. de Lespinasse throws a direct light upon + her character, after making due allowance for the exaggeration of French + gallantry. + </p> + <p> + "You are cosmopolitan; you adapt yourself to all situations. The world + pleases you; you love solitude. Society amuses you, but it does not seduce + you. Your heart does not give itself easily. Strong passions are necessary + to you, and it is better so, for they will not return often. Nature, in + placing you in an ordinary position, has given you something to relieve + it. Your soul is noble and elevated, and you will never remain in a crowd. + It is the same with your person. It is distinguished and attracts + attention, without being beautiful. There is something piquante about + you... You have two things which do not often go together: you are sweet + and strong; your gaiety adorns you and relaxes your nerves, which are too + tense... You are extremely refined; you have divined the world." + </p> + <p> + The age of portraits was not quite passed, and the privilege of seeing + one's self in the eyes of one's friends was still accorded, a fact to + which we owe many striking if sometimes rather highly colored pictures. A + few words from d'Alembert are of twofold interest. He writes some years + later: + </p> + <p> + "The regard one has for you does not depend alone upon your external + charms; it depends, above all, upon your intellect and your character. + That which distinguishes you in society is the art of saying to every one + the fitting word and that art is very simple with you; it consists in + never speaking of yourself to others, and much of themselves. It is an + infallible means of pleasing; thus you please every one, though it happens + that all the world pleases you; you know even how to avoid repelling those + who are least agreeable." + </p> + <p> + This epitome of the art of pleasing may be commended for its wisdom, aside + from the very delightful picture it gives of an amiable and attractive + woman. Again he writes: + </p> + <p> + "The excellence of your tone would not be a distinction for one reared in + a court, and speaking only the language she has learned. In you it is a + merit very real and very rare. You have brought it from the seclusion of a + province, where you met no one who could teach you. You were, in this + regard, as perfect the day after your arrival at Paris as you are today. + You found yourself, from the first, as free, as little out of place in the + most brilliant and most critical society as if you had passed your life + there; you have felt its usages before knowing them, which implies a + justness and fineness of tact very unusual, an exquisite knowledge of les + convenances." + </p> + <p> + It was her innate tact and social instinct, combined with rare gifts of + intellect and great conversational charm, that gave this woman without + name, beauty, or fortune so exceptional a position, and her salon so + distinguished a place among the brilliant centers of Paris. As she was not + rich and could not give costly dinners, she saw her friends daily from + five to nine, in the interval between other engagements. This society was + her chief interest, and she rarely went out. "If she made an exception to + this rule, all Paris was apprised of it in advance," says Grimm. The most + illustrious men of the State, the Church, the Court, and the Army, as well + as celebrated foreigners and men of letters, were sure to be found there. + "Nowhere was conversation more lively, more brilliant, or better + regulated," writes Marmontel.. . "It was not with fashionable nonsense and + vanity that every day during four hours, without languor or pause, she + knew how to make herself interesting to a circle of sensible people." + Caraccioli went from her salon one evening to sup with Mme. du Deffand. + "He was intoxicated with all the fine works he had heard read there," + writes the latter. "There was a eulogy of one named Fontaine by M. de + Condorcet. There were translations of Theocritus; tales, fables by I know + not whom. And then some eulogies of Helvetius, an extreme admiration of + the esprit and the talents of the age; in fine, enough to make one stop + the ears. All these judgments false and in the worst taste." A hint of the + rivalry between the former friends is given in a letter from Horace + Walpole. "There is at Paris," he writes, "a Mlle. de Lespinasse, a + pretended bel esprit, who was formerly a humble companion of Mme. du + Deffand, and betrayed her and used her very ill. I beg of you not to let + any one carry you thither. I dwell upon this because she has some enemies + so spiteful as to try to carry off all the English to Mlle. de + Lespinasse." + </p> + <p> + But this "pretended bel esprit" had socially the touch of genius. Her + ardent, impulsive nature lent to her conversation a rare eloquence that + inspired her listeners, though she never drifted into monologue, and + understood the value of discreet silence. "She rendered the marble + sensible, and made matter talk," said Guibert. Versatile and suggestive + herself, she knew how to draw out the best thoughts of others. Her swift + insight caught the weak points of her friends, and her gracious adaptation + had all the fascination of a subtle flattery. Sad as her experience had + been, she had nevertheless been drawn into the world most congenial to her + tastes. "Ah, how I dislike not to love that which is excellent," she wrote + later. "How difficult I have become! But is it my fault? Consider the + education I have received with Mme. du Deffand. President Henault, Abbe + Bon, the Archbishop of Toulouse, the Archbishop of Aix, Turgot, + d'Alembert, Abbe de Boismont—these are the men who have taught me to + speak, to think, and who have deigned to count me for something." + </p> + <p> + It was men like these who thronged her own salon, together with such women + as the Duchesse d'Anville, friend of the economists, the Duchesse de + Chatillon whom she loved so passionately, and others well-known in the + world of fashion and letters. But its tone was more philosophical than + that of Mme. du Deffand. Though far from democratic by taste or + temperament, she was so from conviction. The griefs and humiliations of + her life had left her peculiarly open to the new social and political + theories which were agitating France. She liked free discussion, and her + own large intelligence, added to her talent for calling out and giving + point to the ideas of others, went far towards making the cosmopolitan + circle over which she presided one of the most potent forces of the time. + Her influence may be traced in the work of the encyclopedists, in which + she was associated, and which she did more than any other woman to aid and + encourage. As a power in the making of reputations and in the election of + members to the Academy she shared with Mme. Geoffrin the honor of being a + legitimate successor of Mme. de Lambert. Chastellux owed his admission + largely to her, and on her deathbed she secured that of La Harpe. + </p> + <p> + But the side of her character which strikes us most forcibly at this + distance of time is the emotional. The personal charm which is always so + large a factor in social success is of too subtle a quality to be caught + in words. The most vivid portrait leaves a divine something to be supplied + by the imagination, and the fascination of eloquence is gone with the + flash of the eye, the modulation of the voice, or some fleeting grace of + manner. But passion writes itself out in indelible characters, especially + when it is a rare and spontaneous overflow from the heart of a man or + woman of genius, whose emotions readily crystallize into form. + </p> + <p> + Her friendship for d'Alembert, loyal and devoted as it was, seems to have + been without illusions. It is true she had cast aside every other + consideration to nurse him through a dangerous illness, and as soon as he + was able to be removed, he had taken an apartment in the house where she + lived, which he retained until her death. But he was not rich, and + marriage was not to be thought of. On this point we have his own + testimony. "The one to whom they marry me in the gazettes is indeed a + person respectable in character, and fitted by the sweetness and charm of + her society to render a husband happy," he writes to Voltaire; "but she is + worthy of an establishment better than mine, and there is between us + neither marriage nor love, but mutual esteem, and all the sweetness of + friendship. I live actually in the same house with her, where there are + besides ten other tenants; this is what has given rise to the rumor." His + devotion through so many years, and his profound grief at her loss, as + well as his subsequent words, leave some doubt as to the tranquillity of + his heart, but the sentiments of Mlle. de Lespinasse seem never to have + passed the calm measure of an exalted and sympathetic friendship. It was + remarked that he lost much of his prestige, and that his society which had + been so brilliant, became infinitely more miscellaneous and infinitely + less agreeable after the death of the friend whose tact and finesse had so + well served his ambition. + </p> + <p> + Not long after leaving Mme. du Deffand she met the Marquis de Mora, a son + of the Spanish ambassador, who became a constant habitue of her salon. Of + distinguished family and large fortune, brilliant, courtly, popular, and + only twenty-four, he captivated at once the fiery heart of this attractive + woman of thirty-five. It seems to have been a mutual passion, as during + one brief absence of ten days he wrote her twenty-two letters. But his + family became alarmed and made his delicate health a pretext for recalling + him to Spain. Her grief at the separation enlisted the sympathy of + d'Alembert. At her request he procured from his physician a statement that + the climate of Madrid would prove fatal to M. de Mora, whose health had + steadily failed since his return home, and that if his friends wished to + save him they must lose no time in sending him back to Paris. The young + man was permitted to leave at once, but he died en route at Bordeaux. + </p> + <p> + In the meantime Mlle. de Lespinasse, sad and inconsolable, had met M. + Guibert, a man of great versatility and many accomplishments, whose genius + seems to have borne no adequate fruit. We hear of him later through the + passing enthusiasm of Mme. de Stael, who in her youth, made a pen-portrait + of him, sufficiently flattering to account in some degree for the singular + passion of which he became the object. Mlle. de Lespinasse was forty. He + was twenty-nine, had competed for the Academie Francaise, written a work + on military science, also a national tragedy which was still unpublished. + She was dazzled by his brilliancy, and when she fathomed his shallow + nature, as she finally did, it was too late to disentangle her heart. He + was a man of gallantry, and was flattered by the preference of a woman + much in vogue, who had powerful friends, influence at the Academy, and the + ability to advance his interest in many ways. He clearly condescended to + be loved, but his own professions have little of the true ring. + </p> + <p> + Distracted by this new passion on one side, and by remorse for her + disloyalty to the old one, on the other, the health of Mlle. de + Lespinasse, naturally delicate and already undermined, began to succumb to + the hidden struggle. The death of M. de Mora solved one problem; the other + remained. Mr. Guibert wished to advance his fortune by a brilliant + marriage without losing the friend who might still be of service to him. + She sat in judgment upon her own fate, counseled him, aided him in his + choice, even praised the woman who became his wife, hoping still, perhaps, + for some repose in that exaltation of friendship which is often the last + consolation of passionate souls. But she was on a path that led to no + haven of peace. There was only a blank wall before her, and the lightning + impulses of her own heart were forced back to shatter her frail life. The + world was ignorant of this fresh experience; and, believing her crushed by + the death of M. de Mora, sympathized with her sorrow and praised her + fidelity. She tried to sustain a double role—smiles and gaiety for + her friends, tears and agony for the long hours of solitude. The tension + was too much for her. She died shortly afterwards at the age of + forty-three. "If to think, to love, and to suffer is that which + constitutes life, she lived in these few years many ages," said one who + knew her well. + </p> + <p> + It was not until many years later, when those most interested were gone, + that the letters to Guibert, which form her chief title to fame, were + collected, and, curiously enough, by his widow. Then for the first time + the true drama of her life was unveiled. It is impossible in a few + extracts to convey an adequate idea of the passion and devotion that runs + through these letters. They touch the entire gamut of emotion, from the + tender melancholy of a lonely soul, the inexpressible sweetness of + self-forgetful love, to the tragic notes or agony and despair. There are + many brilliant passages in them, many flashes of profound thought, many + vivid traits of the people about her; but they are, before all, the record + of a soul that is rapidly burning out its casket. + </p> + <p> + "I prefer my misery to all that the world calls happiness or pleasure," + she writes. "I shall die of it, perhaps, but that is better than never to + have lived." + </p> + <p> + "I have no more the strength to love," she says again; "my soul fatigues + me, torments me; I am no more sustained by anything. I have every day a + fever; and my physician, who is not the most skillful of men, repeats to + me without ceasing that I am consumed by chagrin, that my pulse, my + respiration, announce an active grief, and he always goes out saying, 'We + have no cure for the soul.'" + </p> + <p> + "Adieu, my friend," were her last words to him. "If I ever return to life + I shall still love to employ it in loving you; but there is no more time." + </p> + <p> + One could almost wish that these letters had never come to light. A single + grand passion has always a strong hold upon the imagination and the + sympathies, but two passions contending for the mastery verge upon + something quite the reverse of heroic. The note of heart-breaking despair + is tragic enough, but there is a touch of comedy behind it. Though her + words have the fire, the devotion, the abandon of Heloise, they leave a + certain sense of disproportion. One is inclined to wonder if they do not + overtop the feeling. + </p> + <p> + D'Alembert was her truest mourner, and fell into a profound melancholy + after her death. "Yes," he said to Marmontel, "she was changed, but I was + not; she no longer lived for me, but I ever lived for her. Since she is no + more, I know not why I exist. Ah! Why have I not still to suffer those + moments of bitterness that she knew so well how to sweeten and make me + forget? Do you remember the happy evenings we passed together? Now what + have I left? I return home, and instead of herself I find only her shade. + This lodging at the Louvre is itself a tomb, which I never enter but with + horror." To this "shade" he wrote two expressive and well-considered + eulogies, which paint in pathetic words the perfections of his friend and + his own desolation. "Adieu, adieu, my dear Julie," says the heartbroken + philosopher; "for these eyes which I should like to close forever fill + with tears in tracing these last lines, and I see no more the paper on + which I write." His grief called out a sympathetic letter from Frederick + the Great which shows the philosophic warrior and king in a new light. + There is a touch of bitter irony in the inflated eulogy of Guibert, who + gave the too-loving woman a death blow in furthering his ambition, then + exhausted his vocabulary in laments and praises. Perhaps he hoped to + borrow from this friendship a fresh ray of immortality. + </p> + <p> + Whatever we may think of the strange inconsistencies of Mlle. de + Lespinasse, she is doubly interesting to us as a type that contrasts + strongly with that of her age. Her exquisite tact, her brilliant + intellect, her conversational gifts, her personal charm made her the idol + of the world in which she lived. Her influence was courted, her salon was + the resort of the most distinguished men of the century, and while she + loved to discuss the great social problems which her friends were trying + to solve, she forgot none of the graces. With the intellectual strength + and grasp of a man, she preserved always the taste, the delicacy, the + tenderness of a woman. Her faults were those of a strong nature. Her + thoughts were clear and penetrating, her expression was lively and + impassioned. But in her emotional power she reached the proportion of + genius. With "the most ardent soul, the liveliest fancy, the most + inflammable imagination that has existed since Sappho," she represents the + embodied spirit of tragedy outlined against the cold, hard background of a + skeptical, mocking, realistic age. "I love in order to live," she said, + "and I live to love." This is the key-note of her life. