the women of the french salons-第36节

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　shading；　but　with　the　cardinal　doctrine　of　freedom　and　equality　pervading　it　all；　had　found　a　rapidly　growing　audience。　　It　no　longer　needed　careful　nursing；　in　the　second　half　of　the　century。　　It　had　invaded　the　salons　of　the　haute　noblesse；　and　was　discussed　even　in　the　anterooms　of　the　court。　　Mme。　de　Pompadour　herself　stole　away　from　her　tiresome　lover…king　to　the　freethinking　coterie　that　met　in　her　physician's　apartments　in　the　Entresol　at　Versailles；　and　included　the　greatest　iconoclasts　of　the　age。　　If　she　had　any　misgivings　as　to　the　outcome　of　these　discussions；　they　were　fearlessly　cast　aside　with　〃Apres　Nous　le　Deluge。〃　　〃In　the　depth　of　her　heart　she　was　with　us；〃　said　Voltaire　when　she　died。

There　were　clairvoyant　spirits　who　traced　the　new　theories　to　their　logical　results。　　Mme。　du　Deffand　speaks　with　prophetic　vision　of　the　reasoners　and　beaux　esprits　〃who　direct　the　age　and　lead　it　to　its　ruin。〃　　There　were　conservative　women；　too；　who　used　their　powerful　influence　against　them。　　It　was　in　the　salon　of　the　delicate　but　ardent　young　Princesse　de　Robecq　that　Palissot　was　inspired　to　write　the　satirical　comedy　of　〃The　Philosophers；〃　in　which　Rousseau　was　represented　as　entering　on　all　fours；　browsing　a　lettuce；　and　the　Encyclopedists　were　so　mercilessly　ridiculed。　　This　spirited　and　heroic　daughter…in…law　of　the　Duchesse　de　Luxembourg；　the　powerful　patroness　of　Rousseau；　was　hopelessly　ill　at　the　time；　and；　in　a　caustic　reply　to　the　clever　satire；　the　abbe　Morellet　did　not　spare　the　beautiful　invalid　who　desired　for　her　final　consolation　only　to　see　its　first　performance　and　be　able　to　say；　〃Now；　Lord；　thou　lettest　thy　servant　depart　in　peace；　for　mine　eyes　have　seen　vengeance。〃　　The　cruel　attack　was　thought　to　have　hastened　her　death；　and　the　witty　abbe　was　sent　to　the　Bastille；　but　he　came　out　in　two　months；　went　away　for　a　time；　and　returned　a　greater　hero　than　ever。　　There　is　a　picture；　full　of　pathetic　significance；　which　represents　the　dying　princess　on　her　pillow；　crowned　with　a　halo　of　sanctity；　as　she　devotes　her　last　hours　to　the　defense　of　the　faith　she　loves。　　One　is　reminded　of　the　sweet　and　earnest　souls　of　Port　Royal；　but　her　vigorous　protest；　which　furnished　only　a　momentary　target　for　the　wit　of　the　philosophers；　was　lost　in　the　oncoming　wave　of　skepticism。

The　vogue　of　these　men　received　its　final　stamp　in　the　admiring　patronage　of　the　greatest　sovereigns　in　Europe。　　Voltaire　had　his　well…known　day　of　power　at　the　court　of　Frederick　the　Great。　　Grimm　and　Diderot；　too；　were　honored　guests　of　that　most　liberal　of　despots；　and　discussed　their　novel　theories　in　familiar　fashion　with　Catherine　II；　at　St。　Petersburg。　　The　reply　of　this　astute　and　clear…sighted　empress　to　the　eloquent　plea　of　Diderot　may　be　commended　for　its　wisdom　to　the　dreamers　and　theorists　of　today。

