the women of the french salons-第31章

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d　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。

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。〃

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　weekone　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？〃

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：

〃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。

〃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。〃

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。〃

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：

〃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。〃

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　itIndeed　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。〃

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。

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。〃

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。

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　he