the women of the french salons-第5节

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d：　〃Hereafter　I　shall　always　be　of　the　opinion　of　the　Prince　when　he　is　wrong。〃

Bossuet；　when　a　boy　of　seventeen；　improvised　here　one　evening　a　sermon　on　a　given　theme；　which　was　so　eloquent　that　it　held　the　company　until　near　midnight。　　〃I　have　never　heard　any　one　preach　so　early　and　so　late；〃　remarked　the　witty　Voiture；　as　he　congratulated　the　youthful　orator　at　the　close。

This　famous　bel　esprit　played　a　very　prominent　part　here。　　His　role　was　to　amuse；　and　his　talents　gave　him　great　vogue；　but　at　this　distance　his　small　vanities　strike　one　much　more　vividly　than　the　wit　which　flashed　out　with　the　moment；　or　the　vers　de　societe　on　which　his　fame　rests。　　He　owed　his　social　success　to　a　rather　high…flown　love　letter　which　he　evidently　thought　too　good　to　be　lost　to　the　world。　　He　sent　it　to　a　friend；　who　had　it　printed　and　circulated。　　What　the　lady　thought　does　not　appear；　but　it　made　the　fortune　of　the　poet。　　Though　the　son　of　a　wine　merchant；　and　without　rank；　he　had　little　more　of　the　spirit　of　a　courtier　than　Voltaire；　and　his　biting　epigrams　were　no　less　feared。　　〃If　he　were　one　of　us；　he　would　be　insupportable；〃　said　Conde。　　But　his　caprices　were　tolerated　for　the　sake　of　his　inexhaustible　wit；　and　he　was　petted　and　spoiled　to　the　end。　　

A　list　of　the　men　of　letters　who　appeared　from　time　to　time　at　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　would　include　the　most　noted　names　of　the　century；　besides　many　which　were　famous　in　their　day；　but　at　present　are　little　more　than　historical　shadows。　　The　conversations　were　often　learned；　doubtless　sometimes　pretentious。　　One　is　inclined　to　wonder　if　these　noble　cavaliers　and　high…born　woman　did　not　yawn　occasionally　over　the　scholarly　discourse　of　Corneille　and　Balzac　upon　the　Romans；　the　endless　disputes　about　rival　sonnets；　and　the　long　discussions　on　the　value　of　a　word。　　〃Doubtless　it　is　a　very　beautiful　poem；　but　also　very　tiresome；〃　said　Mme。　de　Longueville；　after　Chapelain　had　finished　reading　his　〃Pucelle〃a　work　which　aimed　to　be　the　Iliad　of　France；　but　succeeded　only　in　being　very　long　and　rather　heavy。

This　lovely　young　Princess；　who　at　sixteen　had　the　exaltation　of　a　religieuse；　and　was　with　difficulty　won　from　her　dreams　of　renunciation　and　a　cloister；　had　become　the　wife　of　a　man　many　years　her　senior；　whom　she　did　not　love；　and　the　idol　of　the　brilliant　world　in　which　she　lived。　　La　Rochefoucauld　had　not　yet　disturbed　the　serenity　of　her　heart；　nor　political　intrigues　her　peace　of　mind。　　It　was　before　the　Fronde；　in　which　she　was　destined　to　play　so　conspicuous　a　part；　and　she　was　still　content　with　the　role　of　a　reigning　beauty；　but　she　was　not　at　all　averse　to　the　literary　entertainments　of　this　salon；　in　which　her　own　fascinations　were　so　delightfully　sung。　　She　found　the　flattering　verses　of　Voiture　more　to　her　taste　than　the　stately　epic　of　Chapelain；　took　his　side　warmly　against　Benserade　in　the　famous　dispute　as　to　the　merits　of　their　two　sonnets；　〃Job〃　and　〃Urania；〃　and　won　him　a　doubtful　victory。　　The　poems　of　Voiture　lose　much　of　their　flavor　in　translation；　but　I　venture　to　give　a　verse　in　the　original；　which　was　addressed　to　the　charming　princesse；　and　which　could　hardly　fail　to　win　the　favor　of　a　young　and　beautiful　woman。

