the women of the french salons-第53节

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e。　de　Stael　is　apt　to　go　its　own　way　in　whatever　circumstances　it　finds　itself。　　She　was　the　despair　of　Mme。　Necker；　whose　educational　theories　were　altogether　upset　by　this　precocious　daughter　who　refused　to　be　cast　in　a　mold。　　But　she　was　habituated　to　a　high　altitude　of　thought。　　Men　like　Marmontel；　La　Harpe；　Grimm；　Thomas；　and　the　Abbe　Raynal　delighted　in　calling　out　her　ready　wit；　her　brilliant　repartee；　and　her　precocious　ideas。　　Surrounded　thus　from　childhood　with　all　the　appointments　as　well　as　the　talent　and　esprit　that　made　the　life　of　the　salons　so　fascinating；　inheriting　the　philosophic　insight　of　her　father；　the　literary　gifts　of　her　mother；　to　which　she　added　a　genius　all　her　own；　heir　also　to　the　spirit　of　conversation；　the　facility；　the　enthusiasm；　the　love　of　pleasing　which　are　the　Gallic　birthright；　she　took　her　place　in　the　social　world　as　a　queen　by　virtue　of　her　position；　her　gifts；　and　her　heritage。　　Already；　before　her　marriage；　she　had　changed　the　tone　of　her　mother's　salon。　　She　brought　into　it　an　element　of　freshness　and　originality　which　the　dignified　and　rather　precise　character　of　Mme。　Necker　had　failed　to　impart。　　She　gave　it　also　a　strong　political　coloring。　　This　influence　was　more　marked　after　she　became　the　wife　of　the　Swedish　ambassador；　as　she　continued　for　some　time　to　pass　her　evenings　in　her　mother's　drawing　room；　where　she　became　more　and　more　a　central　figure。　　Her　temperament　and　her　tastes　were　of　the　world　in　which　she　lived；　but　her　reason　and　her　expansive　sympathies　led　her　to　ally　herself　with　the　popular　cause；　hence　she　was；　to　some　extent；　a　link　between　two　conflicting　interests。

It　was　in　1786　that　Mme。　de　Stael　entered　the　world　as　a　married　woman。　　This　marriage　was　arranged　for　her　after　the　fashion　of　the　time；　and　she　accepted　it　as　she　would　have　accepted　anything　tolerable　that　pleased　her　idolized　father　and　revered　mother。　　When　only　ten　years　of　age；　she　observed　that　they　took　great　pleasure　in　the　society　of　Gibbon；　and　she　gravely　proposed　to　marry　him；　that　they　might　always　have　this　happiness。　　The　full　significance　of　this　singular　proposition　is　not　apparent　until　one　remembers　that　the　learned　historian　was　not　only　rather　old；　but　so　short　and　fat　as　to　call　out　from　one　of　his　friends　the　remark　that　when　he　needed　a　little　exercise　he　had　only　to　take　a　turn　of　three　times　around　M。　Gibbon。　　The　Baron　de　Stael　had　an　exalted　position；　fine　manners；　a　good　figure；　and　a　handsome　face；　but　he　lacked　the　one　thing　that　Mme。　de　Stael　most　considered；　a　commanding　talent。　　She　did　not　see　him　through　the　prism　of　a　strong　affection　which　transfigures　all　things；　even　the　most　commonplace。　　What　this　must　have　meant　to　a　woman　of　her　genius　and　temperament　whose　ideal　of　happiness　was　a　sympathetic　marriage；　it　is　not　difficult　to　divine。　　It　may　account；　in　some　degree；　for　her　restlessness；　her　perpetual　need　of　movement；　of　excitement；　of　society。　　But；　whatever　her　domestic　troubles　may　have　been；　they　were　of　limited　duration。　　She　was　quietly　separated　from　her　husband　in　1798。　　Four　years　later　she　decided　to　return　to　Coppet　with　him；　as　he　was　unhappy　and　longed　to　see　his　children。　　He　died　en　route。

