the women of the french salons-第17章

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ooked。　　These　friendships；　half　intellectual；　half　poetic；　and　quite　platonic；　were　mostly　formed　in　mature　life；　on　a　basis　of　mental　sympathy。　　〃There　is　a　taste　in　pure　friendship　which　those　who　are　born　mediocre　do　not　reach；〃　said　La　Gruyere。　　Mme。　de　Lambert　speaks　of　it　as　〃the　product　of　a　perfect　social　culture；　and；　of　all　affections；　that　which　has　most　charm。〃

The　well…known　friendship　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　and　La　Rochefoucauld；　which　illustrates　the　mutual　influence　of　a　critical　man　of　intellect　and　a　deep…hearted；　thoughtful　woman　who　has　passed　the　age　of　romance；　began　in　this　salon。　　Its　nature　was　foreshadowed　in　the　tribute　La　Rochefoucauld　paid　to　women　in　his　portrait　of　himself。　　〃Where　their　intellect　is　cultivated；〃　he　writes；　：〃I　prefer　their　society　to　that　of　men。　　One　finds　there　a　gentleness　one　does　not　meet　with　among　ourselves；　and　it　seems　to　me；　beyond　this；　that　they　express　themselves　with　more　neatness；　and　give　a　more　agreeable　turn　to　the　things　they　talk　about。〃

Mme。　de　Sable　was　herself；　in　less　exclusive　fashion；　the　intimate　friend　and　adviser　of　Esprit；　d'Andilly；　and　La　Rochefoucauld。　　The　letters　of　these　men　show　clearly　their　warm　regard　as　well　as　the　value　they　attached　to　her　opinions。　　〃Indeed；〃　wrote　Voiture　to　her　many　years　before；　〃those　who　decry　you　on　the　side　of　tenderness　must　confess　that　if　you　are　not　the　most　loving　person　in　the　world；　you　are　at　least　the　most　obliging。　　True　friendship　knows　no　more　sweetness　than　there　is　in　your　words。〃　　Her　character；　so　delicately　shaded　and　so　averse　to　all　violent　passions；　seems　to　have　been　peculiarly　fitted　for　this　calm　and　enduring　sentiment　which　cast　a　soft　radiance；　as　of　Indian　summer；　over　her　closing　years。

At　a　later　period；　the　sacred　name　of　friendship　was　unfortunately　used　to　veil　relations　that　had　lost　all　the　purity　and　delicacy　of　their　primitive　character。　　This　fact　has　sometimes　been　rather　illogically　cited；　as　an　argument　not　only　against　the　moral　influence　of　the　salons　but　against　the　intellectual　development　of　women。　　There　is　neither　excuse　nor　palliation　to　be　offered　for　the　Italian　manners　and　the　recognized　system　of　amis　intimes；　which　disgraced　the　French　society　the　next　century。　　But；　while　it　is　greatly　to　be　deplored　that　the　moral　sense　has　not　always　kept　pace　with　the　cultivation　of　the　intellect；　there　is　no　reason　for　believing　that　license　of　manners　is　in　any　degree　the　result　of　it。　　There　is　striking　evidence　to　the　contrary；　in　the　incredible　ignorance　and　laxity　that　found　its　reaction　in　the　early　salons；　also　in　the　dissolute　lives　of　many　distinguished　women　of　rank　who　had　no　pretension　to　wit　or　education。　　The　fluctuation　of　morals；　which　has　always　existed；　must　be　traced　to　quite　other　causes。　　Virtue　has　not　invariably　accompanied　intelligence；　but　it　has　been　still　less　the　companion　of　ignorance。

It　was　Mme。　de　Sable　who　set　the　fashion　of　condensing　the　thoughts　and　experiences　of　life　into　maxims　and　epigrams。　　This　was　her　specific　gift　to　literature；　but　her　influence　was　felt　through　what　she　inspired　others　to　do　rather　than　through　what　she　did　herself。　　It　was　her　good　fortune　to　be　brought　into　contact　with　the　genius　of　a　Pascal　and　a　La　Rochefoucauld；men　who　reared　immortal　works　upon　the　pastime　of　an　idle　hour。　　One　or　two　of　her　own　maxims　will　suffice　to　indicate　her　style　as　well　as　to　show　the　estimate　she　placed　upon　form　and　measure　in　the　conduct　of　life：

A　bad　manner　spoils　everything；　even　justice　and　reason。　　The　HOW　constitutes　the　best　part　of　things；　and　the　air　which　one　gives　them　gilds；　modifies；　and　softens　the　most　disagreeable。

There　is　a　certain　command　in　the　manner　of　speaking　and　acting；　which　makes　itself　felt　everywhere；　and　which　gains；　in　advance；　consideration　and　respect。

We　find　here　the　spirit　that　underlies　French　manners；　in　which　form　counts　for　so　much。

There　is　another；　which　suggests　the　delicate　flavor　of　sentiment　then　in　vogue：

Wherever　it　is；　love　is　always　the　master。　　It　seems　truly　that　it　is　to　the　soul　of　the　one　who　loves；　what　the　soul　is　to　the　body　it　animates。

