the women of the french salons-第10章

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g；　that　he　is　said　to　have　locked　her　in　her　room；　and　refused　her　to　her　friends　until　a　certain　amount　of　writing　was　done。　　But；　in　spite　of　this　surveillance；　her　life　was　so　largely　in　the　world　that　it　was　a　mystery　when　she　did　her　voluminous　work。

Of　winning　temper　and　pleasing　address；　with　this　full　equipment　of　knowledge　and　imagination；　versatility　and　ambition；　she　was　at　an　early　period　domesticated　in　the　family　of　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　as　the　friend　and　companion　of　Julie　d'Angennes。　　Her　graces　of　mind　and　her　amiability　made　her　a　favorite　with　those　who　frequented　the　house；　and　she　was　thus　brought　into　close　contact　with　the　best　society　of　her　time。　　She　has　painted　it　carefully　and　minutely　in　the　〃Grand　Cyrus；〃　a　romantic　allegory　in　which　she　transfers　the　French　aristocracy　and　French　manners　of　the　seventeenth　century　to　an　oriental　court。　　The　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　plays　an　important　part　as　the　Hotel　Cleomire。　　When　we　consider　that　the　central　figures　were　the　Prince　de　Conde　and　his　lovely　sister　the　Duchesse　de　Longueville；　also　that　the　most　distinguished　men　and　women　of　the　age　saw　their　own　portraits；　somewhat　idealized　but　quite　recognizable　through　the　thin　disguise　of　Persians；　Greeks；　Armenians；　or　Egyptians；　it　is　easy　to　imagine　that　the　ten　volumes　of　rather　exalted　sentiment　were　eagerly　sought　and　read。　　She　lacked　incident　and　constructive　power；　but　excelled　in　vivid　portraits；　subtle　analysis；　and　fine　conversations。　　She　made　no　attempt　at　local　color；　her　plots　were　strained　and　unnatural；　her　style　heavy　and　involved。　　But　her　penetrating　intellect　was　thoroughly　tinged　with　the　romantic　spirit；　and　she　had　the　art　of　throwing　a　certain　glamour　over　everything　she　touched。　　Cousin；　who　has　rescued　the　memory　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery　from　many　unjust　aspersions；　says　that　she　was　the　〃creator　of　the　psychological　romance。〃　　Unquestionably　her　skill　in　character　painting　set　the　fashion　for　the　pen　portraits　which　became　a　mania　a　few　years　later。

She　depicts　herself　as　Sapppho；　whose　opinions　may　be　supposed　to　reflect　her　own。　　In　these　days；　when　the　position　of　women　is　discussed　from　every　possible　point　of　view；　it　may　be　interesting　to　know　how　it　was　regarded　by　one　who　represented　the　thoughtful　side　of　the　age　in　which　their　social　power　was　first　distinctly　asserted。　　She　classes　her　critics　and　enemies　under　several　heads。　　Among　them　are　the　〃light　and　coquettish　women　whose　only　occupation　is　to　adorn　their　persons　and　pass　their　lives　in　fetes　and　amusementswomen　who　think　that　scrupulous　virtue　requires　them　to　know　nothing　but　to　be　the　wife　of　a　husband；　the　mother　of　children；　and　the　mistress　of　a　family；　and　men　who　regard　women　as　upper　servants；　and　forbid　their　daughters　to　read　anything　but　their　prayer　books。〃

〃One　does　not　wish　women　to　be　coquettes；〃　she　writes　again；　〃but　permits　them　to　learn　carefully　all　that　fits　them　for　gallantry；　without　teaching　them　anything　which　can　fortify　their　virtue　or　occupy　their　minds。　　They　devote　ten　or　a　dozen　years　to　learning　to　appear　well；　to　dress　in　good　style；　to　dance　and　sing；　for　five　or　six；　but　this　same　person；　who　requires　judgment　all　her　life　and　must　talk　until　her　last　sigh；　learns　nothing　which　can　make　her　converse　more　agreeably；　or　act　with　more　wisdom。〃

But　she　does　not　like　a　femme　savante；　and　ridicules；　under　the　name　of　Damophile；　a　character　which　might　have　been　the　model　for　Moliere's　Philaminte。　　This　woman　has　five　or　six　masters；　of　whom　the　least　learned　teaches　astrology。　　She　poses　as　a　Muse；　and　is　always　surrounded　with　books；　pencils；　and　mathematical　instruments；　while　she　uses　large　words　in　a　grave　and　imperious　tone；　although　she　speaks　only　of　little　things。　　After　many　long　conversations　about　her；　Sappho　concludes　thus：　〃I　wish　it　to　be　said　of　a　woman　that　she　knows　a　hundred　things　of　which　she　does　not　boast；　that　she　has　a　well…informed　mind；　is　familiar　with　fine　works；　speaks　well；　writes　correctly；　and　knows　the　world；　but　I　do　not　wish　it　to　be　said　of　her　that　she　is　a　femme　savante。　　The　two　characters　have　no　resemblance。〃　　She　evidently　recognized　the　fact　that　when　knowledge　has　penetrated　the　soul；　it　does　not　need　to　be　worn　on　the　outside；　as　it　shines　through　the　entire　personality。

