the women of the french salons-第34章

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tiquette；　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。

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。

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。

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　lettersthose　who　belonged　to　the　old　aristocracy　and　a　few　to　whom　nature　had　given　a　prescriptive　title　of　nobilityas　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。

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。

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。

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。〃

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。

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　f