the women of the french salons-第52节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


letters；　she　was　at　once　his　stimulus；　and　his　helper。　Weak　and　vacillating　men　yielded　to　her　rapid　insight；　her　vigor；　her　earnestness；　and　her　persuasive　eloquence。　　This　was　probably　the　period　of　her　greatest　influence。　　Many　of　the　swift　changes　of　those　first　months　may　be　traced　to　her　salon。　　The　moves　which　were　made　in　the　Assembly　were　concocted　there；　the　orators　who　triumphed　found　their　inspiration　there。　　Still；　in　spite　of　her　energy；　her　strength；　and　her　courage；　she　prides　herself　upon　maintaining　always　the　reserve　and　decorum　of　her　sex。

If　she　assumed　the　favorite　role　of　the　French　woman　for　a　short　time　while　her　husband　was　in　the　ministry；　it　was　in　a　sternly　republican　fashion。　　She　gave　dinners　twice　a　week　to　her　husband's　political　friends。　　The　fifteen　or　twenty　men　who　met　around　her　table　at　five　o'clock　were　linked　by　political　interests　only。　　The　service　was　simple；　with　no　other　luxury　than　a　few　flowers。　　There　were　no　women　to　temper　the　discussions　or　to　lighten　their　seriousness。　　After　dinner　the　guests　lingered　for　an　hour　or　so　in　the　drawing　room；　but　by　nine　o'clock　it　was　deserted。　　She　received　on　Friday；　but　what　a　contrast　to　the　Fridays　of　Mme。　Necker　in　those　same　apartments！　　It　was　no　longer　a　brilliant　company　of　wits；　savants；　and　men　of　letters；　enlivened　by　women　of　beauty；　esprit；　rank；　and　fashion。　　There　was　none　of　the　diversity　of　taste　and　thought　which　lends　such　a　charm　to　social　life。　　Mme。　Roland　tells　us　that　she　never　had　an　extended　circle　at　any　time；　and　that；　while　her　husband　was　in　power；　she　made　and　received　no　visits；　and　invited　no　women　to　her　house。　　She　saw　only　her　husband's　colleagues；　or　those　who　were　interested　in　his　tastes　and　pursuits；　which　were　also　her　own。　　The　world　of　society　wearied　her。　　She　was　absorbed　in　a　single　purpose。　　If　she　needed　recreation；　she　sought　it　in　serious　studies。

It　is　always　difficult　to　judge　what　a　man　or　a　woman　might　have　been　under　slightly　altered　conditions。　　But　for　some　single　circumstance　that　converged　and　focused　their　talent；　many　a　hero　would　have　died　unknown　and　unsuspected。　　The　key　that　unlocks　the　treasure　house　of　the　soul　is　not　always　found；　and　its　wealth　is　often　scattered　on　unseen　shores。　　But　it　is　clear　that　the　part　of　Mme。　Roland　could　never　have　been　a　distinctively　social　one。　　She　lived　at　a　time　when　great　events　brought　out　great　qualities。　　Her　clear　intellect；　her　positive　convictions；　her　boundless　energy；　and　her　ardent　enthusiasm；　gave　her　a　powerful　influence　in　those　early　days　of　the　Revolution；　that　looked　towards　a　world　reconstructed　but　not　plunged　into　the　dark　depths　of　chaos；　and　it　is　through　this　that　she　has　left　a　name　among　the　noted　women　of　France。　　In　more　peaceful　times　her　peculiar　talent　would　doubtless　have　led　her　towards　literature。　　In　her　best　style　she　has　rare　vigor　and　simplicity。　　She　has　moments　of　eloquent　thought。　　There　are　flashes　of　it　in　her　early　letters　to　Sophie；　which　she　begs　her　friend　not　to　burn；　though　she　does　not　hope　to　rival　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　whom　she　takes　for　her　model。　　She　lacked　the　grace；　the　lightness；　the　wit；　the　humor　of　this　model；　but　she　had　an　earnestness；　a　serious　depth　of　thought；　that　one　does　not　find　in　Mme。　de　Sevigne。　　She　had　also　a　vein　of　sentiment　that　was　an　underlying　force　in　her　character；　though　it　was　always　subject　to　her　masculine　intellect。　　She　confesses　that　she　should　like　to　be　the　annalist　of　her　country；　and　longs　for　the　pen　of　Tacitus；　for　whom　she　has　a　veritable　passion。　　When　one　reads　her　sharp；　incisive　pen…　portraits；　drawn　with　such　profound　insight　and　masterly　skill；　one　feels　that　her　true　vocation　was　in　the　world　of　letters。　　At　the　close　she　verges　a　little　upon　the　theatrical；　as　sometimes　in　her　young　days。　　But　when　she　wrote　her　final　records　she　felt　her　last　hours　slipping　away。　　Life；　with　its　large　possibilities　undeveloped　and　its　promises　unfulfilled；　was　behind　her。　　Darkness　was　all　around　her；　eternal　silence　before　her。　　And　she　had　lived　but　thirty…nine　years。

Mme。　Roland　does　not　really　belong　to　the　world　of　the　salons；　though　she　has　been　included　among　them　by　some　of　her　own　cotemporaries。　　She　was　of　quite　another　genre。　　She　represents　a　social　reaction　in　which　old　forms　are　adapted　to　new　ideas　and　lose　their　essential　quality　by　the　change。　　But　she　foreshadows　a　type　of　woman　that　has　had　great　influence　since　the　salons　have　lost　their　prestige。　　She　relied　neither　upon　the　reflected　light　of　a　coterie；　the　arts　of　the　courtier；nor　the　subtle　power　of　personal　attraction；　but；　firm　in　her　convictions；　clear　in　her　purpose；　and　unselfish　in　her　aims；　she　laid　down　her　interests；　and；　in　the　end；　her　life；　upon　the　altar　of　liberty　and　humanity。　　She　could　hardly　be　regarded；　however；　as　herself　a　type。　　She　was　cast　in　a　rare　mold　and　lived　under　rare　conditions。　　She　was　individual；　as　were　Hypatia；　Joan　of　Arc；　and　Charlotte　Cordaya　woman　fitted　for　a　special　mission　which　brought　her　little　but　a　martyr's　crown　and　a　permanent　fame。


