the women of the french salons-第11章

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　of　note　in　their　age；　were　the　Comtesse　de　la　Suze；　a　favorite　writer　of　elegies；　who　changed　her　faith　and　became　a　Catholic；　as　she　said；　that　she　〃might　not　meet　her　husband　in　this　world　or　the　next；〃　the　versatile　Mlle。　Cheron　who　had　some　celebrity　as　a　poet；　musician；　and　painter；　Mlle。　de　la　Vigne　and　Mme。　Deshoulieres；　also　poets；　Mlle。　Descartes；　niece　of　the　great　philosopher；　and；　at　rare　intervals；　the　clever　Abbess　de　Rohan　who　tempered　her　piety　with　a　little　sage　worldliness。　　One　of　the　most　brilliant　lights　in　this　galaxy　of　talent　was　Mme。　Cornuel；　whose　bons　mots　sparkle　from　so　many　pages　in　the　chronicles　of　the　period。　　A　woman　of　high　bourgeois　birth　and　of　the　best　associations；　she　had　a　swift　vision；　a　penetrating　sense；　and　a　clear　intellect　prompt　to　seize　the　heart　of　a　situation。　　Mlle。　De　Scudery　said　that　she　could　paint　a　grand　satire　in　four　words。　　Mme。　de　Sevigne　found　her　admirable；　and　even　the　grave　Pomponne　begged　his　friend　not　to　forget　to　send　him　all　her　witticisms。　　Of　the　agreeable　but　rather　light　Comtesse　de　Fiesque；　she　said：　〃What　preserves　her　beauty　is　that　it　is　salted　in　folly。〃　　Of　James　II　of　England；　she　remarked；　〃The　Holy　Spirit　has　eaten　up　his　understanding。〃　　The　saying　that　the　eight　generals　appointed　at　the　death　of　Turenne　were　〃the　small　change　for　Turenne〃　has　been　attributed　to　her。　　It　is　certainly　not　to　a　woman　of　such　keen　insight　and　ready　wit　that　one　can　attach　any　of　the　affectations　which　later　crept　into　the　Samedis。

The　poet　Sarasin　is　the　Voiture　of　this　salon。　　Conrart；　to　whose　house　may　be　traced　the　first　meetings　of　the　little　circle　of　lettered　men　which　formed　the　nucleus　of　the　Academie　Francaise；　is　its　secretary；　Pellisson；　another　of　the　founders　and　the　historian　of　the　same　learned　body；　is　its　chronicler。　　Chapelain　is　quite　at　home　here；　and　we　find　also　numerous　minor　authors　and　artists　whose　names　have　small　significance　today。　　The　Samedis　follow　closely　in　the　footsteps　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet。　　It　is　the　aim　there　to　speak　simply　and　naturally　upon　all　subjects　grave　or　gay；　to　preserve　always　the　spirit　of　delicacy　and　urbanity；　and　to　avoid　vulgar　intrigues。　　There　is　a　superabundance　of　sentiment；　some　affectation；　and　plenty　of　esprit。

They　converse　upon　all　the　topics　of　the　day；　from　fashion　to　politics；　from　literature　and　the　arts　to　the　last　item　of　gossip。　　They　read　their　works；　talk　about　them；　criticize　them；　and　vie　with　one　another　in　improvising　verses。　　Pellisson　takes　notes　and　leaves　us　a　multitude　of　madrigals；　sonnets；　chansons　and　letters　of　varied　merit。　　He　says　there　reigned　a　sort　of　epidemic　of　little　poems。　　〃The　secret　influence　began　to　fall　with　the　dew。　　Here　one　recites　four　verses；　there；　one　writes　a　dozen。　　All　this　is　done　gaily　and　without　effort。　　No　one　bites　his　nails；　or　stops　laughing　and　talking。　　There　are　challenges；　responses；　repetitions；　attacks；　repartees。　　The　pen　passes　from　hand　to　hand；　and　the　hand　does　not　keep　pace　with　the　mind。　　One　makes　verses　for　every　lady　present。〃　　Many　of　these　verses　were　certainly　not　of　the　best　quality；　but　it　would　be　difficult；　in　any　age；　to　find　a　company　of　people　clever　enough　to　divert　themselves　by　throwing　off　such　poetic　trifles　on　the　spur　of　the　moment。

In　the　end；　the　Samedis　came　to　have　something　of　the　character　of　a　modern　literary　club；　and　were　held　at　different　houses。　　The　company　was　less　choice；　and　the　bourgeois　coloring　more　pronounced。　　These　reunions　very　clearly　illustrated　the　fact　that　no　society　can　sustain　itself　above　the　average　of　its　members。　　They　increased　in　size；　but　decreased　in　quality；　with　the　inevitable　result　of　affectation　and　pretension。　　Intelligence；　taste；　and　politeness　were　in　fashion。　　Those　who　did　not　possess　them　put　on　their　semblance；　and；　affecting　an　intellectual　tone；　fell　into　the　pedantry　which　is　sure　to　grow　out　of　the　effort　to　speak　above　one's　altitude。　　The　fine…spun　theories　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery　also　reached　a　sentimental　climax　in　〃Clelie；〃　which　did　not　fail　of　its　effect。　　Platonic　love　and　the　ton　galant　were　the　texts　for　innumerable　follies　which　finally　reacted　upon　the　Samedis。　　After　a　few　years；　they　lost　their　influence　and　were　discontinued。　　But　Mlle。　de　Scudery　retained　the　position　which　her　brilliant　gifts　and　literary　fame　had　given　her；　and　was　the　center　of　a　choice　circle　of　friends　until　a　short　time　before　her　death　at　the　ripe　age　of　ninety…four。　　Even　Tallemant；　writing　of　the　decline　of　these　reunions；　says；　〃Mlle。　De　Scudery　is　more　considered　than　ever。〃　　At　sixty…four　she　received　the　first　Prix　D'Eloquence　from　the　Academie　Francaise；　for　an　essay　on　Glory。　　This　prize　was　founded　by　Balzac；　and　the　subject　was　specified。　　Thus　the　long　procession　of　laureates　was　led　by　a　woman。

