the women of the french salons-第4节

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nage　that　it　would　be　today。　　As　may　readily　be　imagined；　these　new　elements　often　jarred　upon　the　tastes　and　prejudices　of　her　noble　guests；　but　in　spite　of　this　it　was　considered　an　honor　to　be　received　by　her；　and；　though　not　even　a　duchess；　she　was　visited　by　princesses。

Adding　to　this　spirit　of　noble　independence　the　prestige　of　rank；　beauty；　and　fortune；　a　temper　of　mingled　sweetness　and　strength；　versatile　gifts　controlled　by　an　admirable　reason；　a　serene　and　tranquil　character；　a　playful　humor；　free　from　the　caprices　of　a　too　exacting　sensibility；　a　perfect　savoir…faire；　and　we　have　the　unusual　combination　which　enabled　her　to　hold　her　sway　for　so　many　years；　without　a　word　of　censure　from　even　the　most　scandal…　loving　of　chroniclers。

〃We　have　sought　in　vain；〃　writes　Cousin；　〃for　that　which　is　rarely　lacking　in　any　life　of　equal　or　even　less　brilliancy；　some　calumny　or　scandal；　an　equivocal　word；　or　the　lightest　epigram。　　We　have　found　only　a　concert　of　warm　eulogies　which　have　run　through　many　generations。　。　。　。　　She　has　disarmed　Tallemant　himself。　　This　caricaturist　of　the　seventeenth　century　has　been　pitiless　towards　the　habitues　of　her　illustrious　house；　but　he　praises　her　with　a　warmth　which　is　very　impressive　from　such　a　source。〃

The　modern　spirit　of　change　has　long　since　swept　away　all　vestiges　of　the　old　Rue　Saint…Thomas…du…Lourvre　and　the　time…　honored　dwellings　that　ornamented　it。　　Conspicuous　among　these；　and　not　far　from　the　Palais　Royal；　was　the　famous　Hotel　de　Rambouillet。　　The　Salon　Bleu　has　become　historic。　　This　〃sanctuary　of　the　Temple　of　Athene；〃　as　it　was　called　in　the　stilted　language　of　the　day；　has　been　illuminated　for　us　by　the　rank；　beauty；　and　talent　of　the　Augustan　age　of　France。　　We　are　more　or　less　familiar　with　even　the　minute　details　of　the　spacious　room；　whose　long　windows；　looking　across　the　little　garden　towards　the　Tuileries；　let　in　a　flood　of　golden　sunlight。　　We　picture　to　ourselves　its　draperies　of　blue　and　gold；　its　curious　cabinets；　its　choice　works　of　art；　its　Venetian　lamps；　and　its　crystal　vases　always　filled　with　flowers　that　scatter　the　perfume　of　spring。

It　was　here　that　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　held　her　court　for　nearly　thirty　years；　her　salon　reaching　the　height　of　its　power　under　Richelieu；　and　practically　closing　with　the　Fronde。　　She　sought　to　gather　all　that　was　most　distinguished；　whether　for　wit；　beauty；　talent；　or　birth；　into　an　atmosphere　of　refinement　and　simple　elegance；　which　should　tone　down　all　discordant　elements　and　raise　life　to　the　level　of　a　fine　art。　　There　was　a　strongly　intellectual　flavor　in　the　amusements；　as　well　as　in　the　discussions　of　this　salon；　and　the　place　of　honor　was　given　to　genius；　learning；　and　good　manners；　rather　than　to　rank。　　But　it　was　by　no　means　purely　literary。　　The　exclusive　spirit　of　the　old　aristocracy；　with　its　hauteur　and　its　lofty　patronage；　found　itself　face　to　face　with　fresh　ideals。　　The　position　of　the　hostess　enabled　her　to　break　the　traditional　barriers；　and　form　a　society　upon　a　new　basis；　but　in　spite　of　the　mingling　of　classes　hitherto　separated；　the　dominant　life　was　that　of　the　noblesse。　　Woman　of　rank　gave　the　tone　and　made　the　laws。　　Their　code　of　etiquette　was　severe。　　They　aimed　to　combine　the　graces　of　Italy　with　the　chivalry　of　Spain。　　The　model　man　must　have　a　keen　sense　of　honor；　and　wit　without　pedantry；　he　must　be　brave；　heroic；　generous；　gallant；　but　he　must　also　possess　good　breeding　and　gentle　courtesy。　　The　coarse　passions　which　had　disgraced　the　court　were　refined　into　subtle　sentiments；　and　women　were　raised　upon　a　pedestal；　to　be　respectfully　and　platonically　adored。　　In　this　reaction　from　extreme　license；　familiarity　was　forbidden；　and　language　was　subjected　to　a　critical　censorship。　　It　was　here　that　the　word　PRECIEUSE　was　first　used　to　signify　a　woman　of　personal　distinction；　accomplished　in　the　highest　sense；　with　a　perfect　accord　of　intelligence；　good　taste；　and　good　manners。　　Later；　when　pretension　crept　into　the　inferior　circles　which　took　this　one　for　a　model；　the　term　came　to　mean　a　sort　of　intellectual　parvenue；　half　prude　and　half　pedant；　who　affected　learning；　and　paraded　it　like　fine　clothes；　for　effect。

〃Do　you　remember；〃　said　Flechier；　many　years　later；　in　his　funeral　oration　on　the　death　of　the　Duchesse　de　Montausier；　〃the　salons　which　are　still　regarded　with　so　much　veneration；　where　the　spirit　was　purified；　where　virtue　was　revered　under　the　name　of　the　incomparable　Arthenice；　where　people　of　merit　and　quality　assembled；　who　composed　a　select　court；　numerous　without　confusion；　modest　without　constraint；　learned　without　pride；　polished　without　affectation？〃