The　period　of　this　marriage　was　one　of　the　most　memorable　of　France；　the　period　when　noble　and　generous　spirits　rallied　in　a　spontaneous　movement　for　national　regeneration。　　Mme。　De　Stael　was　in　the　flush　of　hope　and　enthusiasm；　fresh　from　the　study　of　Rousseau　and　her　own　dreams　of　human　perfectibility；　radiant；　too；　with　the　reflection　of　her　youthful　fame。　　Among　those　who　surrounded　her　were　the　Montmorencys；　Lafayette；　and　Count　Louis　de　Narbonne；　whose　brilliant　intellect　and　charming　manners　touched　her　perhaps　too　deeply　for　her　peace　of　mind。　　There　were　also　Barnave；　Chenier；　Talleyrand；　Mirabeau；　Vergniaud；　and　many　others　of　the　active　leaders　of　the　Revolution。　　A　few　woman　mingled　in　her　more　intimate　circle；　which　was　still　of　the　old　society。　　Of　these　were　the　ill…fated　Duchesse　de　Gramont；　Mme。　de　Lauzun；　the　Princesse　de　Poix；　and　the　witty；　lovable　Marechale　de　Beauvau。　　As　a　rule；　though　devoted　to　her　friends　and　kind　to　those　who　sought　her　aid；　Mme。　de　Stael　did　not　like　the　society　of　women。　　Perhaps　they　did　not　always　respond　to　her　elevated　and　swiftly　flowing　thoughts；　or　it　may　be　that　she　wounded　the　vanity　of　those　who　were　cast　into　the　shade　by　talents　so　conspicuous　and　conversation　so　eloquent；　and　who　felt　the　lack　of　sympathetic　rapport。　　Society　is　au　fond　republican；　and　is　apt　to　resent　autocracy；　even　the　autocracy　of　genius；　when　it　takes　the　form　of　monologue。　　It　is　contrary　to　the　social　spirit。　　The　salon　of　Mme。　de　Stael　not　only　took　its　tone　from　herself；　but　it　was　a　reflection　of　herself。　　She　was　not　beautiful；　and　she　dressed　badly；　indeed；　she　seems　to　have　been　singularly　free　from　that　personal　consciousness　which　leads　people　to　give　themselves　the　advantages　of　an　artistic　setting；　even　if　the　taste　is　not　inborn。　　She　was　too　intent　upon　what　she　thought　and　felt；　to　give　heed　to　minor　details。　　But　in　her　conversation；　which　was　a　sort　of　improvisation；　her　eloquent　face　was　aglow；　her　dark　eyes　flashed　with　inspiration；　her　superb　form　and　finely　poised　head　seemed　to　respond　to　the　rhythmic　flow　of　thoughts　that　were　emphasized　by　the　graceful　gestures　of　an　exquisitely　molded　hand；　in　which　she　usually　held　a　sprig　of　laurel。　　〃If　I　were　queen；〃　said　Mme。　de　Tesse；　〃I　would　order　Mme。　de　Stael　to　talk　to　me　always。〃

But　this　center　in　which　the　more　thoughtful　spirits　of　the　old　regime　met　the　brilliant　and　active　leaders　of　the　new　was　broken　up　by　the　storm　which　swept　away　so　many　of　its　leaders；　and　Mme。　de　Stael；　after　lingering　in　the　face　of　dangers　to　save　her　friends；　barely　escaped　with　her　life　on　the　eve　of　the　September　massacres　of　1792。　　〃She　is　an　excellent　woman；〃　said　one　of　her　contemporaries；　〃who　drowns　all　her　friends　in　order　to　have　the　pleasure　of　angling　for　them。〃

