the women of the french salons-第6节

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　to　her。　　But　traditions　are　strong；　and　people　do　not　readily　adapt　themselves　to　new　models。　　Character　and　manners　are　a　growth。　　That　which　is　put　on；　and　not　ingrained；　is　apt　to　lack　true　balance　and　proportion。　　Hence　it　is　not　strange　that　this　new　order　of　things　resulted　in　many　crudities　and　exaggerations。

It　is　not　worth　while　to　criticize　too　severely　the　plumed　knights　who　took　the　heroes　of　Corneille　as　models；　played　the　harmless　lover；　and　paid　the　tribute　of　chivalric　deference　to　women。　　The　strained　politeness　may　have　been　artificial；　and　the　forms　of　chivalry　very　likely　outran　the　feeling；　but　they　served　at　least　to　keep　it　alive；　while　the　false　platonism　and　ultra…　refined　sentiment　were　simply　moral　protests　against　the　coarse　vices　of　the　time。　　The　prudery　which　reached　a　satirical　climax　in　〃Les　Precieuses　Ridicules〃　was　a　natural　reaction　from　the　sensuality　of　a　Marguerite　and　a　Gabrielle。　　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　saw　and　enjoyed　the　first　performance　of　this　celebrated　play；　nor　does　it　appear　that　she　was　at　all　disturbed　by　the　keen　satire　which　was　generally　supposed　to　have　been　directed　toward　her　salon。　　Moliere　himself　disclaims　all　intention　of　attacking　the　true　precieuse；　but　the　world　is　not　given　to　fine　discrimination；　and　the　true　suffers　from　the　blow　aimed　at　the　false。　　This　brilliant　comedian；　whose　manners　were　not　of　the　choicest；　was　more　at　home　in　the　lax　and　epicurean　world　of　Ninon　and　Mme。　de　la　Sablierea　world　which　naturally　did　not　find　the　decorum　of　the　precieuses　at　all　to　its　taste；　the　witticism　of　Ninon；　who　defined　them　as　the　〃Jansenists　of　love；〃　is　well　known。　　It　is　not　unlikely　that　Moliere　shared　her　dislike　of　the　powerful　and　fastidious　coterie　whose　very　virtues　might　easily　have　furnished　salient　points　for　his　scathing　wit。

But　whatever　affectations　may　have　grown　out　of　the　new　code　of　manners；　it　had　a　more　lasting　result　in　the　fine　and　stately　courtesy　which　pervaded　the　later　social　life　of　the　century。　　We　owe；　too；　a　profound　gratitude　to　these　women　who　exacted　and　were　able　to　command　a　consideration　which　with　many　shades　of　variation　has　been　left　as　a　permanent　heritage　to　their　sex。　　We　may　smile　at　some　of　their　follies；　have　we　not　our　own　which　some　nineteenth　century　Moliere　may　serve　up　for　the　delight　and　possible　misleading　of　future　generations？

There　is　a　warm　human　side　to　this　daily　intercourse；　with　its　sweet　and　gracious　courtesies。　　The　women　who　discuss　grave　questions　and　make　or　unmake　literary　reputations　in　the　salon；　are　capable　of　rare　sacrifices　and　friendships　that　seem　quixotic　in　their　devotion。　　Cousin；　who　has　studied　them　so　carefully　and　so　sympathetically；　has　saved　from　oblivion　many　private　letters　which　give　us　pleasant　glimpses　of　their　everyday　life。　　As　we　listen　to　their　quiet　exchange　of　confidences；　we　catch　the　smile　that　plays　over　the　light　badinage；　or　the　tear　that　lurks　in　the　tender　words。

A　little　son　of　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　has　the　small　pox；　and　his　sister　Julie　shares　the　care　of　him　with　her　mother；　when　every　one　else　has　fled。　　At　his　death；　she　devotes　herself　to　her　friend　Mme。　de　Longueville；　who　soon　after　her　marriage　is　attacked　with　the　same　dreaded　malady。　　Mme。　de　Sable　is　afraid　of　contagion；　and　refuses　to　see　Mlle。　de　Rambouillet；　who　writes　her　a　characteristic　letter。　　As　it　gives　us　a　vivid　idea　of　her　esprit　as　well　as　of　her　literary　style；　I　copy　it　in　full；　though　it　has　been　made　already　familiar　to　the　English　reader　by　George　Eliot；　in　her　admirable　review　of　Cousin's　〃Life　of　Mme。　De　Sable。〃

Mlle　de　Chalais　（Dame　de　compagnie　to　the　Marquise）　will　please　read　this　letter　to　Mme。　la　Marquise；　out　of　the　wind。

Madame；　I　cannot　begin　my　treaty　with　you　too　early；　for　I　am　sure　that　between　the　first　proposition　made　for　me　to　see　you；　and　the　conclusion；　you　will　have　so　many　reflections　to　make；　so　many　physicians　to　consult；　and　so　many　fears　to　overcome；　that　I　shall　have　full　leisure　to　air　myself。　　The　conditions　which　I　offer　are；　not　to　visit　you　until　I　have　been　three　days　absent　from　the　Hotel　de　Conde；　to　change　all　my　clothing；　to　choose　a　day　when　it　has　frozen；　not　to　approach　you　within　four　paces；　not　to　sit　down　upon　more　than　one　seat。　　You　might　also　have　a　great　fire　in　your　room；　burn　juniper　in　the　four　corners；　surround　yourself　with　imperial　vinegar；　rue；　and　wormwood。　　If　you　can　feel　safe　under　these　conditions；　without　my　cutting　off　my　hair；　I　swear　to　you　to　execute　them　religiously；　and　if　you　need　examples　to　fortify　you；　I　will　tell　you　that　the　Queen　saw　M。　de　Chaudebonne　when　he　came　from　Mlle。　de　Bourbon's　room；　and　that　Mme。　d'Aiguillon；　who　has　good　taste　and　is　beyond　criticism　on　such　points；　has　just　sent　me　word　that　if　I　did　not　go　to　see　her；　she　should　come　after　me。

