the women of the french salons-第12章

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raries。　　It　is　not　possible　to　perpetuate　so　indefinable　a　thing　as　personal　charm；　but　we　are　told　repeatedly　that　she　had　it　in　an　eminent　degree。　　It　is　certain　that　no　woman　without　beauty；　fortune；　or　visible　rank；　living　simply　and　depending　mainly　upon　her　own　talents；　could　have　retained　such　powerful　and　fastidious　friends；　during　a　long　life；　unless　she　had　had　some　rare　attractions。　　That　she　was　much　loved；　much　praised；　and　much　sought；　we　have　sufficient　evidence　among　the　writers　of　her　own　time。　　She　was　familiarly　spoken　of　as　the　tenth　Muse；　and　she　counted　among　her　personal　friends　the　greatest　men　and　women　of　the　century。　　Leibnitz　sought　her　correspondence。　　The　Abbe　de　Pure；　who　was　not　friendly　to　the　precieuses　and　made　the　first　severe　attack　upon　them；　thus　writes　of　her：　〃One　may　call　Mlle。　de　Scudery　the　muse　of　our　age　and　the　prodigy　of　her　sex。　　It　is　not　only　her　goodness　and　her　sweetness；　but　her　intellect　shines　with　so　much　modesty；　her　sentiments　are　expressed　with　so　much　reserve；　she　speaks　with　so　much　discretion；　and　all　that　she　says　is　so　fit　and　reasonable；　that　one　cannot　help　both　admiring　and　loving　her。　　Comparing　what　one　sees　of　her；　and　what　one　owes　to　her　personally；　with　what　she　writes；　one　prefers；　without　hesitation；　her　conversation　to　her　works。　　Although　she　has　a　wonderful　mind；　her　heart　outweighs　it。　　It　is　in　the　heart　of　this　illustrious　woman　that　one　finds　true　and　pure　generosity；　an　immovable　constancy；　a　sincere　and　solid　friendship。〃

The　loyalty　of　her　character　was　conspicuously　shown　in　her　brave　devotion　to　the　interests　of　the　Conde　family；　through　all　the　reverses　of　the　Fronde。　　In　one　of　her　darkest　moments　Mme。　de　Longueville　received　the　last　volume　of　the　〃Grand　Cyrus；〃　which　was　dedicated　to　her；　and　immediately　sent　her　own　portrait　encircled　with　diamonds；　as　the　only　thing　she　had　left　worthy　of　this　friend　who；　without　sharing　ardently　her　political　prejudices；　had　never　deserted　her　waning　fortunes。　　The　same　rare　quality　was　seen　in　her　unwavering　friendship　for　Fouquet；　during　his　long　disgrace　and　imprisonment。　　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　whose　satire　was　so　pitiless　toward　affectation　of　any　sort；　writes　to　her　in　terms　of　exaggerated　tenderness。

〃In　a　hundred　thousand　words；　I　could　tell　you　but　one　truth；　which　reduces　itself　to　assuring　you；　Mademoiselle；　that　I　shall　love　you　and　adore　you　all　my　life；　it　is　only　this　word　that　can　express　the　idea　I　have　of　your　extraordinary　merit。　　I　am　happy　to　have　some　part　in　the　friendship　and　esteem　of　such　a　person。　　As　constancy　is　a　perfection；　I　say　to　myself　that　you　will　not　change　for　me；　and　I　dare　to　pride　myself　that　I　shall　never　be　sufficiently　abandoned　of　God　not　to　be　always　yours　。　。　。　　I　take　to　my　son　your　conversations。　　I　wish　him　to　be　charmed　with　them；　after　being　charmed　myself。〃

Mlle。　de　Scudery　is　especially　interesting　to　us　as　marking　a　transition　point　in　the　history　of　women；　as　the　author　of　the　first　romances　of　any　note　written　by　her　sex；　as　a　moral　teacher　in　an　age　of　laxity；　and　as　a　woman　who　combined　high　aspirations；　fine　ideals；　and　versatile　talents　with　a　pure　and　unselfish　character。　　She　aimed　at　universal　accomplishments　　　from　the　distillation　of　a　perfume　to　the　writing　of　a　novel；　from　the　preparation　of　a　rare　dish　to　fine　conversation；　from　playing　the　lute　to　the　dissection　of　the　human　heart。　　In　this　versatility　she　has　been　likened　to　Mme。　de　Genlis；　whom　she　resembled　also　in　her　moral　teaching　and　her　factitious　sensibility。　　She　was；　however；　more　genuine；　more　amiable；　and　far　superior　in　true　elevation　of　character。　　She　was　full　of　theories　and　loved　to　air　them；　hence　the　people　who　move　across　the　pages　of　her　novels　are　often　lost　in　a　cloud　of　speculation。　　But　she　gave　a　fresh　impulse　to　literature；　adding　a　fine　quality　of　grace；　tenderness；　and　pure　though　often　exaggerated　sentiment。　　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　who　had　more　clearness　of　mind　as　well　as　a　finer　artistic　sense；　gave　a　better　form　to　the　novel　and　pruned　it　of　superfluous　matter。　　The　sentiment　which　casts　so　soft　and　delicate　a　coloring　over　her　romances　was　more　subtle　and　refined。　　It　may　be　questioned；　however；　if　she　wrote　so　much　that　has　been　incorporated　in　the　thought　of　her　time。


