the women of the french salons-第8节

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f　rank　and　recognized　ability　imposed　the　laws　of　good　taste；　and　their　vivid　imaginations　changed　lifeless　abstractions　into　something　concrete　and　artistic。　　Men　of　letters；　who　had　held　an　inferior　and　dependent　position；　were　penetrated　with　the　spirit　of　a　refined　society；　while　men　of　the　world；　in　a　circle　where　wit　and　literary　skill　were　distinctions；　began　to　aspire　to　the　role　of　a　bel　esprit；　to　pride　themselves　upon　some　intellectual　gift　and　the　power　to　write　without　labor　and　without　pedantry；　as　became　their　rank。　　Many　of　them　lacked　seriousness；　dealing　mainly　with　delicate　fancies　and　trivial　incidents；　but　pleasures　of　the　intellect　and　taste　became　the　fashion。　Burlesques　and　chansons　disputed　the　palm　with　madrigals　and　sonnets。　　A　neatly　turned　epigram　or　a　clever　letter　made　a　social　success。

Perhaps　it　was　not　a　school　for　genius　of　the　first　order。　　Society　favors　graces　of　form　and　expression　rather　than　profound　and　serious　thought。　　No　Homer；　nor　Aeschylus；　nor　Milton；　nor　Dante　is　the　outgrowth　of　such　a　soil。　　The　prophet　or　seer　shines　by　the　light　of　his　own　soul。　　He　deals　with　problems　and　emotions　that　lie　deep　in　the　pulsing　heart　of　humanity；　but　he　does　not　best　interpret　his　generation。　　It　is　the　man　living　upon　the　level　of　his　time；　and　finding　his　inspiration　in　the　world　of　events；　who　reflects　its　life；　marks　its　currents；　and　registers　its　changes。　　Matthew　Arnold　has　aptly　said　that　〃the　qualities　of　genius　are　less　transferable　than　the　qualities　of　intelligence；　less　can　be　immediately　learned　and　appropriated　from　their　product；　they　are　less　direct　and　stringent　intellectual　agencies；　though　they　may　be　more　beautiful　and　divine。〃　　It　was　this　quality　of　intelligence　that　eminently　characterized　the　literature　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　It　was　a　mirror　of　social　conditions；　or　their　natural　outcome。　　The　spirit　of　its　social　life　penetrated　its　thought；　colored　its　language；　and　molded　its　forms。　　We　trace　it　in　the　letters　and　vers　de　societe　which　were　the　pastime　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　and　the　Samedis　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery；　as　well　as　in　the　romances　which　reflected　their　sentiments　and　pictured　their　manners。　　We　trace　it　in　the　literary　portraits　which　were　the　diversion　of　the　coterie　of　Mademoiselle；　at　the　Luxembourg；　and　in　the　voluminous　memoirs　and　chronicles　which　grew　out　of　it。　　We　trace　it　also　in　the　〃Maxims〃　and　〃Thoughts〃　which　were　polished　and　perfected　in　the　convent　salon　of　Mme。　de　Sable；　and　were　the　direct　fruits　of　a　wide　experience　and　observation　of　the　great　world。　　It　would　be　unfair　to　say　that　anything　so　complex　as　the　growth　of　a　new　literature　was　wholly　due　to　any　single　influence；　but　the　intellectual　drift　of　the　time　seems　to　have　found　its　impulse　in　the　salons。　　They　were　the　alembics　in　which　thought　was　fused　and　crystallized。　　They　were　the　schools　in　which　the　French　mind　cultivated　its　extraordinary　clearness　and　flexibility。

As　the　century　advanced；　the　higher　literature　was　tinged　and　modified　by　the　same　spirit。　　Society；　with　its　follies　and　affectations；　inspired　the　mocking　laughter　of　Moliere；　but　its　unwritten　laws　tempered　his　language　and　refined　his　wit。　　Its　fine　urbanity　was　reflected　in　the　harmony　and　delicacy　of　Racine；　as　well　as　in　the　critical　decorum　of　Boileau。　　The　artistic　sentiment　rules　in　letters；　as　in　social　life。　　It　was　not　only　the　thought　that　counted；　but　the　setting　of　the　thought。　　The　majestic　periods　of　Bossuet；　the　tender　persuasiveness　of　Fenelon；　gave　even　truth　a　double　force。　　The　moment　came　when　this　critical　refinement；　this　devotion　to　form；　passed　its　limits；　and　the　inevitable　reaction　followed。　　The　great　literary　wave　of　the　seventeenth　century　reached　its　brilliant　climax　and　broke　upon　the　shores　of　a　new　era。　　But　the　seeds　of　thought　had　been　scattered；　to　spring　up　in　the　great　literature　of　humanity　that　marked　the　eighteenth　century。


CHAPTER　III。　MADEMOISELLE　DE　SCUDERY　AND　THE　SAMEDIS　Salons　of　the　Noblesse〃The　Illustrious　Sappho〃Her　Romances　　The　SamedisBon　Mots　of　Mme。　CornuelEstimate　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery

