the women of the french salons-第4章

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ns　upon　the　conduct　and　reputation　of　people　of　the　court　and　the　world；　had　great　weight。〃

Corneille　read　most　of　his　dramas　here；　and；　if　report　be　true；　read　them　very　badly。　　He　says　of　himself：

Et　l'on　peut　rarement　m'ecouter　sans　ennui；　Que　quand　je　me　produis　par　la　bouche　d'autrui。

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。

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。

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。〃

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。

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。　　

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。

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。

De　perles；　d'astres；　et　de　fleurs；　Bourbon；　le　ciel　fit　tes　couleurs；　Et　mit　dedans　tout　ce　melange　L'esprit　d'une　ange。

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。

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　lutethese　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。

〃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。〃

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。　

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。

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