the women of the french salons-第20节

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he　great　world　he　found　in　this　salon　did　not　prevent　him　from　appearing　in　a　gray　habit。　　In　a　letter　from　the　country　house　of　Mme。　Duplessis；　at　Fresnes；　to　the　same　Pomponne；　then　ambassador　to　Sweden；　Mme。　de　Sevigne　says：　〃I　have　M。　d'Andilly　at　my　left；　that　is；　on　the　side　of　my　heart；　I　have　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　at　my　right；　Mme。　Duplessis　before　me；　daubing　little　pictures；　Mme。　De　Motteville　a　little　further　off；　who　dreams　profoundly；　our　uncle　de　Cessac；　whom　I　fear　because　I　do　not　know　him　very　well。〃

It　is　this　life　of　charming　informality；　this　society　of　lettered　tastes；　of　wit；　of　talent；　of　distinction；　that　she　transfers　to　her　own　salon。　　Its　continuity　is　often　broken　by　her　long　absences　in　the　country　or　in　Provence；　but　her　irresistible　magnetism　quickly　draws　the　world　around　her；　on　her　return。　　In　addition　to　her　intimate　friends　and　to　men　of　letters　like　Racine；　Boileau；　Benserade；　one　meets　representatives　of　the　most　distinguished　of　the　old　families　of　France。　　Conde；　Richelieu；　Colberg；　Louvois；　and　Sully　are　a　few　among　the　great　names；　of　which　the　list　might　be　indefinitely　extended。　　We　have　many　interesting　glimpses　of　the　Grande　Mademoiselle；　the　〃adorable〃　Duchesse　de　Chaulnes；　the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Rohan；　who　were　〃Germans　in　the　art　of　savoir…vivre；〃　the　Abbess　de　Fontevrault；　so　celebrated　for　her　esprit　and　her　virtue；　and　a　host　of　others　too　numerous　to　mention。　　The　sculptured　portals　and　time…stained　walls　of　the　Hotel　de　Carnavalet　are　still　alive　with　the　memories　of　these　brilliant　reunions　and　the　famous　people　who　shone　there　two　hundred　years　ago。

Among　those　who　exercised　the　most　important　influence　upon　the　life　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne　was　Corbinelli；　the　wise　counselor；　who；　with　a　soul　untouched　by　the　storms　of　adversity　through　which　he　had　passed；　devoted　his　life　to　letters　and　the　interests　of　his　friends。　　No　one　had　a　finer　appreciation　of　her　gifts　and　her　character。　　Her　compared　her　letters　to　those　of　Cicero；　but　he　always　sought　to　temper　her　ardor；　and　to　turn　her　thoughts　toward　an　elevated　Christian　philosophy。　　〃In　him；〃　said　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　〃I　defend　one　who　does　not　cease　to　celebrate　the　perfections　and　the　existence　of　God；　who　never　judges　his　neighbor；　who　excuses　him　always；　who　is　insensible　to　the　pleasures　and　delights　of　life；　and　entirely　submissive　to　the　will　of　Providence；　in　fine；　I　sustain　the　faithful　admirer　of　Sainte　Therese；　and　of　my　grandmother；　Sainte　Chantal。〃　　This　gentle；　learned；　and　disinterested　man；　whose　friendship　deepened　with　years；　was　an　unfailing　resource。　　In　her　troubles　and　perplexities　she　seeks　his　advice；　in　her　intellectual　tastes　she　is　sustained　by　his　sympathy。　　She　speaks　often　of　the　happy　days　in　Provence；　when；　together　with　her　daughter；　they　translate　Tacitus；　read　Tasso；　and　get　entangled　in　endless　discussions　upon　Descartes。　　Even　Mme。　de　Grignan；　who　rarely　likes　her　mother's　friends；　in　the　end　gives　due　consideration　to　this　loyal　confidant；　though　she　does　not　hesitate　to　ridicule　the　mysticism　into　which　he　finally　drifted。

