the women of the french salons-第7章

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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。


CHAPTER　III。　MADEMOISELLE　DE　SCUDERY　AND　THE　SAMEDIS　Salons　of　the　Noblesse〃The　Illustrious　Sappho〃Her　Romances　　The　SamedisBon　Mots　of　Mme。　CornuelEstimate　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery

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。

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。　

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。

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。

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。

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。

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　amusementswomen　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。〃

〃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。〃

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。

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。〃

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　re