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0016" id="link2HCH0016"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVI. THE SALON HELVETIQUE + </h2> + <p> + <i>The Swiss Pastor's Daughter—Her Social Ambition—Her Friends—Mme. + de Marchais—Mme. d'Houdetot—Duchesse de Lauzun—Character + of Mme. Necker—Death at Coppet—Close of the most Brilliant + Period of the Salons.</i> + </p> + <p> + There was one woman who held a very prominent place in the society of this + period, and who has a double interest for us, though she was not French, + and never quite caught the spirit of the eighteenth-century life whose + attractive forms she loved so well. Mme. Necker, whose history has been + made so familiar through the interesting memoirs of the Comte + d'Haussonville, owes her fame to her marked qualities of intellect and + character rather than to the brilliancy of her social talents. These found + an admirable setting in the surroundings which her husband's fortune and + political career gave her. The Salon Helvetique had a distinctive color of + its own, and was always tinged with the strong convictions and exalted + ideals of the Swiss pastor's daughter, who passed through this world of + intellectual affluence and moral laxity like a white angel of purity—in + it, but not of it. The center of a choice and lettered circle which + included the most noted men and women of her time, she brought into it not + only rare gifts, a fine taste, and genuine literary enthusiasm, but the + fresh charm of a noble character and a beautiful family life, with the + instincts of duty and right conduct which she inherited from her simple + Protestant ancestry. She lacked a little, however, in the tact, the ease, + the grace, the spontaneity, which were the essential charm of the French + women. Her social talents were a trifle theoretical. "She studied + society," says one of her critics, "as she would a literary question." She + had a theory of conducting a salon, as she had of life in general, and + believed that study would attain everything. But the ability to do a thing + superlatively well is by no means always implied in the knowledge of how + it ought to be done. Social genius is as purely a gift of nature as poetry + or music; and, of all others, it is the most subtle and indefinable. It + was a long step from the primitive simplicity in which Suzanne Curchod + passed her childhood on the borders of Lake Leman to the complex life of a + Parisian salon; and the provincial beauty, whose fair face, soft blue + eyes, dignified but slightly coquettish manner, brilliant intellect, and + sparkling though sometimes rather learned conversation had made her a + local queen, was quick to see her own shortcomings. She confessed that she + had a new language to learn, and she never fully mastered it. "Mme. Necker + has talent, but it is in a sphere too elevated for one to communicate with + her," said Mme. du Deffand, though she was glad to go once a week to her + suppers at Saint-Ouen, and admitted that in spite of a certain stiffness + and coldness she was better fitted for society than most of the grandes + dames. The salon of Mme. Necker marks a transition point between two + periods, and had two quite distinct phases. One likes best to recall her + in the freshness of her early enthusiasm, when she gave Friday dinners, + modeled after those of Mme. Geoffrin, to men of letters, and received a + larger world in the evening; when her guests were enlivened by the satire + of Diderot, the anecdotes of Marmontel, the brilliancy or learning of + Grimm, d'Alembert, Thomas, Suard, Buffon, the Abbe Raynal, and other wits + of the day; when they discussed the affairs of the Academy and decided the + fate of candidates; when they listened to the recitations of Mlle. + Clairon, and the works of many authors known and unknown. It is + interesting to recall that "Paul and Virginia" was first read here. But + there was apt to be a shade of stiffness, and the conversation had + sometimes too strong a flavor of pedantry. "No one knows better or feels + more sensibly than you, my dear and very amiable friend," wrote Mme. + Geoffrin, "the charm of friendship and its sweetness; no one makes others + experience them more fully. But you will never attain that facility, that + ease, and that liberty which give to society its perfect enjoyment." The + Abbe Morellet complained of the austerity that always held the + conversation within certain limits, and the gay little Abbe Galiani found + fault with Mme. Necker's coldness and reserve, though he addresses her as + his "Divinity" after his return to Naples, and his racy letters give us + vivid and amusing pictures of these Fridays, which in his memory are + wholly charming. + </p> + <p> + In spite of her firm religious convictions, Mme. Necker cordially welcomed + the most extreme of the philosophers. "I have atheistic friends," she + said. "Why not? They are unfortunate friends." But her admiration for + their talents by no means extended to their opinions, and she did not + permit the discussion of religious questions. It was at one of her own + dinners that she started the subscription for a statue of Voltaire, for + whom she entertained the warmest friendship. One may note here, as + elsewhere, a fine mental poise, a justness of spirit, and a discrimination + that was superior to natural prejudices. Sometimes her frank simplicity + was misunderstood. "There is a Mme. Necker here, a pretty woman and a bel + esprit, who is infatuated with me; she persecutes me to have me at her + house," wrote Diderot to Mlle. Volland, with an evident incapacity to + comprehend the innocent appreciation of a pure-hearted woman. When he knew + her better, he expressed his regret that he had not known her sooner. "You + would certainly have inspired me with a taste for purity and for + delicacy," he says, "which would have passed from my soul into my works." + He refers to her again as "a woman who possesses all that the purity of an + angelic soul adds to an exquisite taste." + </p> + <p> + Among the many distinguished foreigners who found their way into this + pleasant circle was her early lover, Gibbon. The old days were far away + when she presided over the literary coterie at Lausanne, speculated upon + the mystery of love, talked of the possibility of tender and platonic + friendships between men and women, after the fashion of the precieuses, + and wept bitter tears over the faithlessness of the embryo historian. The + memory of her grief had long been lost in the fullness of subsequent + happiness, and one readily pardons her natural complacency in the + brilliancy of a position which took little added luster from the fame of + the man who had wooed and so easily forgotten her. + </p> + <p> + This period of Mme. Necker's career shows her character on a very engaging + side. Loving her husband with a devotion that verged upon idolatry, she + was rich in the friendship of men like Thomas, Buffon, Grimm, Diderot, and + Voltaire, whose respectful tone was the highest tribute to her dignity and + her delicacy. But the true nature of a woman is best seen in her relations + with her own sex. There are a thousand fine reserves in her relations with + men that, in a measure, veil her personality. They doubtless call out the + most brilliant qualities of her intellect, and reveal her character, in + some points, on its best and most lovable side; but the rare shades of + generous and unselfish feeling are more clearly seen in the intimate + friendships, free from petty vanities and jealous rivalries, rich in + cordial appreciation and disinterested affection, which we often find + among women of the finest type. It is impossible that one so serious and + so earnest as Mme. Necker should have cherished such passionate + friendships for her own sex, if she had been as cold or as calculating as + she has been sometimes represented. Her intimacy with Mme. de Marchais, of + which we have so many pleasant details, furnishes a case in point. + </p> + <p> + This graceful and vivacious woman, who talked so eloquently upon + philosophical, political, and economic questions, was the center of a + circle noted for its liberal tendencies. A friend of Mme. de Pompadour, at + whose suppers she often sang; gifted, witty, and, in spite of a certain + seriousness, retaining always the taste, the elegance, the charming + manners which were her native heritage, she attracted to her salon not + only a distinguished literary company, but many men and women from the + great world of which she only touched the borders. Mme. Necker had sought + the aid and advice of Mme. de Marchais in the formation of her own salon, + and had taken for her one of those ardent attachments so characteristic of + earnest and susceptible natures. She confided to her all the secrets of + her heart; she felt a double pleasure when her joys and her little + troubles were shared with this sympathetic companion. "I had for her a + passionate affection," she says. "When I first saw her my whole soul was + captivated. I thought her one of those enchanting fairies who combine all + the gifts of nature and of magic. I loved her; or, rather, I idolized + her." So pure, so confiding, so far above reproach herself, she refuses to + see the faults of one she loves so tenderly. Her letters glow with exalted + sentiment. "Adieu, my charming, my beautiful, my sweet friend," she + writes. "I embrace you. I press you to my bosom; or, rather, to my soul, + for it seems to me that no interval can separate yours from mine." + </p> + <p> + But the character of Mme. de Marchais was evidently not equal to her + fascination. Her vanity was wounded by the success of her friend. She took + offense at a trifling incident that touched her self-love. "The great + ladies have disgusted me with friendship," she wrote, in reply to Mme. + Necker's efforts to repair the breach. They returned to each other the + letters so full of vows of eternal fidelity, and were friends no more. + Apparently without any fault of her own, Mme. Necker was left with an + illusion the less, and the world has another example to cite of the frail + texture of feminine friendships. + </p> + <p> + She was not always, however, so unfortunate in her choice. She found a + more amiable and constant object for her affections in Mme. d'Houdetot, a + charming woman who, in spite of her errors, held a very warm place in the + hearts of her cotemporaries. We have met her before in the philosophical + circles of La Chevrette, and in the beautiful promenades of the valley of + Montmorency, where Rousseau offered her the incense of a passionate and + poetic love. She was facile and witty, graceful and gay, said wise and + thoughtful things, wrote pleasant verses which were the exhalations of her + own heart, and was the center of a limited though distinguished circle; + but her chief attraction was the magic of a sunny temper and a loving + spirit. "He only is unhappy who can neither love, nor work, nor die," she + writes. Though more or less linked with the literary coteries of her time, + Mme. d'Houdetot seems to have been singularly free from the small vanities + and vulgar ambitions so often met there. She loved simple pleasures and + the peaceful scenes of the country. "What more have we to desire when we + can enjoy the pleasures of friendship and of nature?" she writes. "We may + then pass lightly over the small troubles of life." She counsels repose to + her more restless friend, and her warm expressions of affection have + always the ring of sincerity, which contrasts agreeably with the + artificial tone of the time. Mme. d'Houdetot lived to a great age, + preserving always her youthfulness of spirit and sweet serenity of temper, + in spite of sharp domestic sorrows. She took refuge from these in the + life-long friendship of Saint-Lambert, for whom Mme. Necker has usually a + gracious message. It is a curious commentary upon the manners of the age + that one so rigid and severe should have chosen for her intimate + companionship two women whose lives were so far removed from her own ideal + of reserved decorum. But she thought it best to ignore errors which her + world did not regard as grave, if she was conscious of them at all. + </p> + <p> + One finds greater pleasure in recalling her ardent and romantic attachment + to the granddaughter of the Marechale de Luxembourg, the lovely Amelie de + Boufflers, Duchesse de Lauzun, whose pen-portrait she sketched so + gracefully and so tenderly; whose gentle sweetness and shy delicacy, in + the rather oppressive glare of her surroundings, suggest a modest wild + flower astray among the pretentious beauties of the hothouse, and whose + untimely death on the scaffold has left her fragrant memory entwined with + a garland of cypress. But we cannot dwell upon the intimate phases of this + friendship, whose fine quality is shown in the few scattered leaves of a + correspondence overflowing with the wealth of two rare though unequally + gifted natures. + </p> + <p> + At a later period her husband's position in the ministry, and the + pronounced opinions of her brilliant daughter, gave to the salon of Mme. + Necker a marked political and semi-revolutionary coloring. Her + inclinations always led her to literary diversions, rather than to the + discussion of economic questions, but as Mme. de Stael gradually took the + scepter that was falling from her hand, she found it difficult to guide + the conversation into its old channels. Her pale, thoughtful face, her + gentle manner, her soft and penetrating voice, all indicated an + exquisitely feminine quality quite in unison with the spirit of urbanity + and politeness that was even then going out of fashion. Her quiet and + earnest though interesting conversation was somewhat overshadowed by the + impetuous eloquence of Mme. de Stael, who gave the tone to every circle + into which she came. "I am more and more convinced that I am not made for + the great world," she said to the Duchesse de Lauzun, with an accent of + regret. "It is Germaine who should shine there and who should love it, for + she possesses all the qualities which put her in a position to be at once + feared and sought." + </p> + <p> + If she was allied to the past, however, by her tastes and her sympathies, + she belonged to the future by her convictions, and her many-sided + intellect touched upon every question of the day. Profoundly religious + herself, she was broadly tolerant; always delicate in health, she found + time amid her numerous social duties to aid the poor and suffering, and to + establish the hospital that still bears her name. Her letters and literary + records reveal a woman of liberal thought and fine insight, as well as + scholarly tastes. If she lacked a little in the facile graces of the + French women, she had to an eminent degree the qualities of character that + were far rarer in her age and sphere. Though she was cold and reserved in + manner, beneath the light snow which she brought from her native hills + beat a heart of warm and tender, even passionate, impulses. Devoted wife, + loyal friend, careful mother, large-minded and large-souled woman, she + stands conspicuous, in a period of lax domestic relations, for the virtues + that grace the fireside as well as for the talents that shine in the + salon. + </p> + <p> + But she was not exempt from the sorrows of a nature that exacts from life + more than life can give, and finds its illusions vanish before the cold + touch of experience. She had her hours of darkness and of suffering. Even + the love that was the source of her keenest happiness was also the source + of her sharpest griefs. In the days of her husband's power she missed the + exclusive attention she craved. There were moments when she doubted the + depth of his affection, and felt anew that her "eyes were wedded to + eternal tears." She could not see without pain his extreme devotion to her + daughter, whose rich nature, so spontaneous, so original, so foreign to + her own, gave rise to many anxieties and occasional antagonisms. This + touches the weak point in her character. She was not wholly free from a + certain egotism and intellectual vanity, without the imagination to + comprehend fully an individuality quite remote from all her preconceived + ideas. She was slow to accept the fact that her system of education was at + fault, and her failure to mold her daughter after her own models was long + a source of grief and disappointment. She was ambitious too, and had not + won her position without many secret wounds. When misfortunes came, the + blows that fell upon her husband struck with double force into her own + heart. She was destined to share with him the chill of censure and + neglect, the bitter sting of ingratitude, the