Among　the　eminent　men　who　lent　so　much　brilliancy　to　this　salon　was　the　great　jurist　Domat。　　He　adds　his　contribution　and　falls　into　the　moralizing　vein：

A　little　fine　weather；　a　good　word；　a　praise；　a　caress；　draws　me　from　a　profound　sadness　from　which　I　could　not　draw　myself　by　any　effort　of　meditation。　　What　a　machine　is　my　soul；　what　an　abyss　of　misery　and　weakness！

Here　is　one　by　the　Abbe　d'Ailly；　which　foreshadows　the　thought　of　the　next　century：

Too　great　submission　to　books；　and　to　the　opinions　of　the　ancients；　as　to　the　eternal　truths　revealed　of　God；　spoils　the　head　and　makes　pedants。

The　finest　and　most　vigorous　of　these　choice　spirits　was　Pascal；　who　frequented　more　or　less　the　salon　of　Mme。　de　Sable　previous　to　his　final　retirement　to　the　gloom　and　austerity　of　the　cloister。　　His　delicate　platonism　and　refined　spirituality　go　far　towards　offsetting　the　cold　cynicism　of　La　Rochefoucauld。　　Each　gives　us　a　different　phase　of　life　as　reflected　in　a　clear　and　luminous　intelligence。　　The　one　led　to　Port　Royal；　the　other　turned　an　electric　light　upon　the　selfish　corruption　of　courts。　　Many　of　the　pensees　of　Pascal　were　preserved　among　the　records　of　this　salon；　and　Cousin　finds　reason　for　believing　that　they　were　first　suggested　and　discussed　here；　he　even　thinks　it　possible；　if　not　probable；　that　the　〃Discours　sur　les　Passions　de　L'amour；〃　which　pertains　to　his　mundane　life；　and　presents　the　grave　and　ascetic　recluse　in　a　new　light；　had　a　like　origin。

But　the　presiding　genius　was　La　Rochefoucauld。　　He　complains　that　the　mode　of　relaxation　is　fatiguing；　and　that　the　mania　for　sentences　troubles　his　repose。　　The　subjects　were　suggested　for　conversation；　and　the　thoughts　were　condensed　and　reduced　to　writing　at　leisure。　　〃Here　are　all　the　maxims　I　have；〃　he　writes　to　Mme。　de　Sable；　〃but　as　one　gives　nothing　for　nothing；　I　demand　a　potage　aux　carottes；　un　ragout　de　mouton；　etc。〃

〃When　La　Rochefoucauld　had　composed　his　sentences；〃　says　Cousin；　〃he　talked　them　over　before　or　after　dinner；　or　he　sent　them　at　the　end　of　a　letter。　　They　were　discussed；　examined；　and　observations　were　made；　by　which　he　profited。　　One　could　lessen　their　faults；　but　one　could　lend　them　no　beauty。　　There　was　not　a　delicate　and　rare　turn；　a　fine　and　keen　touch；　which　did　not　come　from　him。〃

After　availing　himself　of　the　general　judgment　in　this　way；　he　took　a　novel　method　of　forestalling　crtiticism　before　committing　himself　to　publication。　　Mme。　de　Sable　sent　a　collection　of　the　maxims　to　her　friends；　asking　for　a　written　opinion。　　One　is　tempted　to　make　long　extracts　from　their　replies。　　The　men　usually　indorse　the　worldly　sentiments；　the　women　rarely。　　The　Princesse　de　Guemene；　who；　in　the　decline　of　her　beauty；　was　growing　devout；　and　also　had　apartments　for　penitential　retreat　at　Port　Royal；　responds：　〃I　was　just　going　to　write　to　beg　you　to　send　me　your　carriage　as　soon　as　you　had　dined。　　I　have　yet　seen　only　the　first　maxims；　as　I　had　a　headache　yesterday；　but　those　I　have　read　appear　to　me　to　be　founded　more　upon　the　disposition　of　the　author　than　upon　the　truth；　for　he　believes　neither　in　generosity　without　interest；　nor　in　pity；　that　is；　he　judges　every　one　by　himself。　　For　the　greater　number　of　people；　he　is　right；　but　surely　there　are　those　who　desire　only　to　do　good。〃　　The　Countesse　de　Maure；　who　does　not　believe　in　the　absolute　depravity　of　human　nature；　and　is　inclined　to　an　elevated　Christian　philosophy　quite　opposed　to　Jansenism；　writes　with　so　much　severity　that　she　begs　her　friend　not　to　show　her　letter　to　the　author。　　Mme。　de　Hautefort　expresses　her　disapproval　of　a　theory　which　drives　honor　and　goodness　out　of　the　world。　　After　many　clever　and　well…turned　criticisms；　she　says：　〃But　the　maxim　which　is　quite　new　to　me；　and　which　I　admire；　is　that　idleness；　languid　as　it　is；　destroys　all　the　passions。　　It　is　true；　and　he　had　searched　his　heart　well　to　find　a　sentiment　so　hidden；　but　so　just　。　。　。　　I　think　one　ought；　at　present；　to　esteem　idleness　as　the　only　virtue　in　the　world；　since　it　is　that　which　u