the women of the french salons-第32节

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on　as　a　writer　of　gossipy　memoirs；　was　a　prominent　figure　in　the　lively　court　at　Sceaux　for　more　than　forty　years；　and　has　given　us　some　vivid　pictures　of　her　capricious　mistress。　　A　young　girl　of　clear　intellect　and　good　education；　but　without　rank；　friends；　or　fortune；　she　was　forced　to　accept　the　humiliating　position　of　femme　de　chambre　with　the　Duchesse　du　Maine；　who　had　been　attracted　by　her　talents。　　She　was　brought　into　notice　through　a　letter　to　Fontenelle；　which　was　thought　witty　enough　to　be　copied　and　circulated。　　If　she　had　taken　this　cool　dissector　of　human　motives　as　a　model；　she　certainly　did　credit　to　his　teaching。　　Her　curiously　analytical　mind　is　aptly　illustrated　by　her　novel　method　of　measuring　her　lover's　passion。　　He　was　in　the　habit　of　accompanying　her　home　from　the　house　of　a　friend。　　When　he　began　to　cross　the　square；　instead　of　going　round　it；　she　concluded　that　his　love　had　diminished　in　the　exact　proportion　of　two　sides　of　a　square　to　the　diagonal。　　Promoted　to　the　position　of　a　companion；　she　devoted　herself　to　the　interests　of　her　restless　mistress；　read　to　her；　talked　with　her；　wrote　plays　for　her；　and　was　the　animating　spirit　of　the　famous　Nuits　Blanches。　　While　the　duchess　was　in　exile　she　shared　her　disgrace；　refused　to　betray　her；　and　was　sent　to　the　Bastille　for　her　loyalty。　　She　resigned　herself　to　her　imprisonment　with　admirable　philosophy；　amused　herself　in　the　study　of　Latin；　in　watching　the　gambols　of　a　cat　and　kitten；　and　in　carrying　on　a　safe　and　sentimental　flirtation　with　the　fascinating　Duc　de　Richelieu；　who　occupied　an　adjoining　cell　and　passed　the　hours　in　singing　with　her　popular　airs　from　Iphigenie。　　〃Sentimental〃　is　hardly　a　fitting　word　to　apply　to　the　coquetries　of　this　remarkably　clear　and　calculating　young　woman。　　She　returned　with　her　patroness　to　Sceaux；　found　many　admirers；　but　married　finally　with　an　eye　to　her　best　worldly　interests；　and；　it　appears；　in　the　main　happilyat　least；　not　unhappily。　　The　shade　of　difference　implies　much。　　She　had　a　keen；　penetrating　intellect　which　nothing　escaped；　and　as　it　had　the　peculiar　clearness　in　which　people　and　events　are　reflected　as　in　a　mirror；　her　observations　are　of　great　value。　　〃Aside　from　the　prose　of　Voltaire；　I　know　of　none　more　agreeable　than　that　of　Mme。　de　Staal　de　Launay；〃　said　Grimm。　　Her　portrait　of　her　mistress　serves　to　paint　herself　as　well。

