the women of the french salons-第42节

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he　energy　and　force　of　her　intellect　could　as　little　tolerate　shallowness　and　pretension；　however　disguised　beneath　the　graceful　tyranny　of　forms。　　Her　salon　offers　a　sort　of　compromise　between　the　freedom　of　the　philosophical　coteries　and　the　frivolities　of　the　purely　fashionable　ones。　　It　included　the　most　noted　of　the　men　of　lettersthose　who　belonged　to　the　old　aristocracy　and　a　few　to　whom　nature　had　given　a　prescriptive　title　of　nobilityas　well　as　the　flower　of　the　great　world。　　Her　sarcastic　wit；　her　clear　intelligence；　and　her　rare　conversational　gifts　added　a　tone　of　individuality　that　placed　her　salon　at　the　head　of　the　social　centers　of　the　time　in　brilliancy　and　in　esprit。　　In　this　group　of　wits；　LITTERATEURS；　philosophers；　statesmen；　churchmen；　diplomats；　and　men　of　rank；　Mme。　du　Deffand　herself　is　always　the　most　striking　figure。　　The　art　of　self…suppression　she　clearly　did　not　possess。　　But　the　art　of　so　blending　a　choice　society　that　her　own　vivid　personality　was　a　pervading　note　of　harmony　she　had　to　an　eminent　degree。　　She　could　easily　have　made　a　mark　upon　her　time　through　her　intellectual　gifts　without　the　factitious　aid　of　the　men　with　whom　her　name　is　associated。　　But　society　was　her　passion　　　society　animated　by　intellect；　sparkling　with　wit；　and　expressing　in　all　its　forms　the　art　instincts　of　her　race。　　She　never　aspired　to　authorship；　but　she　has　left　a　voluminous　correspondence　in　which　one　reads　the　varying　phases　of　a　singularly　capricious　character。　　In　her　old　age　she　found　refuge　from　a　devouring　ennui　in　writing　her　own　memoirs。　　Merciless　to　herself　as　to　others；　she　veils　nothing；　revealing　her　frailties　with　a　freedom　that　reminds　one　of　Rousseau。

It　is　not　the　portrait　of　an　estimable　woman　that　we　can　paint　from　these　records；　but　in　her　intellectual　force；　her　social　gifts；　and　her　moral　weakness　she　is　one　of　the　best　exponents　of　an　age　that　trampled　upon　the　finest　flowers　of　the　soul　in　the　blind　pursuit　of　pleasure　and　the　cynical　worship　of　a　hard　and　unpitying　realism。　　Living　from　1697　to　1780；　she　saw　the　train　laid　for　the　Revolution；　and　died　in　time　to　escape　its　horrors。　　She　traversed　the　whole　experience　of　the　women　of　her　world　with　the　independence　and　abandon　of　a　nature　that　was　moderate　in　nothing。　　It　is　true　she　felt　the　emptiness　of　this　arid　existence；　and　had　an　intellectual　perception　of　its　errors；　but　she　saw　nothing　better。　　〃All　conditions　appear　to　me　equally　unhappy；　from　the　angel　to　the　oyster；〃　is　the　burden　of　her　hopeless　refrain。

She　reveals　herself　to　us　as　two　distinct　characters。　　The　one　best　known　is　hard；　bitter；　coldly　analytic；　and　mocks　at　everything　bordering　upon　sentiment　or　feeling。　　The　other；　which　underlies　this；　and　of　which　we　have　rare　glimpses；　is　frank；　tender；　loving　even　to　weakness；　and　forever　at　war　with　the　barrenness　of　a　period　whose　worst　faults　she　seems　to　have　embodied；　and　whose　keenest　penalties　she　certainly　suffered。

