the women of the french salons-第21章

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hers　all　the　gossip　of　the　court；　all　the　news　of　her　friends；　she　keeps　her　au　courant　with　the　most　trifling　as　well　as　the　most　important　events。　　Now　she　entertains　her　with　a　witty　description　of　a　scene　at　Versailles；　a　tragical　adventure；　a　gracious　word　about　Mme。　Scarron；　〃who　sups　with　me　every　evening；〃　a　tender　message　from　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　now　it　is　a　serious　reflection　upon　the　death　of　Turenne；　a　vivid　picture　of　her　own　life；　a　bit　of　philosophy；　a　spicy　anecdote　about　a　dying　man　who　takes　forty　cups　of　tea　every　morning；　and　is　cured。　　A　few　touches　lay　bare　a　character　or　sketch　a　vivid　scene。　　It　is　this　infinite　variety　of　detail　that　gives　such　historic　value　to　her　letters。　　In　a　correspondence　so　intimate　she　has　no　interest　to　conciliate；　no　ends　to　gain。　　She　is　simply　a　mirror　in　which　the　world　about　her　is　reflected。

But　the　most　interesting　thing　we　read　in　her　letters　is　the　life　and　nature　of　the　woman　herself。　　She　has　a　taste　for　society　and　for　seclusion；　for　gaiety　and　for　thought；　for　friendship　and　for　books。　　For　the　moment　each　one　seems　dominant。　　〃I　am　always　of　the　opinion　of　the　one　heard　last；〃　she　says；　laughing　at　her　own　impressibility。　　It　is　an　amiable　admission；　but　she　has　very　fine　and　rational　ideas　of　her　own；　notwithstanding。　　In　books；　for　which　she　had　always　a　passion；　she　found　unfailing　consolation。　　Corneille　and　La　Fontaine　were　her　favorite　traveling　companions。　　〃I　am　well　satisfied　to　be　a　substance　that　thinks　and　reads；〃　she　says；　finding　her　good　uncle　a　trifle　dull　for　a　compagnon　de　voyage。　　Her　tastes　were　catholic。　　She　read　Astree　with　delight；　loved　Petrarch；　Ariosto；　and　Montaigne；　Rabelais　made　her　〃die　of　laughter；〃　she　found　Plutarch　admirable；　enjoyed　Tacitus　as　keenly　as　did　Mme。　Roland　a　century　later；　read　Josephus　and　Lucian；　dipped　into　the　history　of　the　crusades　and　of　the　iconoclasts；　of　the　holy　fathers　and　of　the　saints。　　She　preferred　the　history　of　France　to　that　of　Rome　because　she　had　〃neither　relatives　nor　friends　in　the　latter　place。〃　　She　finds　the　music　of　Lulli　celestial　and　the　preaching　of　Bourdaloue　divine。　　Racine　she　did　not　quite　appreciate。　　In　his　youth；　she　said　he　wrote　tragedies　for　Champmesle　and　not　for　posterity。　　Later　she　modified　her　opinion；　but　Corneille　held　always　the　first　place　in　her　affection。　　She　had　a　great　love　for　books　on　morals；　read　and　reread　the　essays　of　Nicole；　which　she　found　a　perpetual　resource　against　the　ills　of　life　　even　rain　and　bad　weather。　　St。　Augustine　she　reads　with　pleasure；　and　she　is　charmed　with　Bossuet　and　Pascal；　but　she　is　not　very　devout；　though　she　often　tries　to　be。　　There　is　a　serious　naivete　in　all　her　efforts　in　this　direction。　　She　seems　to　have　always　one　eye　upon　the　world　while　she　prays；　and　she　mourns　over　her　own　lack　of　devotion。　　〃I　wish　my　heart　were　for　God　as　it　is　for　you；〃　she　writes　to　her　daughter。　　〃I　am　neither　of　God　nor　of　the　devil；〃　she　says　again；　〃that　state　troubles　me　though；　between　ourselves；　I　find　it　the　most　natural　in　the　world。〃　　Her　reason　quickly　pierces　to　the　heart　of　superstition；　sometimes　she　cannot　help　a　touch　of　sarcasm。　　〃I　fear　that　this　trappe；　which　wishes　to　pass　humanity；　may　become　a　lunatic　asylum；〃　she　says。　　She　believes　little　in　saints　and　processions。　　Over　the　high　altar　of　her　chapel　she　writes　SOLI　DEO　HONOR　ET　GLORIA。　　〃It　is　the　way　to　make　no　one　jealous；〃　she　remarks。

She　was　rather　inclined　toward　Jansenism；　but　she　could　not　fathom　all　the　subtleties　of　her　friends　the　Port　Royalists；　and　begged　them　to　〃have　the　kindness；　out　of　pity　for　her；　to　thicken　their　religion　a　little　as　it　evaporated　in　so　much　reasoning。〃　　As　she　grows　older　the　tone　of　seriousness　is　more　perceptible。　　〃If　I　could　only　live　two　hundred　years；〃　she　writes；　〃it　seems　to　me　that　I　might　be　an　admirable　person。〃　　The　rationalistic　tendencies　of　Mme。　de　Grignan　give　her　some　anxiety；　and　she　rallies　her　often　upon　the　doubtful　philosophy　of　her　PERE　DESCARTES。　　She　could　not　admit　a　theory　which　pretended　to　prove　that　her　dog　Marphise　had　no　soul；　and　she　insisted　that　if　the　Cartesians　had　any　desire　to　go　to　heaven；　it　was　out　of　curiosity。　　〃Talk　to　the　Cardinal　（de　Retz）　a　little　of　your　MACHINES；　machines　that　love；　machines　that　have　a　choice　for　some　one；　machines　that　are　jealous；　machines　that　fear。　　ALLEZ；　ALLEZ；　you　are　jesting！　　Descartes　never　intended　to　make　us　believe　all　that。〃