Mme。　de　Sable　retorts　in　a　satirical　vein；　that　her　friend　is　too　well　instructed　in　the　needed　precautions；　to　be　quite　free　from　the　charge　of　timidity；　adding　the　hope　that　since　she　understands　the　danger；　she　will　take　better　care　of　herself　in　the　future。

This　calls　forth　another　letter；　in　which　Mlle。　de　Rambouillet　says；　〃One　never　fears　to　see　those　whom　one　loves。　　I　would　have　given　much；　for　your　sake；　if　this　had　not　occurred。〃　　She　closes　this　spicy　correspondence；　however；　with　a　very　affectionate　letter　which　calms　the　ruffled　temper　of　her　sensitive　companion。

Mme。　de　Sable　has　another　friend；　Mlle。　d'Attichy；　who　figures　quite　prominently　in　the　social　life　of　a　later　period；　as　the　Comtesse　de　Maure。　　〃This　lady　was　just　leaving　Paris　to　visit　her　in　the　country；　when　she　learned　that　Mme。　de　Sable　had　written　to　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　that　she　could　conceive　of　no　greater　happiness　than　to　pass　her　life　alone　with　Julie　d'Angennes。　　This　touches　her　sensibilities　so　keenly　that　she　changes　her　plans；　and　refuses　to　visit　one　who　could　find　her　pleasure　away　from　her。　　Mme。　de　Sable　tries　in　vain　to　appease　her　exacting　friend；　who　replies　to　her　explanations　by　a　long　letter　in　which　she　recalls　their　tender　and　inviolable　friendship；　and　closes　with　these　words：

Malheurteuse　est　l'ignorance；　Et　plus　malheureux　le　savoir。

Having　thus　lost　a　confidence　which　alone　rendered　life　supportable　to　me；　I　cannot　dream　of　taking　the　journey　so　much　talked　of；　for　there　would　be　no　propriety　in　traveling　sixty　leagues　at　this　season；　in　order　to　burden　you　with　a　person　so　uninteresting　to　you；　that　after　years　of　a　passion　without　parallel　you　cannot　help　thinking　that　the　greatest　pleasure　would　consist　in　passing　life　without　her。　　I　return　then　into　my　solitude；　to　examine　the　faults　which　cause　me　so　much　unhappiness；　and　unless　I　can　correct　them；　I　should　have　less　joy　than　confusion　in　seeing　you。　　I　kiss　your　hands　very　humbly。

How　this　affair　was　adjusted　does　not　appear；　but　as　they　remained　devoted　friends　through　life；　unable　to　live　apart；　or　pass　a　day　happily　without　seeing　each　other；　it　evidently　did　not　end　in　a　serious　alienation。　　It　suggests；　however；　a　delicacy　and　an　exaltation　of　feeling　which　we　are　apt　to　accord　only　to　love；　and　which　go　far　toward　disproving　the　verdict　of　Mongaigne；　that　〃the　soul　of　a　woman　is　not　firm　enough　for　so　durable　a　tie　as　friendship。〃

We　like　to　dwell　upon　these　inner　phases　of　a　famous　and　powerful　coterie；　not　only　because　they　bring　before　us　so　vividly　the　living；　moving；　thinking；　loving　women　who　composed　it；　letting　us　into　their　intimate　life　with　its　quiet　shadings；　its　fantastic　humors；　and　its　wayward　caprices；　but　because　they　lead　us　to　the　fountain　head　of　a　new　form　of　literary　expression。　　We　have　seen　that　the　formal　letters　of　Balzac　were　among　the　early　entertainments　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　that　Voiture　had　a　witty　or　sentimental　note　for　every　occasion。　　Mlle。　de　Scudery　held　a　ready　pen；　and　was　in　the　habit　of　noting　down　in　her　letters　to　absent　friends　the　conversation；　which　ran　over　a　great　variety　of　topics；　from　the　gossip　of　the　moment　to　the　gravest　questions。　　There　was　no　morning　journal　with　its　columns　of　daily　news；　no　magazine　with　its　sketches　of　contemporary　life；　and　these　private　letters　were　passed　from　one　to　another　to　be　read　and　discussed。　　The　craze　for　clever　letters　spread。　　Conversations　literally　overflowed　upon　paper。　　A　romantic　adventure；　a　bit　of　scandal；　a　drawing　room　incident；　or　a　personal　pique；　was　a　fruitful　theme。　　Everybody　aimed　to　excel　in　an　art　which　brought　a　certain　prestige。　　These　letters；　most　of　which　had　their　brief　day；　were　often　gathered　into　little　volumes。　　Many　have　long　since　disappeared；　or　found　burial　in　the　dust　of　old　libraries　from　which　they　are　occasionally　exhumed　to　throw　fresh　light　upon　some　forgotten　nook　and　by　way　of　an　age　whose　habits　and　manners；　virtues　and　follies；　they　so　faithfully　record。　　A　few；　charged　with　the　vitality　of　genius；　retain　their　freshness　and　live　among　the　enduring　monuments　of　the　society　that　gave　them　birth。　　The　finest　outcome　of　this　prevailing　taste　was　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　who　still　reigns　as　the　queen　of　graceful　letter　writers。　　Although　her　maturity　belongs　to　a　later　period；　she　was　familiar　with　the　Rambouillet　circle　in　her　youth；　an