the women of the french salons-第28节

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nd　women　of　intelligence　and　good　breeding　in　the　drawing…room；　for　conversation　and　amusement。　　The　hostess　who　opened　her　house　for　these　assemblies　selected　her　guests　with　discrimination；　and　those　who　had　once　gained　an　entree　were　always　welcome。　　In　studying　the　character　of　the　noted　salons；　one　is　struck　with　a　certain　unity　that　could　result　only　from　natural　growth　about　a　nucleus　of　people　bound　together　by　many　ties　of　congeniality　and　friendship。　　Society；　in　its　best　sense；　does　not　signify　a　multitude；　nor　can　a　salon　be　created　on　commercial　principles。　　This　spirit　of　commercialism；　so　fatal　to　modern　social　life；　was　here　conspicuously　absent。　　It　was　not　at　all　a　question　of　debit　and　credit；　of　formal　invitations　to　be　given　and　returned。　　Personal　values　were　regarded。　　The　distinctions　of　wealth　were　ignored　and　talent；　combined　with　the　requisite　tact；　was；　to　a　certain　point；　the　equivalent　of　rank。　　If　rivalries　existed；　they　were　based　upon　the　quality　of　the　guests　rather　than　upon　material　display。　　But　the　modes　of　entertainment　were　as　varied　as　the　tastes　and　abilities　of　the　women　who　presided。　　Many　of　the　well…known　salons　were　open　daily。　　Sometimes　there　were　suppers；　which　came　very　much　into　vogue　after　the　petits　soupers　of　the　regent。　　The　Duchesse　de　Choiseul；　during　the　ministry　of　her　husband；　gave　a　supper　every　evening　excepting　on　Friday　and　Sunday。　　At　a　quarter　before　ten　the　steward　glanced　through　the　crowded　rooms；　and　prepared　the　table　for　all　who　were　present。　　The　Monday　suppers　at　the　Temple　were　thronged。　　On　other　days　a　more　intimate　circle　gathered　round　the　tables；　and　the　ladies　served　tea　after　the　English　fashion。　　A　few　women　of　rank　and　fortune　imitated　these　princely　hospitalities；　but　it　was　the　smaller　coteries　which　presented　the　most　charming　and　distinctive　side　of　French　society。　　It　was　not　the　luxurious　salon　of　the　Duchesse　du　Maine；　with　its　whirl　of　festivities　and　passion　for　esprit；　nor　that　of　the　Temple；　with　its　brilliant　and　courtly；　but　more　or　less　intellectual；　atmosphere；　nor　that　of　the　clever　and　critical　Marechale　de　Luxembourg；　so　elegant；　so　witty；　so　noted　in　its　daywhich　left　the　most　permanent　traces　and　the　widest　fame。　　It　was　those　presided　over　by　women　of　lesser　rank　and　more　catholic　sympathies；　of　whom　Voltaire　aptly　said　that　〃the　decline　of　their　beauty　revealed　the　dawn　of　their　intellect；〃　women　who　had　the　talent；　tact；　and　address　to　gather　about　them　a　circle　of　distinguished　men　who　have　crowned　them　with　a　luminous　ray　from　their　own　immortality。　　The　names　of　Mme。　de　Lambert；　Mme。　de　Tencin；　Mme。　Geoffrin；　Mme。　du　Deffand；　Mme。　Necker；　Mme。　de　Stael；　and　others　of　lesser　note；　call　up　visions　of　a　society　which　the　world　is　not　likely　to　see　repeated。

Not　the　least　among　the　attractions　of　this　society　was　its　charming　informality。　　A　favorite　custom　in　the　literary　and　philosophical　salons　was　to　give　dinners；　at　an　early　hour；　two　or　three　times　a　week。　　In　the　evening　a　larger　company　assembled　without　ceremony。　　A　popular　man　of　letters；　so　inclined；　might　dine　Monday　and　Wednesday　with　Mme。　Geoffrin；　Tuesday　with　Mme。　Helvetius；　Friday　with　Mme。　Necker；　Sunday　and　Thursday　with　Mme。　d'Holbach；　and　have　ample　time　to　drop　into　other　salons　afterward；　passing　an　hour　or　so；　perhaps；　before　going　to　the　theater；　in　the　brilliant　company　that　surrounded　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　and；　very　likely；　supping　elsewhere　later。　　At　many　of　these　gatherings　he　would　be　certain　to　find　readings；　recitations；　comedies；　music；　games；　or　some　other　form　of　extemporized　amusement。　　The　popular　mania　for　esprit；　for　literary　lions；　for　intellectual　diversions　ran　through　the　social　world；　as　the　craze　for　clubs　and　culture；　poets　and　parlor　readings；　musicales　and　amateur　theatricals；　runs　through　the　society　of　today。　　It　had　numberless　shades　and　gradations；　with　the　usual　train　of　pretentious　follies　which　in　every　age　furnish　ample　material　for　the　pen　of　the　satirist；　but　it　was　a　spontaneous　expression　of　the　marvelously　quickened　taste　for　things　of　the　intellect。　　The　woman　who　improvised　a　witty　verse；　invented　a　proverb；　narrated　a　story；　sang　a　popular　air；　or　acted　a　part　in　a　comedy　entered　with　the　same　easy　grace　into　the　discussion　of　the　last　political　problem；　or　listened　with　the　subtlest　flattery　to　the　new　poem；　essay；　or　tale　of　the　aspiring　young　author；　whose　fame　and　fortune　perhaps　hung　upon　her　smile。　　In　the　musical　and　artistic　salon　of　Mme。　de　la　Popeliniere　the　succession　of　fetes；　concerts；　and　receptions　seems　to　have　been　continuous。　　On　Sunday　there　was　a　mass　in　the　morning；　afterward　a　grand　dinner；　at　five　o'clock　a　light　repast；　at　nine　a　supper；　and　later　a　musicale。　　One　is　inclined　to　wonder　if　there　was　ever　any　retirement；　any　domesticity　in　this　life　so　full　of　movement　and　variety。

