the women of the french salons-第37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！


　to　play　nor　to　promenade；　they　are　very　useless　in　a　society　where　their　learned　writings　are　of　no　account。〃　　But　Voltaire　was　a　courtier；　and；　in　spite　of　his　frequent　revolts　against　patronage；　was　not　at　all　averse　to　the　incense　of　the　salons　and　the　favors　of　the　great。　　It　was　another　round　in　the　ladder　that　led　him　towards　glory。

The　cleverest　women　in　France　were　found　at　Sceaux；　but　the　dominant　spirit　was　the　princess　herself。　　It　was　amusement　she　wanted；　and　even　men　of　talent　were　valued　far　less　for　what　they　were　intrinsically　than　for　what　they　could　contribute　to　her　vanity　or　to　her　diversion。　　〃She　is　a　predestined　soul；〃　wrote　Voltaire。　　〃She　will　love　comedy　to　the　last　moment；　and　when　she　is　ill　I　counsel　you　to　administer　some　beautiful　poem　in　the　place　of　extreme　unction。　　One　dies　as　one　has　lived。〃

Mme。　du　Maine　represented　the　conservative　side　of　French　society　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　her　abounding　mental　vitality　often　broke　through　the　stiff　boundaries　of　old　traditions。　　It　was　not　because　she　did　not　still　respect　them；　but　she　had　the　defiant　attitude　of　a　princess　whose　will　is　an　unwritten　law　superior　to　all　traditions。　　The　tone　of　her　salon　was　in　the　main　dilettante；　as　is　apt　to　be　the　case　with　any　circle　that　plumes　itself　most　upon　something　quite　apart　from　intellectual　distinction。　　It　reflected　the　spirit　of　an　old　aristocracy；　with　its　pride；　its　exclusiveness；　its　worship　of　forms；　but　faintly　tinged　with　the　new　thought　that　was　rapidly　but　unconsciously　encroaching　upon　time…honored　institutions。　　Beyond　the　clever　pastimes　of　a　brilliant　coterie；　it　had　no　marked　literary　influence。　　This　ferment　of　intellectual　life　was　one　of　the　signs　of　the　times；　but　it　led　to　no　more　definite　and　tangible　results　than　the　turning　of　a　madrigal　or　the　sparkle　of　an　epigram。


CHAPTER　XI。　MADAME　DE　TENCIN　AND　MADAME　DU　CHATELET　An　Intriguing　ChanoinesseHer　Singular　FascinationHer　Salon　Its　Philosophical　CharacterMlle。　AisseRomances　of　Mme。　de　TencinD'AlembertLa　Belle　EmilieVoltaireThe　Two　Women　Compared

It　was　not　in　the　restless　searchings　of　an　old　society　for　new　sensations；　new　diversions；　nor　in　the　fleeting　expressions　of　individual　taste　or　caprice；　which　were　often　little　more　than　the　play　of　small　vanities；　that　the　most　potent　forces　in　the　political　as　well　as　in　the　intellectual　life　of　France　were　found。　　It　was　in　the　coteries　which　attracted　the　best　representatives　of　modern　thought；　men　and　women　who　took　the　world　on　a　more　serious　side；　and　mingled　more　or　less　of　earnestness　even　in　their　amusements。　　While　the　Duchesse　du　Maine　was　playing　her　little　comedy；　which　began　and　ended　in　herself；　another　woman；　of　far　different　type；　and　without　rank　or　riches　；　was　scheming　for　her　friends；　and　nursing　the　germs　of　the　philosophic　party　in　one　of　the　most　notable　salons　of　the　first　half　of　the　century。　　Mme。　de　Tencin　is　not　an　interesting　figure　to　contemplate　from　a　moral　standpoint。　　〃She　was　born　with　the　most　fascinating　qualities　and　the　most　abominable　defects　that　God　ever　gave　to　one　of　his　creatures；〃　said　Mme。　du　Deffand；　who　was　far　from　being　able　to　pose；　herself；　as　a　model　of　virtue　or　decorum。　　But　sin　has　its　degrees；　and　the　woman　who　errs　within　the　limits　of　conventionality　considers　herself　entitled　to　sit　in　judgment　upon　her　sister　who　wanders　outside　of　the　fold。　　Measured　even　by　the　complaisant　standards　of　her　own　time；　there　can　be　but　one　verdict　upon　the　character　of　Mme。　de　Tencin；　though　it　is　to　be　hoped　that　the　scandal…loving　chroniclers　have　painted　her　more　darkly　than　she　deserved。　　But　whatever　her　faults　may　have　been；　her　talent　and　her　influence　were　unquestioned。　　She　posed　in　turn　as　a　saint；　an　intrigante；　and　a　femme　d'esprit；　with　marked　success　in　every　one　of　these　roles。　　But　it　was　not　a　comedy　she　was　playing　for　the　amusement　of　the　hour。　　Beneath　the　velvet　softness　of　her　manner　there　was　a　definite　aim；　an　inflexible　purpose。　　With　the　tact　and　facility　of　a　Frenchwoman；　she　had　a　strong；　active　intellect；　boundless　ambition；　indomitable　energy；　and　the　subtlety　of　an　Italian。

