the women of the french salons-第31节

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ntrance　into　the　Academy；　not　without　strong　opposition　on　the　part　of　Boileau　and　some　others。〃　　Whether　the　report　of　this　alliance　was　true　or　not；　the　families　were　closely　united；　as　the　daughter　of　Mme。　de　Lambert　was　married　to　a　son　of　Sainte…Aulaire；　it　is　certain　that　the　enduring　affection　of　this　ancient　friend　lighted　the　closing　years　of　her　life。

Though　tinged　with　the　new　philosophy；　Mme。　de　Lambert　regarded　religion　as　a　part　of　a　respectable；　well…ordered　life。　　〃Devotion　is　a　becoming　sentiment　in　women；　and　befitting　in　both　sexes；〃　she　writes。　　But　she　clearly　looked　upon　it　as　an　external　form；　rather　than　an　internal　flame。　　When　about　to　die；　at　the　age　of　eighty…six；　she　declined　the　services　of　a　friendly　confessor；　and　sent　for　an　abbe　who　had　a　great　reputation　for　esprit。　　Perhaps　she　thought　he　would　give　her　a　more　brilliant　introduction　into　the　next　world；　this　points　to　one　of　her　weaknesses；　which　was　a　love　of　consideration　that　carried　her　sometimes　to　the　verge　of　affectation。　　It　savors　a　little　of　the　hypercritical　spirit　that　is　very　well　illustrated　by　an　anecdote　of　the　witty　Duchesse　de　Luxenbourg。　　One　morning　she　took　up　a　prayer　book　that　was　lying　upon　the　table　and　began　to　criticize　severely　the　bad　taste　of　the　prayers。　　A　friend　ventured　to　remark　that　if　they　were　said　reverently　and　piously；　God　surely　would　pay　no　attention　to　their　good　or　bad　form。　　〃Indeed；〃　exclaimed　the　fastidious　Marechale；　whose　religion　was　evidently　a　becoming　phase　of　estheticism；　〃do　not　believe　that。〃

The　thoughts　of　Mme。　de　Lambert；　so　elevated　in　tone；　so　fine　in　moral　quality；　so　rich　in　worldly　wisdom；　and　often　so　felicitous　in　expression；　tempt　one　to　multiply　quotations；　especially　as　they　show　us　an　intimate　side　of　her　life；　of　which　otherwise　we　know　very　little。　　Her　personality　is　veiled。　　Her　human　experiences；　her　loves；　her　antipathies；　her　mistakes；　and　her　errors　are　a　sealed　book　to　us；　excepting　as　they　may　be　dimly　revealed　in　the　complexion　of　her　mind。　　Of　her　influence　we　need　no　better　evidence　than　the　fact　that　her　salon　was　called　the　antechamber　to　the　Academie　Francaise。

