the women of the french salons-第21节

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endship　which　was　one　of　her　most　salient　points。　　It　is　through　the　records　which　these　friendships　have　left；　through　the　literary　work　that　formed　the　solace　of　so　many　hours　of　sadness　and　suffering；　and　through　the　letters　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　that　we　are　able　to　trace　the　classic　outlines　of　this　fine　and　complex　nature；　so　noble；　so　poetic；　so　sweet；　and　yet　so　strong。

Mme。　de　La　Fayette　was　eight　years　younger　than　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　and　died　three　years　earlier；　hence　they　traversed　together　the　brilliant　world　of　the　second　half　of　the　century　of　which　they　are　among　the　most　illustrious　representatives。　　The　young　Marie…　Madeleine　Pioche　de　La　Vergne　had　inherited　a　taste　for　letters　and　was　carefully　instructed　by　her　father；　who　was　a　field…　marshal　and　the　governor　of　Havre；　where　he　died　when　she　was　only　fifteen。　　She　had　not　passed　the　first　flush　of　youth　when　her　mother　contracted　a　second　marriage　with　the　Chevalier　Renaud　de　Sevigne；　whose　name　figures　among　the　frondeurs　as　the　ardent　friend　of　Cardinal　de　Retz；　and　later　among　the　devout　Port　Royalists。　　It　is　a　fact　of　more　interest　to　us　that　he　was　an　uncle　of　the　Marquis　de　Sevigne；　and　the　best　result　of　the　marriage　to　the　young　girl；　who　was　not　at　all　pleased　and　whose　fortunes　it　clouded　a　little；　was　to　bring　her　into　close　relations　with　the　woman　to　whom　we　owe　the　most　intimate　details　of　her　life。

The　rare　natural　gifts　of　Mlle。　De　La　Vergne　were　not　left　without　due　cultivation。　　Rapin　and　Menage　taught　her　Latin。　　〃That　tiresome　Menage；〃　as　she　lightly　called　him；　did　not　fail；　according　to　his　custom；　to　lose　his　susceptible　heart　to　the　remarkable　pupil　who；　after　three　months　of　study；　translated　Virgil　and　Horace　better　than　her　masters。　　He　put　this　amiable　weakness　on　record　in　many　Latin　and　Italian　verses；　in　which　he　addresses　her　as　Laverna；　a　name　more　musical　than　flattering；　if　one　recalls　its　Latin　significance。　She　received　an　education　of　another　sort；　in　the　salon　of　her　mother；　a　woman　of　much　intelligence；　as　well　as　a　good　deal　of　vanity；　who　posed　a　little　as　a　patroness　of　letters；　gathering　about　her　a　circle　of　beaux　esprits；　and　in　other　ways　signaling　the　taste　which　was　a　heritage　from　her　Provencal　ancestry。　　On　can　readily　imagine　the　rapidity　with　which　the　young　girl　developed　in　such　an　atmosphere。　　The　abbe　Costar；　〃most　gallant　of　pedants　and　most　pedantic　of　gallants；〃　who　had　an　equal　taste　for　literature　and　good　dinners；　calls　her　〃the　incomparable；〃　sends　her　his　books；　corresponds　with　her；　and　expresses　his　delight　at　finding　her　〃so　beautiful；　so　spirituelle；　so　full　of　reason。〃　　The　poet　Scarron　speaks　of　her　as　〃toute　lumineuse；　toute　precieuse。〃

The　circle　she　met　in　the　salon　of　her　godmother；　the　Duchesse　d'Aiguillon；　had　no　less　influence　in　determining　her　future　fortunes。　　With　her　rare　reputation　for　beauty　and　esprit；　as　well　as　learning；　she　took　her　place　early　in　this　brilliant　and　distinguished　society　in　which　she　was　to　play　so　graceful　and　honored　a　part。　　She　was　sought　and　admired　not　only　by　the　men　of　letters　who　were　so　cordially　welcomed　by　the　favorite　niece　of　Richelieu；　but　by　the　gay　world　that　habitually　assembled　at　the　Petit　Luxembourg。　　It　was　here　that　she　perfected　the　tone　of　natural　elegance　which　always　distinguished　her　and　made　her　conspicuous　even　at　court；　where　she　passed　so　many　years　of　her　life。

She　was　not　far　from　twenty…one　when　she　became　the　wife　of　the　Comte　de　La　Fayette；　of　whom　little　is　known　save　that　he　died　early；　leaving　her　with　two　sons。　　He　is　the　most　shadowy　of　figures；　and　whether　he　made　her　life　happy　or　sad　does　not　definitely　appear；　though　there　is　a　vague　impression　that　he　left　something　to　be　desired　in　the　way　of　devotion。　　A　certain　interest　attaches　to　him　as　the　brother　of　the　beautiful　Louise　de　La　Fayette；　maid　of　honor　to　Anne　of　Austria；　who　fled　from　the　compromising　infatuation　of　Louis　XIII；　to　hide　her　youth　and　fascinations　in　the　cloister；　under　the　black　robe　and　the　cherished　name　of　Mere　Angelique　de　Chaillot。

