the women of the french salons-第35节

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　us　in　the　familiar　letters　of　Mme。　de　Graffigny；　in　the　rather　malicious　sketches　of　the　Marquise　de　Crequi；　and　in　the　still　more　strongly　outlined　portrait　or　Mme。　du　Deffand；　as　a　veritable　bas　bleu；　learned；　pedantic；　eccentric；　and　without　grace　or　beauty。　　〃Imagine　a　woman　tall　and　hard；　with　florid　complexion；　face　sharp；　nose　pointedVOILA　LA　BELLE　EMILIE；〃　writes　the　latter；　〃a　face　with　which　she　was　so　contented　that　she　spared　nothing　to　set　it　off；　curls；　topknots；　precious　stones；　all　are　in　profusion　。　。　。　　She　was　born　with　much　esprit；　the　desire　of　appearing　to　have　more　made　her　prefer　the　study　of　the　abstract　sciences　to　agreeable　branches　of　knowledge；　she　thought　by　this　singularity　to　attain　a　greater　reputation　and　a　decided　superiority　over　all　other　women。　　Madame　worked　with　so　much　care　to　seem　what　she　was　not；　that　no　one　knew　exactly　what　she　was；　even　her　defects　were　not　natural。〃　　〃She　talks　like　an　angel〃〃she　sings　divinely〃〃our　sex　ought　to　erect　altars　to　her；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　Graffigny　during　a　visit　at　her　chateau。　　A　few　weeks　later　her　tone　changed。　　They　had　quarreled。　　Of　such　stuff　is　history　made。　　But　she　had　already　given　a　charming　picture　of　the　life　at　Cirey。

Mme。　du　Chatelet　plunged　into　abstractions　during　the　day。　　In　the　evening　she　was　no　more　the　savante；　but　gave　herself　up　to　the　pleasures　of　society　with　the　ardor　of　a　nature　that　was　extreme　in　everything。　　Voltaire　read　his　poetry　and　his　dramas；　told　stories　that　made　them　weep　and　then　laugh　at　their　tears；　improvised　verses；　and　amused　them　with　marionettes；　or　the　magic　lantern。　　La　belle　Emilie　criticized　the　poems；　sang；　and　played　prominent　parts　in　the　comedies　and　tragedies　of　the　philosopher　poet；　which　were　first　given　in　her　little　private　theater。　　Among　the　guests　were　the　eminent　scientist；　Maupertuis；　her　life…long　friend　and　teacher；　the　Italian　savant；　Algarotti；　President　Henault；　Helvetius；　the　poet；　Saint…Lambert；　and　many　others　of　equal　distinction。　　〃Of　what　do　we　not　talk！〃　writes　Mme。　de　Graffigny。　　〃Poetry；　science；　art；　everything；　in　a　tone　of　graceful　badinage。　　I　should　like　to　be　able　to　send　you　these　charming　conversations；　these　enchanting　conversations；　but　it　is　not　in　me。〃

Mme。　du　Chatelet　owned　for　several　years　the　celebrated　Hotel　Lambert；　and　a　choice　company　of　savants　assembled　there　as　in　the　days　when　Mme。　de　Lambert　presided　in　those　stately　apartments。　　But　this　learned　salon　had　only　a　limited　vogue。　　The　thinking　was　high；　but　the　dinners　were　too　plain。　　The　real　life　of　Mme。　du　Chatelet　was　an　intimate　one。　　〃I　confess　that　in　love　and　friendship　lies　all　my　happiness；〃　said　this　astronomer；　metaphysician；　and　mathematician；　who　wrote　against　revelation　and　went　to　mass　with　her　free…thinking　lover。　　Her　learning　and　eccentricities　made　her　the　target　for　many　shafts　of　ridicule；　but　she　counted　for　much　with　Voltaire；　and　her　chief　title　to　fame　lies　in　his　long　and　devoted　friendship。　　He　found　the　〃sublime　and　respectable　Emilie〃　the　incarnation　of　all　the　virtues；　though　a　trifle　ill…tempered。　　The　contrast　between　his　kindly　portrait　and　those　of　her　feminine　friends　is　striking　and　rather　suggestive。