After　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　the　woman　whose　relations　with　Mme。　de　Sevigne　were　the　most　intimate　was　Mme。　de　Coulanges；　who　merits　here　more　than　a　passing　word。　　Her　wit　was　proverbial；　her　popularity　universal。　　The　Leaf；　the　Fly；　the　Sylph；　the　Goddess；　her　friend　calls　her　in　turn；　with　many　a　light　thrust　at　her　volatile　but　loyal　character。　　This　brilliant；　spirituelle；　caustic　woman　was　the　wife　of　a　cousin　of　the　Marquis　de　Sevigne；　who　was　as　witty　as　herself　and　more　inconsequent。　　Both　were　amiable；　both　sparkled　with　bons　mots　and　epigrams；　but　they　failed　to　entertain　each　other。　　The　husband　goes　to　Italy　or　Germany　or　passes　his　time　in　various　chateaux；　where　he　is　sure　of　a　warm　welcome　and　good　cheer。　　The　wife　goes　to　Versailles；　visits　her　cousin　Louvois；　the　Duchesse　de　Richelieu；　and　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　who　loves　her　much；　or　presides　at　home　over　a　salon　that　is　always　well　filled。　　〃Ah；　Madame；〃　said　M。　de　Barillon；　〃how　much　your　house　pleases　me！　　I　shall　come　here　very　evening　when　I　am　tired　of　my　family。〃　　〃Monsieur；〃　she　replied；　〃I　expect　you　tomorrow。〃　　When　she　was　ill　and　likely　to　die；　her　husband　had　a　sudden　access　of　affection；　and　nursed　her　with　great　tenderness。　　Mme。　de　Coulanges　dying　and　her　husband　in　grief；　seemed　somehow　out　of　the　order　of　things。　　〃A　dead　vivacity；　a　weeping　gaiety；　these　are　prodigies；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　Sevigne。　　When　the　wife　recovered；　however；　they　took　their　separate　ways　as　before。

〃Your　letters　are　delicious；〃　she　wrote　once　to　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　〃and　you　are　as　delicious　as　your　letters。〃　　Her　own　were　as　much　sought　in　her　time；　but　she　had　no　profound　affection　to　consecrate　them　and　no　children　to　collect　them；　so　that　only　a　few　have　been　preserved。　　There　is　a　curious　vein　of　philosophy　in　one　she　wrote　to　her　husband；　when　the　pleasures　of　life　began　to　fade。　　〃As　for　myself；　I　care　little　for　the　world；　I　find　it　no　longer　suited　to　my　age；　I　have　no　engagements；　thank　God；　to　retain　me　there。　　I　have　seen　all　there　is　to　see。　　I　have　only　an　old　face　to　present　to　it；　nothing　new　to　show　nor　to　discover　there。　　Ah！　　What　avails　it　to　recommence　every　day　the　visits；　to　trouble　one's　self　always　about　things　that　do　not　concern　us？　。　。　。　。　　My　dear　sir；　we　must　think　of　something　more　solid。〃　　She　disappears　from　the　scene　shortly　after　the　death　of　Mme。　De　Sevigne。　　Long　years　of　silence　and　seclusion；　and　another　generation　heard　one　day　that　she　had　lived　and　that　she　was　dead。

The　friends　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne　slip　away　one　after　another；　La　Rochefoucauld；　De　Retz；　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　are　gone。　　〃Alas！〃　she　writes；　〃how　this　death　goes　running　about　and　striking　on　all　sides。〃　The　thought　troubles　her。　　〃I　am　embarked　in　life　without　my　consent；〃　she　says；　〃I　must　go　out　of　itthat　overwhelms　me。　　And　how　shall　I　go？　　Whence：　By　what　door？　　When　will　it　be？　　In　what　disposition：　How　shall　I　be　with　God？　　What　have　I　to　present　to　him？　　What　can　I　hope？Am　I　worthy　of　paradise？　　Am　I　worthy　of　hell？　　What　an　alternative！　　What　a　complication！　　I　would　like　better　to　have　died　in　the　arms　of　my　nurse。〃