An　incident　of　her　early　life；　related　by　Mme。　du　Deffand；　furnishes　a　key　to　her　complex　character；　and　reveals　one　secret　of　her　influence。　　Born　of　a　poor　and　proud　family　in　Grenoble；　in　1681；　Claudine　Alexandrine　Guerin　de　Tencin　was　destined　from　childhood　for　the　cloister。　　Her　strong　aversion　to　the　life　of　a　nun　was　unavailing；　and　she　was　sent　to　a　convent　at　Montfleury。　　This　prison　does　not　seem　to　have　been　a　very　austere　one；　and　the　discipline　was　far　from　rigid。　　The　young　novice　was　so　devout　that　the　archbishop　prophesied　a　new　light　for　the　church；　and　she　easily　persuaded　him　of　the　necessity　of　occupying　the　minds　of　the　religieuses　by　suitable　diversions。　　Though　not　yet　sixteen；　this　pretty；　attractive；　vivacious　girl　was　fertile　in　resources；　and　won　her　way　so　far　into　the　good　graces　of　her　superiors　as　to　be　permitted　to　organize　reunions；　and　to　have　little　comedies　played　which　called　together　the　provincial　society。　　She　transformed　the　convent；　but　her　secret　disaffection　was　unchanged。　　She　took　the　final　vows　under　the　compulsion　of　her　inflexible　father；　then　continued　her　role　of　devote　to　admirable　purpose。　　By　the　zeal　of　her　piety；　the　severity　of　her　penance；　and　the　ardor　of　her　prayers；　she　gained　the　full　sympathy　of　her　ascetic　young　confessor；　to　whom　she　confided　her　feeling　of　unfitness　for　a　religious　life；　and　her　earnest　desire　to　be　freed　from　the　vows　which　sat　so　uneasily　upon　her　sensitive　conscience。　　He　exhorted　her　to　steadfastness；　but　finally　she　wrote　him　a　letter　in　which　she　confessed　her　hopeless　struggle　against　a　consuming　passion；　and　urged　the　necessity　of　immediate　release。　　The　conclusion　was　obvious。　　The　Abbe　Fleuret　was　horrified　by　the　conviction　that　this　pretty　young　nun　was　in　love　with　himself；　and　used　his　influence　to　secure　her　transference　to　a　secular　order　at　Neuville；　where　as　chanoinesse；　she　had　many　privileges　and　few　restrictions。　　Here　she　became　at　once　a　favorite；　as　before；　charming　by　her　modest　devotion；　and　amusing　by　her　brilliant　wit。　　Artfully；　and　by　degrees；　she　convinced　those　in　authority　of　the　need　of　a　representative　in　Paris。　　This　office　she　was　chosen　to　fill。　　Playing　her　pious　part　to　the　last；　protesting　with　tears　her　pain　at　leaving　a　life　she　loved；　and　her　unfitness　for　so　great　an　honor　she　set　out　upon　her　easy　mission。　　There　are　many　tales　of　a　scandalous　life　behind　all　this　sanctity　and　humility；　but　her　new　position　gave　her　consideration；　influence；　and　a　good　revenue。　　〃Young；　beautiful；　clever；　with　an　adorable　talent；〃　this　〃nun　unhooded〃　fascinated　the　regent；　and　was　his　favorite　for　a　few　days。　　But　her　ambition　got　the　better　of　her　prudence。　　She　ventured　upon　political　ground；　and　he　saw　her　no　more。　　With　his　minister；　the　infamous　Dubois；　she　was　more　successful；　and　he　served　her　purpose　admirably　well。　　Through　her　notorious　relations　with　him　she　enriched　her　brother　and　secured　him　a　cardinal's　hat。　　The　intrigues　of　this　unscrupulous　trio　form　an　important　episode　in　the　history　of　the　period。　　When　Dubois　died；　within　a　few　months　of　the　regent；　she　wept；　as　she　said；　〃that　fools　might　believe　she　regretted　him。〃

Her　clear；　incisive　intellect　and　conversational　charm　would　have　assured　the　success　of　any　woman　at　a　time　when　these　things　counted　for　so　much。　　〃At　thirty…six；〃　wrote　Mme。　du　Deffand；　〃she　was　beautiful　and　fresh　as　a　woman　of　twenty；　her　eyes　sparkled；　her　lips　had　a　smile　at　the　same　time　sweet　and　perfidious；　she　wished　to　be　good；　and　gave　herself　great　trouble　to　seem　so；　without　succeeding。〃　　Indolent　and　languid　with　flashes　of　witty　vivacity；　insinuating　and　facile；　unconscious　of　herself；　interested　in　everyone　with　whom　she　talked；　she　combined　the　tact；　the　finesse；　the　subtle　penetration　of　a　woman　with　the　grasp；　the　comprehensiveness；　and　the　knowledge　of　political　machinery　which　are　traditionally　accorded　to　a　man。　　〃If　she　wanted　to　poison　you；　she　would　use　the　mildest　poison；〃　said　the　Abbe　Trublet。

〃I　cannot　express　the　illusion　which　her　air　of　nonchal