The　precise　effect　of　this　influence　of　women　over　the　most　powerful　critical　body　ot　eh　century；　or　of　any　century；　perhaps；　we　can　hardly　measure。　　In　the　fact　that　the　Academy　became　for　a　time　philosophical　rather　than　critical；　and　dealt　with　theories　rather　than　with　pure　literature；　we　trace　the　finger　of　the　more　radical　thinkers　who　made　themselves　so　strongly　felt　in　the　salons。　　Sainte=Beuve　tells　us　that　Fontenelle；　with　other　friends　of　Mme。　de　Lambert；　first　gave　it　this　tendency；　but　his　mission　was　apparently　an　unconscious　one；　and　strikingly　illustrates　the　accidental　character　of　the　sources　of　the　intellectual　currents　which　sometimes　change　the　face　of　the　world。　　〃If　I　had　a　handful　of　truths；　I　should　take　good　care　not　to　open　it；〃　said　this　sybarite；　who　would　do　nothing　that　was　likely　to　cause　him　trouble。　　But　the　truths　escaped　in　spite　of　him；　and　these　first　words　of　the　new　philosophy　were　perhaps　the　more　dangerous　because　veiled　and　insidious。　　〃You　have　written　the　'Histoire　des　Oracles；'〃　said　a　philosopher　to　him；　after　he　had　been　appointed　the　royal　censor；　〃and　you　refuse　me　your　approbation。〃　　〃Monsieur；〃　replied　Fontenelle；　〃if　I　had　been　censor　when　I　wrote　the　'Histoire　des　Oracles；'　I　should　have　carefully　avoided　giving　it　my　approbation。〃　But　if　the　philosophers　finally　determined　the　drift　of　this　learned　body；　it　was　undoubtedly　the　tact　and　diplomacy　of　women　which　constituted　the　most　potent　factor　in　the　elections　which　placed　them　there。　　The　mantle　of　authority；　so　gracefully　worn　by　Mme。　de　Lambert；　fell　upon　her　successors；　Mme。　Geoffrin　and　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　losing　none　of　its　prestige。　As　a　rule；　the　best　men　in　France　were　sooner　or　later　enrolled　among　the　Academicians。　　If　a　few　missed　the　honor　through　failure　to　enlist　the　favor　of　women；　as　has　been　said；　and　a　few　better　courtiers　of　less　merit　attained　it；　the　modern　press　has　not　proved　a　more　judicious　tribunal。


CHAPTER　X。　THE　DUCHESSE　DU　MAINE　Her　Capricious　CharacterHer　EspritMlle。　de　LaunayClever　Portrait　of　Her　MistressPerpetual　Fetes　at　SceauxVoltaire　and　the　〃Divine　Emilie〃Dilettante　Character　of　this　Salon。

The　life　of　the　eighteenth　century；　with　its　restlessness；　its　love　of　amusements；　its　ferment　of　activities；　and　its　essential　frivolity；　finds　a　more　fitting　representative　in　the　Duchesse　du　Maine；　granddaughter　of　the　Grand　Conde；　and　wife　of　the　favorite　son　of　Louis　XIV；　and　Mme。　de　Montespan。　　The　transition　from　the　serene　and　thoughtful　atmosphere　which　surrounded　Mme。　de　Lambert；　to　the　tumultuous　whirl　of　existence　at　Sceaux；　was　like　passing　from　the　soft　light　and　tranquillity　of　a　summer　evening　to　the　glare　and　confusion　of　perpetual　fireworks。　　Of　all　the　unique　figures　of　a　masquerading　age　this　small　and　ambitious　princess　was　perhaps　the　most　striking；　the　most　pervading。　　It　was　by　no　means　her　aim　to　take　her　place　in　the　world　as　queen　of　a　salon。　　Louise…Benedicte　de　Bourbon　belonged　to　the　royal　race；　and　this　was　by　far　the　most　vivid　fact　in　her　life。　　She　was　but　a　few　steps　from　the　throne；　and　political　intrigues　played　a　conspicuous　part　in　her　singular　career。　　But　while　she　waited　for　the　supreme　power　to　which　she　aspired；　and　later；　when　the　feverish　dream　of　her　life　was　ended；　she　must　be　amused；　and　her　diversions　must　have　an　intellectual　and　imaginative　flavor。　　Wits；　artists；　literary　men；　and　savants　were　alike　welcome　at　Sceaux；　if　they　amused　her　and　entertained　her　guests。　　〃One　lived　there　by　esprit；　and　esprit　is　my　God；〃　said　Mme。　du　Deffand；　who　was　among　the　brightest　ornaments　of　this　circle。

Born　in　1676；　the　Duchesse　du　Maine　lived　through　the　first　half　of　the　next　century；　of　which　her　little　court　was　one　of　the　most　notable　features。　　Scarcely　above　the　stature　of　a　child　of　ten　years；　slightly　deformed；　with　a　fair　face　lighted　by　fine　eyes；　classically　though　superficially　educated；　gifted　in　conversation；　witty；　brilliant；　adoring　talent；　but　cherishing　all　the　prejudices　of　the　old　noblesseshe　represented　in　a　superlative　degree　the　passion　for　esprit　which　lent　such　exceptional　brilliancy　to　the　social　life　of　the　time。