De　perles；　d'astres；　et　de　fleurs；　Bourbon；　le　ciel　fit　tes　couleurs；　Et　mit　dedans　tout　ce　melange　L'esprit　d'une　ange。

But　the　diversions　were　by　no　means　always　grave　or　literary。　　Life　was　represented　on　many　sides；　one　secret；　doubtless；　of　the　wide　influence　of　this　society。　　The　daughters　of　Mme。　de　Rambouillet；　and　her　son；　the　popular　young　Marquis　de　Pisani；　formed　a　nucleus　of　youth　and　gaiety。　　To　these　we　may　add　the　beautiful　Angelique　Paulet；　who　at　seventeen　had　turned　the　head　of　Henri　IV；　and　escaped　the　fatal　influence　of　that　imperious　sovereign's　infatuation　by　his　timely；　or　untimely；　death。　　Fair　and　brilliant；　the　best　singer　of　her　time；　skilled　also　in　playing　the　lute；　and　gifted　with　a　special　dramatic　talent；　she　was　always　a　favorite；　much　loved　by　her　friends　and　much　sung　by　the　poets。　　Her　proud　and　impetuous　character；　her　frank　and　original　manners；　together　with　her　luxuriance　of　blonde　hair；　gained　her　the　sobriquet　of　La　Belle　Lionne。　　Nor　must　we　forget　Mlle。　de　Scudery；　one　of　the　most　constant　literary　lights　of　this　salon；　and　in　some　sense　its　chronicler；　nor　the　fastidious　Mme。　de　Sable。

The　brightest　ornament　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　however；　was　Julie　d'Angennes；　the　petted　daughter　of　the　house；　the　devoted　companion　and　clever　assistant　of　her　mother。　　Her　gaiety　of　heart；　amiable　temper；　ready　wit；　and　gracious　manners　surrounded　her　with　an　atmosphere　of　perpetual　sunshine。　　Fertile　in　resources；　of　fine　intelligence；　winning　the　love　alike　of　men　and　women；　she　was　the　soul　of　the　serious　conversations；　as　well　as　of　the　amusements　which　relieved　them。　　These　amusements　were　varied　and　often　original。　　They　played　little　comedies。　　They　had　mythological　fetes；　draping　themselves　as　antique　gods　and　goddesses。　　Sometimes　they　indulged　in　practical　jokes　and　surprises；　which　were　more　laughable　than　dignified。　　Malherbe　and　Racan；　the　latter　sighing　hopelessly　over　the　attractions　of　the　dignified　Marquise；　gave　her　the　romantic　name　of　Arthenice；　and　forthwith　the　other　members　of　the　coterie　took　some　nom　de　parnasse；　by　which　they　were　familiarly　known。　　They　read　the　〃Astree〃　of　d'Urfe；　that　platonic　dream　of　a　disillusioned　lover；　discussed　the　romances　of　Calprenede　and　the　sentimental　Bergeries　of　Racan。　　Such　Arcadian　pictures　seemed　to　have　a　singular　fascination　for　these　courtly　dames　and　plumed　cavaliers。　　They　tried　to　reproduce　them。　　Assuming　the　characters　of　the　rather　insipid　Strephons　and　florimels；　they　made　love　in　pastoral　fashion；　with　pipe　and　lutethese　rustic　diversions　serving　especially　to　while　away　the　long　summer　days　in　the　country　at　Rambouillet；　at　Chantilly；　or　at　Ruel。　　They　improvised　sonnets　and　madrigals；　they　praised　each　other　in　verse；　they　wrote　long　letters　on　the　slightest　pretext。　　As　a　specimen　of　the　badinage　so　much　in　vogue；　I　quote　from　a　letter　written　by　Voiture　to　one　of　the　daughters　of　Mme。　de　Rambouillet；　who　was　an　abbess；　and　had　sent　him　a　present　of　a　cat。

