the women of the french salons-第27章

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speaking；　it　is　a　book　of　memoirs；　and　that　I　am　told　was　its　title；　but　it　was　changed。　　VOILA；　monsieur；　my　judgment　upon　Mme。　De　Cleves；　I　ask　yours；　for　people　are　divided　upon　this　book　to　the　point　of　devouring　each　other。　　Some　condemn　what　others　admire；　whatever　you　may　say；　do　not　fear　to　be　alone　in　your　opinion。〃

Sainte…Beuve；　whose　portrait　of　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　is　so　delightful　as　to　make　all　others　seem　superfluous；　has　devoted　some　exquisite　lines　to　this　book。　　〃It　is　touching　to　think；〃　he　writes；　〃of　the　peculiar　situation　which　gave　birth　to　these　beings　so　charming；　so　pure；　these　characters　so　noble　and　so　spotless；　these　sentiments　so　fresh；　so　faultless；　so　tender；　how　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　put　into　it　all　that　her　loving；　poetic　soul　retained　of　its　first；　ever…cherished　dreams；　and　how　M。　de　La　Rochefoucauld　was　pleased　doubtless　to　find　once　more　in　〃M。　De　Nemours〃　that　brilliant　flower　of　chivalry　which　he　had　too　much　misuseda　sort　of　flattering　mirror　in　which　he　lived　again　his　youth。　　Thus　these　two　old　friends　renewed　in　imagination　the　pristine　beauty　of　that　age　when　they　had　not　known　each　other；　hence　could　not　love　each　other。　　The　blush　so　characteristic　of　Mme。　De　Cleves；　and　which　at　first　is　almost　her　only　language；　indicates　well　the　design　of　the　author；　which　is　to　paint　love　in　its　freshest；　purest；　vaguest；　most　adorable；　most　disturbing；　most　irresistiblein　a　word；　in　its　own　color。　　It　is　constantly　a　question　of　that　joy　which　youth　joined　to　beauty　gives；　of　the　trouble　and　embarrassment　that　love　causes　in　the　innocence　of　early　years；　in　short；　of　all　that　is　farthest　from　herself　and　her　friend　in　their　late　tie。〃

But　whatever　tints　her　tender　and　delicate　imaginings　may　have　taken　from　her　own　soul；　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　has　caught　the　eternal　beauty　of　a　pure　and　loyal　spirit　rising　above　the　mists　of　sense　into　the　serene　air　of　a　lofty　Christian　renunciation。

The　sad　but　triumphant　close　of　her　romance　foreshadowed　the　swift　breaking　up　of　her　own　pleasant　life。　　In　1680；　not　long　after　the　appearance　of　the　〃Princesse　de　Cleves；〃　La　Rochefoucauld　died；　and　the　song　of　her　heart　was　changed　to　a　miserere。　　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　has　fallen　from　the　clouds；〃　says　Mme。　de　Sevigne。　　〃Where　can　she　find　such　a　friend；　such　society；　a　like　sweetness；　charm；　confidence；　consideration　for　her　and　her　son？〃　　A　little　later　she　writes　from　The　Rocks；　〃Mme。　de　La　Fayette　sends　me　word　that　she　is　more　deeply　affected　than　she　herself　believed；　being　occupied　with　her　health　and　her　children；　but　these　cares　have　only　rendered　more　sensible　the　veritable　sadness　of　her　heart。　　She　is　alone　in　the　world　。　。　。　　The　poor　woman　cannot　close　the　ranks　so　as　to　fill　this　place。〃

The　records　of　the　thirteen　years　that　remain　to　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　are　somber　and　melancholy。　　〃Nothing　can　replace　the　blessings　I　have　lost；〃　she　says。　　Restlessly　she　seeks　diversion　in　new　plans。　　She　enlarges　her　house　as　her　horizon　diminishes；　she　finds　occupation　in　the　affairs　of　Mme。　Royale　and　interests　herself　in　the　marriage　of　the　daughter　of　her　never…forgotten　friend；　the　Princess　Henrietta；　with　the　heir　to　the　throne　of　Savoy。　　She　writes　a　romance　without　the　old　vigor；　occupies　herself　with　historic　reminiscences；　and　takes　a　passing　refuge　in　an　ardent　affection　for　the　young　Mme。　de　Schomberg；　which　excites　the　jealousy　of　some　older　friends。　　But　the　strongest　link　that　binds　her　to　the　world　is　the　son　whose　career　opens　so　brilliantly　as　a　young　officer　and　for　whom　she　secures　an　ample　fortune　and　a　fine　marriage。　　In　this　son　and　the　establishment　of　a　family　centered　all　her　hopes　and　ambitions。　　She　was　spared　the　pain　of　seeing　them　vanish　like　the　〃baseless　fabric　of　a　vision。〃　　The　object　of　so　many　cares　survived　her　less　than　two　years；　her　remaining　son　and　the　only　person　left　to　represent　her　was　the　abbe　who　had　so　little　care　for　her　manuscripts　and　her　literary　fame。　　A　century　later；　through　a　collateral　branch　of　the　family；　the　glory　of　the　name　was　revived　by　the　distinguished　general　so　dear　to　the　American　heart。　　It　was　in　the　less　tangible　realm　of　the　intellect　that　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　was　destined　to　an　unlooked…for　immortality。