The　end　came　to　her　in　the　one　spot　where　she　would　most　have　wished　it。　　She　died　while　on　a　visit　to　her　daughter　in　Provence。　　Strength　and　resignation　came　with　the　moment；　and　she　faced　with　calmness　and　courage　the　final　mystery。　　To　the　last　she　retained　her　wit；　her　vivacity；　and　that　eternal　youth　of　the　spirit　which　is　one　of　the　rarest　of　God's　gifts　to　man。　　〃There　are　no　more　friends　left　to　me；〃　said　Mme。　de　Coulanges；　and　later　she　wrote　to　Mme。　de　Grignan；　〃The　grief　of　seeing　her　no　longer　is　always　fresh　to　me。　　I　miss　too　many　things　at　the　Hotel　de　Carnavalet。〃

The　curtain　falls　upon　this　little　world　which　the　magical　pen　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne　has　made　us　know　so　well。　　The　familiar　faces　retreat　into　the　darkness；　to　be　seen　no　more。　　But　the　picture　lives；　and　the　woman　who　has　outlined　it　so　clearly；　and　colored　it　so　vividly　and　so　tenderly；　smiles　upon　us　still；　out　of　the　shadows　of　the　past；　crowned　with　the　white　radiance　of　immortal　genius　and　immortal　love。


CHAPTER　VII。　MADAME　DE　LA　FAYETTE　Her　Friendship　with　Mme。　de　SevigneHer　EducationHer　Devotion　to　the　Princess　HenriettaHer　SalonLa　Rochefoucauld　Talent　as　a　DiplomatistComparison　with　Mme。　de　Maintenon　　　Her　Literary　WorkSadness　of　her　Last　DaysWoman　in　Literature

〃Believe　me；　my　dearest；　you　are　the　person　in　the　world　whom　I　have　most　truly　loved；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　to　Mme。　de　Sevigne　a　short　time　before　her　death。　　This　friendship　of　more　than　forty　years；　which　Mme。　de　Sevigne　said　had　never　suffered　the　least　cloud；　was　a　living　tribute　to　the　mind　and　heart　of　both　women。　　It　may　also　be　cited　for　the　benefit　of　the　cynically　disposed　who　declare　that　feminine　friendships　are　simply　〃pretty　bows　of　ribbon〃　and　nothing　more。　　These　women　were　fundamentally　unlike；　but　they　supplemented　each　other。　　The　character　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　was　of　firmer　and　more　serious　texture。　　She　had　greater　precision　of　thought；　more　delicacy　of　sentiment；　and　affections　not　less　deep。　　But　her　temperament　was　less　sunny；　her　genius　less　impulsive；　her　wit　less　sparkling；　and　her　manner　less　demonstrative。　　〃She　has　never　been　without　that　divine　reason　which　was　her　dominant　trait；〃　wrote　her　friend。　　No　praise　pleased　her　so　much　as　to　be　told　that　her　judgment　was　superior　to　her　intellect；　and　that　she　loved　truth　in　all　things。　　〃She　would　not　have　accorded　the　least　favor　to　any　one；　if　she　had　not　been　convinced　it　was　merited；〃　said　Segrais；　〃this　is　why　she　was　sometimes　called　hard；　though　she　was　really　tender。〃　　As　an　evidence　of　her　candor；　he　thinks　it　worth　while　to　record　that　〃she　did　not　even　conceal　her　age；　but　told　freely　in　what　year　and　place　she　was　born。〃　But　she　combined　to　an　eminent　degree　sweetness　with　strength；　sensibility　with　reason；　and　it　was　the　blending　of　such　diverse　qualities　that　gave　so　rare　a　flavor　to　her　character。　　In　this；　too；　lies　the　secret　of　the　vast　capacity　for　friendship　which　was　one　of　her　most　salient　points。　　It　is　through　the　records　which　these　friendships