lonely isolation of one + fallen from a high place, whose friendship and whose favors count no more. + </p> + <p> + In the solitude of Coppet, where she died at fifty-seven, during the last + and darkest days of the Revolution, perhaps she realized in the tireless + devotion of her husband and the loving care of Mme. de Stael the repose of + heart which the brilliant world of Paris never gave her. + </p> + <p> + With all her gifts, which have left many records that may be read, and in + spite of a few shadows that fall more or less upon all earthly relations, + not the least of her legacies to posterity was the beautiful example, + rarer then than now, of that true and sympathetic family life in which + lies the complete harmony of existence, a safeguard against the storms of + passion, a perennial fount of love that keeps the spirit young, the + tranquility out of which spring the purest flowers of human happiness and + human endeavor. + </p> + <p> + There were many salons of lesser note which have left agreeable memories. + It would be pleasant to recall other clever and beautiful women whose + names one meets so often in the chronicles of the time, and whose faces, + conspicuous for their clear, strong outlines, still look out upon us from + the galleries that perpetuate its life; but the list is too long and would + lead us too far. From the moving procession of social leaders who made the + age preceding the Revolution so brilliant I have chosen only the few who + were most widely known, and who best represent its dominant types and its + special phases. + </p> + <p> + The most remarkable period of the literary salons was really closed with + the death of Mme. du Deffand, in 1780. Mme. Geoffrin had already been dead + three years, and Mlle. de Lespinasse, four. Some of the most noted of the + philosophers and men of letters were also gone, others were past the age + of forming fresh ties, the young men belonged to another generation, and + no new drawing rooms exactly replaced the old ones. Mme. Necker still + received the world that was wont to assemble in the great salons, Mme. de + Condorcet presided over a rival coterie, and there were numerous small and + intimate circles; but the element of politics was beginning to intrude, + and with it a degree of heat which disturbed the usual harmony. The reign + of esprit, the perpetual play of wit had begun to pall upon the tastes of + people who found themselves face to face with problems so grave and issues + so vital. There was a slight reaction towards nature and simplicity. "They + may be growing wiser," said Walpole, "but the intermediate change is + dullness." For nearly half a century learned men and clever women had been + amusing themselves with utopian theories, a few through conviction, the + majority through fashion, or egotism, or the vanity of saying new things, + just as the world is doing today. The doctrines put forth by Montesquieu, + vivified by Voltaire, and carried to the popular heart by Rousseau had + been freely discussed in the salons, not only by philosophers and + statesmen, but by men of the world, poets, artists, and pretty women. The + sparks of thought with which they played so lightly filtered slowly + through the social strata. The talk of the drawing room at last reached + the street. But the torch of truth which, held aloft, serves as a beacon + star to guide the world towards some longed for ideal becomes often a + deadly explosive when it falls among the poisonous vapors of inflammable + human passions. Liberty, equality, fraternity assumed a new and fatal + significance in the minds of the hungry and restless masses who, + embittered by centuries of wrong, were ready to carry these phrases to + their immediate and living conclusions. They had found their watchwords + and their hour. The train was already laid beneath this complex social + structure, and the tragedy that followed carried to a common ruin court + and salon, philosophers and beaux esprits, innocent women and dreaming + men. + </p> + <p> + That the salons were unconscious instruments in hastening the catastrophe, + which was sooner or later inevitable, is undoubtedly true. Their influence + in the dissemination of thought was immense. The part they played was, to + a limited extent, precisely that of the modern press, with an added + personal element. They moved in the drift of their time, directed its + intelligence, and reflected its average morality. As centers of serious + conversation they were distinctly stimulating. It is quite possible that + they stimulated the intellect to the exclusion of the more solid qualities + of character, and that they were the source of a vast amount of + affectation. It was the fashion to have esprit, and those who were + deficient in an article so essential to success were naturally disposed to + borrow it, or to put on the semblance of it. But no phase of life is + without its reverse side, and the present generation cannot claim freedom + from pretension of the same sort. It is not unlikely that in expanding the + intelligence they established new standards of distinction, which in a + measure weakened the old ones. But if they precipitated the downfall of + the court they began by rivaling, it was in the logical course of events, + which few were wise enough to foresee, much less to determine. + </p> + <p> + It is worthy of remark that this reign of women, in which the manners and + forms of modern society found their initiative and their models, was not a + reign of youth, or beauty, though these qualities are never likely to lose + their own peculiar fascination. It was, before all things, a reign of + intelligence, and ascendency of women who had put on the hues of age + without laying aside the permanent charm of a fully developed personality. + It was intelligence blended with practical knowledge of the world and with + the graceful amenities that heightened while half disguising its power. + The women of the present have different aims. They are no longer content + with the role of inspirer. Their methods are more direct. They depend less + upon finesse, more upon inherent right and strength. But it is to the + women who shone so conspicuously in France for more than two hundred years + that we may trace the broadened intellectual life, the unfettered + activities, the wide and beneficent influence of the women of today. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0017" id="link2HCH0017"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVII. SALONS OF THE REVOLUTION—MADAME ROLAND + </h2> + <p> + <i>Change in the Character of the Salons—Mme. de Condorcet—Mme. + Roland's Story of Her Own Life—A Marriage of Reason—Enthusiasm + for the Revolution—Her Modest Salon—Her Tragical Fate</i> + </p> + <p> + The salons of the Revolution were no longer simply the fountains of + literary and artistic criticism, the centers of wit, intelligence, + knowledge, philosophy, and good manners, but the rallying points of + parties. They took the tone of the time and assumed the character of + political clubs. The salon of 1790 was not the salon of 1770. A new + generation had arisen, with new ideals and a new spirit that made for + itself other forms or greatly modified the old ones. It was not led by + philosophers and beaux esprits who evolved theories and turned them over + as an intellectual diversion, but by men of action, ready to test these + theories and force them to their logical conclusions. Mirabeau, Vergniaud, + and Robespierre had succeeded Voltaire, Diderot, and d'Alembert. Impelled + towards one end, by vanity, ambition, love of glory, or genuine + conviction, these men and their colleagues turned the salon, which had so + long been the school of public opinion, into an engine of revolution. The + exquisite flower of the eighteenth century had blossomed, matured, and + fallen. Perhaps it was followed by a plant of sturdier growth, but the + rare quality of its beauty was not repeated. The time was past when the + gentle touch of women could temper the violence of clashing opinions, or + subject the discussion of vital questions to the inflexible laws of taste. + No tactful hostess could hold in leading strings these fiery spirits. The + voices that had charmed the old generation were silent. Of the women who + had made the social life of the century so powerful and so famous, many + were quietly asleep before the storm broke; many were languishing in + prison cells, with no outlook but the scaffold; some were pining in the + loneliness of exile; and a few were buried in a seclusion which was their + only safeguard. + </p> + <p> + But nature has always in reserve fresh types that come to the surface in a + great crisis. The women who made themselves felt and heard above the din + of revolution, though by no means deficient in the graces, were mainly + distinguished for quite other qualities than those which shine in a + drawing room or lead a coterie. They were either women of rare genius and + the courage of their convictions, or women trained in the stern school of + a bitter experience, who found their true milieu in the midst of stirring + events. The names of Mme. de Stael, Mme. Roland, and Mme. de Condorcet + readily suggest themselves as the most conspicuous representatives of this + stormy period. With different gifts and in different measure, each played + a prominent role in the brief drama to which they lent the inspiration of + their genius and their sympathy, until they were forced to turn back with + horror from that carnival of savage passions which they had unconsciously + helped to let loose upon the world. + </p> + <p> + The salon of the young, beautiful, and gifted Mme. de Condorcet had its + roots in the old order of things. During the ministry of Necker it was in + come degree a rival of the Salon Helvetique, and included many of the same + guests; later it became a rendezvous for the revolutionary party. The + Marquis de Condorcet was not only philosopher, savant, litterateur, a + member of two academies, and among the profoundest thinkers of his time, + but a man of the world, who inherited the tastes and habits of the old + noblesse. His wife, whom he had married late in life, was Sophie de + Grouchy, sister of the Marechal, and was noted for remarkable talents, as + well as for surpassing beauty. Belonging by birth and associations to the + aristocracy, and by her pronounced opinions to the radical side of the + philosophic party, her salon was a center in which two worlds met. In its + palmy days people were only speculating upon the borders of an abyss which + had not yet opened visibly before them. The revolutionary spirit ran high, + but had not passed the limits of reason and humanity. Mme. de Condorcet, + who was deeply tinged with the new doctrines, presided with charming + grace, and her youthful beauty lent an added fascination to the brilliancy + of her intellect and the rather grave eloquence of her conversation. In + her drawing room were gathered men of letters and women of talent, nobles + and scientists, philosophers and Beaux Esprits. Turgot and Malesherbes + represented its political side; Marmontel, the Abbe Morellet, and Suard + lent it some of the wit and vivacity that shone in the old salons. + Literature, science, and the arts were discussed here, and there was more + or less reading, music, or recitation. But the tendency was towards + serious conversation, and the tone was often controversial. + </p> + <p> + The character of Condorcet was a sincere and elevated one. "He loved much + and he loved many people," said Mlle. de Lespinasse. He aimed at + enlightening and regenerating the world, not at overturning it; but, like + many others, strong souls and true, he was led from practical truth in the + pursuit of an ideal one. His wife, who shared his political opinions, + united with them a fiery and independent spirit that was not content with + theories. Her philosophic tastes led her to translate Adam Smith, and to + write a fine analysis of the "Moral Sentiments." But the sympathy of which + she spoke so beautifully, and which gave so living a force to the + philosophy it illuminated, if not directed by broad intelligence and + impartial judgment, is often like the ignis fatuus that plays over the + poisonous marsh and lures the unwary to destruction. For a brief day the + magical influence of Mme. de Condorcet was felt more or less by all who + came within her circle. She inspired the equable temper of her husband + with her own enthusiasm, and urged him on to extreme measures from which + his gentler soul would have recoiled. When at last he turned from those + scenes of horror, choosing to be victim rather than oppressor, it was too + late. Perhaps she recalled the days of her power with a pang of regret + when her friends had fallen one by one at the scaffold, and her husband, + hunted and deserted by those he tried to serve, had died by his own hand, + in a lonely cell, to escape a sadder fate; while she was left, after her + timely release from prison, to struggle alone in poverty and obscurity, + for some years painting water-color portraits for bread. She was not yet + thirty when the Revolution ended, and lived far into the present century; + but though the illusions of her youth had been rudely shattered, she + remained always devoted to her liberal principles and a broad humanity. + </p> + <p> + The woman, however, who most fitly represents the spirit of the + Revolution, who was at once its inspiration, its heroine, and its victim, + is Mme. Roland. It is not as the leader of a salon that she takes her + place in the history of her time, but as one of the foremost and ablest + leaders of a powerful political party. Born in the ranks of the + bourgeoisie, she had neither the prestige of a name nor the distinction of + an aristocratic lineage. Reared in seclusion, she was familiar with the + great world by report only. Though brilliant, even eloquent in + conversation when her interest was roused, her early training had added to + her natural distaste for the spirit, as well as the accessories, of a + social life that was inevitably more or less artificial. She would have + felt cramped and caged in the conventional atmosphere of a drawing room in + which the gravest problems were apt to be forgotten in the flash of an + epigram or the turn of a bon mot. The strong and heroic outlines of her + character were more clearly defined on the theater of the world. But at a + time when the empire of the salon was waning, when vital interests and + burning convictions had for the moment thrown into the shade all minor + questions of form and convenance, she took up the scepter in a simpler + fashion, and, disdaining the arts of a society of which she saw only the + fatal and hopeless corruption, held her sway over the daring and ardent + men who gathered about her by the unassisted force of her clear and + vigorous intellect. + </p> + <p> + It would be interesting to trace the career of the thoughtful and + precocious child known as Manon or Marie Phlipon, who sat in her father's + studio with the burin of an engraver in one hand and a book in the other, + eagerly absorbing the revolutionary theories which were to prove so fatal + to her, but it is not the purpose here to dwell upon the details of her + life. In the solitude of a prison cell and under the shadow of the + scaffold she told her own story. She has introduced us to the simple + scenes of her childhood, the modest home on the Quai de l'Horloge, the + wise and tender mother, the weak and unstable father. We are made familiar + with the tiny recess in which she studies, reads, and makes extracts from + the books which are such strange companions for her years. We seem to see + the grave little face as it lights with emotion over the inspiring pages + of Fenelon or the chivalrous heroes of Tasso, and sympathize with the + fascination that leads the child of nine years to carry her Plutarch to + mass instead of her prayer book. She portrays for us her convent life with + its dreams, its exaltations, its romantic friendships, and its ardent + enthusiasms. We have vivid pictures of the calm and sympathetic Sophie + Cannet, to whom she unburdens all her hopes and aspirations and sorrows; + of the lively sister Henriette, who years afterward, in the generous hope + of saving her early friend, proposed to exchange clothes and take her + place in the cells of Sainte-Pelagie. In the long and commonplace + procession of suitors that files before us, one only touches her heart. La + Blancherie has a literary and philosophic turn, and the young girl's + imagination drapes him in its own glowing colors. The opposition of her + father separates them, but absence only lends fuel to this virgin flame. + One day she learns that his views are mercenary, that he is neither true + nor disinterested, and the charm is broken. She met him afterward in the + Luxembourg gardens with a feather in his hat, and the last illusion + vanished. + </p> + <p> + There is an idyllic charm