In　character　the　duchess　was　capricious　and　passionate。　　〃If　she　were　as　good　as　she　is　wicked；〃　said　the　sharp…tongued　Palatine；　〃there　would　be　nothing　to　say　against　her。　　She　is　tranquil　during　the　day　and　passes　it　playing　at　cards；　but　at　its　close　the　extravagances　and　fits　of　passion　begin；　she　torments　her　husband；　her　children；　her　servants；　to　such　a　point　that　they　do　not　know　which　way　to　turn。〃　　Her　will　brooked　no　opposition。　　When　forced　to　leave　the　Tuileries　after　the　collapse　of　her　little　bubble　of　political　power；　she　deliberately　broke　every　article　of　value　in　her　apartments；　consigning　mirrors；　vases；　statues；　porcelains　alike　to　a　common　ruin；　that　no　one　else　might　enjoy　them　after　her。　　This　fiery　scion　of　a　powerful　family；　who　had　inherited　its　pride；　its　ambition；　its　uncontrollable　passions；　and　its　colossal　will；　had　little　patience　with　the　serene　temperament　and　dilettante　tastes　of　her　amiable　husband；　and　it　is　said　she　did　not　scruple　to　make　him　feel　the　force　of　her　small　hands。　　〃You　will　waken　some　morning　to　find　yourself　in　the　Academie　Francaise；　and　the　Duc　d'Orleans　regent；〃　she　said　to　him　one　day　when　he　showed　her　a　song　he　had　translated。　　Her　device　was　a　bee；　with　this　motto：　〃I　am　small；　but　I　make　deep　wounds。〃　　Doubtless　its　fitness　was　fully　realized　by　those　who　belonged　to　the　Ordre　de　la　Mouche…a…miel　which　she　had　instituted；　and　whose　members　were　obliged　to　swear；　by　Mount　Hymettus；　fidelity　and　obedience　to　their　perpetual　dictator。　　But　what　pains　and　chagrins　were　not　compensated　by　the　bit　of　lemon…colored　ribbon　and　its　small　meed　of　distinction！

The　little　princess　worked　valiantly　for　political　power；　but　she　worked　in　vain。　　The　conspiracy　against　the　regent；　which　seemed　to　threaten　another　Fronde；　came　to　nothing；　and　this　ardent　instrigante；　who　had　the　disposition　to　〃set　the　four　corners　of　the　kingdom　on　fire〃　to　attain　her　ends；　found　her　party　dispersed　and　herself　in　prison。　　But　this　was　only　an　episode；　and　though　it　gave　a　death　blow　to　her　dreams　of　power；　it　did　not　quench　her　irrepressible　ardor。　　If　she　could　not　rule　in　one　way；　she　would　in　another。　　As　soon　as　she　regained　her　freedom；　her　little　court　was　again　her　kingdom；　and　no　sovereign　ever　reigned　more　imperiously。　　〃I　am　fond　of　company；〃　she　said；　〃for　I　listen　to　no　one；　and　every　one　listens　to　me。〃　　It　was　an　incessant　thirst　for　power；　a　perpetual　need　of　the　sweet　incense　of　flattery；　that　was　at　the　bottom　of　this　〃passion　for　a　multitude。〃　　〃She　believed　in　herself；〃　writes　Mlle。　de　Launay；　afterward　Baronne　de　Staal；　〃as　she　believed　in　God　or　Descartes；　without　examination　and　without　discussion。〃

This　lady's　maid；　who　loved　mathematics　and　anatomy；　was　familiar　with　Malebranche　and　Descartes；　and　left　some　literary　reputation　as　a　writer　of　gossipy　memoirs；　was　a　prominent　figure　in　the　lively　court　at　Sceaux　for　more　tha