But　it　was　really　the　freedom；　wit；　and　brilliancy　of　the　conversation　that　constituted　the　chief　attraction　of　the　salons。　　Men　were　in　the　habit　of　making　the　daily　round　of　certain　drawing　rooms；　just　as　they　drop　into　clubs　in　our　time；　sure　of　more　or　less　pleasant　discussion　on　whatever　subject　was　uppermost　at　the　moment；　whether　it　was　literature；　philosophy；　art；　politics；　music；　the　last　play；　or　the　latest　word　of　their　friends。　　The　talk　was　simple；　natural；　without　heat；　without　aggressive　egotism；　animated　with　wit　and　repartee；　glancing　upon　the　surface　of　many　things；　and　treating　all　topics；　grave　or　gay；　with　the　lightness　of　touch；　the　quick　responsiveness　that　make　the　charm　of　social　intercourse。

The　unwritten　laws　that　governed　this　brilliant　world　were　drawn　from　the　old　ideas　of　chivalry；　upon　which　the　etiquette　of　the　early　salons　was　founded。　　The　fine　morality　and　gentle　virtues　which　were　the　bases　of　these　laws　had　lost　their　force　in　the　eighteenth　century；　but　the　manners　which　grew　out　of　them　had　passed　into　a　tradition。　　If　morals　were　in　reality　not　pure；　nor　principles　severe；　there　was　at　least　the　vanity　of　posing　as　models　of　good　breeding。　　Honor　was　a　religion；　politeness　and　courtesy　were　the　current；　though　by　no　means　always　genuine；　coin　of　unselfishness　and　amiability；　the　amenities　stood　in　the　place　of　an　ethical　code。　　Egotism；　ill　temper；　disloyalty；　ingratitude；　and　scandal　were　sins　against　taste；　and　spoiled　the　general　harmony。　　Evil　passions　might　exist；　but　it　was　agreeable　to　hide　them；　and　enmities　slept　under　a　gracious　smile。　　noblesse　OBLIGE　was　the　motto　of　these　censors　of　manners；　and　as　it　is　perhaps　a　Gallic　trait　to　attach　greater　importance　to　reputation　than　to　character；　this　sentiment　was　far　more　potent　than　conscience。　　Vice　in　many　veiled　forms　might　be　tolerated；　but　that　which　called　itself　good　society　barred　its　doors　against　those　who　violated　the　canons　of　good　taste；　which　recognize　at　least　the　outward　semblance　of　many　amiable　virtues。　　Sincerity　certainly　was　not　one　of　these　virtues；　but　no　one　was　deceived；　as　it　was　perfectly　well　understood　that　courteous　forms　meant　little　more　than　the　dress　which　may　or　may　not　conceal　a　physical　defect；　but　is　fit　and　becoming。　　It　was　not　best　to　inquire　too　closely　into　character　and　motives；　so　long　as　appearances　were　fair　and　decorous。　　How　far　the　individual　may　be　affected　by　putting　on　the　garb　of　qualities　and　feelings　that　do　not　exist　may　be　a　question　for　the　moralist；　but　this　conventional　untruth　has　its　advantages；　not　only　in　reducing　to　a　minimum　the　friction　of　social　machinery；　and　subjecting　the　impulses　to　the　control　of　the　will；　but　in　the　subtle　influence　of　an　ideal　that　is　good　and　true；　however　far　one　may　in　reality　fall　short　of　it。

Imagine　a　society　composed　of　a　leisure　class　with　more　or　less　intellectual　tastes；　men　eminent　in　science　and　letters；　men　less　eminent；　whose　success　depended　largely　upon　their　social　gifts；　and　clever　women　supremely　versed　in　the　art　of　pleasing；　who　were　the　intelligent　complements　of　these　men；　add　a　universal　talent　for　conversation；　a　genius　for　the　amenities　of　social　life；　habits　of　daily　intercourse；　and　manners　formed　upon　an　ideal　of　generosity；　amiability；　loyalty；　and　urbanity；　consider；　also；　the　fact　that　the　journals　and　the　magazines；　which　are　so　conspicuous　a　feature　of　modern　life；　were　practically　unknown；　that　the　salons　were　centers　in　which　the　affairs　of　the　world　were　discussed；　its　passing　events　notedand　the　power　of　these　salons　may　be　to　some　extent　comprehended。

The　reason；　too；　why　it　is　idle　to　dream　of　reproducing　them　today　on　American　soil　will　be　readily　seen。　　The　forms　may　be　repeated；　but　the　vitalizing　spirit　is　not　there。　　We　have　no　leisure　class　that　finds　its　occupation　in　this　pleasant　daily　converse。　　Our　feverish　civilization　has　not　time　for　it。　　We　sit　in　our　libraries　and　scan　the　news　of　the　world；　instead　of　gathering　it　in　the　drawing　rooms　of　our　friends。　　Perhaps　we　read　and　think　more；　but　we　talk　less；　and　conversation　is　a　relaxation　rather　than　an　art。　　The　ability　to　think　aloud；　easily　and　gracefully；　is　not　eminently　an　Anglo…Saxon　gift；　though　there　are　many　individual　exceptions　to　this　limitation。　　Our　social　life　is　largely　a　form；　a　whirl；　a　commercial　re