in these pictures so simply and gracefully + sketched. She sees with the vision of one lying down to sleep after a life + of pain, and dreaming of the green fields, the blue skies, the running + brooks, the trees, the flowers, that make so beautiful a background for + youthful loves and hopes. Perhaps we could wish sometimes that she were a + little less frank. We miss a touch of delicacy in this nature that was so + strong and self-poised. We are sorry that she dismissed La Blancherie + quite so theatrically. There is a trace too much of consciousness in her + fine self-analysis, perhaps a little vanity, and we half suspect that her + unchildlike penetration and precocity of motive was sometimes the + reflection of an afterthought. But it is to be remembered that, even in + childhood, she had lived in such close companionship with the heroes and + moralists of the past that their sentiments had become her own. She + doubtless posed a little to herself, as well as to the world, but her + frankness was a part of that uncompromising truthfulness which scorned + disguises of any sort, and led her to paint faults and virtues alike. + </p> + <p> + Family sorrows—the death of the mother whom she adored, and the + unworthiness of her father—combined to change the current of her + free and happy life, and to deepen a natural vein of melancholy. In her + loneliness of soul the convent seemed to offer itself as the sole haven of + peace and rest. The child, who loved Fenelon, and dreamed over the lives + of the saints, had in her much of the stuff out of which mystics and + fanatics are made. Her ardent soul was raised to ecstasy by the stately + ceremonial of the Church; her imagination was captivated by its majestic + music, its mystery, its solemnity, and she was wont to spend hours in rapt + meditation. But her strong fund of good sense, her firm reason fortified + by wide and solid reading, together with her habits of close observation + and analysis, saved her from falling a victim to her own emotional needs, + or to chimeras of any sort. She had drawn her mental nourishment too long + from Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, the English philosophers, and + classic historians, to become permanently a prey to exaggerated + sensibilities, though it was the same temperament fired by a sense of + human inequality and wrong, that swept her at last along the road that led + to the scaffold. At twenty-six the vocation of the religieuse had lost its + fascination; the pious fervor of her childhood had vanished before the + skepticism of her intellect, its ardent friendships had grown dim, its + fleeting loves had proved illusive, and her romantic dreams ended in a + cold marriage of reason. + </p> + <p> + It may be noted here that though Mme. Roland had lost her belief in + ecclesiastical systems, and, as she said, continued to go to mass only for + the "edification of her neighbors and the good order of society," there + was always in her nature a strong undercurrent of religious feeling. Her + faith had not survived the full illumination of her reason, but her trust + in immortality never seriously wavered. The Invocation that was among her + last written words is the prayer of a soul that is conscious of its divine + origin and destiny. She retained, too, the firm moral basis that was laid + in her early teachings, and which saved her from the worst errors of her + time. She might be shaken by the storms of passion, but one feels that she + could never be swept from her moorings. + </p> + <p> + Tall and finely developed, with dark brown hair; a large mouth whose + beauty lay in a smile of singular sweetness; dark, serious eyes with a + changeful expression which no artist could catch; a fresh complexion that + responded to every emotion of a passionate soul; a deep, well-modulated + voice; manners gentle, modest, reserved, sometimes timid with the + consciousness that she was not readily taken at her true value—such + was the PERSONNELLE of the woman who calmly weighed the possibilities of a + life which had no longer a pleasant outlook in any direction, and, after + much hesitation, became the wife of a grave, studious, austere man of good + family and moderate fortune, but many years her senior. + </p> + <p> + It was this marriage, into which she entered with all seriousness, and a + devotion that was none the less sincere because it was of the intellect + rather than the heart, that gave the final tinge to a character that was + already laid on solid foundations. Strong, clear-sighted, earnest, and + gifted, her later experience had accented a slightly ascetic quality which + had been deepened also by her study of antique models. Her tastes were + grave and severe. But they had a lighter side. As a child she had excelled + in music, dancing, drawing, and other feminine accomplishments, though one + feels always that her distinctive talent does not lie in these things. She + is more at home with her thoughts. There was a touch of poetry, too, in + her nature, that under different circumstances might have lent it a softer + and more graceful coloring. She had a natural love for the woods and the + flowers. The single relief to her somber life at La Platiere, after her + marriage, was in the long and lonely rambles in the country, whose endless + variations of hill and vale and sky and color she has so tenderly and so + vividly noted. In her last days a piano and a few flowers lighted the + darkness of her prison walls, and out of these her imagination reared a + world of its own, peopled with dreams and fancies that contrasted + strangely with the gloom of her surroundings. This poetic vein was closely + allied to the keen sensibility that tempered the seriousness of her + character. With the mental equipment of a man, she combined the rich + sympathy of a woman. Her devotion to her mother was passionate in its + intensity; her letters to Sophie throb with warmth and sentiment. She is + tender and loving, as well as philosophic and thoughtful. Her emotional + ardor was doubtless partly the glow of youth and not altogether in the + texture of a mind so eminently rational; but there were rich possibilities + behind it. A shade of difference in the mental and moral atmosphere, a + trace more or less of sunshine and happiness are important factors in the + peculiar combination of qualities that make up a human being. The marriage + of Mme. Roland led her into a world that had little color save what she + brought into it. Her husband did not smile upon her friends. Sympathy + other than that of the intellect she does not seem to have had. But her + story is best told in her own words, written in the last days of her life. + </p> + <p> + "In considering only the happiness of my partner, I soon perceived that + something was wanting to my own. I had never, for a single instant, ceased + to see in my husband one of the most estimable of men, to whom I felt it + an honor to belong; but I have often realized that there was a lack of + equality between us, that the ascendency of an overbearing character, + added to that of twenty years more of age, gave him too much superiority. + If we lived in solitude, I had many painful hours to pass; if we went into + the world, I was loved by men of whom I saw that some might touch me too + deeply. I plunged into work with my husband, another excess which had its + inconvenience; I gave him the habit of not knowing how to do without me + for anything in the world, nor at any moment. + </p> + <p> + "I honor, I cherish my husband, as a sensible daughter adores a virtuous + father to whom she would sacrifice even her lover; but I have found the + man who might have been that lover, and remaining faithful to my duties, + my frankness has not known how to conceal the feelings which I subjected + to them. My husband, excessively sensitive both in his affections and his + self-love, could not support the idea of the least change in his + influence; his imagination darkened, his jealousy irritated me; happiness + fled; he adored me, I sacrificed myself for him, and we were miserable. + </p> + <p> + "If I were free, I would follow him everywhere to soften his griefs and + console his old age; a soul like mine leaves no sacrifices imperfect. But + Roland was embittered by the thought of sacrifice, and the knowledge once + acquired that I mad made one ruined his happiness; he suffered in + accepting it, and could not do without it." + </p> + <p> + The sequel to this tale is told in allusions and half revelations, in her + letters to Buzot, which glow with suppressed feeling; in her touching + farewell to one whom she dared not to name, but whom she hoped to meet + where it would not be a crime to love; in those final words of her "Last + Thoughts"—"Adieu.... No, it is from thee alone that I do not + separate; to leave the earth is to approach each other." + </p> + <p> + Beneath this semi-transparent veil the heart-drama of her life is hidden. + </p> + <p> + For the sake of those who would be pained by this story, as well as for + her own, we would rather it had never been told. We should like to believe + that the woman who worked so nobly with and for the man who died by his + own hand five days after her death, because he could stay no longer in a + world where such crimes were possible, had lived in the full perfection of + domestic sympathy. But, if she carried with her an incurable wound, one + cannot help regretting that her Spartan courage had not led her to wear + the mantle of silence to the end. Posterity is curious rather than + sympathetic, and the world is neither wiser nor better for these needless + soul-revelations. There is always a certain malady of egotism behind them. + But it is often easier to scale the heights of human heroism than to still + the cry of a bruised spirit. Mme. Roland had moments of falling short of + her own ideals, and this was one of them. Pure, loyal, self-sustained as + she was, her strong sense of verity did not permit the veil which would + have best served the interests of the larger truth. It is fair to say that + she thought the malicious gossip of her enemies rendered this statement + necessary to the protection of her fame. Perhaps, after all, she shows + here her most human and lovable if not her strongest side. We should like + Minerva better if she were not so faultlessly wise. + </p> + <p> + The outbreak of the Revolution found Mme. Roland at La Platiere, where she + shared her husband's philosophic and economic studies, brought peace into + a discordant family, attended to her household duties and the training of + her child, devoted many hours to generous care for the sick and poor, and + reserved a little leisure for poetry and the solitary rambles she loved so + well. The first martial note struck a responsive chord in her heart. Her + opportunity had come. Embittered by class distinctions over which she had + long brooded, saturated with the sentiments of Rousseau, and full of + untried theories constructed in the closet, with small knowledge of the + wide and complex interests with which it was necessary to deal, she + centered all the hitherto latent energies of her forceful nature upon the + quixotic effort to redress human wrongs. Her birth, her intellect, her + character, her temperament, her education, her associations—all led + her towards the role she played so heroically. She had a keen appreciation + for genuine values, but none whatever for factitious ones. Her inborn + hatred of artificial distinctions had grown with her years and colored all + her estimates of men and things. When she came to Paris, she noted with a + sort of indignation the superior poise and courtesy of the men in the + assembly who had been reared in the habit of power. It added fuel to her + enmity towards institutions in which reason, knowledge, and integrity paid + homage to fine language and distinguished manners. She found even + Vergniaud too refined and fastidious in his dress for a successful + republican leader. Her old contempt for a "philosopher with a feather" had + in no wise abated. With such principles ingrained and fostered, it is not + difficult to forecast the part Mme. Roland was destined to play in the + coming conflict of classes. Whatever we may think of the wisdom of her + attitude towards the Revolution, she represented at least its most sincere + side. As she stood white-robed and courageous at the foot of the scaffold, + facing the savage populace she had laid down her life to befriend, perhaps + her perspectives were truer. Experience had given her an insight into the + characters of men which is not to be gained in the library, nor in the + worship of dead heroes. If it had not shaken her faith in human + perfectibility, it had taught her at least the value of tradition in + chaining brutal human passions. + </p> + <p> + The tragical fate of Mme. Roland has thrown a strong light upon the modest + little salon in which the unfortunate Girondists met four times a week to + discuss the grave problems that confronted them. A salon in the old sense + it certainly was not. It had little in common with the famous centers of + conversation and esprit. It was simply the rallying point of a party. The + only woman present was Mme. Roland herself, but at first she assumed no + active leadership. She sat at a little table outside of the circle, + working with her needle, or writing letters, alive to everything that was + said, venturing sometimes a word of counsel or a thoughtful suggestion, + and often biting her lips to repress some criticism that she feared might + not be within her province. She had left her quiet home in the country + fired with a single thought—the regeneration of France. The men who + gathered about her were in full accord with her generous aims. It was not + to such enthusiasms that the old salons lost themselves. They had been + often the centers of political intrigues, as in the days of the Fronde; or + of religious partisanship, as during the troubles of Port Royal; they had + ranged themselves for and against rival candidates for literary or + artistic honors; but they had preserved, on the whole, a certain + cosmopolitan character. All shades of opinion were represented, and social + brilliancy was the end sought, not the triumph of special ideas. It is + indeed true that earnest convictions were, to some extent, stifled in the + salons, where charm and intelligence counted for so much, and the sterling + qualities of character for so little. But the etiquette, the urbanity, the + measure, which assured the outward harmony of a society that courted + distinction of every kind, were quite foreign to the iconoclasts who were + bent upon leveling all distinctions. The Revolution which attacked the + whole superstructure of society, was antagonistic to its minor forms as + well, and it was the revolutionary party alone which was represented in + the salon of Mme. Roland. Brissot, Vergniaud, Petion, Guadet, and Buzot + were leaders there—men sincere and ardent, though misguided, and + unable to cope with the storm they had raised, to be themselves swept away + by its pitiless rage. Robespierre, scheming and ambitious, came there, + listened, said little, appropriated for his own ends, and bided his time. + Mme. Roland had small taste for the light play of intellect and wit that + has no outcome beyond the meteoric display of the moment, and she was + impatient with the talk in which an evening was often passed among these + men without any definite results. As she measured their strength, she + became more outspoken. She communicated to them a spark of her own energy. + The most daring moves were made at her bidding. She urged on her timid and + conservative husband, she drew up his memorials, she wrote his letters, + she was at once his stimulus, and his helper. Weak and vacillating men + yielded to her rapid insight, her vigor, her earnestness, and her + persuasive eloquence. This was probably the period of her greatest + influence. Many of the swift changes of those first months may be traced + to her salon. The moves which were made in the Assembly were concocted + there, the orators who triumphed found their inspiration there. Still, in + spite of her energy, her strength, and her courage, she prides herself + upon maintaining always the reserve and decorum of her sex. + </p> + <p> + If she assumed the favorite role of the French woman for a short time + while her husband was in the ministry, it was in a sternly republican + fashion. She gave dinners twice a week to her husband's political friends. + The fifteen or twenty men who met around her table at five o'clock were + linked by political interests only. The service was simple, with no other + luxury than a few flowers. There were no women to temper the discussions + or to lighten their seriousness. After dinner the guests lingered for an + hour or so in the drawing room, but by nine o'clock it was deserted. She + received on Friday, but what a contrast to the Fridays of Mme. Necker in + those same