the women of the french salons-第16章

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The　fashion　of　the　period　furnished　a　peaceful　and　dignified　refuge　for　women；　when　their　beauty　waned　and　the　〃terrible　forties〃　ended　their　illusions。　　To　go　into　brief　retreat　for　penitence　and　prayer　was　at　all　times　a　graceful　thing　to　do；　besides　making　for　safety。　　It　was　only　a　step　further　to　retire　altogether　from　the　scenes　of　pleasure　which　had　begun　to　pall。　　The　convent　offered　a　haven　of　repose　to　the　bruised　heart；　a　fresh　aim　for　drooping　energies；　a　needed　outlet　for　devouring　emotions；　and　a　comfortable　sense　of　security；　not　only　for　this　world；　but　for　the　next。　　It　was　the　next　world　which　was　beginning　to　trouble　Mme。　de　Sable。　　She　had　great　fear　of　death；　and　after　many　penitential　retreats　to　Port　Royal；　she　finally　obtained　permission　to　build　a　suite　of　apartments　within　its　precincts；　and　retired　there　about　1655　to　prepare　for　that　unpleasant　event　which　she　put　off　as　long　as　possible　by　the　most　assiduous　care　of　her　health。　　〃If　she　was　not　devoted；　she　had　the　idea　of　becoming　so；〃　said　Mademoiselle。　　But　her　devotion　was　in　quite　a　mundane　fashion。　　Her　pleasant　rooms　were　separate　and　independent；　thus　enabling　her　to　give　herself　not　only　to　the　care　of　her　health　and　her　soul；　but　to　a　select　society；　to　literature；　and　to　conversation。　　She　never　practiced　the　severe　asceticism　of　her　friend；　Mme。　de　Longueville。　　With　a　great　deal　of　abstract　piety；　the　iron　girdle　and　the　hair　shirt　were　not　included。　　She　did　not　even　forego　her　delicate　and　fastidious　tastes。　　Her　elegant　dinners　and　her　dainty　comfitures　were　as　famous　as　ever。　　〃Will　the　anger　of　the　Marquise　go　so　far；　in　your　opinion；　as　to　refuse　me　her　recipe　for　salad？〃　writes　Mme。　de　Choisy　at　the　close　of　a　letter　to　the　Comtesse　de　Maure；　in　which　she　has　ridiculed　her　friend's　Jansenist　tendencies；　〃If　so；　it　will　be　a　great　inhumanity；　for　which　she　will　be　punished　in　this　world　and　the　other。〃　　She　had　great　skill　in　delicate　cooking；　and　was　in　the　habit　of　sending　cakes；　jellies；　and　other　dainties；　prepared　by　herself；　to　her　intimate　friends。　　La　Rochefoucauld　says；　〃If　I　could　hope　for　two　dishes　of　those　preserves；　which　I　did　not　deserve　to　eat　before；　I　should　be　indebted　to　you　all　my　life。〃　　Mme。　de　Longueville；　who　is　about　to　visit　her；　begs　her　not　to　give　a　feast　as　she　has　〃scruples　about　such　indulgence。〃

This　spice　of　worldliness　very　much　tempered　the　austerity　of　her　retreat；　and　lent　an　added　luster　to　its　intellectual　attractions。　　But　the　Marquise　had　many　conflicts　between　her　luxurious　tastes　and　her　desire　to　be　devout。　　Her　dainty　and　epicurean　habits；　her　extraordinary　anxiety　about　her　health；　and　her　capricious　humors　were　the　subject　of　much　light　badinage　among　her　friends。　　The　Grande　Mademoiselle　sketches　these　traits　with　a　satiric　touch　in　the　〃Princesse　de　Paphlagonie；〃　where　she　introduces　her　with　the　Comtesse　de　Maure。　　〃There　are　no　hours　when　they　do　not　confer　together　upon　the　means　of　preventing　themselves　from　dying；　and　upon　the　art　of　rendering　themselves　immortal；〃　she　writes。　　〃Their　conferences　are　not　like　those　of　other　people；　the　fear　of　breathing　an　air　too　cold　or　too　hot；　the　apprehension　that　the　wind　may　be　too　dry　or　too　damp；　a　fancy　that　the　weather　is　not　as　moderate　as　they　judge　necessary

for　the　preservation　of　their　healththese　are　sufficient　reasons　for　writing　from　one　room　to　another　。　。　。　。　　If　one　could　find　this　correspondence；　one　might　derive　great　advantages　in　every　way；　for　they　were　princesses　who　had　nothing　mortal；　except　the　knowledge　of　being　so　。　。　。　　Of　Mme。　de　Sable　she　adds：　〃The　Princess　Parthenie　had　a　taste　as　dainty　as　her　mind；　nothing　equaled　the　magnificence　of　her　entertainments；　all　the　viands　were　exquisite；　and　her　elegance　was　beyond　anything　that　one　could　imagine。〃　　The　fastidious　Marquise　suffered；　with　all　the　world；　from　the　defects　of　her　qualities。　　Her　extreme　delicacy　and　sensibility　appear　under　many　forms　and　verge　often　upon　weakness；　but　it　is　an　amiable　weakness　that　does　not　detract　greatly　from　her　fascination。　　She　was　not　cast　in　a　heroic　mold；　and　her　faults　are　those　which　the　world　is　pleased　to　call　essentially　feminine。