In　spite　of　her　subtle　analysis　of　love；　and　her　exact　map　of　the　Empire　of　Tenderness；　the　sentiment　of　the　〃Illustrious　Sappho〃　seems　to　have　been　rather　ideal。　　She　had　numerous　adorers；　of　whom　Conrart　and　Pellisson　were　among　the　most　devoted。　　During　the　long　imprisonment　of　the　latter　for　supposed　complicity　with　Fouquet；　she　was　of　great　service　to　him；　and　the　tender　friendship　ended　only　with　his　life；　upon　which　she　wrote　a　touching　eulogy　at　its　close。　　But　she　never　married。　　She　feared　to　lose　her　liberty。　　〃I　know；〃　she　writes；　〃that　there　are　many　estimable　men　who　merit　all　my　esteem　and　who　can　retain　a　part　of　my　friendship；　but　as　soon　as　I　regard　them　as　husbands；　I　regard　them　as　masters；　and　so　apt　to　become　tyrants　that　I　must　hate　them　from　that　moment；　and　I　thank　the　gods　for　giving　me　an　inclination　very　much　averse　to　marriage。〃

It　was　the　misfortune　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery　to　outlive　her　literary　reputation。　　The　interminable　romances　which　had　charmed　the　eloquent　Flechier；　the　Grand　Conde　in　his　cell　at　Vincennes；　the　ascetic　d'Andilly　at　Port　Royal；　as　well　as　the　dreaming　maidens　who　signed　over　their　fanciful　descriptions　and　impossible　adventures；　passed　their　day。　　The　touch　of　a　merciless　criticism　stripped　them　of　their　already　fading　glory。　　Their　subtle　analysis　and　etherealized　sentiment　were　declared　antiquated；　and　fashion　ran　after　new　literary　idols。　　It　was　Boileau　who　gave　the　severest　blow。　　〃This　Despreaux；〃　said　Segrais；　〃knows　how　to　do　nothing　else　but　talk　of　himself　and　criticize　others；　why　speak　ill　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery　as　he　has　done？〃

There　has　been　a　disposition　to　credit　the　founder　of　the　Samedis　with　many　of　the　affectations　which　brought　such　deserved　ridicule　upon　their　bourgeois　imitators；　and　to　trace　in　her　the　original　of　Moliere's　〃Madelon。〃　　But　Cousin　has　relieved　her　of　such　reproach；　and　does　ample　justice　to　the　truth　and　sincerity　of　her　character；　the　purity　of　her　manners；　and　the　fine　quality　of　her　intellect。　　He　calls　her　〃a　sort　of　French　sister　of　Addison。〃　　Perhaps　her　resemblance　to　one　of　the　clearest；　purest；　and　simplest　of　English　essayists　is　not　quite　apparent　on　the　surface；　but　as　a　moralist　and　a　delineator　of　manners　she　may　have　done　a　similar　work　in　her　own　way。

Sainte…Beuve；　who　has　left　so　many　vivid　and　exquisite　portraits　of　his　countrywomen；　does　not　paint　Mlle。　de　Scudery　with　his　usual　kindly　touch。　　He　admits　her　merit；　her　accomplishments；　her　versatility；　and　the　perfect　innocence　of　her　life；　but　he　finds　her　didactic；　pedantic；　and　tiresome　as　a　writer；　and　without　charm　or　grace　as　a　woman。　　Doubtless　one　would　find　it　difficult　to　read　her　romances　today。　　She　lacks　the　genius　which　has　no　age　and　belongs　to　all　ages。　　Her　literary　life　pertains　to　the　first　half　of　the　seventeenth　century；　when　style　had　not　reached　the　Attic　purity　and　elegance　of　a　later　period。　　She　was　teacher　rather　than　artist；　but　no　one　could　be　farther　from　a　bas　bleu；　or　more　severe　upon　pedantry　or　pretension　of　any　sort。　　She　takes　the　point　of　view　of　her　time；　and　dwells　always　upon　the　wisdom　of　veiling　the　knowledge　she　claims　for　her　sex　behind　the　purely　feminine　graces。　　How　far　she　practiced　her　own　theories；　we　can　know　only　from　the　testimony　of　her　contemporaries。　　It　is　not　possible　to　perpetuate　so　indefinable　a　thing　as　personal　charm；　but　we　are　told