apartments! It was no longer a brilliant company of wits, + savants, and men of letters, enlivened by women of beauty, esprit, rank, + and fashion. There was none of the diversity of taste and thought which + lends such a charm to social life. Mme. Roland tells us that she never had + an extended circle at any time, and that, while her husband was in power, + she made and received no visits, and invited no women to her house. She + saw only her husband's colleagues, or those who were interested in his + tastes and pursuits, which were also her own. The world of society wearied + her. She was absorbed in a single purpose. If she needed recreation, she + sought it in serious studies. + </p> + <p> + It is always difficult to judge what a man or a woman might have been + under slightly altered conditions. But for some single circumstance that + converged and focused their talent, many a hero would have died unknown + and unsuspected. The key that unlocks the treasure house of the soul is + not always found, and its wealth is often scattered on unseen shores. But + it is clear that the part of Mme. Roland could never have been a + distinctively social one. She lived at a time when great events brought + out great qualities. Her clear intellect, her positive convictions, her + boundless energy, and her ardent enthusiasm, gave her a powerful influence + in those early days of the Revolution, that looked towards a world + reconstructed but not plunged into the dark depths of chaos, and it is + through this that she has left a name among the noted women of France. In + more peaceful times her peculiar talent would doubtless have led her + towards literature. In her best style she has rare vigor and simplicity. + She has moments of eloquent thought. There are flashes of it in her early + letters to Sophie, which she begs her friend not to burn, though she does + not hope to rival Mme. de Sevigne, whom she takes for her model. She + lacked the grace, the lightness, the wit, the humor of this model, but she + had an earnestness, a serious depth of thought, that one does not find in + Mme. de Sevigne. She had also a vein of sentiment that was an underlying + force in her character, though it was always subject to her masculine + intellect. She confesses that she should like to be the annalist of her + country, and longs for the pen of Tacitus, for whom she has a veritable + passion. When one reads her sharp, incisive pen-portraits, drawn with such + profound insight and masterly skill, one feels that her true vocation was + in the world of letters. At the close she verges a little upon the + theatrical, as sometimes in her young days. But when she wrote her final + records she felt her last hours slipping away. Life, with its large + possibilities undeveloped and its promises unfulfilled, was behind her. + Darkness was all around her, eternal silence before her. And she had lived + but thirty-nine years. + </p> + <p> + Mme. Roland does not really belong to the world of the salons, though she + has been included among them by some of her own cotemporaries. She was of + quite another genre. She represents a social reaction in which old forms + are adapted to new ideas and lose their essential quality by the change. + But she foreshadows a type of woman that has had great influence since the + salons have lost their prestige. She relied neither upon the reflected + light of a coterie, the arts of the courtier, nor the subtle power of + personal attraction; but, firm in her convictions, clear in her purpose, + and unselfish in her aims, she laid down her interests, and, in the end, + her life, upon the altar of liberty and humanity. She could hardly be + regarded, however, as herself a type. She was cast in a rare mold and + lived under rare conditions. She was individual, as were Hypatia, Joan of + Arc, and Charlotte Corday—a woman fitted for a special mission which + brought her little but a martyr's crown and a permanent fame. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0018" id="link2HCH0018"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVIII. MADAME DE STAEL + </h2> + <p> + <i>Supremacy of Her Genius—Her Early Training—Her Sensibility—a + Mariage de Convenance—Her Salon—Anecdote of Benjamin Constant—Her + Exile—Life at Coppet—Secret Marriage—Close of a Stormy + Life.</i> + </p> + <p> + The fame of all other French women is more or less overshadowed by that of + one who was not only supreme in her own world, but who stands on a + pinnacle so high that time and distance only serve to throw into stronger + relief the grand outlines of her many-sided genius. Without the simplicity + and naturalness of Mme. de Sevigne, the poise and judgment of Mme. de + Lafayette, or the calm foresight and diplomacy of Mme. de Maintenon, Mme. + de Stael had a brilliancy of imagination, a force of passion, a grasp of + intellect, and a diversity of gifts that belonged to none of these women. + It is not possible within the limits of a brief chapter to touch even + lightly upon the various phases of a character so complex and talents so + versatile. One can only gather a few scattered traits and indicate a few + salient points in a life of which the details are already familiar. As + woman, novelist, philosopher, litterateur, and conversationist, she has + marked, if not equal, claims upon our attention. To speak of her as simply + the leader of a salon is to merge the greater talent into the less, but + her brilliant social qualities in a measure brought out and illuminated + all the others. It was not the gift of reconciling diverse elements, and + of calling out the best thoughts of those who came within her radius, that + distinguished her. Her personality was too dominant not to disturb + sometimes the measure and harmony which fashion had established. She did + not listen well, but her gift was that of the orator, and, taking whatever + subject was uppermost into her own hands, she talked with an irresistible + eloquence that held her auditors silent and enchained. Living as she did + in the world of wit and talent which had so fascinated her mother, she + ruled it as an autocrat. + </p> + <p> + The mental coloring of Mme. de Stael was not taken in the shade, as that + of Mme. Roland had been. She was reared in the atmosphere of the great + world. That which her eager mind gathered in solitude was subject always + to the modification which contact with vigorous living minds is sure to + give. The little Germaine Necker who sat on a low stool at her mother's + side, charming the cleverest men of her time by her precocious wit; who + wrote extracts from the dramas she heard, and opinions upon the authors + she read; who made pen-portraits of her friends, and cut out paper kings + and queens to play in the tragedies she composed; whose heart was always + overflowing with love for those around her, and who had supreme need for + an outlet to her sensibilities, was a fresh type in that age of keen + analysis, cold skepticism, and rigid forms. The serious utterances of her + childhood were always suffused with feeling. She loved that which made her + weep. Her sympathies were full and overflowing, and when her vigorous and + masculine intellect took the ascendency it directed them, but only partly + held them in check. It never dulled nor subdued them. The source of her + power, as also of her weakness, lay perhaps in her vast capacity for love. + It gave color and force to her rich and versatile character. It animated + all she did and gave point to all she wrote. It found expression in the + eloquence of her conversation, in the exaltation and passionate intensity + of her affections, in the fervor of her patriotism, in the self-forgetful + generosity that brought her very near the verge of the scaffold. Here was + the source of that indefinable quality we call genius—not genius of + the sort which Buffon has defined as patience, but the divine flame that + crowns with life the dead materials which patience has gathered. + </p> + <p> + It was impossible that a child so eager, so sympathetic, so full of + intellect and esprit, should not have developed rapidly in the atmosphere + of her mother's salon. Whether it was the best school for a young girl may + be a question, but a character like that of Mme. de Stael is apt to go its + own way in whatever circumstances it finds itself. She was the despair of + Mme. Necker, whose educational theories were altogether upset by this + precocious daughter who refused to be cast in a mold. But she was + habituated to a high altitude of thought. Men like Marmontel, La Harpe, + Grimm, Thomas, and the Abbe Raynal delighted in calling out her ready wit, + her brilliant repartee, and her precocious ideas. Surrounded thus from + childhood with all the appointments as well as the talent and esprit that + made the life of the salons so fascinating; inheriting the philosophic + insight of her father, the literary gifts of her mother, to which she + added a genius all her own; heir also to the spirit of conversation, the + facility, the enthusiasm, the love of pleasing which are the Gallic + birthright, she took her place in the social world as a queen by virtue of + her position, her gifts, and her heritage. Already, before her marriage, + she had changed the tone of her mother's salon. She brought into it an + element of freshness and originality which the dignified and rather + precise character of Mme. Necker had failed to impart. She gave it also a + strong political coloring. This influence was more marked after she became + the wife of the Swedish ambassador, as she continued for some time to pass + her evenings in her mother's drawing room, where she became more and more + a central figure. Her temperament and her tastes were of the world in + which she lived, but her reason and her expansive sympathies led her to + ally herself with the popular cause; hence she was, to some extent, a link + between two conflicting interests. + </p> + <p> + It was in 1786 that Mme. de Stael entered the world as a married woman. + This marriage was arranged for her after the fashion of the time, and she + accepted it as she would have accepted anything tolerable that pleased her + idolized father and revered mother. When only ten years of age, she + observed that they took great pleasure in the society of Gibbon, and she + gravely proposed to marry him, that they might always have this happiness. + The full significance of this singular proposition is not apparent until + one remembers that the learned historian was not only rather old, but so + short and fat as to call out from one of his friends the remark that when + he needed a little exercise he had only to take a turn of three times + around M. Gibbon. The Baron de Stael had an exalted position, fine + manners, a good figure, and a handsome face, but he lacked the one thing + that Mme. de Stael most considered, a commanding talent. She did not see + him through the prism of a strong affection which transfigures all things, + even the most commonplace. What this must have meant to a woman of her + genius and temperament whose ideal of happiness was a sympathetic + marriage, it is not difficult to divine. It may account, in some degree, + for her restlessness, her perpetual need of movement, of excitement, of + society. But, whatever her domestic troubles may have been, they were of + limited duration. She was quietly separated from her husband in 1798. Four + years later she decided to return to Coppet with him, as he was unhappy + and longed to see his children. He died en route. + </p> + <p> + The period of this marriage was one of the most memorable of France, the + period when noble and generous spirits rallied in a spontaneous movement + for national regeneration. Mme. De Stael was in the flush of hope and + enthusiasm, fresh from the study of Rousseau and her own dreams of human + perfectibility; radiant, too, with the reflection of her youthful fame. + Among those who surrounded her were the Montmorencys, Lafayette, and Count + Louis de Narbonne, whose brilliant intellect and charming manners touched + her perhaps too deeply for her peace of mind. There were also Barnave, + Chenier, Talleyrand, Mirabeau, Vergniaud, and many others of the active + leaders of the Revolution. A few woman mingled in her more intimate + circle, which was still of the old society. Of these were the ill-fated + Duchesse de Gramont, Mme. de Lauzun, the Princesse de Poix, and the witty, + lovable Marechale de Beauvau. As a rule, though devoted to her friends and + kind to those who sought her aid, Mme. de Stael did not like the society + of women. Perhaps they did not always respond to her elevated and swiftly + flowing thoughts; or it may be that she wounded the vanity of those who + were cast into the shade by talents so conspicuous and conversation so + eloquent, and who felt the lack of sympathetic rapport. Society is au fond + republican, and is apt to resent autocracy, even the autocracy of genius, + when it takes the form of monologue. It is contrary to the social spirit. + The salon of Mme. de Stael not only took its tone from herself, but it was + a reflection of herself. She was not beautiful, and she dressed badly; + indeed, she seems to have been singularly free from that personal + consciousness which leads people to give themselves the advantages of an + artistic setting, even if the taste is not inborn. She was too intent upon + what she thought and felt, to give heed to minor details. But in her + conversation, which was a sort of improvisation, her eloquent face was + aglow, her dark eyes flashed with inspiration, her superb form and finely + poised head seemed to respond to the rhythmic flow of thoughts that were + emphasized by the graceful gestures of an exquisitely molded hand, in + which she usually held a sprig of laurel. "If I were queen," said Mme. de + Tesse, "I would order Mme. de Stael to talk to me always." + </p> + <p> + But this center in which the more thoughtful spirits of the old regime met + the brilliant and active leaders of the new was broken up by the storm + which swept away so many of its leaders, and Mme. de Stael, after + lingering in the face of dangers to save her friends, barely escaped with + her life on the eve of the September massacres of 1792. "She is an + excellent woman," said one of her contemporaries, "who drowns all her + friends in order to have the pleasure of angling for them." + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Stael resumed her place and organized her salon anew in 1795. But + it was her fate to live always in an atmosphere surcharged with storms. + She was too republican for the aristocrats, and too aristocratic for the + republicans. Distrusted by both parties and feared by the Directoire, she + found it advisable after a few months to retire to Coppet. Less than two + years later she was again in Paris. Her friends were then in power, + notably Talleyrand. "If I remain here another year I shall die," he had + written her from America, and she had generously secured the repeal of the + decree that exiled him, a kindness which he promptly forgot. Though her + enthusiasm for the republic was much moderated, and though she had been so + far dazzled by the genius of Napoleon as to hail him as a restorer of + order, her illusions regarding him were very short-lived. She had no + sympathy with his aims at personal power. Her drawing room soon became the + rallying point for his enemies and the center of a powerful opposition. + But she had a natural love for all forms of intellectual distinction, and + her genius and fame still attracted a circle more or less cosmopolitan. + Ministers of state and editors of leading journals were among her guests. + Joseph and Lucien Bonaparte were her devoted friends. The small remnant of + the noblesse that had any inclination to return to a world which had lost + its charm for them found there a trace of the old politeness. Mathieu de + Montmorency, devout and charitable; his brother Adrien, delicate in spirit + and gentle in manners; Narbonne, still devoted and diplomatic, and the + Chevalier de Boufflers, gay, witty, and brilliant, were of those who + brought into it something of the tone of the past regime. There were also + the men of the new generation, men who were saturated with the principles + of the Revolution though regretting its methods. Among these were + Chebnier, Regnault, and Benjamin Constant. + </p> + <p> + The influence of Mme. de Stael was at its height during this period. Her + talent, her liberal opinions, and her persuasive eloquence gave her great + power over the constitutional leaders. The measures of the Government were + freely discussed and criticized in her salon, and men went out with + positions well defined and speeches well considered. The Duchesse + d'Abrantes relates an incident which aptly illustrates this power and its + reaction upon herself. Benjamin Constant had prepared a brilliant address. + The evening before it was to be delivered, Mme. de Stael was surrounded by + a large and