The　records　of　her　life　were　preserved　by　Conrart；　also　by　her　friend　and　physician；　Valant。　　They　give　us　a　clear　picture　of　her　character；　with　its　graces　and　its　foibles；　as　well　as　of　her　pleasant　intercourse　and　correspondence　with　many　noted　men　and　women。　　They　give　us；　too；　interesting　glimpses　of　her　salon。　　We　find　there　the　celebrated　Jansenists　Nicole　and　Arnauld；　the　eminent　lawyer　Domat；　Esprit；　sometimes　Pascal；　with　his　sister；　Mme。　Perier；　the　Prince　and　Princesse　de　Conti；　the　Grand　Conde；　La　Rochefoucauld；　the　penitent　Mme。　de　Longueville；　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　and　many　others　among　the　cultivated　noblesse；　who　are　attracted　by　its　tone　of　bel　esprit　and　graceful；　but　by　no　means　severe；　devotion。　　The　Duc　d'Orleans　and　the　lovely　but　unfortunate　Madame　were　intimate　and　frequent　visitors。

In　this　little　world；　in　which　religion；　literature；　and　fashion　are　curiously　blended；　they　talk　of　theology；　morals；　physics；　Cartesianism；　friendship；　and　love。　　The　youth　and　gaiety　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　have　given　place　to　more　serious　thoughts　and　graver　topics。　　The　current　which　had　its　source　there　is　divided。　　At　the　Samedis；　in　the　Marais；　they　are　amusing　themselves　about　the　same　time　with　letters　and　Vers　de　Societe。　　At　the　Luxembourg；　a　more　exclusive　coterie　is　exercising　its　mature　talent　in　sketching　portraits。　　These　salons　touch　at　many　points；　but　each　has　a　channel　of　its　own。　　The　reflective　nature　of　Mme。　de　Sable　turns　to　more　serious　and　elevated　subjects；　and　her　friends　take　the　same　tone。　　They　make　scientific　experiments；　discuss　Calvinism；　read　the　ancient　moralists；　and　indulge　in　dissertations　upon　a　great　variety　of　topics。　　Mme。　de　Bregy；　poet；　dame　d'honneur　and　femme　d'esprit；　who　amused　the　little　court　of　Mademoiselle　with　so　many　discreetly　flattering　pen…portraits；　has　left　two　badly　written　and　curiously　spelled　notes　upon　the　merits　of　Socrates　and　Epictetus；　which　throw　a　ray　of　light　upon　the　tastes　of　this　aristocratic　and　rather　speculative　circle。　　Mme。　de　Sable　writes　an　essay　upon　the　education　of　children；　which　is　very　much　talked　about；　also　a　characteristic　paper　upon　friendship。　　The　latter　is　little　more　than　a　series　of　detached　sentences；　but　it　indicates　the　drift　of　her　thought；　and　might　have　served　as　an　antidote　to　the　selfish　philosophy　of　La　Rochefoucauld。　　It　calls　out　an　appreciative　letter　from　d'Andilly；　who；　in　his　anchorite's　cell；　continues　to　follow　the　sayings　and　doings　of　his　friends　in　the　little　salon　at　Port　Royal。

〃Friendship；〃　she　writes；　〃is　a　kind　of　virtue　which　can　only　be　founded　upon　the　esteem　of　people　whom　one　lovesthat　is　to　say；　upon　qualities　of　the　soul；　such　as　fidelity；　generosity；　discretion；　and　upon　fine　qualities　of　mind。〃

After　insisting　that　it　must　be　reciprocal；　disinterested；　and　based　upon　virtue；　she　continues：　〃One　ought　not　to　give　the　name　of　friendship　to　natural　inclinations　because　they　do　not　depend　upon　our　will　or　our　choice；　and；　though　they　render　our　friendships　more　agreeable；　they　should　not　be　the　foundation　of　them。　　The　union　which　is　founded　upon　the　same　pleasures　and　the　same　occupations　does　not　deserve　the　name　of　friendship　because　it　usually　comes　from　a　certain　egotism　which　causes　us　to　love　that　which　is　similar　to　ourselves；　however　imperfect　we　may　be。〃　　She　dwells　also　upon　the　mutual　offices　and　permanent　nature　of　true　friendship；　adding；　〃He　who　loves　his　friend　more　than　reason　and　justice；　will　on　some　other　occasion　love　his　own　pleasure　and　profit　more　than　his　friend。〃

The　Abbe　Esprit；　Jansenist　and　academician；　wrote　an　essay　upon　〃Des　Amities　en　Apparence　les　Plus　Saints　des　Hommes　avec　les　Femmes；〃　which　was　doubtless　suggested　by　the　conversations　in　this　salon；　where　the　subject　was　freely　discussed。　　The　days　of　chivalry　were　not　so　far　distant；　and　the　subtle　blending　of　exalted　sentiment　with　thoughtful　companionship；　which　revived　their　spirit　in　a　new　form；　was　too　marked　a　feature　of　the　time　to　be　overlooked