Voltaire；　the　lifelong　friend　whom　she　loved；　but　critically　measured；　was　three　years　old　when　she　was　born；　Mme。　de　Sevigne　had　been　dead　nearly　a　year。　　Of　a　noble　family　in　Burgundy；　Marie　de　Vichy…Chamroud　was　brought　to　Paris　at　six　years　of　age　and　placed　in　the　convent　of　St。　Madeleine　de　Traisnel；　where　she　was　educated　after　the　superficial　fashion　which　she　so　much　regrets　in　later　years。　　She　speaks　of　herself　as　a　romantic；　imaginative　child；　but　she　began　very　early　to　shock　the　pious　sisters　by　her　dawning　skepticism。　　One　of　the　nuns　had　a　wax　figure　of　the　infant　Jesus；　which　she　discovered　to　have　been　a　doll　formerly　dressed　to　represent　the　Spanish　fashions　to　Anne　of　Austria。　　This　was　the　first　blow　to　her　illusions；　and　had　a　very　perceptible　influence　upon　her　life。　　She　pronounced　it　a　deception。　　Eight　days　of　solitude　with　a　diet　of　bread　and　water　failed　to　restore　her　reverence。　　〃It　does　not　depend　upon　me　to　believe　or　disbelieve；〃　she　said。　　The　eloquent　and　insinuating　Massillon　was　called　in　to　talk　with　her。　　〃She　is　charming；〃　was　his　remark；　as　he　left　her　after　two　hours　of　conversation；　adding　thoughtfully；　〃Give　her　a　five…cent　catechism。〃

Skeptical　by　nature　and　saturated　with　the　free…thinking　spirit　of　the　time；　she　reasoned　that　all　religion　was　au　fond；　only　paganism　disguised。　　In　later　years；　when　her　isolated　soul　longed　for　some　tangible　support；　she　spoke　regretfully　of　the　philosophic　age　which　destroyed　beliefs　by　explaining　and　analyzing　everything。

But　a　beautiful；　clever；　high…spirited　girl　of　sixteen　is　apt　to　feel　her　youth　all　suffering。　　It　is　certain　that　she　had　no　inclination　towards　the　life　of　a　religieuse；　and　the　country　quickly　became　insupportable　after　her　return　to　its　provincial　society。　　Ennui　took　possession　of　her。　　She　was　glad　even　to　go　to　confessional；　for　the　sake　of　telling　her　thoughts　to　some　one。　　She　complained　bitterly　that　the　life　of　women　compelled　dependence　upon　the　conduct　of　others；　submission　to　all　ills　and　all　consequences。　　Long　afterwards　she　said　that　she　would　have　married　the　devil　if　he　had　been　clothed　as　a　gentleman　and　assured　her　a　moderate　life。　　But　a　husband　was　at　last　found　for　her；　and　merely　to　escape　the　monotony　of　her　secluded　existence；　she　was　glad；　at　twenty…one；　to　become　the　wife　of　the　Marquis　du　Deffanda　good　but　uninteresting　man；　much　older　than　herself。

Brilliant；　fascinating；　restless；　eager　to　see　and　to　learn；　she　felt　herself　in　her　element　in　the　gay　world　of　Paris。　　She　confessed　that；　for　the　moment；　she　almost　loved　her　husband　for　bringing　her　there。　　But　the　moment　was　a　short　one。　　They　did　not　even　settle　down　to　what　a　witty　Frenchman　calls　the　〃politeness　of　two　indifferences。〃　　It　is　a　curious　commentary　upon　the　times；　that　the　beautiful　but　notorious　Mme。　de　Parabere；　who　introduced　her　at　once　into　her　own　unscrupulous　world　and　the　petits　soupers　of　the　Regent；　condoled　with　the　young　bride　upon　her　marriage；　regretting　that　she　had　not　taken　the　easy　vows　of　a　chanoinesse；　as　Mme。　de　Tencin　had　done。　　〃In　that　case；〃　she　said；　〃you　would　have　been　free；　well　placed　everywhere；　with　the　stability　of　a　married　woman；　a　revenue　which　permits　one　to　live　and　accept　aid　from　others；　the　independence　of　a　widow；　without　the　ties　which　a　family　imposes；　unquestioned　rank；　which　you　would　owe　to　no　one；　indulgence；　and　impunity。　　For　these　advantages　there　is　only　the　trouble　of　wearing　a　cross；　which　is　becoming；　black　or　gray　habits；　which　can　be　made　as　magnificent　as　one　likes；　a　little　imperceptible　veil；　and　a　knitting　sheath。〃