distinguished company. After tea was served he said to her: + </p> + <p> + "Your salon is filled with people who please you; if I speak tomorrow, it + will be deserted. Think of it." + </p> + <p> + "One must follow one's convictions," she replied, after a moment's + hesitation. + </p> + <p> + She admitted afterward that she would never have refused his offer not to + compromise her, if she could have foreseen all that would follow. + </p> + <p> + The next day she invited her friends to celebrate his triumph. At four + o'clock a note of excuse; in an hour, ten. From this time her fortunes + waned. Many ceased to visit her salon. Even Talleyrand, who owed her so + much, came there no more. + </p> + <p> + In later years she confessed that the three men she had most loved were + Narbonne, Talleyrand, and Mathieu de Montmorency. Her friendship for the + first of these reached a passionate exaltation, which had a profound and + not altogether wholesome influence upon her life. How completely she was + disenchanted is shown in a remark she made long afterward of a loyal and + distinguished man: "He has the manners of Narbonne and a heart." It is a + character in a sentence. Mathieu de Montmorency was a man of pure motives, + who proved a refuge of consolation in many storms, but her regard for him + was evidently a gentler flame that never burned to extinction. Whatever + illusions she may have had as to Talleyrand—and they seem to have + been little more than an enthusiastic appreciation of his talent—were + certainly broken by his treacherous desertion in her hour of need. Not the + least among her many sorrows was the bitter taste of ingratitude. + </p> + <p> + But Napoleon, who, like Louis XIV, sought to draw all influences and merge + all power in himself, could not tolerate a woman whom he felt to be in + some sense a rival. He thought he detected her hand in the address of + Benjamin Constant which lost her so many friends. He feared the wit that + flashed in her salon, the satire that wounded the criticism that measured + his motives and his actions. He recognized the power of a coterie of + brilliant intellects led by a genius so inspiring. His brothers, knowing + her vulnerable point and the will with which she had to deal, gave her a + word of caution. But the advice and intercession of her friends were alike + without avail. The blow which she so much feared fell at last, and she + found herself an exile and a wanderer from the scenes she most loved. + </p> + <p> + We have many pleasant glimpses of her life at Coppet, but a shadow always + rests upon it. A few friends still cling to her through the bitter and + relentless persecutions that form one of the most singular chapters in + history, and offer the most remarkable tribute to her genius and her + power. We find here Schlegel, Sismondi, Mathieu de Montmorency, Prince + Augustus, Monti, Mme. Recamier, and many other distinguished visitors of + various nationalities. The most prominent figure perhaps was Benjamin + Constant, brilliant, gifted, eloquent, passionate, vain, and capricious, + the torturing consolation and the stormy problem of her saddest years. She + revived the old literary diversions. At eleven o'clock, we are told, the + guests assembled at breakfast, and the conversations took a high literary + tone. They were resumed at dinner, and continued often until midnight. + Here, as elsewhere, Mme. de Stael was queen, holding her guests entranced + by the magic of her words. "Life is for me like a ball after the music has + ceased," said Sismondi when her voice was silent. She was a veritable + Corinne in her esprit, her sentiment, her gift of improvisation, and her + underlying melancholy. But in this choice company hers was not the only + voice, though it was heard above all the others. Thought and wit flashed + and sparkled. Dramas were played—the "Zaire" and "Tancred" of + Voltaire, and tragedies written by herself. Mme. Recamier acted the Aricie + to Mme. de Stael's Phedre. This life that seems to us so fascinating, has + been described too often to need repetition. It had its tumultuous + elements, its passionate undercurrents, its romantic episodes. But in + spite of its attractions Mme. de Stael fretted under the peaceful shades + of Coppet. Its limited horizon pressed upon her. The silence of the + snowcapped mountains chilled her. She looked upon their solitary grandeur + with "magnificent horror." The repose of nature was an "infernal peace" + which plunged her into gloomier depths of ennui and despair. To some one + who was admiring the beauties of Lake Leman she replied; "I should like + better the gutters of the Rue du Bac." It was people, always people, who + interested her. "French conversation exists only in Paris," she said, "and + conversation has been from infancy my greatest pleasure." Restlessly she + sought distraction in travel, but wherever she went the iron hand pressed + upon her still. Italy fostered her melancholy. She loved its ruins, which + her imagination draped with the fading colors of the past and associated + with the desolation of a living soul. But its exquisite variety of + landscape and color does not seem to have touched her. "If it were not for + the world's opinion," she said, "I would not open my window to see the Bay + of Naples for the first time, but I would travel five hundred leagues to + talk with a clever man whom I have not met." Germany gave her infinite + food for thought, but her "astonishing volubility," her "incessant + movement," her constant desire to know, to discuss, to penetrate all + things wearied the moderate Germans, as it had already wearied the serious + English. "Tell me, Monsieur Fichte," she said one day, "could you in a + short time, a quarter of an hour for example, give me a glimpse of your + system and explain what you understand by your ME; I find it very + obscure." The philosopher was amazed at what he thought her impertinence, + but made the attempt through an interpreter. At the end of ten minutes she + exclaimed, "That is sufficient, Monsieur Fichte. That is quite sufficient. + I comprehend you perfectly. I have seen your system in illustration. It is + one of the adventures of Baron Munchhausen." "We are in perpetual mental + tension," said the wife of Schiller. Even Schiller himself grew tired. "It + seems as if I were relieved of a malady," he said, when she left. + </p> + <p> + It was this excess of vivacity and her abounding sensibility that + constituted at once her fascination and her misfortune. Her beliefs were + enthusiasms. Her friendships were passions. "No one has carried the + religion of friendship so far as myself," she said. To love, to be loved + was the supreme need of her soul; but her love was a flame that irradiated + her intellect and added brilliancy to the life it consumed. She paints in + "Corinne" the passions, the struggles, the penalties, and the sorrows of a + woman of genius. It is a life she had known, a life of which she had + tasted the sweetest delights and experienced the most cruel + disenchantments. "Corinne" at the Capitol, "Corinne" thinking, analyzing, + loving, suffering, triumphing, wearing a crown of laurel upon her head and + an invisible crown of thorns upon her heart—it is Mme. de Stael + self-revealed by the light of her own imagination. + </p> + <p> + It was in a moment of weakness and weariness, when her idols had one after + another been shattered, and all the pleasant vistas of her youth seemed + shut out forever, that she met M. de Rocca, a wounded officer of good + family, but of little more than half her years, whose gentle, chivalric + character commanded her admiration, whose suffering touched her pity, and + whose devotion won her affection. "I will love her so much that she will + end by marrying me," he said, and the result proved his penetration. This + marriage, which was a secret one, has shadowed a little the brilliancy of + her fame, but if it was a weakness to bend from her high altitude, it was + not a sin, though more creditable to her heart than to her worldly wisdom. + At all events it brought into her life a new element of repose, and gave + her a tender consolation in her closing years. + </p> + <p> + When at last the relentless autocrat of France found his rock-bound + limits, and she was free to return to the spot which had been the goal of + all her dreams, it was too late. Her health was broken. It is true her + friends rallied around her, and her salon, opened once more, retook a + little of its ancient glory. Few celebrities who came to Paris failed to + seek the drawing room of Mme. de Stael, which was still illuminated with + the brilliancy of her genius and the splendor of her fame. But her + triumphs were past, and life was receding. Her few remaining days of + weakness and suffering, darkened by vain regrets, were passed more and + more in the warmth and tenderness of her devoted family, in the noble and + elevated thought that rose above the strife of politics into the serene + atmosphere of a Christian faith. At her death bed Chateaubriand did her + tardy justice. "Bon jour, my dear Francis; I suffer, but that does not + prevent me from loving you," she said to one who had been her critic, but + never her friend. Her magnanimity was as unfailing as her generosity, and + it may be truly said that she never cherished a hatred. + </p> + <p> + The life of Mme. de Stael was in the world. She embodied the French + spirit; she could not conceive of happiness in a secluded existence; a + theater and an audience were needed to call out her best talents. She + could not even bear her griefs alone. The world was taken into her + confidence. She demanded its sympathy. She chanted exquisite requiems over + her dead hopes and her lost illusions, but she chanted them in costume, + never quite forgetting that her role was a heroic one. She added, however, + to the gifts of an improvisatrice something infinitely higher and deeper. + There was no problem with which she was not ready to deal. She felt the + pulse beats in the great heart of humanity, and her tongue, her pen, her + purse, and her influence were ever at the bidding of the unfortunate. She + traversed all fields of thought, from the pleasant regions of poetry and + romance to the highest altitudes of philosophy. We may note the drift of + her ardent and imaginative nature in the youthful tales into which she + wove her romantic dreams, her fancied griefs, her inward struggles, and + her tears. In the pages of "Corinne" we read the poetry, the sensibility, + the passion, the melancholy, the thought of a matured woman whose youth of + the soul neither sorrow nor experience could destroy. We may divine the + direction of her sympathies, and the fountain of her inspiration, in her + letters on Rousseau, written at twenty, and foreshadowing her own attitude + towards the theories which appealed so powerfully to the generous spirits + of the century. We may follow the active and scholarly workings of her + versatile intellect in her pregnant thoughts on literature, on the + passions, on the Revolution; or measure the clearness of her insight, the + depth of her penetration, the catholicity of her sympathies, and the + breadth of her intelligence in her profound and masterly, if not always + accurate, studies of Germany. The consideration of all this pertains to a + critical estimate of her character and genius which cannot be attempted + here. + </p> + <p> + It has grown to be somewhat the fashion to depreciate the literary work of + Mme. de Stael. Measured by present standards she leaves something to be + desired in logical precision; she had not the exactness of the critical + scholar, nor the simplicity of the careful artist; the luxuriance of her + language often obscures her thought. She is talking still, and her written + words have the rapid, tumultuous flow of conversation, together with its + occasional negligences, its careless periods, its sudden turns, its + encumbered phrases. Misguided she sometimes was, and carried away by the + resistless rush of ideas that, like the mountain torrent, gathered much + debris along their course. But her rapid judgments, which have the force + of inspiration, are in advance of her time, though in the main correct + from her own point of view, while her flaws in workmanship are more than + counterbalanced by that inward illumination which is Heaven's richest and + rarest gift. But who cares to dwell upon the shadows that scarcely dim the + brilliancy of a genius so rare and so commanding? They are but spots on + the sun that are only discovered by looking through a glass that veils its + radiance. It is just to weigh her by the standards of her own age. Born at + its highest level, she soared far above her generation. She carried within + herself the vision of a statesman, the penetration of a critic, the + insight of a philosopher, the soul of a poet, and the heart of a woman. If + she was not without faults, she had rare virtues. No woman has ever + exercised a wider or more varied influence. With one or two exceptions, + none stands on so high a pinnacle. George Sand was a more finished artist; + George Eliot was a greater novelist, a more accurate scholar, and a more + logical thinker; but in versatility, in intellectual spontaneity, in + brilliancy of conversation and natural eloquence of thought she is without + a rival. Her moral standards, too, were above the average of her time. Her + ideals were high and pure. The wealth of her emotions and the rich + coloring of sentiment in which her thoughts and feelings were often + clothed left her open to possible misconceptions. It was her fate to be + grossly misunderstood, to miss the domestic happiness she craved, to be + the victim of a sleepless persecution, to pass her best years in a dreary + exile from the life she most loved, to be maligned by her enemies and + betrayed by her friends. Her very virtues were construed into faults and + turned against her. Though we may not lift the veil from her intimate + life, we may fairly judge her by her own ideals and her dominant traits. + The world, which is rarely indulgent, has been in the main just to her + motives and her character. "I have been ever the same, intense and sad," + were among her last words. "I have loved God, my father, and liberty." But + she was a victim to the contradictory elements in her own nature, and + walked always among storms. This nature, so complex, so rich, so ardent, + so passionate, could it ever have found permanent repose? + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0019" id="link2HCH0019"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIX. THE SALONS OF THE EMPIRE AND RESTORATION—MADAME + RECAMIER + </h2> + <p> + <i>A Transition Period—Mme. de Montesson—Mme. de Genlis—Revival + of the Literary Spirit—Mme. de Beaumont—Mme. de Remusat—Mme. + de Souza—Mme. de Duras—Mme. de Krudener—Fascination of + Mme. Recamier—Her Friends—Her Convent Salon— + Chateaubriand—Decline of the Salon</i> + </p> + <p> + In the best sense, society is born, not made. A crowd of well-dressed + people is not necessarily a society. They may meet and disperse with no + other bond of union than a fine house and lavish hospitality can give. It + may be an assembly without unity, flavor, or influence. In the social + chaos that followed the Revolution, this truth found a practical + illustration. The old circles were scattered. The old distinctions were + virtually destroyed, so far as edicts can destroy that which lies in the + essence of things. A few who held honored names were left, or had returned + from a long exile, to find themselves bereft of rank, fortune, and + friends; but these had small disposition to form new associations, and few + points of contact with the parvenus who had mounted upon the ruins of + their order. The new society was composed largely of these parvenus, who + were ambitious for a position and a life of which they had neither the + spirit, the taste, the habits, nor the mellowing traditions. Naturally + they mistook the gilded frame for the picture. Unfamiliar with the gentle + manners, the delicate sense of honor, and the chivalrous instincts which + underlie the best social life, though not always illustrated by its + individual members, they were absorbed in matters of etiquette of which + they were uncertain, and exacting of non-essentials. They regarded society + upon its commercial side, contended over questions of precedence, and, as + one of the most observing of their contemporaries has expressed it, + "bargained for a courtesy and counted visits." "I have seen quarrels in + the imperial court," she adds, "over a visit more or less long, more or + less deferred." Perhaps it is to be considered that in a new order which + has many aggressive elements, this balancing of courtesies is not without + a certain raison d'etre as a protection against serious inroads upon time + and hospitality; but the fault lies behind all this, in the lack of that + subtle social sense which makes the discussion of