Whatever　allowance　we　may　be　disposed　to　make　for　the　friendship　of　the　eminent　abbe；　he　spoke　with　the　authority　of　personal　knowledge；　and　at　a　time　when　the　memories　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　were　still　fresh。　　It　is　true　that　those　who　belonged　to　this　professed　school　of　morals　were　not　all　patterns　of　decorum。　　But　we　cannot　judge　by　the　Anglo…Saxon　standards　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　faults　of　an　age　in　which　a　Ninon　de　L'Enclos　lives　on　terms　of　veiled　intimacy　with　a　strait…laced　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　and；　when　age　has　given　her　a　certain　title　to　respectability；　receives　in　her　salon　women　of　as　spotless　reputation　as　Mme。　de　La　Fayette。　　Measured　from　the　level　of　their　time；　the　lives　of　the　Rambouillet　coterie　stand　out　white　and　shining。　　The　pure　character　of　the　Marquise　and　her　daughters　was　above　reproach；　and　they　were　quoted　as　〃models　whom　all　the　world　cited；　all　the　world　admired；　and　every　one　tried　to　imitate。〃　　To　be　a　precieuse　was　in　itself　an　evidence　of　good　conduct。

〃This　salon　was　a　resort　not　only　for　all　the　fine　wits；　but　for　every　one　who　frequented　the　court；〃　writes　Mme。　de　Motteville。　　〃It　was　a　sort　of　academy　of　beaux　esprits；　of　gallantry；　of　virtue；　and　of　science；〃　says　St。　Simon；　〃for　these　things　accorded　marvelously。　　It　was　a　rendevous　of　all　that　was　most　distinguished　in　condition　and　in　merit；　a　tribunal　with　which　it　was　necessary　to　count；　and　whose　decisions　upon　the　conduct　and　reputation　of　people　of　the　court　and　the　world；　had　great　weight。〃

Corneille　read　most　of　his　dramas　here；　and；　if　report　be　true；　read　them　very　badly。　　He　says　of　himself：

Et　l'on　peut　rarement　m'ecouter　sans　ennui；　Que　quand　je　me　produis　par　la　bouche　d'autrui。

He　was　shy；　awkward；　ill　at　ease；　not　clear　in　speech；　and　rather　heavy　in　conversation；　but　the　chivalric　and　heroic　character　of　his　genius　was　quite　in　accord　with　the　lofty　and　rather　romantic　standards　affected　by　this　circle；　and　made　him　one　of　its　central　literary　figures。　　Another　was　Balzac；　whose　fine　critical　taste　did　so　much　for　the　elegance　and　purity　of　the　French　language；　and　who　was　as　noted　in　his　day　as　was　his　namesake；　the　brilliant　author　of　the　〃Comedie　Humaine；〃　two　centuries　later。　　His　long　letters　to　the　Marquise；　on　the　Romans；　were　read　and　discussed　in　his　absence；　and　it　was　through　his　influence；　added　to　her　own　classic　ideals；　that　Roman　dignity　and　urbanity　were　accepted　as　models　in　the　new　code　of　manners；　indeed；　it　was　he　who　introduced　the　word　URBANITE　into　the　language。　　Armand　du　Plessis；　who　aimed　to　be　poet　as　well　as　statesman；　read　here　in　his　youth　a　thesis　on　love。　　When　did　a　Frenchman　ever　fail　to　write　with　facility　upon　this　fertile　theme？　　After　he　became　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　he　feared　the　influence　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　sent　a　request　to　its　hostess　to　report　what　was　said　of　him　there。　　She　replied　with　consummate　tact；　that　her　guests　were　so　strongly　persuaded　of　her　friendship　for　his　Eminence；　that　no　one　would　have　the　temerity　to　speak　ill　of　him　in　her　presence。

Even　the　Grand　Conde　courted　the　muses；　and　wrote　verses　which　were　bad　for　a　poet；　though　fairly　good　for　a　warrior。　　If　it　be　true　that　every　man　is　a　poet　once　in　his　life；　we　may　infer　that　this　was　about　the　time　of　his　sad　little　romance　with　the　pretty　and　charming　Mlle。　du　Vigean；　who　was　one　of　the　youthful　attractions　of　this　coterie。　　Family　ambition　stood　in　the　way　of　their　marriage；　and　the　prince　yielded　to　the　wishes　of　his　friends。　　The　Grande　Mademoiselle　tells　us　that　this　was　the　only　veritable　passion　of　the　brave　young　hero　of　many　battles；　and　that　he　fainted　at　the　final　separation。　　United　to　a　wife　he　did　not　love；　and　whom　he　did　not　scruple　to　treat　very　ill；　he　gave　himself　to　glory　and；　it　must　be　added；　to　unworthy　intrigues。　　The　pure…hearted　young　girl　buried　her　beauty　and　her　sorrows　in　the　convent　of　the　Carmelites；　and　was　no　more　heard　of　in　the　gay　world。

It　is　evident　that　the　great　soldier　sometimes　forgot　the　urbanity　which　was　so　strongly　insisted　upon　in　this　society。　　He　is　said　to　have　carried　the　impetuosity　of　his　character　into　his　conversation。　　When　he　had　a　good　cause；　he　sustained　it　with　grace　and　amiability。　　If　it　was　a　bad　one；　however；　his　eyes　flashed；　and　he　became　so　violent　that　it　was　thought　prudent　not　to　contradict　him。　　It　is　related　that　Boileau；　after　yielding　one　day　in　a　dispute；　remarked　in　a　low　voice　to　a　friend：　〃Hereafter　I　shall　always　be　of　the　opinion　of　the　Prince　when　he　is　wrong。〃

Bossuet；　when　a　b