〃Mme。　la　Duchesse　du　Maine；　at　the　age　of　sixty　years；　has　yet　learned　nothing　from　experience；　she　is　a　child　of　much　talent；　she　has　its　defects　and　its　charms。　　Curious　and　credulous；　she　wishes　to　be　instructed　in　all　the　different　branches　of　knowledge；　but　she　is　contented　with　their　surface。　　The　decisions　of　those　who　educated　her　have　become　for　her　principles　and　rules　upon　which　her　mind　has　never　formed　the　least　doubt；　she　submits　once　for　all。　　Her　provision　for　ideas　is　made；　she　rejects　the　best　demonstrated　truths　and　resists　the　best　reasonings；　if　they　are　contrary　to　the　first　impressions　she　has　received。　　All　examination　is　impossible　to　her　lightness；　and　doubt　is　a　state　which　her　weakness　cannot　support。　　Her　catechism　and　the　philosophy　of　Descartes　are　two　systems　which　she　understands　equally　well　。　。　。　。　　Her　mirror　cannot　make　her　doubt　the　charms　of　her　face；　the　testimony　of　her　eyes　is　more　questionable　than　the　judgment　of　those　who　have　decided　that　she　is　beautiful　and　well…formed。　　Her　vanity　is　of　a　singular　kind；　but　seems　the　less　offensive　because　it　is　not　reflective；　though　in　reality　it　is　the　more　ridiculous；　　Intercourse　with　her　is　a　slavery；　her　tyranny　is　open；　she　does　not　deign　to　color　it　with　the　appearance　of　friendship。　　She　says　frankly　that　she　has　the　misfortune　of　not　being　able　to　do　without　people　for　whom　she　does　not　care。　　She　proves　it　effectually。　　One　sees　her　learn　with　indifference　the　death　of　those　who　would　call　forth　torrents　of　tears　if　they　were　a　quarter　of　an　hour　too　late　for　a　card　party　or　a　promenade。〃

But　this　vain　and　self…willed　woman　read　Virgil　and　Terence　in　the　original；　was　devoted　to　Greek　tragedies；　dipped　into　philosophy；　traversed　the　surface　of　many　sciences；　turned　a　madrigal　with　facility；　and　talked　brilliantly。　　〃The　language　is　perfect　only　when　you　speak　it　or　when　one　speaks　of　you；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　Lambert；　in　a　tone　of　discreet　flattery。　　〃No　one　has　ever　spoken　with　more　correctness；　clearness；　and　rapidity；　neither　in　a　manner　more　noble　or　more　natural；〃　said　Mlle。　de　Launay。

Through　this　feminine　La　Bruyere；　as　Sainte…Beuve　has　styled　her；　we　are　introduced　to　the　life　at　Sceaux。　　It　was　the　habit　of　the　guests　to　assemble　at　eight；　listen　to　music　or　plays；　improvise　verses　for　popular　airs；　relate　racy　anecdotes；　or　amuse　themselves　with　proverbs。　　〃Write　verses　for　me；〃　said　the　insatiable　duchess　when　ill；　〃I　feel　that　verses　only　can　give　me　relief。〃　　The　quality　does　not　seem　to　have　been　essential；　provided　they　were　sufficiently　flattering。　　Sainte…Aulaire　wrote　madrigals　for　her。　　Malezieu；　the　learned　and　versatile　preceptor　of　the　Duc　du　Maine；　read　Sophocles　and　Euripides。　　Mme。　du　Maine　herself　acted　the　roles　of　Athalie　and　Iphigenie　with　the　famous　Baron。　　They　played　at　science；　contemplated　the　heavens　through　a　telescope　and　the　earth　through　a　microscope。　　In　their　eager　search　for　novelty　they　improvised　fetes　that　rivaled　in　magnificence　the　Arabian　Nights；　they　posed　as　gods　and　goddesses；　or；　affecting　simplicity；　assumed　rustic　and　pastoral　characters；　even　to　their　small　economies　and　romantic　platitudes。　　Mythology；　the　chivalry　of　the　Middle　Ages；　costumes；　illuminations；　scenic　effects；　the　triumphs　of　the　artists；　the　wit　of　the　bel　espritall　that　ingenuity　could　devise　or　money　could　buy　was　brought　into　service。　　It　was　the　life　that　Watteau　painted；　with　its　quaint　and　grotesque　fancies；　its　sylvan　divinities；　and　its　sighing　lovers　wandering　in　endless　masquerade；　or　whispering　tender　nothings　on　banks　of　soft　verdure；　amid　the　rustle　of　leaves；　the　sparkle　of　fountains；　the　glitter　of　lights；　and　the　perfume　of　innumerable　flowers。　　It　was　a　perpetual　carnival；　inspired　by　imagination；　animated　by　genius；　and　combining　everything　that　could　charm　the　taste；　distract　the　mind；　and　intoxicate　the　senses。　　The　presiding　genius　of　this　fairy　scene　was　the　irrepressible　duchess；　who　reigned　as　a　goddess　and　demanded　the　homage　due　to　one。　　Well　might　the　weary　courtiers　cry　out　against　les　galeres　du　bel　esprit。