these things + superfluous, not to say impossible. + </p> + <p> + It was the wish of Napoleon to reconstruct a society that should rival in + brilliancy the old courts. With this view he called to his aid a few women + whose names, position, education, and reputation for esprit and fine + manners he thought a sufficient guarantee of success. But he soon learned + that it could not be commanded at will. The reply of the Duchesse + d'Brantes, who has left us so many pleasant reminiscences of this period, + in which she was an actor as well as an observer, was very apt. + </p> + <p> + "You can do all that I wish," he said to her; "you are all young, and + almost all pretty; ah, well! A young and pretty woman can do anything she + likes." + </p> + <p> + "Sire, what your Majesty says may be true," she replied, "but only to a + certain point. If the Emperor, instead of his guard and his good soldiers, + had only conscripts who would recoil under fire, he could not win great + battles like that of Austerlitz. Nevertheless, he is the first general in + the world." + </p> + <p> + But this social life was to serve a personal end. It was to furnish an + added instrument of power to the autocrat who ruled, to reflect always and + everywhere the glory of Napoleon. The period which saw its cleverest woman + in hopeless exile, and its most beautiful one under a similar ban for the + crime of being her friend, was not one which favored intellectual + supremacy. The empire did not encourage literature, it silenced + philosophy, and oppressed the talent that did not glorify itself. Its + blighting touch rested upon the whole social fabric. The finer elements + which, to some extent, entered into it were lost in the glitter of display + and pretension. The true spirit of conversation was limited to private + coteries that kept themselves in the shade, and were too small to be + noted. + </p> + <p> + The salon which represented the best side of the new regime was that of + Mme. de Montesson, wife of the Duc d'Orleans, a woman of brilliant + talents, finished manners, great knowledge of the world, fine gifts of + conversation, and, what was equally essential, great discrimination and + perfect tact. If her niece, Mme. de Genlis, is to be trusted, she had more + ambition that originality, her reputation was superior to her abilities, + and her beauty covered many imperfections. But she had experience, + finesse, and prestige. Napoleon was quick to see the value of such a woman + in reorganizing a court, and treated her with the greatest consideration, + even asking her to instruct Josephine in the old customs and usages. Her + salon, however, united many elements which it was impossible to fuse. + There were people of all parties and all conditions, a few of the nobles + and returned emigres, the numerous members of the Bonaparte family, the + new military circle, together with many people of influence "not to the + manner born." Mme. de Montesson revived the old amusements, wrote plays + for the entertainment of her guests gave grand dinners and brilliant + fetes. But the accustomed links were wanting. Her salon simply illustrates + a social life in a state of transition. + </p> + <p> + Mme. de Genlis had lived much in the world before the Revolution, and her + position in the family of the Duc d'Orleans, together with her great + versatility of talent, had given her a certain vogue. Author, musician, + teacher, moralist, critic, poser, egotist, femme d'esprit, and friend of + princes, her romantic life would fill a volume and cannot be even touched + upon in a few lines. After ten years of exile she returned to Paris, and + her salon at the Arsenal was a center for a few celebrities. Many of these + names have small significance today. A few men like Talleyrand, LaHarpe, + Fontanes, and Cardinal Maury were among her friends, and she was neutral + enough, or diplomatic enough, not to give offense to the new government. + But she was a woman of many affectations, and in spite of her numerous + accomplishments, her cleverness, and her literary fame, the circle she + gathered about her was never noted for its brilliancy or its influence. As + a historic figure, she is more remarkable for the variety of her + voluminous work, her educational theories, and her observations upon the + world in which she lived, than for talents of a purely social order. + </p> + <p> + One is little inclined to dwell upon the ruling society of this period. It + had neither the dignity of past traditions nor freedom of intellectual + expression. Its finer shades were drowned in loud and glaring colors. The + luxury that could be commanded counted for more than the wit and + intelligence that could not. + </p> + <p> + As the social elements readjusted themselves on a more natural basis, + there were a few salons out of the main drift of the time in which the + literary spirit flourished once more, blended with the refined tastes, the + elegant manners, and the amiable courtesy that had distinguished the old + regime. But the interval in which history was made so rapidly, and the + startling events of a century were condensed into a decade, had wrought + many vital changes. It was no longer the spirit of the eighteenth century + that reappeared under its revived and attractive forms. We note a tone of + seriousness that had no permanent place in that world of esprit and + skepticism, of fine manners and lax morals, which divided its allegiance + between fashion and philosophy. The survivors of so many heart-breaking + tragedies, with their weary weight of dead hopes and sad memories, found + no healing balm in the cold speculation and scathing wit of Diderot or + Voltaire. Even the devotees of philosophy gave it but a half-hearted + reverence. It was at this moment that Chateaubriand, saturated with the + sorrows of his age, and penetrated with the hopelessness of its + philosophy, offered anew the truths that had sustained the suffering and + broken-hearted for eighteen centuries, in a form so sympathetic, so + fascinating, that it thrilled the sensitive spirits of his time, and + passed like an inspiration into the literature of the next fifty years. + The melancholy of "Rene" found its divine consolation in the "Genius of + Christianity." It was this spirit that lent a new and softer coloring to + the intimate social life that blended in some degree the tastes and + manners of the old noblesse with a refined and tempered form of modern + thought. It recalls, in many points, the best spirit of the seventeenth + century. There is a flavor of the same seriousness, the same sentiment. It + is the sentiment that sent so many beautiful women to the solitude of the + cloister, when youth had faded and the air of approaching age began to + grow chilly. But it is not to the cloister that these women turn. They + weave romantic tales out of the texture of their own lives, they repeat + their experiences, their illusions, their triumphs, and their + disenchantments. As the day grows more somber and the evening shadows + begin to fall, they meditate, they moralize, they substitute prayers for + dreams. But they think also. The drama of the late years had left no + thoughtful soul without earnest convictions. There were numerous shades of + opinion, many finely drawn issues. In a few salons these elements were + delicately blended, and if they did not repeat the brilliant triumphs of + the past, if they focused with less power the intellectual light which was + dispersed in many new channels, they have left behind them many fragrant + memories. One is tempted to linger in these temples of a goddess + half-dethroned. One would like to study these women who added to the + social gifts of their race a character that had risen superior to many + storms, hearts that were mellowed and purified by premature sorrow, and + intellects that had taken a deeper and more serious tone from long + brooding over the great problems of their time. But only a glance is + permitted us here. Most of them have been drawn in living colors by + Saint-Beuve, from whom I gather here and there a salient trait. + </p> + <p> + Who that is familiar with the fine and exquisite thought of Joubert can + fail to be interested in the delicate and fragile woman whom he met in her + supreme hour of suffering, to find in her a rare and permanent friend, a + literary confidante, and an inspiration? Mme. de Beaumont—the + daughter of Montmorin, who had been a colleague of Necker in the ministry—had + been forsaken by a worthless husband, had seen father, mother, brother, + perish by the guillotine, and her sister escape it only by losing her + reason, and then her life, before the fatal day. She, too, had been + arrested with the others, but was so ill and weak that she was left to die + by the roadside en route to Paris—a fate from which she was saved by + the kindness of a peasant. It was at this moment that Joubert befriended + her. These numerous and crushing sorrows had shattered her health, which + was never strong, but during the few brief years that remained to her she + was the center of a coterie more distinguished for quality than numbers. + Joubert and Chateaubriand were its leading spirits, but it included also + Fontanes, Pasquier, Mme. de Vintimille, Mme. de Pastoret, and other + friends who had survived the days in which she presided with such youthful + dignity over her father's salon. The fascination of her fine and elevated + intellect, her gentle sympathy, her keen appreciation of talent, and her + graces of manner lent a singular charm to her presence. Her character was + aptly expressed by this device which Rulhiere had suggested for her seal: + "Un souffle m'agite et rien ne m'ebrante." Chateaubriand was enchanted + with a nature so pure, so poetic, and so ardent. He visited her daily, + read to her "Atala" and "Rene," and finished the "Genius of Christianity" + under her influence. He was young then, and that she loved him is hardly + doubtful, though the friendship of Joubert was far truer and more loyal + than the passing devotion of this capricious man of genius, who seems to + have cared only for his own reflection in another soul. But this sheltered + nook of thoughtful repose, this conversational oasis in a chaotic period + had a short duration. Mme. de Beaumont died at Rome, where she had gone in + the faint hope of reviving her drooping health, in 1803. Chateaubriand was + there, watched over her last hours with Bertin, and wrote eloquently of + her death. Joubert mourned deeply and silently over the light that had + gone out of his life. + </p> + <p> + We have pleasant reminiscences of the amiable, thoughtful, and spirituelle + Mme. de Remusat, who has left us such vivid records of the social and + intimate life of the imperial court. A studious and secluded childhood, + prematurely saddened by the untimely fate of her father in the terrible + days of 1794, an early and congenial marriage, together with her own wise + penetration and clear intellect, enabled her to traverse this period + without losing her delicate tone or serious tastes. She had her quiet + retreat into which the noise and glare did not intrude, where a few men of + letters and thoughtful men of the world revived the old conversational + spirit. She amused her idle hours by writing graceful tales, and, after + the close of her court life and the weakening of her health, she turned + her thoughts towards the education and improvement of her sex. Blended + with her wide knowledge of the world, there is always a note of + earnestness, a tender coloring of sentiment, which culminates towards the + end in a lofty Christian resignation. + </p> + <p> + We meet again at this time a woman known to an earlier generation as Mme. + de Flahaut, and made familiar to us through the pens of Talleyrand and + Gouverneur Morris. She saw her husband fall by the guillotine, and, after + wandering over Europe for years as an exile, became the wife of M. de + Souza, and, returning to Paris, took her place in a quiet corner of the + unaccustomed world, writing softly colored romances after the manner of + Mme. de La Fayette, wearing with grace the honors her literary fame + brought her, and preserving the tastes, the fine courtesies, the gentle + manners, the social charms, and the delicate vivacity of the old regime. + </p> + <p> + One recalls, too, Mme. de Duras, whose father, the noble and fearless + Kersaint, was the companion of Mme. Roland at the scaffold; who drifted to + our own shores until the storms had passed, and, after saving her large + fortune in Martinique, returned matured and saddened to France. As the + wife of the Duc de Duras, she gathered around her a circle of rank, + talent, and distinction. Chateaubriand, Humboldt, Curier, de Montmorency + were among her friends. What treasures of thought and conversation do + these names suggest! What memories of the past, what prophecies for the + future! Mme. de Duras, too, wore gracefully the mantle of authorship with + which she united pleasant household cares. She, too, put something of the + sad experiences of her own life into romances which reflect the melancholy + of this age of restlessness and lost illusions. She, too, like many of the + women of her time whose youth had been blighted by suffering, passed into + an exalted Christian strain. The friend of Mme. de Stael, the literary + CONFIDANTE of Chateaubriand, the woman of many talents, many virtues, and + many sorrows, died with words of faith and hope and divine consolation on + her lips. + </p> + <p> + The devotion of Mme. de Cantal, the mysticism of Mme. Guyon, find a + nineteenth-century counterpart in the spiritual illumination of Mme. de + Krudener. Passing from a life of luxury and pleasure to a life of + penitence and asceticism, singularly blending worldliness and piety, + opening her salon with prayer, and adding a new sensation to the gay life + of Paris, this adviser of Alexander I, and friend of Benjamin Constant, + who put her best life into the charming romances which ranked next to + "Corinne" and "Delphine" in their time; this beautiful woman, novelist, + prophetess, mystic, illuminee, fanatic, with the passion of the South and + the superstitious vein of the far North, disappeared from the world she + had graced, and gave up her life in an ecstasy of sacrifice in the + wilderness of the Crimea. + </p> + <p> + It is only to indicate the altered drift of the social life that flowed in + quiet undercurrents during the Empire and came to the surface again after + the Restoration; to trace lightly the slow reaction towards the finer + shades of modern thought and modern morality, that I touch—so + briefly and so inadequately—upon these women who represent the best + side of their age, leaving altogether untouched many of equal gifts and + equal note. + </p> + <p> + There is one, however, whose salon gathered into itself the last rays of + the old glory, and whose fame as a social leader has eclipsed that of all + her contemporaries. Mme. Recamier, "the last flower of the salons," is the + woman of the century who has been, perhaps, most admired, most loved, and + most written about. It has been so much the fashion to dwell upon her + marvelous beauty, her kindness, and her irresistible fascination, that she + has become, to some extent, an ideal figure invested with a subtle and + poetic grace that folds itself about her like the invisible mantle of an + enchantress. Her actual relations to the world in which she lived extended + over a long period, terminating only on the threshold of our own + generation. Without strong opinions or pronounced color, loyal to her + friends rather than to her convictions, of a calm and happy temperament, + gentle in character, keenly appreciative of all that was intellectually + fine and rare, but without exceptional gifts herself, fascinating in + manner, perfect in tact, with the beauty of an angel and the heart of a + woman—she presents a fitting close to the long reign of the salons. + </p> + <p> + We hear of her first in the bizarre circles of the Consulate, as the wife + of a man who was rather father than husband, young, fresh, lovely, + accomplished, surrounded by the luxuries of wealth, and captivating all + hearts by that indefinable charm of manner which she carried with her to + the end of her life. Both at Paris and at her country house at Clichy she + was the center of a company in which the old was discreetly mingled with + the new, in which enmities were tempered, antagonisms softened, and the + most discordant elements brought into harmonious rapport, for the moment, + at least, by her gracious word or her winning smile. Here we find Adrien + and Mathieu de Montmorency, who already testified the rare friendship that + was to outlive years and misfortunes; Mme. de Stael before her exile; + Narbonne, Barrere, Bernadotte, Moreau, and many distinguished foreigners. + Lucien Bonaparte was at her feet; LaHarpe was devoted to her interests; + Napoleon was trying in vain to draw her into his court, and treasuring