The　young；　brilliant；　and　gifted　comtesse　goes　to　the　convent　to　visit　her　gently　austere　sister…in…law；　and　meets　there　the　Princess　Henrietta　of　England；　than　a　child　of　eleven　years。　　The　attraction　is　mutual　and　ripens　into　a　deep　and　lasting　friendship。　　When　this　graceful　and　light…hearted　girl　becomes　the　Duchesse　d'Orleans；　and　sister…in…law　of　the　king；　she　attaches　her　friend　to　her　court　and　makes　her　the　confidante　of　her　romantic　experiences。　　〃Do　you　not　think；〃　she　said　to　her　one　day；　〃that　if　all　which　has　happened　to　me；　and　the　things　relating　to　it；　were　told　it　would　make　a　fine　story？　　You　write　well；　write；　I　will　furnish　you　good　materials。〃　　The　interesting　memorial；　to　which　madame　herself　contributes　many　pages；　is　interrupted　by　the　mysterious　death　of　the　gay　and　charming　woman　who　had　found　so　sympathetic　and　so　faithful　a　chronicler。　　She　breathed　her　last　sigh　in　the　arms　of　this　friend。　　〃It　is　one　of　those　sorrows　for　which　one　never　consoles　one's　self；　and　which　leave　a　shadow　over　the　rest　of　one's　life；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　La　Fayette。　　She　had　no　heart　to　finish　the　history；　and　added　only　the　few　simple　lines　that　record　the　touching　incidents　which　left　upon　her　so　melancholy　and　lasting　an　impression。　　She　did　not　care　to　remain　longer　at　court；　where　she　was　constantly　reminded　of　her　grief；　and　retired　permanently　from　its　gaieties；　but　in　these　years　of　intimacy　with　one　of　its　central　figures；　she　had　gained　an　insight　into　its　spirit　and　its　intrigues；　which　was　of　inestimable　value　in　the　memoirs　and　romances　of　her　later　years。

The　natural　place　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　was　in　a　society　of　more　serious　tone　and　more　lettered　tastes。　　In　her　youth　she　had　been　taken　by　her　mother　to　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　she　always　retained　much　of　its　spirit；　without　any　of　its　affectations。　　We　find　her　sometimes　at　the　Samedis；　and　she　belonged　to　the　exclusive　coterie　of　the　Grande　Mademoiselle；　at　the　Luxembourg；　where　her　facile　pen　was　in　demand　for　the　portraits　so　much　in　vogue。　　She　was　also　a　frequent　visitor　in　the　literary　salon　of　Mme。　de　Sable；　at　Port　Royal。　　It　was　here　that　her　friendship　with　La　Rochefoucauld　glided　imperceptibly　into　the　intimacy　which　became　so　important　a　feature　in　her　life。　　This　intimacy　was　naturally　a　matter　of　some　speculation；　but　the　world　made　up　its　mind　of　its　perfectly　irreproachable　character。　　〃It　appears　to　be　only　friendship；〃　writes　Mme。　de　Scudery　to　Bussy…Rabutin；　〃in　short　the　fear　of　God　on　both　sides；　and　perhaps　policy；　have　cut　the　wings　of　love。　　She　is　his　favorite　and　his　first　friend。〃　　〃I　do　not　believe　he　has　ever　been　what　one　calls　in　love；〃　writes　Mme。　de　Sevigne。　　But　this　friendship　was　a　veritable　romance；　without　any　of　the　storms　or　vexations　or　jealousies　of　a　passionate　love。　　〃You　may　imagine　the　sweetness　and　charm　of　an　intercourse　full　of　all　the　friendship　and　confidence　possible　between　two　people　whose　merit　is　not　ordinary；〃　she　says　again；　〃add　to　this　the　circumstance　of　their　bad　health；　which　rendered　them　almost　necessary　to　each　other；　and　gave　them　the　leisure　not　to　be　found　in　other　relations；　to　enjoy　each　other's　good　qualities。　　It　seems　to　me　that　at　court　people　have　no　time　for　affection；　the　whirlpool　which　is　so　stormy　for　others　was　peaceful　for　them；　and　left　ample　time　for　the　pleasures　of　a　friendship　so　delicious。　　I　do　not　believe　that　any　passion　can　surpass　the　strength　of　such　a　tie。〃

In　the　earlier　stages　of　this　intimacy；　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　was　a　little　sensitive　as　to　how　the　world　might　regard　it；　as　may　be　seen　in　a　note　to　Mme。　de　Sable；　in　which　she　asks　her　to　explain　it　to　the　young　Comte　de　Saint…Paul；　a　son　of　Mme。　de　Longueville。

〃I　beg　of　you　to　speak　of　the　matter　in　such　a　way　as　to　put　out　of　his　head　the　idea　that　it　is　anything　serious；〃　she　writes。　　〃I　am　not　sufficiently　sure　what　you　think　of　it　yourself　to　feel　certain　that　you　will　say　the　right　thing；　and　it　may　be　necessary　to　begin　by　convincing　my　embassador。　　However；　I　must　trust　to　your　tact；　which　is　superior　to　ordinary　rules。　　Only　convince　him。　　I　dislike　mortally　that　people　of　his　age　should　imagine　that　I　have　affairs　of　gallantry。　　It　seems　to　them　that　every　one　older　than　themselves　is　a　hundred；　and　they　are　astonished　that　such　should　be　regarded　of　any　account。　　Besides；　he　would　believe　these　things　of　M。　de　La　Rochefoucauld　more　readily　than　of　any　one　else。　　In　fine；　I　do　not　want　him　to　think　anything　about　it　except　that　the　gentleman　is　one　of　my　friends。〃

The　picture　we　have　of　La　Rochefoucauld　from　the　pen　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne　has　small　resemblance　to　the　ideal　that　one　forms　of　the　cynical　author　of　the　Maxims。　　He　had　come　out　of　the　storms　of　the　Fronde　a　sad　and　disappointed　man。　　The　fires　of　his　nature　seem　to　have　burned　out　with　the　passions　of　his　youth；　if　they　had　ever　burned　with　great　intensity。　　〃I　have　seen　love　nowhere　except　in　romances；〃　he　says；　and　even　his　devotion　to　Mme。　de　Longueville　savors　more　of　the　ambitious　courtier　than　of　the　lover。　　His　nature　was　one　that　recoiled　from　all　violent　commotions　of　the　soul。　　The　cold　philos