the women of the french salons-第30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！


　are　banished　from　this　social　Eden。　　The　Frenchman　has　as　little　love　for　the　somber　side　of　life　as　the　Athenian；　who　veiled　every　expression　of　suffering。　　〃Joy　marks　the　force　of　the　intellect；〃　said　the　pleasure…loving　Ninon。　　It　is　this　peculiar　gift　of　projecting　themselves　into　a　joyous　atmosphere；　of　treating　even　serious　subjects　in　a　piquant　and　lively　fashion；　of　dwelling　upon　the　pleasant　surface　of　things；　that　has　made　the　French　the　artists；　above　all　others；　of　social　life。　　The　Parisienne　selects　her　company；　as　a　skillful　leader　forms　his　orchestra；　with　a　fine　instinct　of　harmony；　no　single　instrument　dominates；　but　every　member　is　an　artist　in　his　way；　adding　his　touch　of　melody　or　color　in　the　fitting　place。　　She　aims；　perhaps　unconsciously；　at　a　poetic　ideal　which　shall　express　the　best　in　life　and　thought；　divested　of　the　rude　and　commonplace；　untouched　by　sorrow　or　passion；　and　free　from　personality。

But　the　representative　salons；　which　have　left　a　permanent　mark　upon　their　time；　and　a　memory　that　does　not　seem　likely　to　die；　were　no　longer　simply　centers　of　refined　and　intellectual　amusement。　　The　moral　and　literary　reaction　of　the　seventeenth　century　was　one　of　the　great　social　and　political　forces　of　the　eighteenth。　　The　salon　had　become　a　vast　engine　of　power；　an　organ　of　public　opinion；　like　the　modern　press。　　Clever　and　ambitious　women　had　found　their　instrument　and　their　opportunity。　　They　had　long　since　learned　that　the　homage　paid　to　weakness　is　illusory；　that　the　power　of　beauty　is　short…lived。　　With　none　of　the　devotion　which　had　made　the　convent　the　time…honored　refuge　of　tender　and　exalted　souls；　finding　little　solace　in　the　domestic　affections　which　played　so　small　a　role　in　their　lives；　they　turned　the　whole　force　of　their　clear　and　flexible　minds　to　this　new　species　of　sovereignty。　　Their　keenness　of　vision；　their　consummate　skill　in　the　adaptation　of　means　to　ends；　their　knowledge　of　the　world；　their　practical　intelligence；　their　instinct　of　pleasing；　all　fitted　them　for　the　part　they　assumed。　　They　distinctly　illustrated　the　truth　that　〃our　ideal　is　not　out　of　ourselves；　but　in　ourselves　wisely　modified。〃　　The　intellect　of　these　women　was　rarely　the　dupe　of　the　emotions。　　Their　clearness　was　not　befogged　by　sentiment；　nor；　it　may　be　added；　were　their　characters　enriched　by　it。　　〃The　women　of　the　eighteenth　century　loved　with　their　minds　and　not　with　their　hearts；〃　said　the　Abbe　Galiani。　　The　very　absence　of　the　qualities　so　essential　to　the　highest　womanly　character；　according　to　the　old　poetic　types；　added　to　their　success。　　To　be　simple　and　true　is　to　forget　often　to　consider　effects。　　Spontaneity　is　not　apt　to　be　discriminating；　and　the　emotions　are　not　safe　guides　to　worldly　distinction。　　It　is　not　the　artist　who　feels　the　most　keenly；　who　sways　men　the　most　powerfully；　it　is　the　one　who　has　most　perfectly　mastered　the　art　of　swaying　men。　　Self…sacrifice　and　a　lofty　sense　of　duty　find　their　rewards　in　the　intangible　realm　of　the　spirit；　but　they　do　not　find　them　in　a　brilliant　society　whose　foundations　are　laid　in　vanity　and　sensualism。　　〃The　virtues；　though　superior　to　the　sentiments；　are　not　so　agreeable；〃　said　Mme。　du　Deffand；　and　she　echoed　the　spirit　of　an　age　of　which　she　was　one　of　the　most　striking　representatives。　　To　be　agreeable　was　the　cardinal　aim　in　the　lives　of　these　women。　　To　this　end　they　knew　how　to　use　their　talents；　and　they　studied；　to　the　minutest　shade；　their　own　limitations。　　They　had　the　gift　of　the　general　who　marshals　his　forces　with　a　swift　eye　for　combination　and　availability。　　To　this　quality　was　added　more　or　less　mental　brilliancy；　or；　what　is　equally　essential；　the　faculty　of　calling　out　the　brilliancy　of　others；　but　their　education　was　rarely　profound　or　even　accurate。　　To　an　abbe　who　wished　to　dedicate　a　grammar　to　Mme。　Geoffrin　she　replied：　〃To　me？　　Dedicate　a　grammar　to　me？　　Why；　I　do　not　even　know　how　to　spell。〃　　Even　Mme。　du　Deffand；　whom　Sainte　Beuve　ranks　next　to　Voltaire　as　the　purest　classic　of　the　epoch　in　prose；　says　of　herself；　〃I　do　not　know　a　word　of　grammar；　my　manner　of　expressing　myself　is　always　the　result　of　chance；　independent　of　all　rule　and　all　art。〃

