the women of the french salons-第26章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　much　without　leaving　her　place；〃　she　says。

But　there　was　one　phase　in　the　life　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　which　was　not　fully　confided　even　to　Mme。　de　Sevigne。　　It　concerns　a　chapter　of　obscure　political　history　which　it　is　needless　to　dwell　upon　here；　but　which　throws　much　light　upon　her　capacity　for　managing　intricate　affairs。　　Her　connection　with　it　was　long　involved　in　mystery；　and　was　only　unveiled　in　a　correspondence　given　to　the　world　at　a　comparatively　recent　date。　　It　was　in　the　salon　of　the　Grande　Mademoiselle　that　she　was　thrown　into　frequent　relations　with　the　two　daughters　of　Charles　Amedee　de　Savoie；　Duc　de　Nemours；　one　of　whom　became　Queen　of　Portugal；　the　other　Duchesse　de　Savoie　and；　later；　Regent　during　the　minority　of　her　son。　　These　relations　resulted　in　one　of　the　ardent　friendships　which　played　so　important　a　part　in　her　career。　　Her　intercourse　with　the　beautiful　but　vain；　intriguing；　and　imperious　Duchesse　de　Savoie　assumed　the　proportion　of　a　delicate　diplomatic　mission。　　〃Her　salon；〃　says　Lescure；　〃was；　for　the　affairs　of　Savoy；　a　center　of　information　much　more　important　in　the　eyes　of　shrewd　politicians　than　that　of　the　ambassador。〃　　She　not　only　looked　after　the　personal　matters　of　Mme。　Royale；　but　was　practically　entrusted　with　the　entire　management　of　her　interests　in　Paris。　　From　affairs　of　state　and　affairs　of　the　heart　to　the　daintiest　articles　of　the　toilette　her　versatile　talent　is　called　into　requisition。　　Now　it　is　a　message　to　Louvois　or　the　king；　now　a　turn　to　be　adroitly　given　to　public　opinion；　now　the　selection　of　a　perfume　or　a　pair　of　gloves。　　〃She　watches　everything；　thinks　of　everything；　combines；　visits；　talks；　writes；　sends　counsels；　procures　advice；　baffles　intrigues；　is　always　in　the　breach；　and　renders　more　service　by　her　single　efforts　than　all　the　envoys　avowed　or　secret　whom　the　Duchesse　keeps　in　France。〃　　Nor　is　the　value　of　these　services　unrecognized。　　〃Have　I　told　you；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　Sevigne　to　her　daughter；　〃that　Mme。　de　Savoie　has　sent　a　hundred　ells　of　the　finest　velvet　in　the　world　to　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　and　a　hundred　ells　of　satin　to　line　it；　and　two　days　ago　her　portrait；　surrounded　with　diamonds；　which　is　worth　three　hundred　louis？〃

The　practical　side　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette's　character　was　remarkable　in　a　woman　of　so　fine　a　sensibility　and　so　rare　a　genius。　　Her　friends　often　sought　her　counsel；　and　it　was　through　her　familiarity　with　legal　technicalities　that　La　Rochefoucauld　was　enabled　to　save　his　fortune；　which　he　was　at　one　time　in　danger　of　losing。　　In　clear　insight；　profound　judgment；　and　knowledge　of　affairs；　she　was　scarcely；　if　at　all；　surpassed　by　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　the　feminine　diplomatist　par　excellence　of　her　time；　though　her　field　of　action　was　less　broad　and　conspicuous。　　But　her　love　of　consideration　was　not　so　dominant　and　her　ambition　not　so　active。　　It　was　one　of　her　theories　that　people　should　live　without　ambition　as　well　as　without　passion。　　〃It　is　sufficient　to　exist；〃　she　said。　　Her　energy　when　occasion　called　for　it　does　not　quite　accord　with　this　passive　philosophy；　and　suggests　at　least　a　vast　reserved　force；　but　if　she　directed　her　efforts　toward　definite　ends　it　was　usually　to　serve　other　interests　than　her　own。　　She　had　been　trained　in　a　different　school　from　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　her　temperament　was　modified　by　her　frail　health；　and　the　prizes　of　life　had　come　to　her　apparently　without　special　exertion。　　She　was　a　woman；　too；　of　more　sentiment　and　imagination。　　Her　fastidious　delicacy　and　luxurious　tastes　were　the　subject　of　critical　comment　on　the　part　of　this　austere　censor；　who　condemned　the　gilded　decorations　of　her　bed　as　a　useless　extravagance；　giving　the　characteristic　reason　that　〃the　pleasure　they　afforded　was　not　worth　the　ridicule　they　excited。〃　　The　old　friendship　that　had　existed　when　Mme。　Scarron　was　living　in　such　elegant　and　mysterious　seclusion；　devoting　herself　to　the　king's　children；　and　finding　her　main　diversion　in　the　little　suppers　enlivened　by　the　wit　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne　and　Mme。　de　Coulanges；　and　the　more　serious；　but　not　less　agreeable；　conversation　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　had　evidently　grown　cool。　　They　had　their　trifling　disagreements。　　〃Mme。　de　La　Fayette　puts　too　high　a　price　upon　her　friendship；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　who　had　once　attached　such　value　to　a　few　approving　words　from　her。　　In　her　turn　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　indulged　in　a　little　light　satire。　　Referring　to　the　comedy　of　Esther；　which　Racine　had　written　by　command　for　the　pupils　at　Saint　Cyr；　she　said；　〃It　represents　the　fall　of　Mme。　de　Montespan　and　the　rise　of　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　all　the　difference　is　that　Esther　was　rather　younger；　and　less　of　a　precieuse　in　the　matter　of　piety。〃　　There　was　certainly　less　of　the　ascetic　in　Mme。　de　La　Fayette。　　She　had　more　color　and　also　more　sincerity。　　In　symmetry　of　character；　in　a　certain　feminine　quality　of　taste　and　tenderness；　she　was　superior；　and　she　seems　to　me　to　have　been　of　more　intrinsic　value　as　a　woman。　　Whether　under　the　same　conditions　she　would　have　attained　the　same　power　may　be　a　question。　　If　not；　I　think　it　would　have　been　because　she　was　unwilling　to　pay　the　price；　not　because　she　lacked　the　grasp；　the　tact；　or　the　diplomacy。