〃Madame；　I　was　already　so　devoted　to　you　that　I　supposed　you　knew　there　was　no　need　of　winning　me　by　presents；　or　trying　to　take　me　like　a　rat；　with　a　cat。　　Nevertheless；　if　there　was　anything　in　my　thought　that　was　not　wholly　yours；　the　cat　which　you　have　sent　me　has　captured　it。〃　　After　a　eulogy　upon　the　cat；　he　adds：　〃I　can　only　say　that　it　is　very　difficult　to　keep；　and　for　a　cat　religiously　brought　up　it　is　very　little　inclined　to　seclusion。　　It　never　sees　a　window　without　wishing　to　jump　out；　it　would　have　leaped　over　the　wall　twenty　times　if　it　had　not　been　prevented；　and　no　secular　cat　could　be　more　lawless　or　more　self…willed。〃

The　wit　here　is　certainly　rather　attenuated；　but　the　subject　is　an　ungrateful　one。　　Mme。　de　Sevigne　finds　Voiture　〃libre；　badin；　charmant；〃　and　disposes　of　his　critics　by　saying；　〃So　much　the　worse　for　those　who　do　not　understand　him。〃　　One　is　often　puzzled　to　detect　this　rare　spirituelle　quality；　but　it　is　fair　to　presume　that　it　was　of　the　volatile　sort　that　evaporates　with　time。　

All　this　sentimental　masquerading　and　exaggerated　gallantry　suggests　the　vulnerable　side　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　the　side　which　its　enemies　have　been　disposed　to　make　very　prominent。　　Among　those　who　tried　to　imitate　this　salon；　Spanish　chivalry　doubtless　degenerated　into　a　thousand　absurdities；　and　it　must　be　admitted　that　the　salon　itself　was　not　free　from　reproach　on　this　point。　　It　became　the　fashion　to　write　and　talk　in　the　language　of　hyperbole。　　Sighing　lovers　were　consumed　with　artificial　fires；　and　ready　to　die　with　affected　languors。　　Like　the　old　poets　of　Provence；　whose　spirit　they　caught　and　whose　phrases　they　repeated；　they　were　dying　of　love　they　did　not　feel。　　The　eyes　of　Phyllis　extinguished　the　sun。　　The　very　nightingales　expired　of　jealousy；　after　hearing　the　voice　of　Angelique。

It　would　be　difficult；　perhaps；　to　find　anywhere　a　company　of　clever　people　bent　upon　amusing　themselves　and　passing　every　day　more　or　less　together；　whose　sayings　and　doings　would　bear　to　be　exactly　chronicled。　　The　literary　diversions　and　poetic　ideals　of　this　circle；　too；　gave　a　certain　color　to　the　charge　of　affectation；　among　people　of　less　refined　instincts；　who　found　its　esprit　incomprehensible；　its　manners　prudish；　and　its　virtue　a　tacit　reproach；　but　the　dignified　and　serious　character　of　many　of　its　constant　habitues　should　be　a　sufficient　guarantee　that　it　did　not　greatly　pass　the　limits　of　good　taste　and　good　sense。　　The　only　point　upon　which　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　seems　to　have　been　open　to　criticism　was　a　certain　formal　reserve　and　an　over…　fastidious　delicacy；　but　in　an　age　when　the　standards　of　both　refinement　and　morals　were　so　low；　this　implies　a　virtue　rather　than　a　defect。　　Nor　does　her　character　appear　to　have　been　at　all　tinged　with　pretension。　　〃I　should　fear　from　your　example　to　write　in　a　style　too　elevated；〃　says　Voiture；　in　a　letter　to　her。　　But　traditions　are　strong；　and　people　do　not　readily　adapt　themselves　to　new　models。　　Char