the women of the french salons-第31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！


ships　that　suggest　themselves　out　of　a　list　that　might　be　extended　indefinitely。　　The　social　instincts　of　the　French；　and　the　fact　that　men　and　women　met　on　a　common　plane　of　intellectual　life；　made　these　friendships　natural；　that　they　excited　little　comment　and　less　criticism　made　them　possible。

The　result　was　that　from　the　quiet　and　thoughtful　Marquise　de　Lambert；　who　was　admitted　to　have　made　half　of　the　Academicians；　to　the　clever　but　less　scrupulous　Mme。　de　Pompadour；　who　had　to　be　reckoned　with　in　every　political　change　in　Europe；　women　were　everywhere　the　power　behind　the　throne。　　No　movement　was　carried　through　without　them。　　〃They　form　a　kind　of　republic；〃　said　Montesquieu；　〃whose　members；　always　active；　aid　and　serve　one　another。　　It　is　a　new　state　within　a　state；　and　whoever　observes　the　action　of　those　in　power；　if　he　does　not　know　the　women　who　govern　them；　is　like　a　man　who　sees　the　action　of　a　machine　but　does　not　know　its　secret　springs。〃　　Mme。　de　Tenein　advised　Marmontel；　before　all　things；　to　cultivate　the　society　of　women；　if　he　wished　to　succeed。　　It　is　said　that　both　Diderot　and　Thomas；　two　of　the　most　brilliant　thinkers　of　their　time；　failed　of　the　fame　they　merited；　through　their　neglect　to　court　the　favor　of　women。　　Bolingbroke；　then　an　exile　in　Paris；　with　a　few　others；　formed　a　club　of　men　for　the　discussion　of　literary　and　political　questions。　　While　it　lasted　it　was　never　mentioned　by　women。　　It　was　quietly　ignored。　　Cardinal　Fleury　considered　it　dangerous　to　the　State；　and　suppressed　it。　　At　the　same　time；　in　the　salon　of　Mme。　de　Tenein；　the　leaders　of　French　thought　were　safely　maturing　the　theories　which　Montesquieu　set　forth　in　his　〃Esprit　des　Lois；〃　the　first　open　attack　on　absolute　monarchy；　the　forerunner　of　Rousseau；　and　the　germ　of　the　Revolution。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

But　the　salons　were　far　from　being　centers　of　〃plain　living　and　high　thinking。〃　　〃Supper　is　one　of　the　four　ends　of　man；〃　said　Mme。　du　Deffand；　and　it　must　be　admitted　that　the　great　doctrine　of　human　equality　was　rather　luxuriously　cradled。　　The　supreme　science　of　the　Frenchwomen　was　a　knowledge　of　men。　　Understanding　their　tastes；　their　ambitions；　their　interests；　their　vanities；　and　their　weaknesses；　they　played　upon　this　complicated　human　instrument　with　the　skill　of　an　artist　who　knows　how　to　touch　the　lightest　note；　to　give　the　finest　shade　of　expression；　to　bring　out　the　fullest　harmony。　　In　their　efforts　to　raise　social　life　to　the　most　perfect　and　symmetrical　proportions；　the　pleasures　of　sense　and　the　delicate　illusions　of　color　were　not　forgotten。　　They　were　as　noted　for　their　good　cheer；　for　their　attention　to　the　elegances　that　strike　the　eye；　the　accessories　that　charm　the　taste；　as　for　their　intelligence；　their　tact；　and　their　conversation。

