the women of the french salons-第3章

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s　poems；　and　their　books　of　devotion。　　It　was　on　such　a　foundation　that　Mme。　De　Rambouillet　began　to　rear　the　social　structure　upon　which　her　reputation　rests。　　She　was　eminently　fitted　for　this　role　by　her　pure　character　and　fine　intelligence；　but　she　added　to　these　the　advantages　of　rank　and　fortune；　which　gave　her　ample　facilities　for　creating　a　social　center　of　sufficient　attraction　to　focus　the　best　intellectual　life　of　the　age；　and　sufficient　power　to　radiate　its　light。　　Still　it　was　the　tact　and　discrimination　to　select　from　the　wealth　of　material　about　her；　and　quietly　to　reconcile　old　traditions　with　the　freshness　of　new　ideas；　that　especially　characterized　Mme。　De　Rambouillet。

It　was　this　richness　of　material；　the　remarkable　variety　and　originality　of　the　women　who　clustered　round　and　succeeded　their　graceful　leader；　that　gave　so　commanding　an　influence　to　the　salons　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　No　social　life　has　been　so　carefully　studied；　no　women　have　been　so　minutely　portrayed。　　The　annals　of　the　time　are　full　of　them。　　They　painted　one　another；　and　they　painted　themselves；　with　realistic　fidelity。　　The　lights　and　shadows　are　alike　defined。　　We　know　their　joys　and　their　sorrows；　their　passions　and　their　follies；　their　tastes　and　their　antipathies。　　Their　inmost　life　has　been　revealed。　　They　animate；　as　living　figures；　a　whole　class　of　literature　which　they　were　largely　instrumental　in　creating；　and　upon　which　they　have　left　the　stamp　of　their　own　vivid　personality。　　They　appear　later　in　the　pages　of　Cousin　and　Sainte…Beuve；　with　their　radiant　features　softened　and　spiritualized　by　the　touch　of　time。　　We　rise　from　a　perusal　of　these　chronicles　of　a　society　long　passed　away；　with　the　feeling　that　we　have　left　a　company　of　old　friends。　　We　like　to　recall　their　pleasant　talk　of　themselves；　of　their　companions；　of　the　lighter　happenings；　as　well　as　the　more　serious　side　of　the　age　which　they　have　illuminated。　　We　seem　to　see　their　faces；　not　their　manner；　watch　the　play　of　intellect　and　feeling；　while　they　speak。　　The　variety　is　infinite　and　full　of　charm。

Mme。　de　Sevigne　talks　upon　paper；　of　the　trifling　affairs　of　every…day　life；　adding　here　and　there　a　sparkling　anecdote；　a　bit　of　gossip；　a　delicate　characterization；　a　trenchant　criticism；　a　dash　of　wit；　a　touch　of　feeling；　or　a　profound　thought。　　All　this　is　lighted　up　by　her　passionate　love　of　her　daughter；　and　in　this　light　we　read　the　many…sided　life　of　her　time　for　twenty…five　years。　　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　takes　the　world　more　seriously；　and　replaces　the　playful　fancy　of　her　friend　by　a　richer　vein　of　imagination　and　sentiment。　　She　sketches　for　us　the　court　of　which　Madame　（title　given　to　the　wife　of　the　king's　brother）　is　the　central　figurethe　unfortunate　Princes　Henrietta　whom　she　loved　so　tenderly；　and　who　died　so　tragically　in　her　arms。　　She　writes　novels　too；　not　profound　studies　of　life；　but　fine　and　exquisite　pictures　of　that　side　of　the　century　which　appealed　most　to　her　poetic　sensibility。　　We　follow　the　leading　characters　of　the　age　through　the　ten…volume　romances　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery；　which　have　mostly　long　since　fallen　into　oblivion。　　Doubtless　the　portraits　are　a　trifle　rose…colored；　but　they　accord；　in　the　main；　with　more　veracious　history。　　The　Grande　Mademoiselle　describes　herself　and　her　friends；　with　the　curious　naivete　of　a　spoiled　child　who　thinks　its　smallest　experiences　of　interest　to　all　the　world。　　Mme。　de　Maintenon　gives　us　another　picture；　more　serious；　more　thoughtful；　but　illuminated　with　flashes　of　wonderful　insight。

