the women of the french salons-第11节

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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。

〃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。〃

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。


CHAPTER　IV。　LA　GRANDE　MADEMOISELLE　Her　CharacterHer　Heroic　Part　in　the　FrondeHer　Exile　Literary　Diversions　of　her　SalonA　Romantic　Episode

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。

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。

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。〃

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。

〃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。

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。

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　sola