〃I　have　heard；　with　the　greatest　pleasure；　all　that　your　brilliant　intellect　has　inspired　you　to　say；　but　with　all　your　grand　principles；　which　I　comprehend　very　well；　one　makes　fine　books　and　bad　business。　　You　forget　in　all　your　plans　of　reform　the　difference　of　our　two　positions。　　You　work　only　on　paper；　which　permits　everything；　it　is　quite　smooth　and　pliant；　and　opposes　no　obstacles　to　your　imagination　nor　to　your　pen；　while　I；　poor　empress；　I　work　upon　the　human　cuticle；　which　is　quite　sensitive　and　irritable。〃

It　is　needless　to　say　that　the　men　so　honored　by　sovereigns　were　petted　in　the　salons；　in　spite　of　their　disfavor　with　the　Government。　　They　dined；　talked；　posed　as　lions　or　as　martyrs；　and　calmly　bided　their　time。　　The　persecution　of　the　Encyclopedists　availed　little　more　than　satire　had　done；　in　stemming　the　slowly　rising　tide　of　public　opinion。　　Utopian　theories　took　form　in　the　ultra　circles；　were　insidiously　disseminated　in　the　moderate　ones；　and　were　lightly　discussed　in　the　fashionable　ones。　　Men　who　talked；　and　women　who　added　enthusiasm；　were　alike　unconscious　of　the　dynamic　force　of　the　material　with　which　they　were　playing。

Of　the　salons　which　at　this　period　had　a　European　reputation；　the　most　noted　were　those　of　Mme。　du　Deffand；　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　and　Mme。　Geoffrin。　　The　first　was　the　resort　of　the　more　intellectual　of　the　noblesse；　as　well　as　the　more　famous　of　the　men　of　letters。　　The　two　worlds　mingled　here；　the　tone　was　spiced　with　wit　and　animated　with　thought；　but　it　was　essentially　aristocratic。　　The　second　was　the　rallying　point　of　the　Encyclopedists　and　much　frequented　by　political　reformers；　but　the　rare　gifts　of　its　hostess　attracted　many　from　the　great　world。　　The　last　was　moderate　in　tone；　though　philosophical　and　thoroughly　cosmopolitan。　　Sainte…Beuve　pronounced　it　〃the　most　complete；　the　best　organized；　and　best　conducted　of　its　time；　the　best　established　since　the　foundation　of　the　salons；　that　is；　since　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet。〃

〃Do　you　know　why　La　Geoffrin　comes　here？　　It　is　to　see　what　she　can　gather　from　my　inventory；〃　remarked　Mme。　de　Tencin　on　her　death　bed。　　She　understood　thoroughly　her　world；　and　knew　that　her　friend　wished　to　capture　the　celebrities　who　were　in　the　habit　of　meeting　in　her　salon。　　But　she　does　not　seem　to　have　borne　her　any　ill　will　for　her　rather　premature　schemes；　as　she　gave　her　a　characteristic　piece　of　advice：　〃Never　refuse　any　advance　of　friendship；〃　she　said；　〃for；　if　nine　out　of　ten　bring　you　nothing；　one　alone　may　repay　you。　　Everything　is　of　service　in　a　menage　if　one　knows　how　to　use　his　tools。〃　　Mme。　Geoffrin　was　an　apt　pupil　in　the　arts　of　diplomacy；　and　the　key　to　her　remarkable　social　success　may　be　found　in　her　ready　assimilation　of　the　worldly　wisdom　of　her　sage　counselor。　　But　to　this　she　added　a　far　kinder　heart　and　a　more　estimable　character。