CHAPTER　IV。　LA　GRANDE　MADEMOISELLE　Her　CharacterHer　Heroic　Part　in　the　FrondeHer　Exile　Literary　Diversions　of　her　SalonA　Romantic　Episode

There　are　certain　women　preeminently　distinguished　by　diversity　of　gifts；　who　fail　to　leave　behind　them　a　fame　at　all　commensurate　with　their　promise。　　It　may　be　from　a　lack　of　unity；　resulting　from　a　series　of　fragmentary　efforts；　no　one　of　which　is　of　surpassing　excellence；　it　may　be　that　the　impression　of　power　they　give　is　quite　beyond　any　practical　manifestation　of　it；　or　it　may　be　that　talents　in　themselves　remarkable　are　cast　into　the　shade　by　some　exceptional　brilliancy　of　position。　　The　success　of　life　is　measured　by　the　harmony　between　its　ideals　and　its　attainments。　　It　is　the　symmetry　of　the　temple　that　gives　the　final　word；　not　the　breadth　of　its　foundations　nor　the　wealth　of　its　material。

It　was　this　lack　of　harmony　and　fine　proportion　which　marred　the　career　of　a　woman　who　played　a　very　conspicuous　part　in　the　social　and　political　life　of　her　time；　and　who　belongs　to　my　subject　only　through　a　single　phase　of　a　stormy　and　eventful　history。　　No　study　of　the　salons　would　be　complete　without　that　of　the　Grande　Mademoiselle；　but　it　was　not　as　the　leader　of　a　coterie　that　she　held　her　special　claim　to　recognition。　　By　the　accident　of　birth　she　stood　apart；　subject　to　many　limitations　that　modified　the　character　of　her　salon　and　narrowed　its　scope；　though　they　emphasized　its　influence。　　It　was　only　an　incident　of　her　life；　but　through　the　quality　of　its　habitues　and　their　unique　diversions　it　became　the　source　of　an　important　literature。

Anne　Marie　Louise　d'Orleans；　Duchesse　de　Montpensier；　has　left　a　very　distinct　record　of　herself　in　letters；　romances；　memoirs　and　portraits；　written　out　of　an　abounding　fullness　of　nature；　but　with　infinite　detail　and　royal　contempt　for　precision　and　orthography。　　She　talks　naively　of　her　happy　childhood；　of　her　small　caprices；　of　the　love　of　her　grandmother；　Marie　de　Medicis；　of　her　innocent　impressions　of　the　people　about　her。　　She　dwells　with　special　pleasure　upon　a　grand　fete　at　the　Palais　Royal；　in　which　she　posed　as　an　incipient　queen。　　She　was　then　nineteen。　　〃They　were　three　entire　days　in　arranging　my　costume；〃　she　writes。　　〃My　robe　was　covered　with　diamonds；　and　trimmed　with　rose；　black；　and　white　tufts。　　I　wore　all　the　jewels　of　the　crown　and　of　the　Queen　of　England；　who　still　had　some　left。　　No　one　could　be　better　or　more　magnificently　attired　than　I　was　that　day；　and　many　people　said　that　my　beautiful　figure；　my　imposing　mien；　my　fair　complexion；　and　the　splendor　of　my　blonde　hair　did　not　adorn　me　less　than　all　the　riches　which　were　upon　my　person。〃　　She　sat　resplendent　upon　a　raised　dais；　with　the　proud　consciousness　of　her　right　and　power　to　grace　a　throne。　　Louis　XIV；　than　a　child；　and　the　Prince　of　Wales；　afterwards　Charles　II；　were　at　her　feet。　　The　latter　was　a　devoted　suitor。　　〃My　heart　as　well　as　my　eyes　regarded　the　prince　de　haut　en　bas；〃　she　says。　　〃I　had　the　spirit　to　wed　an　emperor。〃

There　were　negotiations　for　her　marriage　with　the　Emperor　of　Austria；　and　she　thought　it　wise　to　adapt　herself　in　advance　to　his　tastes。　　She　had　heard　that　he　was　religious；　and　immediately　began　to　play　the　part　of　a　devote　so　seriously；　that　she　was　seized　with　a　violent　desire　to　become　a　veritable　religieuse　and　enter　the　convent　of　the　Carmelites。　　She　could　neither　eat　nor　sleep；　and　it　was　feared　that　she　would　fall　dangerously　ill。　　〃I　can　only　say　that；　during　those　eight　days；　the　empire　was　nothing　to　me；〃　she　writes。　　But　she　confesses　to　a　certain　feeling　of　vanity　at　her　own　spirit　of　self…sacrifice；　and　the　sensibility　which　made　her　weep　at　the　thought　of　leaving　those　she　loved。　　This　access　of　piety　was　of　short　duration；　however；　as　her　father　quickly　put　to　flight　all　her　exalted　visions　of　a　cloister。　　Her　dreams　of　an　emperor　for　whom　she　lost　a　prospective　king　were