up + his failure to another. The salon of Mme. Recamie was not in any sense + philosophical or political, but after the cruel persecution of LaHarpe, + the banishment or Mme. de Stael, and the similar misfortunes of other + friends, her sympathies were too strong for her diplomacy, and it + gradually fell into the ranks of the opposition. It was well known that + the emperor regarded all who went there as his enemies, and this young and + innocent woman was destined to feel the full bitterness of his petty + displeasure. We cannot trace here the incidents of her varied career, the + misfortunes of the father to whom she was a ministering angel, the loss of + her husband's fortune and her own, the years of wandering and exile, the + second period of brief and illusive prosperity, and the swift reverses + which led to her final retreat. She was at the height of her beauty and + her fame in the early days of the Restoration, when her salon revived its + old brilliancy, and was a center in which all parties met on neutral + ground. Her intimate relations with those in power gave it a strong + political influence, but this was never a marked feature, as it was mainly + personal. + </p> + <p> + But the position in which one is most inclined to recall Mme. Recamier is + in the convent of Abbaye-aux-Bois, where, divested of fortune and living + in the simplest manner, she preserved for nearly thirty years the fading + traditions of the old salons. Through all the changes which tried her + fortitude and revealed the latent heroism of her character, she seems to + have kept her sweet serenity unbroken, bending to the passing storms with + the grace of a facile nature, but never murmuring at the inevitable. One + may find in this inflexible strength and gentleness of temper a clue to + the subtle fascination which held the devoted friendship of so many gifted + men and women, long after the fresh charm of youth was gone. + </p> + <p> + The intellectual gifts of Mme. Recamier, as has been said before, were not + of a high or brilliant order. She was neither profound nor original, nor + given to definite thought. Her letters were few, and she has left no + written records by which she can be measured. She read much, was familiar + with current literature, also with religious works. But the world is slow + to accord a twofold superiority, and it is quite possible that the fame of + her beauty has prevented full justice to her mental abilities. Mme. de + Genlis tells us that she has a great deal of esprit. It is certain that no + woman could have held her place as the center of a distinguished literary + circle and the confidante and adviser of the first literary men of her + time, without a fine intellectual appreciation. "To love what is great," + said Mme. Necker "is almost to be great one's self." Ballanche advised her + to translate Petrarch, and she even began the work, but it was never + finished. "Believe me," he writes, "you have at your command the genius of + music, flowers, imagination, and elegance. ... Do not fear to try your + hand on the golden lyre of the poets." He may have been too much blinded + by a friendship that verged closely upon a more passionate sentiment to be + an altogether impartial critic, but it was a high tribute to her gifts + that a man of such conspicuous talents thought her capable of work so + exacting. Her qualities were those of taste and a delicate imagination + rather than of reason. Her musical accomplishments were always a resource. + She sang, played the harp and piano, and we hear of her during a summer at + Albano playing the organ at vespers and high mass. She danced exquisitely, + and it was her ravishing grace that suggested the shawl dance of "Corinne" + to Mme. de Stael and of "Valerie" to Mme. de Krudener. One can fancy her, + too, at Coppet, playing the role of the angel to Mme. de Stael's Hagar—a + spirit of love and consolation to the stormy and despairing soul of her + friend. + </p> + <p> + But her real power lay in the wonderful harmony of her nature, in the + subtle penetration that divined the chagrins and weaknesses of others, + only to administer a healing balm; in the delicate tact that put people + always on the best terms with themselves, and gave the finest play to + whatever talents they possessed. Add to this a quality of beauty which + cannot be caught by pen or pencil, and one can understand the singular + sway she held over men and women alike. Mme. de Krudener, whose salon so + curiously united fashion and piety, worldliness and mysticism, was + troubled by the distraction which the entrance of Mme. Recamier was sure + to cause, and begged Benjamin Constant to write and entreat her to make + herself as little charming as possible. His note is certainly unique, + though it loses much of its piquancy in translation: + </p> + <p> + "I acquit myself with a little embarrassment of a commission which Mme. de + Krudener has just given me. She begs you to come as little beautiful as + you can. She says that you dazzle all the world, and that consequently + every soul is troubled and attention is impossible. You cannot lay aside + your charms, but do not add to them." + </p> + <p> + In her youth she dressed with great simplicity and was fond of wearing + white with pearls, which accorded well with the dazzling purity of her + complexion. + </p> + <p> + Mme. Recamier was not without vanity, and this is the reverse side of her + peculiar gifts. She would have been more than mortal if she had been quite + unconscious of attractions so rare that even the children in the street + paid tribute to them. But one finds small trace of the petty jealousies + and exactions that are so apt to accompany them. She liked to please, she + wished to be loved, and this inevitably implies a shade of coquetry in a + young and beautiful woman. There is an element of fascination in this very + coquetry, with its delicate subtleties and its shifting tints of + sentiment. That she carried it too far is no doubt true; that she did so + wittingly is not so certain. Her victims were many, and if they quietly + subsided into friends, as they usually did, it was after many struggles + and heart burnings. But if she did not exercise her power with invariable + discretion, it seems to have been less the result of vanity than a lack of + decision and an amiable unwillingness to give immediate pain, or to lose + the friend with the lover. With all her fine qualities of heart and soul, + she had a temperament that saved her from much of the suffering she + thoughtlessly inflicted upon others. The many violent passions she roused + do not seem to have disturbed at all her own serenity. The delicate and + chivalrous nature of Mathieu de Montmorency, added to his years, gave his + relations to her a half-paternal character, but that he loved her always + with the profound tenderness of a loyal and steadfast soul is apparent + through all the singularly disinterested phases of a friendship that ended + only with his life. + </p> + <p> + Prince Augustus, whom she met at Coppet, called up a passing ripple on the + surface of her heart, sufficiently strong to lead her to suggest a divorce + to her husband, whose relations to her, though always friendly, were only + nominal. But he appealed to her generosity, and she thought of it no more. + Why she permitted her princely suitor to cherish so long the illusions + that time and distance do not readily destroy is one of the mysteries that + are not easy to solve. Perhaps she thought it more kind to let absence + wear out a passion than to break it too rudely. At all events, he + cherished no permanent bitterness, and never forgot her. At his death, + nearly forty years later he ordered her portrait by Gerard to be returned, + but her ring was buried with him. + </p> + <p> + The various phases of the well-known infatuation of Benjamin Constant, + which led him to violate his political principles and belie his own words + rather than take a course that must result in separation from her, suggest + a page of highly colored romance. The letters of Mlle. de Lespinasse + scarcely furnish us with a more ardent episode in the literature of + hopeless passion. The worshipful devotion of Ampere and Ballanche would + form a chapter no less interesting, though less intense and stormy. + </p> + <p> + But the name most inseparably connected with Mme. Recamier is that of + Chateaubriand. The friendship of an unquestioned sort that seems to have + gone quite out of the world, had all the phases of a more tender + sentiment, and goes far towards disproving the charge of coldness that has + often been brought against her. It was begun after she had reached the + dreaded forties, by the death bed of Mme. de Stael, and lasted more than + thirty years. It seems to have been the single sentiment that mastered + her. One may trace in the letters of Chateaubriand the restless + undercurrents of this life that was outwardly so serene. He writes to her + from Berlin, from England, from Rome. He confides to her his ambitions, + tells her his anxieties, asks her counsel as to his plans, chides her + little jealousies, and commends his wife to her care and attention. This + recalls a remarkable side of her relations with the world. Women are not + apt to love formidable rivals, but the wives of her friends apparently + shared the admiration with which their husbands regarded her. If they did + not love her, they exchanged friendly notes, and courtesies that were + often more than cordial. She consoles Mme. de Montmorency in her sorrow, + and Mme. de Chateaubriand asks her to cheer her husband's gloomy moods. + Indeed, she roused little of that bitter jealousy which is usually the + penalty of exceptional beauty or exceptional gifts of any sort. The sharp + tongue of Mme. de Genlis lost its sting in writing of her. She idealized + her as Athenais, in the novel of that name, which has for its background + the beauties of Coppet, and vaguely reproduces much of its life. The pious + and austere Mme. Swetchine, whose prejudices against her were so strong + that for a long time she did not wish to meet her, confessed herself at + once a captive to her "penetrating and indefinable charm." Though she did + not always escape the shafts of malice, no better tribute could be offered + to the graces of her character than the indulgence with which she was + regarded by the most severely judging of her own sex. + </p> + <p> + But she has her days of depression. Chateaubriand is absorbed in his + ambitions and sometimes indifferent; his antagonistic attitude towards + Montmorency, who is far the nobler character of the two, is a source of + grief to her. She tries in vain to reconcile her rival friends. Once she + feels compelled to tear herself from an influence which is destroying her + happiness, and goes to Italy. But she carries within her own heart the + seeds of unrest. She still follows the movements of the man who occupies + so large a space in her horizon, sympathizes from afar with his + disappointments, and cares for his literary interest, ordering from + Tenerani, a bas-relief of a scene from "The Martyrs." + </p> + <p> + After her return her life settles into more quiet channels. Chateaubriand, + embittered by the chagrins of political life, welcomed her with the old + enthusiasm. From this time he devoted himself exclusively to letters, and + sought his diversion in the convent-salon which has left so wide a fame, + and of which he was always the central figure. The petted man of genius + was moody and capricious. His colossal egotism found its best solace in + the gentle presence of the woman who flattered his restless vanity, + anticipated his wishes, studied his tastes, and watched every shadow that + flitted across his face. He was in the habit of writing her a few lines in + the morning; at three o'clock he visited her, and they chatted over their + tea until four, when favored visitors began to arrive. In the evening it + was a little world that met there. The names of Ampere, Tocqueville, + Montalembert, Merimee, Thierry, and Sainte-Beuve suggest the literary + quality of this circle, in which were seen from time to time such foreign + celebrities as Sir Humphry and Lady Darcy, Maria Edgeworth, Humboldt, the + Duke of Hamilton, the gifted Duchess of Devonshire, and Miss Berry. + Lamartine read his "Meditations" and Delphine Gay her first poems. Rachel + recited, and Pauline Viardot, Garcia, Rubini, and Lablache sang. + Delacroix, David, and Gerard represented the world of art, and the + visitors from the grand monde were too numerous to mention. In this + brilliant and cosmopolitan company, what resources of wit and knowledge, + what charms of beauty and elegance, what splendors of rank and distinction + were laid upon the altar of the lovely and adored woman, who recognized + all values, and never forgot the kindly word or the delicate courtesy that + put the most modest guests at ease and brought out the best there was in + them! + </p> + <p> + One day in 1847 there was a vacant place, and the faithful Ballanche came + no more from his rooms across the street. A year later Chateaubriand died. + After the death of his wife he had wished to marry Mme. Recamier, but she + thought it best to change nothing, believing that age and blindness had + given her the right to devote herself to his last days. To her friends she + said that if she married him, he would miss the pleasure and variety of + his daily visits. + </p> + <p> + Old, blind, broken in health and spirit, but retaining always the charm + which had given her the empire over so many hearts, she followed him in a + few months. + </p> + <p> + Mme. Recamier represents better than any woman of her time the peculiar + talents that distinguished the leaders of some of the most famous salons. + She had tact, grace, intelligence, appreciation, and the gift of inspiring + others. The cleverest men and women of the age were to be met in her + drawing room. One found there genius, beauty, esprit, elegance, courtesy, + and the brilliant conversation which is the Gallic heritage. But not even + her surpassing fascination added to all these attractions could revive the + old power of the salon. Her coterie was charming, as a choice circle + gathered about a beautiful, refined, accomplished woman, and illuminated + by the wit and intelligence of thoughtful men, will always be; but its + influence was limited and largely personal, and it has left no perceptible + traces. Nor has it had any noted successor. It is no longer coteries + presided over by clever women that guide the age and mold its tastes or + its political destinies. The old conditions have ceased to exist, and the + prestige of the salon is gone. + </p> + <p> + The causes that led to its decline have been already more or less + indicated. Among them, the decay of aristocratic institutions played only + a small part. The salons were au fond democratic in the sense that all + forms of distinction were recognized so far as they were amenable to the + laws of taste, which form the ultimate tribunal of social fitness in + France. But it cannot be denied that the code of etiquette which ruled + them had its foundation in the traditions of the noblesse. The genteel + manners, the absence of egotism and self-assertion, as of disturbing + passions, the fine and uniform courtesy which is the poetry of life, are + the product of ease and assured conditions. It is struggle that destroys + harmony and repose, whatever stronger qualities it may develop, and the + greater mingling of classes which inevitably resulted in this took + something from the exquisite flavor of the old society. The increase of + wealth, too, created new standards that were fatal to a life in which the + resources of wit, learning, and education in its highest sense were the + chief attractions. The greater perfection of all forms of public amusement + was not without its influence. Men drifted, also, more and more into the + one-sided life of the club. Considered as a social phase, no single thing + has been more disastrous to the unity of modern society than this. But the + most formidable enemy of the salon has been the press. Intelligence has + become too universal to be focused in a few drawing rooms. Genius and + ambition have found a broader arena. When interest no longer led men to + seek the stimulus and approval of a powerful coterie, it ceased to be more + than an elegant form of recreation, a theater of small talents, the + diversion of an idle hour. When the press assumed the sovereignty, the + salon was dethroned. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Women of the French Salons, by +Amelia Gere Mason + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WOMEN OF THE FRENCH SALONS *** + +***** This file should be named 2528-h.htm or 2528-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/2/2528/ + +Produced by Theresa Armao, and David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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