Of　all　the　women　who　presided　over　famous　salons；　Mme。　Geoffrin　had　perhaps　the　least　claim　to　intellectual　preeminence。　　The　secret　of　her　power　must　have　lain　in　some　intangible　quality　that　has　failed　to　be　perpetuated　in　any　of　her　sayings　or　doings。　　A　few　commonplace　and　ill…spelled　letters；　a　few　wise　or　witty　words；　are　all　the　direct　record　she　has　left　of　herself。　　Without　rank；　beauty；　youth；　education；　or　remarkable　mental　gifts　of　a　sort　that　leave　permanent　traces；　she　was　the　best　representative　of　the　women　of　her　time　who　held　their　place　in　the　world　solely　through　their　skill　in　organizing　and　conducting　a　salon。　　She　was　in　no　sense　a　luminary；　and　conscious　that　she　could　not　shine　by　her　own　light；　she　was　bent　upon　shining　by　that　of　others。　　But；　in　a　social　era　so　brilliant；　even　this　implied　talent　of　a　high　order。　　A　letter　to　the　Empress　of　Russia；　in　reply　to　a　question　concerning　her　early　education；　throws　a　ray　of　light　upon　her　youth　and　her　peculiar　training。

〃I　lost　my　father　and　mother；〃　she　writes；　〃in　the　cradle。　　I　was　brought　up　by　an　aged　grandmother；　who　had　much　intelligence　and　a　well…balanced　head。　　She　had　very　little　education；　but　her　mind　was　so　clear；　so　ready；　so　active；　that　it　never　failed　her；　it　served　always　in　the　place　of　knowledge。　　She　spoke　so　agreeably　of　the　things　she　did　not　know　that　no　one　wished　her　to　understand　them　better；　and　when　her　ignorance　was　too　visible；　she　got　out　of　it　by　pleasantries　which　baffled　the　pedants　who　tried　to　humiliate　her。　　She　was　so　contented　with　her　lot　that　she　looked　upon　knowledge　as　a　very　useless　thing　for　a　woman。　　She　said：　'I　have　done　without　it　so　well　that　I　have　never　felt　the　need　of　it。　　If　my　granddaughter　is　stupid；　learning　will　make　her　conceited　and　insupportable；　if　she　has　talent　and　sensibility；　she　will　do　as　I　have　donesupply　by　address　and　with　sentiment　what　she　does　not　know；　when　she　becomes　more　reasonable；　she　will　learn　that　for　which　she　has　the　most　aptitude；　and　she　will　learn　it　very　quickly。'　　She　taught　me　in　my　childhood　simply　to　read；　but　she　made　me　read　much；　she　taught　me　to　think　by　making　me　reason；　she　taught　me　to　know　men　by　making　me　say　what　I　thought　of　them；　and　telling　me　also　the　opinion　she　had　formed。　　She　required　me　to　render　her　an　account　of　all　my　movements　and　all　my　feelings；　correcting　them　with　so　much　sweetness　and　grace　that　I　never　concealed　from　her　anything　that　I　thought　or　felt；　my　internal　life　was　as　visible　as　my　external。　　My　education　was　continual。〃

The　daughter　of　a　valet　de　chambre　of　the　Duchess　of　Burgundy；　who　gave　her　a　handsome　dowry；　Marie　Therese　Rodet　became；　at　fourteen；　the　wife　of　a　lieutenant…colonel　of　the　National　Guard　and　a　rich　manufacturer　of　glass。　　Her　husband　did　not　count　for　much　among　the　distinguished　guests　who　in　later　years　frequented　her　salon；　and　his　part　in　her　life　seems　to　have　consisted　mainly　in　furnishing　the　money　so　essential　to　her　success；　and　in　looking　carefully　after　the　interests　of　the　menage。　　It　is　related　that　some　one　gave　him　a　history　to　read；　and　when　he　called　for　the　successive　volumes　the　same　one　was　always　returned　to　him。　　Not　observing　this；　he　found　the　work　interesting；　but　〃thought　the　author　repeated　a　little。〃　　He　read　across　the　page　a　book　printed　in　two　columns；　remarking　that　〃it　seemed　to　be　very　good；　but　a　trifle　abstract。〃　　One　day　a　visitor　inquired　for　the　white…haired　old　gentleman　who　was　in　the　habit　of　sitting　at　the　head　of　the　table。