Under　such　teaching　she　was　not　long　in　taking　her　own　free　and　independent　course；　which　was　reckless　even　in　that　age　of　laxity。　　At　her　first　supper　at　the　Palais　Royal　she　met　Voltaire　and　fascinated　the　Regent；　though　her　reign　lasted　but　a　few　days。　　The　counsels　of　her　aunt；　the　dignified　Duchesse　de　Luynes；　availed　nothing。　　Her　husband　was　speedily　sent　off　on　some　mission　to　the　provinces　and　she　plunged　into　the　current。　　Once　afterwards；　in　a　fit　of　ennui；　she　recalled　him；　frankly　stating　her　position。　　But　she　quickly　wearied　of　him　again；　grew　dull；　silent；　lost　her　vivacity；　and　fell　into　a　profound　melancholy。　　Her　friend　Mme。　de　Parabere　took　it　upon　herself　to　explain　to　him　the　facts；　and　he　kindly　relieved　her　forever　of　his　presence；　leaving　a　touching　and　pathetic　letter　which　gave　her　a　moment　of　remorse　in　spite　of　her　lightened　heart。　　This　sin　against　good　taste　the　Parisian　world　could　not　forgive；　and　even　her　friends　turned　against　her　for　a　time。　　But　the　Duchesse　due　Maine　came　to　her　aid　with　an　all…powerful　influence；　and　restored　her　finally　to　her　old　position。　　For　some　years　she　passed　the　greater　part　of　her　time　at　Sceaux；　and　was　a　favorite　at　this　lively　little　court。

It　is　needless　to　trace　here　the　details　of　a　career　which　gives　us　little　to　admire　and　much　to　condemn。　　It　was　about　1740　when　her　salon　became　noted　as　a　center　for　the　fashionable　and　literary　world　of　Paris。　　Montesquieu　and　d'Alembert　were　then　among　her　intimate　friends。　　Of　the　latter　she　says：　〃The　simplicity　of　his　manners；　the　purity　of　his　morals；　the　air　of　youth；　the　frankness　of　character；　joined　to　all　his　talents；　astonished　at　first　those　who　saw　him。〃　It　is　said　to　have　been　through　her　zeal　that　he　was　admitted　to　the　Academy　so　young。　　Among　others　who　formed　her　familiar　circle　were　her　devoted　friend　Pont　de　Veyle；　the　Chevalier　d'Aydie；　Formont；　the　〃spirituel　idler　and　amiable　egotist；〃　who　was　one　of　the　three　whom　she　confesses　really　to　have　loved；　and　President　Henault；　who　brought　always　a　fund　of　lively　anecdote　and　agreeable　conversation。　　This　world　of　fashion　and　letters；　slightly　seasoned　with　philosophy；　is　also　the　world　of　Mme。　de　Luxembourg；　of　the　brilliant　Mme。　de　Mirepoix；　of　the　Prince　and　Princesse　de　Beauvau；　and　of　the　lovely　Duchesse　de　Choiseul；　a　femme　d'esprit　and　〃mistress　of　all　the　elegances；〃　whose　gentle　virtues　fall　like　a　ray　of　sunlight　across　the　dark　pages　of　this　period。　　It　is　the　world　of　elegant　forms；　the　world　in　which　a　sin　against　taste　is　worse　than　a　sin　against　morals；　the　world　which　hedges　itself　in　by　a　thousand　unwritten　laws　that　save　it　from　bor