the women of the french salons-第39章

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d　left　to　perish　upon　the　steps　of　St。　Jean　le　Rond；　but　grown　up　to　be　her　secret　pride　in　the　person　of　the　great　mathematician　and　philosopher　d'Alembert？　　What　was　the　subtle　link　between　this　worldly　woman　and　the　eternal　passion；　the　tender　self…sacrifice　of　Adelaide；　the　loyal　heroine　who　breathes　out　her　solitary　and　devoted　soul　on　the　ashes　of　La　Trappe；　unknown　to　her　faithful　and　monastic　lover；　until　the　last　sigh？　　The　fate　of　Adelaide　has　become　a　legend。　　It　has　furnished　a　theme　for　the　poet　and　the　artist；　an　inspiration　for　the　divine　strains　of　Beethoven；　another　leaf　in　the　annals　of　pure　and　heroic　love。　　But　the　woman　who　conceived　it　toyed　with　the　human　heart　as　with　a　beautiful　flower；　to　be　tossed　aside　when　its　first　fragrance　was　gone。　　She　apparently　knew　neither　the　virtue；　nor　the　honor；　nor　the　purity；　nor　the　truth　of　which　she　had　so　exquisite　a　perception　in　the　realm　of　the　imagination。　　Or　were　some　of　the　episodes　which　darken　the　story　of　her　life　simply　the　myths　of　a　gossiping　age；　born　of　the　incidents　of　an　idle　tale；　to　live　forever　on　the　pages　of　history？

But　it　was　not　as　a　literary　woman　that　Mme。　de　Tencin　held　her　position　and　won　her　fame。　　Her　gifts　were　eminently　those　of　her　age　and　race；　and　it　may　be　of　interest　to　compare　her　with　a　woman　of　larger　talent　of　a　purely　intellectual　order；　who　belonged　more　or　less　to　the　world　of　the　salons；　without　aspiring　to　leadership；　and　who；　though　much　younger；　died　in　the　same　year。　　Mme。　du　Chatelet　was　essentially　a　woman　of　letters。　　She　loved　the　exact　sciences；　expounded　Leibnitz；　translated　Newton；　gave　valuable　aid　to　Voltaire　in　introducing　English　thought　into　France；　and　was　one　of　the　first　women　among　the　nobility　to　accept　the　principles　of　philosophic　deism。　　〃I　confess　that　she　is　tyrannical；〃　said　Voltaire；　〃one　must　talk　about　metaphysics；　when　the　temptation　is　to　talk　of　love。　Ovid　was　formerly　my　master；　it　is　now　the　turn　of　Locke。〃　　She　has　been　clearly　but　by　no　means　pleasantly　painted　for　us　in　the　familiar　letters　of　Mme。　de　Graffigny；　in　the　rather　malicious　sketches　of　the　Marquise　de　Crequi；　and　in　the　still　more　strongly　outlined　portrait　or　Mme。　du　Deffand；　as　a　veritable　bas　bleu；　learned；　pedantic；　eccentric；　and　without　grace　or　beauty。　　〃Imagine　a　woman　tall　and　hard；　with　florid　complexion；　face　sharp；　nose　pointedVOILA　LA　BELLE　EMILIE；〃　writes　the　latter；　〃a　face　with　which　she　was　so　contented　that　she　spared　nothing　to　set　it　off；　curls；　topknots；　precious　stones；　all　are　in　profusion　。　。　。　　She　was　born　with　much　esprit；　the　desire　of　appearing　to　have　more　made　her　prefer　the　study　of　the　abstract　sciences　to　agreeable　branches　of　knowledge；　she　thought　by　this　singularity　to　attain　a　greater　reputation　and　a　decided　superiority　over　all　other　women。　　Madame　worked　with　so　much　care　to　seem　what　she　was　not；　that　no　one　knew　exactly　what　she　was；　even　her　defects　were　not　natural。〃　　〃She　talks　like　an　angel〃〃she　sings　divinely〃〃our　sex　ought　to　erect　altars　to　her；〃　wrote　Mme。　de　Graffigny　during　a　visit　at　her　chateau。　　A　few　weeks　later　her　tone　changed。　　They　had　quarreled。　　Of　such　stuff　is　history　made。　　But　she　had　already　given　a　charming　picture　of　the　life　at　Cirey。