It　is　mainly　as　a　woman　of　letters　that　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　is　known　today；　and　it　was　through　her　literary　work　that　she　made　the　strongest　impression　upon　her　time。　　Boileau　said　that　she　had　a　finer　intellect　and　wrote　better　than　any　other　woman　in　France。　　But　she　wrote　only　for　the　amusement　of　idle　or　lonely　hours；　and　always　avoided　any　display　of　learning；　in　order　not　to　attract　jealousy　as　well　as　from　instinctive　delicacy　of　taste。　　〃He　who　puts　himself　above　others；〃　she　said；　〃whatever　talent　he　may　possess；　puts　himself　below　his　talent。〃　　But　her　natural　atmosphere　was　an　intellectual　one；　and　the　friend　of　La　Rochefoucauld；　who　would　have　〃liked　Montaigne　for　a　neighbor；〃　had　her　own　message　for　the　world。　　Her　mind　was　clear　and　vigorous；　her　taste　critical　and　severe；　and　her　style　had　a　flexible　quality　that　readily　took　the　tone　of　her　subject。　　In　concise　expression　she　doubtless　profited　much　from　the　author　of　the　MAXIMS；　who　rewrote　many　of　his　sentences　at　least　thirty　times。　　〃A　phrase　cut　out　of　a　book　is　worth　a　louis　d'or；〃　she　said；　〃and　every　word　twenty　sous。〃　　Unfortunately　her　〃Memoires　de　la　Cour　de　France〃　is　fragmentary；　as　her　son　carelessly　lent　the　manuscripts；　and　many　of　them　were　lost。　　But　the　part　that　remains　gives　ample　evidence　of　the　breadth　of　her　intelligence；　the　penetrating；　lucid　quality　of　her　mind；　and　her　talent　for　seizing　the　salient　traits　of　the　life　about　her。　　In　her　romances；　which　were　first　published　under　the　name　of　Segrais；　one　finds　the　touch　of　an　artist；　and　the　subtle　intuitions　of　a　woman。　　In　the　rapid　evolution　of　modern　taste　and　the　hopeless　piling　up　of　books；　these　works　have　fallen　somewhat　into　the　shade；　but　they　are　written　with　a　vivid　naturalness　of　style；　a　truth　of　portraiture；　and　a　delicacy　of　sentiment；　that　commend　them　still　to　all　lovers　of　imaginative　literature。　　Fontenelle　read　the　〃Princesse　de　Cleves〃　four　times　when　it　appeared。　　La　Harpe　said　it　was　〃the　first　romance　that　offered　reasonable　adventures　written　with　interest　and　elegance。〃　　It　marked　an　era　in　the　history　of　the　novel。　　〃Before　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；〃　said　Voltaire；　〃people　wrote　in　a　stilted　style　of　improbable　things。〃　　We　have　the　rare　privilege　of　reading　her　own　criticism　in　a　letter　to　the　secretary　of　the　Duchesse　de　Savoie；　in　which　she　disowns　the　authorship；　and　adds　a　few　lines　of　discreet　eulogy。

〃As　for　myself；〃　she　writes；　：〃I　am　flattered　at　being　suspected　of　it。　　I　believe　I　should　acknowledge　the　book；　if　I　were　assured　the　author　would　never　appear　to　claim　it。　　I　find　it　very　agreeable　and　well　written　without　being　excessively　polished；　full　of　things　of　admirable　delicacy；　which　should　be　read　more　than　once；　above　all；　it　seems　to　be　a　perfect　presentation　of　the　world　of　the　court　and　the　manner　of　living　there。　　It　is　not　romantic　or　ambitious；　indeed　it　is　not　a　romance；　properly　speaking；　it　is　a　book　of　memoirs；　and　that　I　am　told　was　its　title；　but　it　was　changed。　　VOILA；　mon