the women of the french salons-第27节

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or　the　part　they　assumed。　　They　distinctly　illustrated　the　truth　that　〃our　ideal　is　not　out　of　ourselves；　but　in　ourselves　wisely　modified。〃　　The　intellect　of　these　women　was　rarely　the　dupe　of　the　emotions。　　Their　clearness　was　not　befogged　by　sentiment；　nor；　it　may　be　added；　were　their　characters　enriched　by　it。　　〃The　women　of　the　eighteenth　century　loved　with　their　minds　and　not　with　their　hearts；〃　said　the　Abbe　Galiani。　　The　very　absence　of　the　qualities　so　essential　to　the　highest　womanly　character；　according　to　the　old　poetic　types；　added　to　their　success。　　To　be　simple　and　true　is　to　forget　often　to　consider　effects。　　Spontaneity　is　not　apt　to　be　discriminating；　and　the　emotions　are　not　safe　guides　to　worldly　distinction。　　It　is　not　the　artist　who　feels　the　most　keenly；　who　sways　men　the　most　powerfully；　it　is　the　one　who　has　most　perfectly　mastered　the　art　of　swaying　men。　　Self…sacrifice　and　a　lofty　sense　of　duty　find　their　rewards　in　the　intangible　realm　of　the　spirit；　but　they　do　not　find　them　in　a　brilliant　society　whose　foundations　are　laid　in　vanity　and　sensualism。　　〃The　virtues；　though　superior　to　the　sentiments；　are　not　so　agreeable；〃　said　Mme。　du　Deffand；　and　she　echoed　the　spirit　of　an　age　of　which　she　was　one　of　the　most　striking　representatives。　　To　be　agreeable　was　the　cardinal　aim　in　the　lives　of　these　women。　　To　this　end　they　knew　how　to　use　their　talents；　and　they　studied；　to　the　minutest　shade；　their　own　limitations。　　They　had　the　gift　of　the　general　who　marshals　his　forces　with　a　swift　eye　for　combination　and　availability。　　To　this　quality　was　added　more　or　less　mental　brilliancy；　or；　what　is　equally　essential；　the　faculty　of　calling　out　the　brilliancy　of　others；　but　their　education　was　rarely　profound　or　even　accurate。　　To　an　abbe　who　wished　to　dedicate　a　grammar　to　Mme。　Geoffrin　she　replied：　〃To　me？　　Dedicate　a　grammar　to　me？　　Why；　I　do　not　even　know　how　to　spell。〃　　Even　Mme。　du　Deffand；　whom　Sainte　Beuve　ranks　next　to　Voltaire　as　the　purest　classic　of　the　epoch　in　prose；　says　of　herself；　〃I　do　not　know　a　word　of　grammar；　my　manner　of　expressing　myself　is　always　the　result　of　chance；　independent　of　all　rule　and　all　art。〃

But　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　women　who　were　the　daily　and　lifelong　companions　and　confidantes　of　men　like　Fontenelle；　d'Alembert；　Montesquieu；　Helvetius；　and　Marmontel　were　deficient　in　a　knowledge　of　books；　though　this　was　always　subservient　to　a　knowledge　of　life。　　It　was　a　means；　not　an　end。　　When　the　salon　was　at　the　height　of　its　power；　it　was　not　yet　time　for　Mme。　de　Stael；　and；　with　rare　exceptions；　those　who　wrote　were　not　marked；　or　their　literary　talent　was　so　overshadowed　by　their　social　gifts　as　to　be　unnoted。　　Their　writings　were　no　measure　of　their　abilities。　　Those　who　wrote　for　amusement　were　careful　to　disclaim　the　title　of　bel　esprit；　and　their　works　usually　reached　the　public　through　accidental　channels。　　Mme。　de　Lambert　herself　had　too　keen　an　eye　for　consideration　to　pose　as　an　author；　but　it　is　with　an　accent　of　regret　at　the　popular　prejudice　that　she　says　of　Mme。　Dacier；　〃She　knows　how　to　associate　learning　with　the　amenities；　for　at　present　modesty　is　out　of　fashion；　there　is　no　more　shame　for　vices；　and　women　blush　only　for　knowledge。〃

But　if　they　did　not　write；　they　presided　over　the　mint　in　which　books　were　coined。　　They　were　familiar　with　theories　and　ideas　at　their　fountain　source。　　Indeed　the　whole　literature　of　the　period　pays　its　tribute　to　their　intelligence　and　critical　taste。　　〃He　who　will　write　with　precision；　energy；　and　vigor　only；〃　said　Marmontel；　〃may　live　with　men　alone；　but　he　who　wishes　for　suppleness　in　his　style；　for　amenity；　and　for　that　something　which　charms　and　enchants；　will；　I　believe；　do　well　to　live　with　women。　　When　I　read　that　Pericles　sacrificed　every　morning　to　the　Graces；　I　understand　by　it　that　every　day　Pericles　breakfasted　with　Aspasia。〃　　This　same　author　was　in　the　habit　of　reading　his　tales　in　the　salon；　and　noting　their　effect。　　He　found　a　happy　inspiration　in　〃the　most　beautiful　eyes　in　the　world；　swimming　in　tears；〃　but　he　adds；　〃I　well　perceived　the　cold　and　feeble　passages；　which　they　passed　over　in　silence；　as　well　as　those　where　I　had　mistaken　the　word；　the　tone　of　nature；　or　the　just　shade　of　truth。〃　　He　refers　to　the　beautiful；　witty；　but　erring　and　unfortunate　Mme。　de　la　Popeliniere；　to　whom　he　read　his　tragedy；　as　the　best　of　all　his　critics。　　〃Her　corrections；〃　he　said；　〃struck　me　as　so　many　rays　of　light。〃　　〃A　point　of　morals　will　be　no　better　discussed　in　a　society　of　philosophers　than　in　that　of　a　pretty　woman　of　Paris；〃　said　Rousseau。　　This　constant　habit　of　reducing　thoughts　to　a　clear　and　salient　form　was　the　best　school　for　aptness　and　ready　expression。　　To　talk　wittily　and　well；　or　to　lead　others　to　talk　wittily　and　well；　was　the　crowning　gift　of　these　women。　　This　evanescent　art　was　the　life　and　soul　of　the　salons；　the　magnet　which　attracted　the　most　brilliant　of　the　French　men　of　letters；　who　were　glad　to　discuss　safely　and　at　their　ease　many　subjects　which　the　public　censorship　made　it　impossible　to　write　about。　　They　found　companions　and　advisers　in　women；　consulted　their　tastes；　sought　their　criticism；　courted　their　patronage；　and　established　a　sort　of　intellectual　comradeship　that　exists　to　the　same　extent　in　no　country　outside　of　France。　　Its　model　may　be　found　in　the　limited　circle　that　gathered　about　Aspasia　in　the　old　Athenian　days。