〃She　joined　to　the　taste　for　glory　a　simplicity　which　does　not　always　accompany　it；　but　which　is　often　the　fruit　of　serious　studies。　　No　woman　was　ever　so　learned；　and　no　one　deserves　less　to　be　called　a　femme　savante。　　Born　with　a　singular　eloquence；　this　eloquence　manifested　itself　only　when　she　found　subjects　worthy　of　it　。　。　。　　The　fitting　word；　precision；　justness；　and　force　were　the　characteristics　of　her　style。　　She　would　rather　write　like　Pascal　and　Nicole　than　like　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　but　this　severe　strength　and　this　vigorous　temper　of　her　mind　did　not　render　her　inaccessible　to　the　beauties　of　sentiment。　　The　charms　of　poetry　and　eloquence　penetrated　her；　and　no　one　was　ever　more　sensitive　to　harmony　。　。　。　　She　gave　herself　to　the　great　world　as　to　study。　　Everything　that　occupies　society　was　in　her　province　except　scandal。　　She　was　never　known　to　repeat　an　idle　story。　　She　had　neither　time　nor　disposition　to　give　attention　to　such　things；　and　when　told　that　some　one　had　done　her　an　injustice；　she　replied　that　she　did　not　wish　to　hear　about　it。〃

〃She　led　him　a　life　a　little　hard；〃　said　Mme。　de　Graffigny；　after　her　quarrel；　but　he　seems　to　have　found　it　agreeable；　and　broke　his　heartfor　a　short　timewhen　she　died。　　〃I　have　lost　half　of　my　being；〃　he　wrote〃a　soul　for　which　mine　was　made。〃　　To　Marmontel　he　says：　〃Come　and　share　my　sorrow。　　I　have　lost　my　illustrious　friend。　　I　am　in　despair。　　I　am　inconsolable。〃　　One　cannot　believe　that　so　clear…sighted　a　man；　even　though　a　poet；　could　live　for　twenty　years　under　the　spell　of　a　pure　illusion。　　What　heart　revelations；　what　pictures　of　contemporary　life；　were　lost　in　the　eight　large　volumes　of　his　letters　which　were　destroyed　at　her　death！

While　Mme。　de　Tencin　studied　men　and　affairs；　Mme。　du　Chatelet　studied　books。　　One　was　mistress　of　the　arts　of　diplomacy；　gentle　but　intriguing；　ambitious；　always　courting　society　and　shunning　solitude。　　The　other　was　violent　and　imperious；　hated　finesse；　and　preferred　burying　herself　among　the　rare　treasures　of　her　library　at　Cirey。

The　influence　of　Mme。　de　Tencin　was　felt；　not　only　in　the　social　and　intellectual；　but　in　the　political　life　of　the　century。　　The　traditions　of　her　salon　lingered　in　those　which　followed；　modified　by　the　changes　that　time　and　personal　taste　always　bring。　　Mme。　du　Chatelet　was　more　learned；　but　she　lacked　the　tact　and　charm　which　give　wide　personal　ascendancy。　　Her　influence　was　largely　individual；　and　her　books　have　been　mostly　forgotten。　　These　women　were　alike　defiant　of　morality；　but　taken　all　in　all；　the　character　of　Mme。　Chatelet　has　more　redeeming　points；　though　little　respect　can　be　accorded　to　either。　　With　the　wily　intellect　of　a　Talleyrand；　Mme。　de　Tencin　represents　the　social　genius；　the　intelligence；　the　esprit；　and　the　worst　vices　of　the　century　on　which　she　has　left　such　conspicuous　traces。

