the women of the french salons-第13章

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r　exalted　visions　of　a　cloister。　　Her　dreams　of　an　emperor　for　whom　she　lost　a　prospective　king　were　alike　futile。

〃She　had　beauty；　talent；　wealth；　virtue；　and　a　royal　birth；〃　says　Mme。　de　Motteville。　　〃Her　face　was　not　without　defects；　and　her　intellect　was　not　one　which　always　pleases。　　Her　vivacity　deprived　all　her　actions　of　the　gravity　necessary　to　people　of　her　rank；　and　her　mind　was　too　much　carried　away　by　her　feelings。　　As　she　was　fair；　had　fine　eyes；　a　pleasing　mouth；　was　of　good　height；　and　blonde；　she　had　quite　the　air　of　a　great　beauty。〃　　But　it　was　beauty　of　a　commanding　sort；　without　delicacy；　and　dependent　largely　upon　the　freshness　of　youth。　　The　same　veracious　writer　says　that　〃she　spoiled　all　she　went　about　by　the　eagerness　and　impatience　of　her　temper。　　She　was　always　too　hasty　and　pushed　things　too　far。〃　　What　she　may　have　lacked　in　grace　and　charm；　she　made　up　by　the　splendors　of　rank　and　position。

A　princess　by　birth；　closely　related　to　three　kings；　and　glowing　with　all　the　fiery　instincts　of　her　race；　the　Grand　Mademoiselle　curiously　blended　the　courage　of　an　Amazon　with　the　weakness　of　a　passionate　and　capricious　woman。　　As　she　was　born　in　1627；　the　most　brilliant　days　of　her　youth　were　passed　amid　the　excitements　of　the　Fronde。　　She　casts　a　romantic　light　upon　these　trivial　wars；　which　were　ended　at　last　by　her　prompt　decision　and　masculine　force。　We　see　her　at　twenty…five；　riding　victoriously　into　the　city　of　Orleans　at　the　head　of　her　troops　and；　later；　ordering　the　cannon　at　the　Bastile　turned　against　the　royal　forces；　and　opening　the　gates　of　Paris　to　the　exhausted　army　of　Conde。　　This　adventure　gives　us　the　key…note　to　her　haughty　and　imperious　character。　　She　would　have　posed　well　for　the　heroine　of　a　great　drama；　indeed；　she　posed　all　her　life　in　real　dramas。

At　this　time　she　had　hopes　of　marrying　the　Prince　de　Conde；　whom　she　regarded　as　a　hero　worthy　of　her。　　His　wife；　an　amiable　woman　who　was　sent　to　a　convent　after　her　marriage　to　learn　to　read　and　write；　was　dangerously　ill；　and　her　illustrious　husband　did　not　scruple　to　make　tacit　arrangements　to　supply　her　place。　　Unfortunately　for　these　plans；　and　fortunately　perhaps　for　a　certain　interesting　phase　of　literature；　she　recovered。　　Soon　afterwards；　Mademoiselle　found　the　reward　of　her　heroic　adventures　in　a　sudden　exile　to　her　estates　at　Saint　Fargeau。　　The　country　life；　so　foreign　to　her　tastes；　pressed　upon　her　very　heavily　at　first；　the　more　so　as　she　was　deserted　by　most　of　her　friends。　　〃I　received　more　compliments　than　visits；〃　she　writes。　　〃I　had　made　everybody　ill。　　All　those　who　did　not　dare　send　me　word　that　they　feared　to　embroil　themselves　with　the　court　pretended　that　some　malady　or　accident　had　befallen　them。〃　　By　degrees；　however；　she　adapted　herself　to　her　situation；　and　in　her　loneliness　and　disappointment　betook　herself　to　pursuits　which　offered　a　strong　contrast　to　the　dazzling　succession　of　magnificent　fetes　and　military　episodes　which　had　given　variety　and　excitement　to　her　life　at　the　Tuileries。　　When　she　grew　tired　of　her　parrots；　her　dogs；　her　horses；　her　comedians　and　her　violin；　she　found　solace　in　literature；　beginning　the　〃Memoirs；〃　which　were　finished　thirty　years　later；　and　writing　romances；　after　the　manner　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery。　　The　drift　of　the　first　one；　〃Les　Nouvelles　Francaises　et　les　Divertissements　de　la　Princesse　Aurelie；〃　is　suggested　by　its　title。　　It　was　woven　from　the　little　stories　or　adventures　which　were　told　to　amuse　their　solitude　by　the　small　coterie　of　women　who　had　followed　the　clouded　fortunes　of　Mademoiselle。　　A　romance　of　more　pretension　was　the　〃Princesse　de　Paphlagonie；〃　in　which　the　writer　pictures　her　own　little　court；　and　introduces　many　of　its　members　under　fictitious　names。　　These　romances　have　small　interest　for　the　world　today；　but　the　exalted　position　of　their　author　and　their　personal　character　made　them　much　talked　of　in　their　time。