In　her　youth　Mme。　de　Sevigne　did　not　like　the　country　because　it　was　windy　and　spoiled　her　beautiful　complexion；　perhaps；　too；　because　it　was　lonely。　　But　with　her　happy　gift　of　adaptation　she　came　to　love　its　tranquillity。　　She　went　often　to　the　solitary　old　family　chateau　in　Brittany　to　make　economies　and　to　retrieve　the　fortune　which　suffered　successively　from　the　reckless　extravagance　of　her　husband　and　son；　and　from　the　expensive　tastes　of　the　Comte　de　Grignan；　who　was　acting　governor　of　Provence；　and　lived　in　a　state　much　too　magnificent　for　his　resources。　　Of　her　life　at　The　Rocks　she　has　left　us　many　exquisite　pictures。　　〃I　go　out　into　the　pleasant　avenues；　I　have　a　footman　who　follows　me；　I　have　books；　I　change　place；　I　vary　the　direction　of　my　promenade；　a　book　of　devotion；　a　book　of　history；　one　changes　from　one　to　the　other；　that　gives　diversion；　one　dreams　a　little　of　God；　of　his　providence；　one　possesses　one's　soul；　one　thinks　of　the　future。〃

She　embellishes　her　park；　superintends　the　planting　of　trees；　and　〃a　labyrinth　from　which　one　could　not　extricate　one's　self　without　the　thread　of　Ariadne；〃　she　fills　her　garden　with　orange　trees　and　jessamine　until　the　air　is　so　perfumed　that　she　imagines　herself　in　Provence。　　She　sits　in　the　shade　and　embroiders　while　her　son　〃reads　trifles；　comedies　which　he　plays　like　Moliere；　verses；　romances；　tales；　he　is　very　amusing；　he　has　esprit；　he　is　appreciative；　he　entertains　us。〃　　She　notes　the　changing　color　of　the　leaves；　the　budding　of　the　springtime。　　〃It　seems　to　me　that　in　case　of　need　I　should　know　very　well　how　to　make　a　spring；〃　she　writes。　　She　loves　too　the　〃fine；　crystal　days　of　autumn。〃　　Sometimes；　in　the　evening；　she　has　〃gray…brown　thoughts　which　grow　black　at　night；〃　but　she　never　dwells　upon　these。　　Her　〃habitual　thoughtthat　which　one　must　have　for　God；　if　one　does　his　duty〃is　for　her　daughter。　　〃My　dear　child；〃　she　writes；　〃it　is　only　you　that　I　prefer　to　the　tranquil　repose　I　enjoy　here。〃

If　her　own　soul　is　open　to　us　in　all　its　variable　and　charming　moods；　we　also　catch　in　her　letters　many　unconscious　reflections　of　her　daughter's　character。　　She　offers　her　a　little　needed　worldly　advice。　　〃Try；　my　child；〃　she　says；　〃to　adjust　yourself　to　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　people　with　whom　you　live；　adapt　yourself　to　that　which　is　not　bad；　do　not　be　disgusted　with　that　which　is　only　mediocre；　make　a　pleasure　of　that　which　is　not　ridiculous。〃　　She　entreats　her　to　love　the　little　Pauline　and　not　to　scold　her；　nor　send　her　away　to　the　convent　as　she　did　her　sister　Marie…Blanche。　　With　what　infinite　tenderness　she　always　speaks　of　this　child；　smiling　at　her　small　outbursts　of　temper；　soothing　her　little　griefs；　and　giving　wise　counsels　about　her　education。　　Evidently　she　doubted　the　patience　of　the　mother。　　〃You　do　not　yet　too　well　comprehend　maternal　love；〃　she　writes；　〃so　much　the　better；　my　child；　it　is　violent。〃

Unfortunately　this　adoring　mother　could　not　get　on　very　well　with　her　daughter　when　they　were　together。　　She　drowned　her　with　affection；　she　fatigued　her　with　care　for　her　health；　she　was　hurt　by　her　ungracious　manner；　she　was　frozen　by　her　indifference　　　in　short；　they　killed　each　other。　　It　is　not　a　rare　thing　to　make　a　cult　of　a　distant　idol；　and　to　find　one's　self　unequal　to　the　perpetual　shock　of　the　small　collisions　which　diversities　of　taste　and　temperament　render　inevitable　in　daily　intercourse。　　In　this　instance；　one　can　readily　imagine　that　a　love　so　interwoven　with　every　fiber　of　the　mother's　life；　must　have　been　a　little　over…sensitive；　a　little　exacting；　a　trifle　too　demonstrative　for　the　colder　nature　of　the　daughter；　but　that　it　was　the　less　genuine　and　profound；　no　one　who　has　at　all　studied　the　character　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne　can　for　a　mo