the women of the french salons-第32章

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st　as　they　drop　into　clubs　in　our　time；　sure　of　more　or　less　pleasant　discussion　on　whatever　subject　was　uppermost　at　the　moment；　whether　it　was　literature；　philosophy；　art；　politics；　music；　the　last　play；　or　the　latest　word　of　their　friends。　　The　talk　was　simple；　natural；　without　heat；　without　aggressive　egotism；　animated　with　wit　and　repartee；　glancing　upon　the　surface　of　many　things；　and　treating　all　topics；　grave　or　gay；　with　the　lightness　of　touch；　the　quick　responsiveness　that　make　the　charm　of　social　intercourse。

The　unwritten　laws　that　governed　this　brilliant　world　were　drawn　from　the　old　ideas　of　chivalry；　upon　which　the　etiquette　of　the　early　salons　was　founded。　　The　fine　morality　and　gentle　virtues　which　were　the　bases　of　these　laws　had　lost　their　force　in　the　eighteenth　century；　but　the　manners　which　grew　out　of　them　had　passed　into　a　tradition。　　If　morals　were　in　reality　not　pure；　nor　principles　severe；　there　was　at　least　the　vanity　of　posing　as　models　of　good　breeding。　　Honor　was　a　religion；　politeness　and　courtesy　were　the　current；　though　by　no　means　always　genuine；　coin　of　unselfishness　and　amiability；　the　amenities　stood　in　the　place　of　an　ethical　code。　　Egotism；　ill　temper；　disloyalty；　ingratitude；　and　scandal　were　sins　against　taste；　and　spoiled　the　general　harmony。　　Evil　passions　might　exist；　but　it　was　agreeable　to　hide　them；　and　enmities　slept　under　a　gracious　smile。　　noblesse　OBLIGE　was　the　motto　of　these　censors　of　manners；　and　as　it　is　perhaps　a　Gallic　trait　to　attach　greater　importance　to　reputation　than　to　character；　this　sentiment　was　far　more　potent　than　conscience。　　Vice　in　many　veiled　forms　might　be　tolerated；　but　that　which　called　itself　good　society　barred　its　doors　against　those　who　violated　the　canons　of　good　taste；　which　recognize　at　least　the　outward　semblance　of　many　amiable　virtues。　　Sincerity　certainly　was　not　one　of　these　virtues；　but　no　one　was　deceived；　as　it　was　perfectly　well　understood　that　courteous　forms　meant　little　more　than　the　dress　which　may　or　may　not　conceal　a　physical　defect；　but　is　fit　and　becoming。　　It　was　not　best　to　inquire　too　closely　into　character　and　motives；　so　long　as　appearances　were　fair　and　decorous。　　How　far　the　individual　may　be　affected　by　putting　on　the　garb　of　qualities　and　feelings　that　do　not　exist　may　be　a　question　for　the　moralist；　but　this　conventional　untruth　has　its　advantages；　not　only　in　reducing　to　a　minimum　the　friction　of　social　machinery；　and　subjecting　the　impulses　to　the　control　of　the　will；　but　in　the　subtle　influence　of　an　ideal　that　is　good　and　true；　however　far　one　may　in　reality　fall　short　of　it。

Imagine　a　society　composed　of　a　leisure　class　with　more　or　less　intellectual　tastes；　men　eminent　in　science　and　letters；　men　less　eminent；　whose　success　depended　largely　upon　their　social　gifts；　and　clever　women　supremely　versed　in　the　art　of　pleasing；　who　were　the　intelligent　complements　of　these　men；　add　a　universal　talent　for　conversation；　a　genius　for　the　amenities　of　social　life；　habits　of　daily　intercourse；　and　manners　formed　upon　an　ideal　of　generosity；　amiability；　loyalty；　and　urbanity；　consider；　also；　the　fact　that　the　journals　and　the　magazines；　which　are　so　conspicuous　a　feature　of　modern　life；　were　practically　unknown；　that　the　salons　were　centers　in　which　the　affairs　of　the　world　were　discussed；　its　passing　events　notedand　the　power　of　these　salons　may　be　to　some　extent　comprehended。