It　was　in　quite　another　fashion；　however；　that　the　Grande

Mademoiselle　made　her　most　important　contribution　to　literature。　　One　day　in　1657；　while　still　in　the　country；　she　proposed　to　her　friends　to　make　pen　portraits　of　themselves；　and　set　the　fashion　by　writing　her　own；　with　a　detailed　description　of　her　physical；　mental；　and　moral　qualities。　　This　was　followed　by　carefully　drawn　pictures　of　others；　among　whom　were　Louis　XIV；　Monsieur；　and　the　Grand　Conde。　　All　were　bound　in　honor　to　give　the　lights　and　shadows　with　the　same　fidelity；　though　it　would　be　hardly　wise　to　call　them　to　too　strict　an　account　on　this　point。　　As　may　be　readily　imagined；　the　result　was　something　piquant　and　original。　　That　the　amusement　was　a　popular　one　goes　without　saying。　　People　like　to　talk　of　themselves；　not　only　because　the　subject　is　interesting；　but　because　it　gives　them　an　opportunity　of　setting　in　relief　their　virtues　and　tempering　their　foibles。　　They　like　also　to　know　what　others　think　of　themat　least；　what　others　say　of　them。　　It　is　too　much　to　expect　of　human　nature；　least　of　all；　of　French　human　nature；　that　an　agreeable　modicum　of　subtle　flattery　should　not　be　added　under　such　conditions。

When　Mademoiselle　opened　her　salon　in　the　Luxembourg；　on　her　return　from　exile；　these　portraits　formed　one　of　its　most　marked　features。　　The　salon　was　limited　mainly　to　the　nobility；　with　the　addition　of　a　few　men　of　letters。　　Among　those　who　frequented　it　on　intimate　terms　were　the　Marquise　de　Sable；　the　Comtesse　de　Maure；　the　beautiful　and　pure…hearted　Mme。　de　Hautefort；　the　dame　d'honneur　of　Anne　of　Austria；　so　hopelessly　adored　by　Louis　XIII；　and　Mme。　de　Choisy；　the　witty　wife　of　the　chancellor　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans。　　Its　most　brilliant　lights　were　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　and　La　Rochefoucauld。　　It　was　here　that　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　made　the　vivid　portrait　of　her　friend　Mme。　de　Sevigne。　　〃It　flatters　me；〃　said　the　latter　long　afterwards；　〃but　those　who　loved　me　sixteen　years　ago　may　have　thought　it　true。〃　　The　beautiful　Comtesse　de　Bregy；　who　was　called　one　of　the　muses　of　the　time；　portrayed　the　Princess　Henrietta　and　the　irrepressible　Queen　Christine　of　Sweden。　　Mme。　de　Chatillon；　known　later　as　the　Duchesse　de　Mecklenbourg；　who　was　mingled　with　all　the　intrigues　of　this　period；　traces　a　very　agreeable　sketch　of　herself；　which　may　serve　as　a　specimen　of　this　interesting　diversion。　　After　minutely　describing　her　person；　which　she　evidently　regards　with　much　complacence；　she　continues：

〃I　have　a　temper　naturally　cheerful　and　a　little　given　to　raillery；　but　I　correct　this　inclination；　for　fear　of　displeasing。　　I　have　much　esprit；　and　enter　agreeably　into　conversation。　　I　have　a　pleasant　voice　and　a　modest　air。　　I　am　very　sincere　and　do　not　fail　my　friends。　　I　have　not　a　trifling　mind；　nor　do　I　cherish　a　thousand　small　malices　against　my　neighbor。　　I　love　glory　and　fine　actions。　　I　have　heart　and　ambition。　　I　am　very　sensitive　to　good　and　ill；　but　I　never　avenge　myself　for　the　ill　that　has　been　done　me；　although　I　might　have　the　inclination；　I　am　restrained　by　self…love。　　I　have　a　sweet　disposition；　take　pleasure　in　serving　my　friends；　and　fear　nothing　so　much　as　the　petty　drawing…room　quarrels　which　usually　grow　out　of　little　nothings。　　I　find　my　person　and　my　temper　constructed　something　after　this　fashion；　and　I　am　so　satisfied　with　both；　that　I　envy　no　one。　　I　leave　to　my　friends　or　to　my　enemies　the　care　of　seeking　my　faults。〃

It　was　under　this　stimulating　influence　that　La　Rochefoucauld　made　the　well…known　pen…portrait　of　himself。　　〃I　will　lack　neither　boldness　to　speak　as　freely　as　I　can　of　my　good　qualities；〃　he　writes；　〃nor　sincerity　to　avow　frankly　that　I　have　faults。〃　　After　describing　his　person；　temper；　abilities；　passions；　and　tastes；　he　adds　with　curious　candor：　〃I　am　but　little　given　to　pity；　and　do　not　wish　to　be　so　at　all。　　Nevertheless　there　is　nothing　I　would　not　do　for　an　afflicted　person；　and　I　sincerely　believe　one　should　do　all　one　can　to　show　sympathy　for　misfortune；　as　miserable　people　are　so　foolish　that　this　does　them　the　greatest　good　in　the　world；　but　I　also　hold　that　we　should　be　content　with　expressing　sympathy；　and　carefully　avoid　having　any。　　It　is　a　passion　that　is　wholly　worthless　in　a　well…regulated　mind；