But　this　fantastic　princess　who　carried　on　a　sentimental　correspondence　with　the　blind　La　Motte；　and　posed　as　the　tender　shepherdess　of　the　adoring　but　octogenarian　Sainte…Aulaire；　had　no　really　democratic　notions。　　There　was　no　question　in　her　mind　of　the　divine　right　of　kings　or　of　princesses。　　She　welcomed　Voltaire　because　he　flattered　her　vanity　and　amused　her　guests；　but　she　was　far　enough　from　the　theories　which　were　slowly　fanning　the　sparks　of　the　Revolution。　　Her　rather　imperious　patronage　of　literary　and　scientific　men　set　a　fashion　which　all　her　world　tried　to　follow。　　It　added　doubtless　to　the　prestige　of　those　who　were　insidiously　preparing　the　destruction　of　the　very　foundations　on　which　this　luxurious　and　pleasure…loving　society　rested。　　But；　after　all；　the　bond　between　this　restless；　frivolous；　heartless　coterie　and　the　genuine　men　of　letters　was　very　slight。　　There　was　no　seriousness；　no　earnestness；　no　sincerity；　no　solid　foundation。

The　literary　men；　however；　who　figured　most　conspicuously　in　the　intimate　circle　of　the　Duchesse　du　Maine　were　not　of　the　first　order。　　Malezieu　was　learned；　a　member　of　two　Academies；　faintly　eulogized　by　Fontenelle；　warmly　so　by　Voltaire；　and　not　at　all　by　Mlle。　de　Launay；　but　twenty…five　years　devoted　to　humoring　the　caprices　and　flattering　the　tastes　of　a　vain　and　exacting　patroness　were　not　likely　to　develop　his　highest　possibilities。　　There　is　a　point　where　the　stimulating　atmosphere　of　the　salon　begins　to　enervate。　　His　clever　assistant；　the　Abbe　Genest；　poet　and　Academician；　was　a　sort　of　Voiture；　witty；　versatile；　and　available。　　He　tried　to　put　Descartes　into　verse；　which　suggests　the　quality　of　his　poetry。　　Sainte…Aulaire；　who；　like　his　friend　Fontenelle；　lived　a　century；　frequented　this　society　more　or　less　for　forty　years；　but　his　poems　are　sufficiently　light；　if　one　may　judge　from　a　few　samples；　and　his　genius　doubtless　caught　more　reflections　in　the　salon　than　in　a　larger　world。　　He　owed　his　admission　to　the　Academy　partly　to　a　tender　quatrain　which　he　improvised　in　praise　of　his　lively　patroness。　　It　is　true　we　have　occasional　glimpses　of　Voltaire。　　Once　he　sought　an　asylum　here　for　two　months；　after　one　of　his　numerous　indiscretions；　writing　tales　during　the　day；　which　he　read　to　the　duchess　at　night。　　Again　he　came　with　his　〃divine　Emilie；〃　the　learned　Marquise　du　Chatelet；　who　upset　the　household　with　her　eccentric　ways。　　〃Our　ghosts　do　not　show　themselves　by　day；〃　writes　Mlle。　de　Launay；　〃they　appeared　yesterday　at　ten　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　I　do　not　think　we　shall　see　them　earlier　today；　one　is　writing　high　facts；　the　other；　comments　upon　Newton。　　They　wish　neither　to　play　nor　to　promenade；　they　are　very　useless　in　a　society　where　their　learned　writings　are　of　no