The　reason；　too；　why　it　is　idle　to　dream　of　reproducing　them　today　on　American　soil　will　be　readily　seen。　　The　forms　may　be　repeated；　but　the　vitalizing　spirit　is　not　there。　　We　have　no　leisure　class　that　finds　its　occupation　in　this　pleasant　daily　converse。　　Our　feverish　civilization　has　not　time　for　it。　　We　sit　in　our　libraries　and　scan　the　news　of　the　world；　instead　of　gathering　it　in　the　drawing　rooms　of　our　friends。　　Perhaps　we　read　and　think　more；　but　we　talk　less；　and　conversation　is　a　relaxation　rather　than　an　art。　　The　ability　to　think　aloud；　easily　and　gracefully；　is　not　eminently　an　Anglo…Saxon　gift；　though　there　are　many　individual　exceptions　to　this　limitation。　　Our　social　life　is　largely　a　form；　a　whirl；　a　commercial　relation；　a　display；　a　duty；　the　result　of　external　accretion；　not　of　internal　growth。　　It　is　not　in　any　sense　a　unity；　nor　an　expression　of　our　best　intellectual　life；　this　seeks　other　channels。　　Men　are　immersed　in　business　and　politics；　and　prefer　the　easy；　less　exacting　atmosphere　of　the　club。　　The　woman　who　aspires　to　hold　a　salon　is　confronted　at　the　outset　by　this　formidable　rival。　　She　is　a　queen　without　a　kingdom；　presiding　over　a　fluctuating　circle　without　homogeneity；　and　composed　largely　of　womena　fact　in　itself　fatal　to　the　true　esprit　de　societe。　　It　is　true　we　have　our　literary　coteries；　but　they　are　apt　to　savor　too　much　of　the　library；　we　take　them　too　seriously；　and　bring　into　them　too　strong　a　flavor　of　personality。　　We　find　in　them；　as　a　rule；　little　trace　of　the　spontaneity；　the　variety；　the　wit；　the　originality；　the　urbanity；　the　polish；　that　distinguished　the　French　literary　salons　of　the　last　century。　　Even　in　their　own　native　atmosphere；　the　salons　exist　no　longer　as　recognized　institutions。　　This　perfected　flower　of　a　past　civilization　has　faded　and　fallen；　as　have　all　others。　　The　salon　in　its　widest　sense；　and　in　some　modified　form；　may　always　constitute　a　feature　of　French　life；　but　the　type　has　changed；　and　its　old　glory　has　forever　departed。　　In　a　foreign　air；　even　in　its　best　days；　it　could　only　have　been　an　exotic；　flourishing　feebly；　and　lacking　both　color　and　fragrance。　　As　a　copy　of　past　models　it　is　still　less　likely　to　be　a　living　force。　　Society；　like　government；　takes　its　spirit　and　its　vitality　from　its　own　soil。


CHAPTER　IX。　AN　ANTECHAMBER　OF　THE　ACADEMIE　FRANCAISE　The　Marquise　de　LambertHer　〃Bureau　d'Esprit〃Fontenelle　Advice　to　her　SonWise　Thoughts　on　the　Education　of　WomenHer　love　of　ConsiderationHer　GenerosotyInfluence　of　Women　upon　the　Academy。

While　the　gay　suppers　of　the　regent　were　giving　a　new　but　by　no　means　desirable　tone　to　the　great　world　of　Paris；　and　chasing　away　the　last　vestiges　of　the　stately　decorum　that　marked　the　closing　days　of　Louis　XIV；　and　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　there　was　one　quiet　drawing　room　which　still　preserved　the　old　traditions。　　The　Marquise　de　Lambert　forms　a　connecting　link　between　the　salons　of　the　seventeenth　and　eighteenth　centuries；　leaning　to　the　side　of　the　latter；　intellectually；　but　retaining　much　of　the　finer　morality　that　distinguished　the　best　life　of　the　former。　　Her　attitude　towards　the　disorders　of　the　regency　was　similar　to　that　which　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　had　held　towards　the　profligate　court　of　Henry　IV；　though　her　salon　never　attained　the　vogue　of　its　model。　　It　lacked　a　certain　charm　of　youth　and　freshness　perhaps；　but　it　was　one　of　the　few　in　which　gambling　was　not　permitted；　and　in　which　conversation　had　not　lost　its　serious　and　critical　flavor。

If　Mme。　de　Lambert　were　living　today　she　would　doubtless　figure　openly　as　an　author。　　Her　early　tastes　pointed　clearly　in　that　direction。　　She　was　inclined　to　withdraw　from　the　amusements　of　her　age；　and　to　pass　her　time　in　reading；　or　in　noting　down　the　thoughts　that　pleased　her。　　The　natural　bent　of　her　mind　was　towards　moral　reflections。　　In　this　quality　she　resembled　Mme。　de　Sable；　but　she　was　a　woman　of　greater　breadth　and　originality；　though　less　fine　and　exclusive。　　She　wrote　much　in　later　life　on　educational　themes；　for　the　benefit　of　her　children　and　for　her　own　diversion；　but　she　yielded　to　the　prejudices　of　her　age　against　the　woman　author；　and　her　works　were　given　to　the　world　only　through　the　medium　of　friends　to　whom　she　had　read　or　lent　them。　　〃Women；〃　she　said；　〃should　have　towards　the　sciences　a　modesty　almost　as　sensitive　as　towards　vices。〃　　But　in　spite　of　her　studied　observance　of　the　conventional　limits　which　tradition　still　assigned　to　her　sex；　her　writings　suggest　much　more　care　than　is　usually　bestowed　upon　the　amusement　of　an　idle　hour。　　If；　like　many　other　women　of　her　time；　she　wrote　only　for　her　friends；　she　evidently　doubted　their　discretion　in　the　matter　of　secrecy。

As　the　child　who　inherited　the　rather　formidable　name　of　Anne　Theresa　de　Marguenat　de