Mme。　de　Stael　resumed　her　place　and　organized　her　salon　anew　in　1795。l　But　it　was　her　fate　to　live　always　in　an　atmosphere　surcharged　with　storms。　　She　was　too　republican　for　the　aristocrats；　and　too　aristocratic　for　the　republicans。　　Distrusted　by　both　parties　and　feared　by　the　Directoire；　she　found　it　advisable　after　a　few　months　to　retire　to　Coppet。　　Less　than　two　years　later　she　was　again　in　Paris。　　Her　friends　were　then　in　power；　notably　Talleyrand。　〃If　I　remain　here　another　year　I　shall　die；〃　he　had　written　her　from　America；　and　she　had　generously　secured　the　repeal　of　the　decree　that　exiled　him；　a　kindness　which　he　promptly　forgot。　　Though　her　enthusiasm　for　the　republic　was　much　moderated；　and　though　she　had　been　so　far　dazzled　by　the　genius　of　Napoleon　as　to　hail　him　as　a　restorer　of　order；　her　illusions　regarding　him　were　very　short…lived。　　She　had　no　sympathy　with　his　aims　at　personal　power。　　Her　drawing　room　soon　became　the　rallying　point　for　his　enemies　and　the　center　of　a　powerful　opposition。　　But　she　had　a　natural　love　for　all　forms　of　intellectual　distinction；　and　her　genius　and　fame　still　attracted　a　circle　more　or　less　cosmopolitan。　　Ministers　of　state　and　editors　of　leading　journals　were　among　her　guests。　　Joseph　and　Lucien　Bonaparte　were　her　devoted　friends。　　The　small　remnant　of　the　noblesse　that　had　any　inclination　to　return　to　a　world　which　had　lost　its　charm　for　them　found　there　a　trace　of　the　old　politeness。　　Mathieu　de　Montmorency；　devout　and　charitable；　his　brother　Adrien；　delicate　in　spirit　and　gentle　in　manners；　Narbonne；　still　devoted　and　diplomatic；　and　the　Chevalier　de　Boufflers；　gay；　witty；　and　brilliant；　were　of　those　who　brought　into　it　something　of　the　tone　of　the　past　regime。　　There　were　also　the　men　of　the　new　generation；　men　who　were　saturated　with　the　principles　of　the　Revolution　though　regretting　its　methods。　　Among　these　were　Chebnier；　Regnault；　and　Benjamin　Constant。

The　influence　of　Mme。　de　Stael　was　at　its　height　during　this　period。　　Her　talent；　her　liberal　opinions；　and　her　persuasive　eloquence　gave　her　great　power　over　the　constitutional　leaders。　　The　measures　of　the　Government　were　freely　discussed　and　criticized　in　her　salon；　and　men　went　out　with　positions　well　defined　and　speeches　well　considered。　　The　Duchesse　d'Abrantes　relates　an　incident　which　aptly　illustrates　this　power　and　its　reaction　upon　herself。　　Benjamin　Constant　had　prepared　a　brilliant　address。　　The　evening　before　it　was　to　be　delivered；　Mme。　de　Stael　was　surrounded　by　a　large　and　distinguished　company。　　After　tea　was　served　he　said　to　her：

〃Your　salon　is　filled　with　people　who　please　you；　if　I　speak　tomorrow；　it　will　be　deserted。　　Think　of　it。〃

〃One　must　follow　one's　convictions；〃　she　replied；　after　a　moment's　hesitation。

She　admitted　afterward　that　she　would　never　have　refused　his　offer　not　to　compromise　her；　if　she　could　have　foreseen　all　that　would　follow。

The　next　day　she　invited　her　friends　to　celebrate　his　triumph。　　At　four　o'clock　a　note　of　excuse；　in　an　hour；　ten。　　From　this　time　her　fortunes　waned。　　Many　ceased　to　visit　her　salon。　　Even　Talleyrand；　who　owed　her　so　much；　came　there　no　more。

In　later　years　she　confessed　that　the　three　men　she　had　most　loved　were　Na