〃She　knew　my　tastes　and　always　offered　me　those　dishes　I　preferred；〃　said　Fontenelle　when　she　died　in　1740。　　〃It　is　an　irreparable　loss。〃　　Perhaps　his　hundred　years　should　excuse　his　not　going　to　her　funeral　for　fear　of　catching　cold。


CHAPTER　XII。　MADAME　GEOFFRIN　AND　THE　PHILOSOPHERS　Cradles　of　the　New　PhilosophyNoted　Salons　of　this　Period　　　Character　of　Mme。　GeoffrinHer　Practical　EducationAnecdotes　of　her　HusbandComposition　of　her　SalonIts　Insidious　InfluenceHer　Journey　to　WarsawHer　Death

During　the　latter　half　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　center　of　social　life　was　no　longer　the　court；　but　the　salons。　　They　had　multiplied　indefinitely；　and；　representing　every　shade　of　taste　and　thought；　had　reached　the　climax　of　their　power　as　schools　of　public　opinion；　as　well　as　their　highest　perfection　in　the　arts　and　amenities　of　a　brilliant　and　complex　society。　　There　was　a　slight　reaction　from　the　reckless　vices　and　follies　of　the　regency。　　If　morals　were　not　much　better；　manners　were　a　trifle　more　decorous。　　Though　the　great　world　did　not　take　the　tone　of　stately　elegance　and　rigid　propriety　which　it　had　assumed　under　the　rule　of　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　it　was　superficially　polished；　and　a　note　of　thoughtfulness　was　added。　　Affairs　in　France　had　taken　too　serious　an　aspect　to　be　ignored；　and　the　theories　of　the　philosophers　were　among　the　staple　topics　of　conversation；　indeed；　it　was　the　great　vogue　of　the　philosophers　that　gave　many　of　the　most　noted　social　centers　their　prestige　and　their　fame。　　It　is　not　the　salons　of　the　high　nobility　that　suggest　themselves　as　the　typical　ones　of　this　age。　　It　is　those　which　were　animated　by　the　habitual　presence　of　the　radical　leaders　of　French　thought。　　Economic　questions　and　the　rights　of　man　were　discussed　as　earnestly　in　these　brilliant　coteries　as　matters　of　faith　and　sentiment；　of　etiquette　and　morals；　had　been　a　hundred　years　before。　　Such　subjects　were　forced　upon　them　by　the　inexorable　logic　of　events；　and　fashion；　which　must　needs　adapt　itself　in　some　measure　to　the　world　over　which　it　rules；　took　them　up。　　If　the　drawing　rooms　of　the　seventeenth　century　were　the　cradles　of　refined　manners　and　a　new　literature；　those　of　the　eighteenth　were　literally　the　cradles　of　a　new　philosophy。

The　practical　growth　and　spread　of　French　philosophy　was　too　closely　interwoven　with　the　history　of　the　salons　not　to　call　for　a　word　here。　　Its　innovations　were　faintly　prefigured　in　the　coterie　of　Mme。　de　Lambert；　where　it　colored　almost　imperceptibly　the　literary　and　critical　discussions。　　But　its　foundations　were　more　firmly　laid　in　the　drawing　room　of　Mme。　de　Tencin；　where　the　brilliant　wit　and　radical　theories　of　Montesquieu；　as　well　as　the　pronounced　materialism　of　Helvetius；　found　a　congenial　atmosphere。　　Though　the　mingled　romance　and　satire　of　the　〃Persian　Letters；〃　with　their　covert　attack　upon　the　state　and　society；　raised　a　storm　of　antagonism；　they　called　out　a　burst　of　admiration　as　well。　　The　original　and　aggressive　thought　of　men　like　Voltaire；　Rousseau；　d'Alembert；　and　Diderot；　with　its　diversity　of　shading；　but　with　the　cardinal　doctrine　of　freedom　and　equality　pervading　it　all；　had　found　a　rapid