CHAPTER　XVIII。　MADAME　DE　STAEL　Supremacy　of　Her　GeniusHer　Early　TrainingHer　Sensibility　　　a　Mariage　de　ConvenanceHer　SalonAnecdote　of　Benjamin　ConstantHer　ExileLife　at　CoppetSecret　MarriageClose　of　a　Stormy　Life。

The　fame　of　all　other　French　women　is　more　or　less　overshadowed　by　that　of　one　who　was　not　only　supreme　in　her　own　world；　but　who　stands　on　a　pinnacle　so　high　that　time　and　distance　only　serve　to　throw　into　stronger　relief　the　grand　outlines　of　her　many…sided　genius。　　Without　the　simplicity　and　naturalness　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　the　poise　and　judgment　of　Mme。　de　Lafayette；　or　the　calm　foresight　and　diplomacy　of　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　Mme。　de　Stael　had　a　brilliancy　of　imagination；　a　force　of　passion；　a　grasp　of　intellect；　and　a　diversity　of　gifts　that　belonged　to　none　of　these　women。　　It　is　not　possible　within　the　limits　of　a　brief　chapter　to　touch　even　lightly　upon　the　various　phases　of　a　character　so　complex　and　talents　so　versatile。　　One　can　only　gather　a　few　scattered　traits　and　indicate　a　few　salient　points　in　a　life　of　which　the　details　are　already　familiar。　　As　woman；　novelist；　philosopher；　litterateur；　and　conversationist；　she　has　marked；　if　not　equal；　claims　upon　our　attention。　　To　speak　of　her　as　simply　the　leader　of　a　salon　is　to　merge　the　greater　talent　into　the　less；　but　her　brilliant　social　qualities　in　a　measure　brought　out　and　illuminated　all　the　others。　　It　was　not　the　gift　of　reconciling　diverse　elements；　and　of　calling　out　the　best　thoughts　of　those　who　came　within　her　radius；　that　distinguished　her。　　Her　personality　was　too　dominant　not　to　disturb　sometimes　the　measure　and　harmony　which　fashion　had　established。　　She　did　not　listen　well；　but　her　gift　was　that　of　the　orator；　and；　taking　whatever　subject　was　uppermost　into　her　own　hands；　she　talked　with　an　irresistible　eloquence　that　held　her　auditors　silent　and　enchained。　　Living　as　she　did　in　the　world　of　wit　and　talent　which　had　so　fascinated　her　mother；　she　ruled　it　as　an　autocrat。

The　mental　coloring　of　Mme。　de　Stael　was　not　taken　in　the　shade；　as　that　of　Mme。　Roland　had　been。　　She　was　reared　in　the　atmosphere　of　the　great　world。　　That　which　her　eager　mind　gathered　in　solitude　was　subject　always　to　the　modification　which　contact　with　vigorous　living　minds　is　sure　to　give。　　The　little　Germaine　Necker　who　sat　on　a　low　stool　at　her　mother's　side；　charming　the　cleverest　men　of　her　time　by　her　precocious　wit；　who　wrote　extracts　from　the　dramas　she　heard；　and　opinions　upon　the　authors　she　read；　who　made　pen…portraits　of　her　friends；　and　cut　out　paper　kings　and　queens　to　play　in　the　tragedies　she　composed；　whose　heart　was　always　overflowing　with　love　for　those　around　her；　and　who　had　supreme　need　for　an　outlet　to　her　sensibilities；　was　a　fresh　type　in　that　age　of　keen　analysis；　cold　skepticism；　and　rigid　forms。　　The　serious　utterances　of　her　childhood　were　always　suffused　with　feeling。　　She　loved　that　which　made　her　weep。　　Her　sympathies　were　full　and　overflowing；　and　when　her　vigorous　and　masculine　intellect　took　the　ascendency　it　directed　them；　but　only　partly　held　them　in　check。　　It　never　dulled　nor　subdued　them。　　The　source　of　her　power；　as　also　of　her　weakness；　lay　perhaps　in　her　vast　capacity　for　love。　　It　gave　color　and　force　to　her　rich　and　versatile　character。　　It　animated　all　she　did　and　gave　point　to　all　she　wrote。　　It　found　expression　in　the　eloquence　of　her　conversation；　in　the　exaltation　and　passionate　intensity　of　her　affections；　in　the　fervor　of　her　patriotism；　in　the　self…forgetful　generosity　that　brought　her　very　near　the　verge　of　the　scaffold。　　Here　was　the　source　of　that　indefinable　quality　we　call　geniusnot　genius　of　the　sort　which　Buffon　has　defined　as　patience；　but　the　divine　flame　that　crowns　with　life　the　dead　materials　which　patience　has　gathered。

It　was　impossible　that　a　child　so　eager；　so　sympathetic；　so　full　of　intellect　and　esprit；　should　not　have　developed　rapidly　in　the　atmosphere　of　her　mother's　salon。　　Whether　it　was　the　best　school　for　a　young　girl　may　be　a　question；　but　a　character　like　that　of　Mme。　de　Stael　is　apt　to　go　its　own　way　in　whatever　circumstances　it　finds　itself。　　She　was　the　despair