Most　of　these　women　wrote　simply　to　amuse　themselves　and　their　friends。　　It　was　only　another　mode　of　their　versatile　expression。　　With　rare　exceptions；　they　were　not　authors　consciously　or　by　intention。　　They　wrote　spontaneously；　and　often　with　reckless　disregard　of　grammar　and　orthography。　　But　the　people　who　move　across　their　gossiping　pages　are　alive。　　The　century　passes　in　review　before　us　as　we　read。　　The　men　and　women　who　made　its　literature　so　brilliant　and　its　salons　so　famous；　become　vivid　realities。　　Prominent　among　the　fair　faces　that　look　out　upon　us　at　every　turn；　from　court　and　salon；　is　that　of　the　Duchesse　de　Longueville；　sister　of　the　Grand　Conde；　and　heroine　of　the　Fronde。　　Her　lovely　blue　eyes；　with　their　dreamy　languor　and　〃luminous　awakenings；〃　turn　the　heads　alike　of　men　and　women；　of　poet　and　critic；　of　statesman　and　priest。　　We　trace　her　brief　career　through　her　pure　and　ardent　youth；　her　loveless　marriage；　her　fatal　passion　for　La　Rochefoucauld；　the　final　shattering　of　all　her　illusions；　and　when　at　last；　tired　of　the　world；　she　bows　her　beautiful　head　in　penitent　prayer；　we　too　love　and　forgive　her；　as　others　have　done。　　Were　not　twenty…five　years　of　suffering　and　penance　an　ample　expiation？　　She　was　one　of　the　three　women　of　whom　Cardinal　Mazarin　said　that　they　were　〃capable　of　governing　and　overturning　three　kingdoms。〃　　The　others　were　the　intriguing　Duchesse　de　Chevreuse；　who　dazzled　the　age　by　her　beauty　and　her　daring　escapades；　and　the　fascinating　Anne　de　Gonzague；　better　known　as　the　Princesse　Palatine；　of　whose　winning　manners；　conversational　charm；　penetrating　intellect；　and　loyal　character　Bossuet　spoke　so　eloquently　at　her　death。　　We　catch　pleasant　glimpses　of　Mme。　Deshoulieres；　beautiful　and　a　poet；　of　Mme。　Cornuel；　of　whom　it　was　said　that　〃every　sin　she　confessed　was　an　epigram〃；　of　Mme。　de　Choisy；　witty　and　piquante；　of　Mme。　de　Doulanges；　also　a　wit　and　femme　d'esprit。

Linked　with　these　by　a　thousand　ties　of　sympathy　and　affection　were　the　worthy　counterparts　of　Pascal　and　Arnauld；　of　Bossuet　and　Fenelon；　the　devoted　women　who　poured　out　their　passionate　souls　at　the　foot　of　the　cross；　and　laid　their　earthly　hopes　upon　the　altar　of　divine　love。　　We　follow　the　devout　Jacqueline　Pascal　to　the　cloister　in　which　she　buries　her　brilliant　youth　to　die　at　thirty…five　of　a　wounded　conscience　and　a　broken　heart。　　Many　a　bruised　spirit；　as　it　turns　from　the　gay　world　to　the　mystic　devotion　which　touches　a　new　chord　in　its　jaded　sensibilities；　finds　support　and　inspiration　in　the　strong　and　fervid　sympathy　of　Jacqueline　Arnauld；　better　known　as　Mere　Angelique　of　Port　Royal。　　This　profound　spiritual　passion　was　a　part　of　the　intense　life　of　the　century；　which　gravitated　from　love　and　ambition　to　the　extremes　of　penitence　and　asceticism。

A　multitude　of　minor　figures；　graceful　and　poetic；　brilliant　and　spirituelles；　flit　across　the　canvas；　leaving　the　fragrance　of　an　exquisite　individuality；　and　tempting　one　to　extend　the　list　of　the　versatile　women　who　toned　and　colored　the　society　of　the　period。　　But　we　have　to　do；　at　present；　especially　with　those　who　gathered　and　blended　this　fresh　intelligence；　delicate　fancy；　emotional　wealth；　and　religious　fervor；　into　a　society　including　such　men　as　Corneille；　Balzac；　Bossuet；　Richelieu；　Conde；　Pascal；　Arnault；　and　La　Rochefoucauldthose　who　are　known　as　leaders　of　more　or　less　celebrated　salons。　　Of　these；　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　and　Mme。　de　Sable　were　among　the　best　representative　types　of　their　time；　and　the　first　of　the　long　line　of　social　queens　who；　through　their　special　gift　of　leadership；　held　so　potent　a　sway　for　two　centuries。


CHAPTER　II。　THE　HOTEL　DE　RAMBOUILLET　Mme。　de　RambouilletThe　Salon　BleuIts　HabituesIts　DiversionsCorneilleBalzacRichelieuRomance　of　the　Grand　CondeThe　Young　BossuetVoitureThe　Duchesse　de　LonguevilleAngelique　PauletJulie　d'AngennesLes　Precieuses　RidiculesDecline　of　the　SalonInfluence　upon　Literature　and　Manners

The　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　has　been　called　the　〃cradle　of　polished　society；〃　but　the　personality　of　its　hostess　is　less　familiar　than　that　of　many　who　followed　in　her　train。　　This　may　be　partly　due　to　the　fact　that　she　left　no　record　of　herself　on　paper。　　She　aptly　embodied　the　kind　advice　of　Le　Brun。　　It　was　her　special　talent　to　inspire　others　and　to　combine　the　various　elements　of　a　brilliant　and　complex　social　life。　　The　rare　tact　which　enabled　her　to　do　this　lay　largely　in　a　certain　self…effacement　and　the　peculiar　harmony　of　a　nature　which　presented　few　salient　points。　　She　is　best　represented　by　the　salon　of　which　she　was　the　architect　and　the　animating　spirit；　but　even　this　is　better　known　today　throu