After　some　further　discussion；　to　the　effect　that　the　wise　woman　will　conceal　superfluous　learning　and　especially　avoid　pedantry；　she　defines　the　limit　to　which　a　woman　may　safely　go　in　knowledge　without　losing　her　right　to　be　regarded　as　the　〃ornament　of　the　world；　made　to　be　served　and　adored。〃

One　may　know　some　foreign　languages　and　confess　to　reading　Homer；　Hesiod；　and　the　works　of　the　illustrious　Aristee　（Chapelain）；　without　being　too　learned。　　One　may　express　an　opinion　so　modestly　that；　without　offending　the　propriety　of　her　sex；　she　may　permit　it　to　be　seen　that　she　has　wit；　knowledge；　and　judgment。　　That　which　I　wish　principally　to　teach　women　is　not　to　speak　too　much　of　that　which　they　know　well；　never　to　speak　of　that　which　they　do　not　know　at　all；　and　to　speak　reasonably。

We　note　always　a　half…apologetic　tone；　a　spirit　of　compromise　between　her　conscious　intelligence　and　the　traditional　prejudice　which　had　in　no　wise　diminished　since　Martial　included；　in　his　picture　of　a　domestic　menage；　a　wife　not　too　learned。。。〃　　She　is　not　willing　to　lose　a　woman's　birthright　of　love　and　devotion；　but　is　not　quite　sure　how　far　it　might　be　affected　by　her　ability　to　detect　a　solecism。　　Hence；　she　offers　a　great　deal　of　subtle　flattery　to　masculine　self…love。　　With　curious　naivete　she　says：

Whoever　should　write　all　that　was　said　by　fifteen　or　twenty　women　together　would　make　the　worst　book　in　the　world；　even　if　some　of　them　were　women　of　intelligence。　　But　if　a　man　should　enter；　a　single　one；　and　not　even　a　man　of　distinction；　the　same　conversation　would　suddenly　become　more　spirituelle　and　more　agreeable。　　The　conversation　of　men　is　doubtless　less　sprightly　when　there　are　no　women　present；　but　ordinarily；　although　it　may　be　more　serious；　it　is　still　rational；　and　they　can　do　without　us　more　easily　than　we　can　do　without　them。

She　attaches　great　importance　to　conversation　as　〃the　bond　of　society；　the　greatest　pleasure　of　well…bred　people；　and　the　best　means　of　introducing；　not　only　politeness　into　the　world；　but　a　purer　morality。〃　　She　dwells　always　upon　the　necessity　of　〃a　spirit　of　urbanity；　which　banishes　all　bitter　railleries；　as　well　as　everything　that　can　offend　the　taste；　〃　also　of　a　certain　〃esprit　de　joie。〃

We　find　here　the　code　which　ruled　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　the　very　well…defined　character　of　the　precieuse。　　But　it　may　be　noted　that　Mlle。　de　Scudery；　who　was　among　the　avant…coureurs　of　the　modern　movement　for　the　advancement　of　women；　always　preserved　the　forms　of　the　old　traditions；　while　violating　their　spirit。　　True　to　her　Gallic　instincts；　she　presented　her　innovations　sugar…coated。　　She　had　the　fine　sense　of　fitness　which　is　the　conscience　of　her　race；　and　which　gave　so　much　power　to　the　women　who　really　revolutionized　society　without　antagonizing　it。

Her　conversations；　which　were　full　of　wise　suggestions　and　showed　a　remarkable　insight　into　human　character；　were　afterwards　published　in　detached　form　and　had　a　great　success。　　Mme。　de　Sevigne　writes　to　her　daughter：　〃Mlle。　De　Scudery　has　just　sent　me　two　little　volumes　of　conversations；　it　is　impossible　that　they　should　not　be　good；　when　they　are　not　drowned　in　a　great　romance。〃

When　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　was　closed；　Mlle。　de　Scudery　tried　to　replace　its　pleasant　reunions　by　receiving　her　friends　on　Saturdays。　　These　informal　receptions　were　frequented　by　a　few　men　and　women　of　rank；　but　the　prevailing　tone　was　literary　and　slightly　bourgeois。　　We　find　there；　from　time　to　time；　Mme。　de　Sable；　the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Montausier；　and　others　of　the　old　circle　who　were　her　lifelong　friends。　　La　　Rochefoucauld　is　there　occasionally；　also　Mme。　de。　La　Fayette；　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　and　the　young　Mme。　Scarron　whose　brilliant　future　is　hardly　yet　in　her　dreams。　　Among　those　less　known　today；　but　of　note　in　their　age；　were　the　Comtesse　de　la　Suze；　a　favorite　writer　of　elegies；　who　changed　her　f