But　one　must　look　for　the　power　and　the　fascination　of　the　French　salons　in　their　essential　spirit　and　the　characteristics　of　the　Gallic　race；　rather　than　in　any　definite　and　tangible　form。　　The　word　simply　suggests　habitual　and　informal　gatherings　of　men　and　women　of　intelligence　and　good　breeding　in　the　drawing…room；　for　conversation　and　amusement。　　The　hostess　who　opened　her　house　for　these　assemblies　selected　her　guests　with　discrimination；　and　those　who　had　once　gained　an　entree　were　always　welcome。　　In　studying　the　character　of　the　noted　salons；　one　is　struck　with　a　certain　unity　that　could　result　only　from　natural　growth　about　a　nucleus　of　people　bound　together　by　many　ties　of　congeniality　and　friendship。　　Society；　in　its　best　sense；　does　not　signify　a　multitude；　nor　can　a　salon　be　created　on　commercial　principles。　　This　spirit　of　commercialism；　so　fatal　to　modern　social　life；　was　here　conspicuously　absent。　　It　was　not　at　all　a　question　of　debit　and　credit；　of　formal　invitations　to　be　given　and　returned。　　Personal　values　were　regarded。　　The　distinctions　of　wealth　were　ignored　and　talent；　combined　with　the　requisite　tact；　was；　to　a　certain　point；　the　equivalent　of　rank。　　If　rivalries　existed；　they　were　based　upon　the　quality　of　the　guests　rather　than　upon　material　display。　　But　the　modes　of　entertainment　were　as　varied　as　the　tastes　and　abilities　of　the　women　who　presided。　　Many　of　the　well…known　salons　were　open　daily。　　Sometimes　there　were　suppers；　which　came　very　much　into　vogue　after　the　petits　soupers　of　the　regent。　　The　Duchesse　de　Choiseul；　during　the　ministry　of　her　husband；　gave　a　supper　every　evening　excepting　on　Friday　and　Sunday。　　At　a　quarter　before　ten　the　steward　glanced　through　the　crowded　rooms；　and　prepared　the　table　for　all　who　were　present。　　The　Monday　suppers　at　the　Temple　were　thronged。　　On　other　days　a　more　intimate　circle　gathered　round　the　tables；　and　the　ladies　served　tea　after　the　English　fashion。　　A　few　women　of　rank　and　fortune　imitated　these　princely　hospitalities；　but　it　was　the　smaller　coteries　which　presented　the　most　charming　and　distinctive　side　of　French　society。　　It　was　not　the　luxurious　salon　of　the　Duchesse　du　Maine；　with　its　whirl　of　festivities　and　passion　for　esprit；　nor　that　of　the　Temple；　with　its　brilliant　and　courtly；　but　more　or　less　intellectual；　atmosphere；　nor　that　of　the　clever　and　critical　Marechale　de　Luxembourg；　so　elegant；　so　witty；　so　noted　in　its　daywhich　left　the　most　permanent　traces　and　the　widest　fame。　　It　was　those　presided　over　by　women　of　lesser　rank　and　more　catholic　sympathies；　of　whom　Voltaire　aptly　said　that　〃the　decline　of　their　beauty　revealed　the　dawn　of　their　intellect；〃　women　who　had　the　talent；　tact；　and　address　to　gather　about　them　a　circle　of　distinguished　men　who　have　crowned　them　with　a　luminous　ray　from　their　own　immortality。　　The　names　of　Mme。　de　Lambert；　Mme。　de　Tencin；　Mme。　Geoffrin；　Mme。　du　Deffand；　Mme。　Necker；　Mme。　de　Stael；　and　others　of　lesser　note；　call　up　visions　of　a　society　which　the　world　is　not　likely　to　see　repeated。

Not　the　least　among　the　attractions　of　this　society　was　its　charming　informality。　　A　favorite　custom　in　the　literary　and　philosophical　salons　was　to　give　dinners；　at　an　early　hour；　two　or　three　times　a　week。　　In　the　evening　a　larger　company　assembled　without　ceremony。　　A　popular　man　of　letters；　so　inclined；　might　dine　Monday　and　Wednesday　with　Mme。　Geoffrin；　Tuesday　with　Mme。　Helvetius；　Friday　with　Mme。　Necker；　Sunday　and　Thursday　with　Mme。　d'Holbach；　and　have　ample　time　to　drop　into　other　salons　afterward；　passing　an　hour　or　so；　perhaps；　before　going　to　the　theater；　in　the　brilliant　company　that　surrounded　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　and；　very　likely；　supping　elsewhere　later。　　At　many　of　these　gatherings　he　would　be　certain　to　find　readings；　recitations；　comedies；　music；　games；　or　some　other　form　of　extemporized　amusement。　　The　popular　mania　for　esprit；　for　literary　lions；　for　intellectual　diversions　ran　through　the　social　world；　as　the　craze　for　clubs　and　culture；　poets　and　parlor　readings；　musicales　and　amateur　theatricals；　runs　through　the　society　of　today。　　It　had　numberless　shades　and　gradations；　with　the　usual　train　of　pretentious　follies　which　in　every　age　furnish　ample　material　for　the　pen　of　the　satirist；　but　it　was　a　spontaneous　expression　of　the　marvelously　quickened　taste　for　things　of　the　intellect。　　The　woman　who　improvised　a　witty　verse；　invented　a　proverb；　narrated　a　story；　sang　a　popular　air；　or　acted　a　part　in　a　comedy　entered　with　the　same　easy　grace　into　the　discussion　of　the　last　political　problem；　or　listened　with　the　subtlest　flattery　to　the　new　poem；　essay；　or　tale　of　the　aspiring　young　author；　whose　fame　and　fortune　perhaps　hung　upon　her　smile。　　In　the　musical　and　artistic　salon　of　Mme。　de　la　Popeliniere　the　succession　of　fetes；　concerts；　and　receptions　seems　to　have　been　continuous。　　On　Sunday　there　was　a　mass　in　the　morning；　afterward　a　grand　dinner；　at　five　o'clock　a　light　repast；　at　nine　a　supper；　and　later　a　musicale。　　One　is　inclined　to　wonder　if　there　was　ever　any　retirement；　any　domesticity　in　this　life　so　full　of　movement　and　variety。

But　it　was　really　the　freedom；　wit；　and　brilliancy　of　the　conversation　that　constituted　the　chief　attraction　of　the　salons。　　Men　were　in　the　habit　of　making　the　daily　round　of　certain　drawing　rooms；　just　as　they　drop　into　clubs　in　our　time；　sure　of　more　or　less　pleasant　discussion　on　whatever　subject