But　in　spite　of　these　interests；　the　sense　of　loneliness　and　desolation　is　always　present。　　Her　few　letters　give　us　occasional　flashes　of　the　old　spirit；　but　the　burden　of　them　is　inexpressibly　sad。　　Her　sympathies　and　associations　led　her　toward　a　mild　form　of　Jansenism；　and　as　the　evening　shadows　darkened；　her　thoughts　turned　to　fresh　speculations　upon　the　destiny　of　the　soul。　　She　went　with　Mme。　de　Coulanges　to　visit　Mme。　de　La　Sabliere；　who　was　expiating　the　errors　and　follies　of　her　life　in　austere　penitence　at　the　Incurables。　　The　devotion　of　this　once　gay　and　brilliant　woman；　who　had　been　so　deeply　tinged　with　the　philosophy　of　Descartes；　touched　her　profoundly；　and　suggested　a　source　of　consolation　which　she　had　never　found。　　She　sought　the　counsels　of　her　confessor；　who　did　not　spare　her；　and　though　she　was　never　sustained　by　the　ardor　and　exaltation　of　the　religieuse；　her　last　days　were　not　without　peace　and　a　tranquil　hope。　　To　　the　end　she　remained　a　gracious；　thoughtful；　self…　poised；　calmly…judging　woman　whose　illusions　never　blinded　her　to　the　simple　facts　of　existence；　though　sometimes　throwing　over　them　a　transparent　veil　woven　from　the　tender　colors　of　her　own　heart。　　Above　the　weariness　and　resignation　of　her　last　words　written　to　Mme。　de　Sevigne　sounds　the　refrain　of　a　life　that　counts　among　its　crowning　gifts　and　graces　a　genius　for　friendship。

〃Alas；　ma　belle；　all　I　have　to　tell　you　of　my　health　is　very　bad；　in　a　word；　I　have　repose　neither　night　nor　day；　neither　in　body　nor　in　mind。　　I　am　no　more　a　person　either　by　one　or　the　other。　　I　perish　visibly。　　I　must　end　when　it　pleases　God；　and　I　am　submissive。　　BELIEVE　ME；　MY　DEAREST；　YOU　ARE　THE　PERSON　IN　THE　WORLD　WHOM　I　HAVE　MOST　TRULY　LOVED。〃

Mme。　de　La　Fayette　represents　better　than　any　other　woman　the　social　and　literary　life　of　the　last　half　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　Mme。　de　Sevigne　had　an　individual　genius　that　might　have　made　itself　equally　felt　in　any　other　period。　　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　whom　Roederer　regards　as　the　true　successor　of　Mme。　de　Rambouillet；　was　narrowed　by　personal　ambition；　and　by　the　limitations　of　her　early　life。　　Born　in　a　prison；　reared　in　poverty；　wife　in　name；　but　practically　secretary　and　nurse　of　a　crippled；　witty；　and　licentious　poet　over　whose　salon　she　presided　brilliantly；　discreet　and　penniless　widow；　governess　of　the　illegitimate　children　of　the　king；　adviser　and　finally　wife　of　that　king；　friend　of　Ninon；　model　of　virtue；　femme　d'esprit；　politician；　diplomatist；　and　devoteno　fairy　tale　can　furnish　more　improbable　adventures　and　more　striking　contrasts。　　But　she　was　the　product　of　exceptional　circumstances　joined　to　an　exceptional　nature。　　It　is　true　she　put　a　final　touch　upon　the　purity　of　manners　which　was　so　marked　a　feature　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　for　a　long　period　gave　a　serious　tone　to　the　social　life　of　France。　　But　she　ruled　through　repression；　and　one　is　inclined　to　accept　the　opinion　of　Sainte…Beuve　that　she　does　not　represent　the　distinctive　social　current　of　the　time。　　In　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　we　find　its　delicacy；　its　courtesy；　its　elegance；　its　intelligence；　its　critical　spirit；　and　its　charm。

In　considering　the　great　centers　in　which　the　fashionable；　artistic；　literary；　and　scientific　Paris　of　the　seventeenth　century　found　its　meeting　ground；　one　is　struck　with　the　practical　training　given　to　its　versatile；　flexible　feminine　minds。　　Women　entered　intelligently　and　sympathetically　into　the　interests　of　men；　who；　in　turn；　did　not　reserve　their　best　thoughts　for　the　club　or　an　after…dinner　talk　among　themselves。　　There　was　stimulus　as　well　as　diversity　in　the　two　modes　of　thinking　and　being。　　Men　became　more　courteous　and　refined；　women　more　comprehensive　and　clear。　　But　conversation　is　the　spontaneous　overflow　of　full　minds；　and　the　light　play　of　the　intellect　is　only　possible　on　a　high　level；　when　the　current　thought　has　become　a　part　of　the　daily　life；　so　that　a　word　suggests　infinite　perspectives　to　the　s