It　is　perhaps　this　habit　of　intellectual　companionship　that；　more　than　any　other　single　thing；　accounts　for　the　practical　cleverness　of　the　Frenchwomen　and　the　conspicuous　part　they　have　played　in　the　political　as　well　as　social　life　of　France。　　Nowhere　else　are　women　linked　to　the　same　degree　with　the　success　of　men。　　There　are　few　distinguished　Frenchmen　with　whose　fame　some　more　or　less　gifted　woman　is　not　closely　allied。　　Montaigne　and　Mlle。　de　Gournay；　La　Rochefoucauld　and　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　d'Alembert　and　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　Chateaubriand　and　Mme。　Recamier；　Joubert　and　Mme。　de　Beaumontthese　are　only　a　few　of　the　well…known　and　unsullied　friendships　that　suggest　themselves　out　of　a　list　that　might　be　extended　indefinitely。　　The　social　instincts　of　the　French；　and　the　fact　that　men　and　women　met　on　a　common　plane　of　intellectual　life；　made　these　friendships　natural；　that　they　excited　little　comment　and　less　criticism　made　them　possible。

The　result　was　that　from　the　quiet　and　thoughtful　Marquise　de　Lambert；　who　was　admitted　to　have　made　half　of　the　Academicians；　to　the　clever　but　less　scrupulous　Mme。　de　Pompadour；　who　had　to　be　reckoned　with　in　every　political　change　in　Europe；　women　were　everywhere　the　power　behind　the　throne。　　No　movement　was　carried　through　without　them。　　〃They　form　a　kind　of　republic；〃　said　Montesquieu；　〃whose　members；　always　active；　aid　and　serve　one　another。　　It　is　a　new　state　within　a　state；　and　whoever　observes　the　action　of　those　in　power；　if　he　does　not　know　the　women　who　govern　them；　is　like　a　man　who　sees　the　action　of　a　machine　but　does　not　know　its　secret　springs。〃　　Mme。　de　Tenein　advised　Marmontel；　before　all　things；　to　cultivate　the　society　of　women；　if　he　wished　to　succeed。　　It　is　said　that　both　Diderot　and　Thomas；　two　of　the　most　brilliant　thinkers　of　their　time；　failed　of　the　fame　they　merited；　through　their　neglect　to　court　the　favor　of　women。　　Bolingbroke；　then　an　exile　in　Paris；　with　a　few　others；　formed　a　club　of　men　for　the　discussion　of　literary　and　political　questions。　　While　it　lasted　it　was　never　mentioned　by　women。　　It　was　quietly　ignored。　　Cardinal　Fleury　considered　it　dangerous　to　the　State；　and　suppressed　it。　　At　the　same　time；　in　the　salon　of　Mme。　de　Tenein；　the　leaders　of　French　thought　were　safely　maturing　the　theories　which　Montesquieu　set　forth　in　his　〃Esprit　des　Lois；〃　the　first　open　attack　on　absolute　monarchy；　the　forerunner　of　Rousseau；　and　the　germ　of　the　Revolution。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

But　the　salons　were　far　from　being　centers　of　〃plain　living　and　high　thinking。〃　　〃Supper　is　one　of　the　four　ends　of　man；〃　said　Mme。　du　Deffand；　and　it　must　be　admitted　that　the　great　doctrine　of　human　equality　was　rather　luxuriously　cradled。　　The　supreme　science　of　the　Frenchwomen　was　a　knowledge　of　men。　　Understanding　their　tastes；　their　ambitions；　their　interests；　their　vanities；　and　their　weaknesses；　they　played　upon　this　complicated　human　instrument　with　the　skill　of　an　artist　who　knows　how　to　touch　the　lightest　note；　to　give　the　finest　shade　of　expression；　to　bring　out　the　fullest　harmony。　　In　their　efforts　to　raise　social　life　to　the　most　perfect　and　symmetrical　proportions；　the　pleasures　of　sense　and　the　delicate　illusions　of　color　were　not　forgotten。　　They　were　as　noted　for　their　good　cheer；　for　their　attention　to　the　elegances　that　strike　the　eye；　the　accessories　that　charm　the　taste；　as　for　their　intelligence；　their　tact；　and　their　conversation。

But　one　must　look　for　the　power　and　the　fascination　of　the　French　salons　in　their　essential　spirit　and　the　characteristics　of　the　Gallic　race；　rather　than　in　any　definite　and　tangible　form。　　The　word　simply　suggests　habitual　and　informal　gatherings　of　men　and　women　of　intelligence　and　good　breeding　in　the　drawing…room；　for　conversation　and　amusement。　　The