There　were　a　few　contemporary　salons　among　the　noblesse；　modeled　more　or　less　after　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　but　none　of　their　leaders　had　the　happy　art　of　conciliating　so　many　elements。　　They　had　a　literary　flavor；　and　patronized　men　of　letters；　often　doubtless；　because　it　was　the　fashion　and　the　name　of　a　well…　known　litterateur　gave　them　a　certain　eclat；　but　they　were　not　cosmopolitan；　and　have　left　no　marked　traces。　　One　of　the　most　important　of　these　was　the　Hotel　de　Conde；　over　which　the　beautiful　Charlotte　de　Montmorency　presided　with　such　dignity　and　grace；　during　the　youth　of　her　daughter；　the　Duchesse　de　Longueville。　　Another　was　the　Hotel　de　Nevers；　where　the　gifted　Marie　de　Gonzague；　afterward　Queen　of　Poland；　and　her　charming　sister；　the　Princesse　Palatine；　were　the　central　attractions　of　a　brilliant　and　intellectual　society。　　Richelieu；　recognizing　the　power　of　the　Rambouillet　circle；　wished　to　transfer　it　to　the　salon　of　his　niece　at　the　Petit　Luxembourg。　　We　have　a　glimpse　of　the　young　and　still　worldly　　Pascal；　explaining　here　his　discoveries　in　mathematics　and　his　experiments　in　physics。　　The　tastes　of　this　courtly　company　were　evidently　rather　serious；　as　we　find　another　celebrity；　of　less　enduring　fame；　discoursing　upon　the　immortality　of　the　soul。　　But　the　rank；　talent；　and　masterful　character　of　the　Duchesse　d'Aiguillon　did　not　suffice　to　give　her　salon　the　wide　influence　of　its　model；　it　was　tainted　by　her　own　questionable　character；　and　always　hampered　by　the　suspicion　of　political　intrigues。

There　were　smaller　coteries；　however；　which　inherited　the　spirit　and　continued　the　traditions　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet。　　Prominent　among　these　was　that　of　Madeleine　de　Scudery；　who　held　her　Samedis　in　modest　fashion　in　the　Marais。　　These　famous　reunions　lacked　the　prestige　and　the　fine　tone　of　their　model；　but　they　had　a　definite　position；　and　a　wide　though　not　altogether　favorable　influence。　　As　the　forerunner　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　and　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　and　one　of　the　most　eminent　literary　women　of　the　century　with　which　her　life　ran　parallel；　Mlle。　de　Scudery　has　a　distinct　interest　for　us　and　it　is　to　her　keen　observation　and　facile　pen　that　we　are　indebted　for　the　most　complete　and　vivid　picture　of　the　social　life　of　the　period。　

The　〃illustrious　Sappho；〃　as　she　was　pleased　to　be　called；　certainly　did　not　possess　the　beauty　popularly　accorded　to　her　namesake　and　prototype。　　She　was　tall　and　thin；　with　a　long；　dark；　and　not　at　all　regular　face；　　Mme。　Cornuel　said　that　one　could　see　clearly　〃she　was　destined　by　Providence　to　blacken　paper；　as　she　sweat　ink　from　every　pore。〃　　But；　if　we　may　credit　her　admirers；　who　were　numerous；　she　had　fine　eyes；　a　pleasing　expression；　and　an　agreeable　address。　　She　evidently　did　not　overestimate　her　personal　attractions；　as　will　be　seen　from　the　following　quatrain；　which　she　wrote　upon　a　portrait　made　by　one　of　her　friends。

Nanteuil；　en　faisant　mon　image；　A　de　son　art　divin　signale　le　pouvoir；　Je　hais　mes　yeux　dans　mon　miroir；　Je　les　aime　dans　son　ouvrage。

She　had　her　share；　however；　of　small　but　harmless　vanities；　and　spoke　of　her　impoverished　family；　says　Tallemant；　〃as　one　might　speak　of　the　overthrow　of　the　Greek　empire。〃　　Her　father　belonged　to　an　old　and　noble　house　of　Provence；　but　removed　to　Normandy；　where　he　married　and　died；　leaving　two　children　with　a　heritage　of　talent　and　poverty。　　A　trace　of　the　Provencal　spirit　always　clung　to　Madeleine；　who　was　born　in　1607；　and　lived　until　the　first　year　of　the　following　century。　　After　losing　her　mother；　who　is　said　to　have　been　a　woman　of　some　distinction；　she　was　carefully　educated　by　an　uncle　in　all　the　accomplishments　of　the　age；　as　well　as　in　the　serious　studies　which　were　then　unusual。　　According　to　her　friend　Conrart　she　was　a　veritable　encyclopedia　of　knowledge　both　useful　and　ornamental。　　〃She　had　a　prodigious　imagination；〃　he　writes；　〃an　excellent　memory；　an　exquisite　judgment；　a　lively　temper；　and　a　natural　disposition　to　understand　everything　curious　which　she　saw　done；　and　everything　laudable　which　she　heard　talked　of。　　She　learned　the　things　that　concern　agriculture；　gardening；　housekeeping；　cooking；　and　a　life　in　the　country；　also　the　causes　and　effects　of　maladies；　the　composition　of　an　infinite　number　of　remedies；　perfumes；　scented　waters　and　distillations　useful　or　agreeable。　　She　wished　to　play　the　lute；　and　took　some　lessons　with　success。〃　　In　addition　to　all　this；　she　mastered　Spanish　and　Italian；　read　extensively　and　conversed　brilliantly。　　At　the　death　of　her　uncle　and　in　the　freshness　of　her　youth；　she　went　to　Paris　with　her　brother　who　had　some　pretension　as　a　poet　and　dramatic　writer。　　He　even　posed　as　a　rival　of　Corneille；　and　was　sustained　by　Richelieu；　but　time　has　long　since　relegated　him　to　comparative　oblivion。　　His　sister；　who　was　a　victim　of　his　selfish　tyranny；　is　credited　with　much　of　the　prose　which　appeared　under　his　name；　　indeed；　her　first　romances　were　thus　disguised。　　Her　love　for　conversation　was　so　absorbing；　that　he　is　said　to　have　locked　her　in　her　room；　and　refused　her　to　her　friends　until　a　certain　am