But　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　women　who　were　the　daily　and　lifelong　companions　and　confidantes　of　men　like　Fontenelle；　d'Alembert；　Montesquieu；　Helvetius；　and　Marmontel　were　deficient　in　a　knowledge　of　books；　though　this　was　always　subservient　to　a　knowledge　of　life。　　It　was　a　means；　not　an　end。　　When　the　salon　was　at　the　height　of　its　power；　it　was　not　yet　time　for　Mme。　de　Stael；　and；　with　rare　exceptions；　those　who　wrote　were　not　marked；　or　their　literary　talent　was　so　overshadowed　by　their　social　gifts　as　to　be　unnoted。　　Their　writings　were　no　measure　of　their　abilities。　　Those　who　wrote　for　amusement　were　careful　to　disclaim　the　title　of　bel　esprit；　and　their　works　usually　reached　the　public　through　accidental　channels。　　Mme。　de　Lambert　herself　had　too　keen　an　eye　for　consideration　to　pose　as　an　author；　but　it　is　with　an　accent　of　regret　at　the　popular　prejudice　that　she　says　of　Mme。　Dacier；　〃She　knows　how　to　associate　learning　with　the　amenities；　for　at　present　modesty　is　out　of　fashion；　there　is　no　more　shame　for　vices；　and　women　blush　only　for　knowledge。〃

But　if　they　did　not　write；　they　presided　over　the　mint　in　which　books　were　coined。　　They　were　familiar　with　theories　and　ideas　at　their　fountain　source。　　Indeed　the　whole　literature　of　the　period　pays　its　tribute　to　their　intelligence　and　critical　taste。　　〃He　who　will　write　with　precision；　energy；　and　vigor　only；〃　said　Marmontel；　〃may　live　with　men　alone；　but　he　who　wishes　for　suppleness　in　his　style；　for　amenity；　and　for　that　something　which　charms　and　enchants；　will；　I　believe；　do　well　to　live　with　women。　　When　I　read　that　Pericles　sacrificed　every　morning　to　the　Graces；　I　understand　by　it　that　every　day　Pericles　breakfasted　with　Aspasia。〃　　This　same　author　was　in　the　habit　of　reading　his　tales　in　the　salon；　and　noting　their　effect。　　He　found　a　happy　inspiration　in　〃the　most　beautiful　eyes　in　the　world；　swimming　in　tears；〃　but　he　adds；　〃I　well　perceived　the　cold　and　feeble　passages；　which　they　passed　over　in　silence；　as　well　as　those　where　I　had　mistaken　the　word；　the　tone　of　nature；　or　the　just　shade　of　truth。〃　　He　refers　to　the　beautiful；　witty；　but　erring　and　unfortunate　Mme。　de　la　Popeliniere；　to　whom　he　read　his　tragedy；　as　the　best　of　all　his　critics。　　〃Her　corrections；〃　he　said；　〃struck　me　as　so　many　rays　of　light。〃　　〃A　point　of　morals　will　be　no　better　discussed　in　a　society　of　philosophers　than　in　that　of　a　pretty　woman　of　Paris；〃　said　Rousseau。　　This　constant　habit　of　reducing　thoughts　to　a　clear　and　salient　form　was　the　best　school　for　aptness　and　ready　expression。　　To　talk　wittily　and　well；　or　to　lead　others　to　talk　wittily　and　well；　was　the　crowning　gift　of　these　women。　　This　evanescent　art　was　the　life　and　soul　of　the　salons；　the　magnet　which　attracted　the　most　brilliant　of　the　French　men　of　letters；　who　were　glad　to　discuss　safely　and　at　their　ease　many　subjects　which　the　public　censorship　made　it　impossible　to　write　about。　　They　found　companions　and　advisers　in　women；　consulted　their　tastes；　sought　their　criticism；　courted　their　patronage；　and　established　a　sort　of　intellectual　comradeship　that　exists　to　the　same　extent　in　no　country　outside　of　France。　　Its　model　may　be　found　in　the　limited　circle　that　gathered　about　Aspasia　in　the　old　Athenian　days。

It　is　perhaps　this　habit　of　intellectual　companionship　that；　more　than　any　other　single　thing；　accounts　for　the　practical　cleverness　of　the　Frenchwomen　and　the　conspicuous　part　they　have　played　in　the　political　as　well　as　social　life　of　France。　　Nowhere　else　are　women　linked　to　the　same　degree　with　the　success　of　men。　　There　are　few　distinguished　Frenchmen　with　whose　fame　some　more　or　less　gifted　woman　is　not　closely　allied。　　Montaigne　and　Mlle。　de　Gournay；　La　Rochefoucauld　and　Mme。　de　La　Fayette；　d'Alembert　and　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　Chateaubriand　and　Mme。　Recamier；　Joubert　and　Mme。　de　Beaumontthese　are　only　a　few　of　the　well…known　and　unsullied　friendships　that　suggest　themselves　out　of　a　list　that　might　be　extended　indefinitely。　　The　social　instinc