Mme。　du　Chatelet　plunged　into　abstractions　during　the　day。　　In　the　evening　she　was　no　more　the　savante；　but　gave　herself　up　to　the　pleasures　of　society　with　the　ardor　of　a　nature　that　was　extreme　in　everything。　　Voltaire　read　his　poetry　and　his　dramas；　told　stories　that　made　them　weep　and　then　laugh　at　their　tears；　improvised　verses；　and　amused　them　with　marionettes；　or　the　magic　lantern。　　La　belle　Emilie　criticized　the　poems；　sang；　and　played　prominent　parts　in　the　comedies　and　tragedies　of　the　philosopher　poet；　which　were　first　given　in　her　little　private　theater。　　Among　the　guests　were　the　eminent　scientist；　Maupertuis；　her　life…long　friend　and　teacher；　the　Italian　savant；　Algarotti；　President　Henault；　Helvetius；　the　poet；　Saint…Lambert；　and　many　others　of　equal　distinction。　　〃Of　what　do　we　not　talk！〃　writes　Mme。　de　Graffigny。　　〃Poetry；　science；　art；　everything；　in　a　tone　of　graceful　badinage。　　I　should　like　to　be　able　to　send　you　these　charming　conversations；　these　enchanting　conversations；　but　it　is　not　in　me。〃

Mme。　du　Chatelet　owned　for　several　years　the　celebrated　Hotel　Lambert；　and　a　choice　company　of　savants　assembled　there　as　in　the　days　when　Mme。　de　Lambert　presided　in　those　stately　apartments。　　But　this　learned　salon　had　only　a　limited　vogue。　　The　thinking　was　high；　but　the　dinners　were　too　plain。　　The　real　life　of　Mme。　du　Chatelet　was　an　intimate　one。　　〃I　confess　that　in　love　and　friendship　lies　all　my　happiness；〃　said　this　astronomer；　metaphysician；　and　mathematician；　who　wrote　against　revelation　and　went　to　mass　with　her　free…thinking　lover。　　Her　learning　and　eccentricities　made　her　the　target　for　many　shafts　of　ridicule；　but　she　counted　for　much　with　Voltaire；　and　her　chief　title　to　fame　lies　in　his　long　and　devoted　friendship。　　He　found　the　〃sublime　and　respectable　Emilie〃　the　incarnation　of　all　the　virtues；　though　a　trifle　ill…tempered。　　The　contrast　between　his　kindly　portrait　and　those　of　her　feminine　friends　is　striking　and　rather　suggestive。

〃She　joined　to　the　taste　for　glory　a　simplicity　which　does　not　always　accompany　it；　but　which　is　often　the　fruit　of　serious　studies。　　No　woman　was　ever　so　learned；　and　no　one　deserves　less　to　be　called　a　femme　savante。　　Born　with　a　singular　eloquence；　this　eloquence　manifested　itself　only　when　she　found　subjects　worthy　of　it　。　。　。　　The　fitting　word；　precision；　justness；　and　force　were　the　characteristics　of　her　style。　　She　would　rather　write　like　Pascal　and　Nicole　than　like　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　but　this　severe　strength　and　this　vigorous　temper　of　her　mind　did　not　render　her　inaccessible　to　the　beauties　of　sentiment。　　The　charms　of　poetry　and　eloquence　penetrated　her；　and　no　one　was　ever　more　sensitive　to　harmony　。　。　。　　She　gave　herself　to　the　great　world　as　to　study。　　Everything　that　occupies　society　was　in　her　province　except　scandal。　　She　was　never　known　to　repeat　an　idle　story。　　She　had　neither　time　nor　disposition　to　give　attention　to　such　things；　and　when　told　that　some　one　had　done　her　an　injustice；　she　replied　that　she　did　not　wish　to　hear　about　it。〃

〃She　led　him　a　life　a　little　hard；〃　said　Mme。　de　Graffigny；　after　her　quarrel；　but　he　seems　to　have　found　it　agreeable；　and　broke　his　heartfor　a　short　timewhen　she　died。　　〃I　have　lost　half　of　my　being；〃　he　wrote〃a　soul　for　which　mine　was　made。〃　　To　Marmontel　he　says：　〃Come　and　share　my　sorrow。　　I　have　lost　my　illustrious　friend。　　I　am　in　despair。　　I　am　inconsolable。〃　　One　cannot　believe　that　so　clear…sighted　a　man；　even　though　a　poet；　could　live　for　twenty　years　under　the　spell　of　a　pure　illusion。　　What　heart　revelations；　what　pictures　of　contemporary　life；　were　lost　in　the　eight　large　volumes　of　his　letters　which　were　destroyed　at　her　death！

While　Mme。　de　Tencin　studied　men　and　affairs；　Mme。　du　Chatelet　studied　books。　　One　was　mistress　of　the　arts　of　diplomacy；　gentle　but　intriguing；　ambitious；　always　courting　society　and　shunning　solitude。　　The　other　was　violent　and　imperious；　hated　finesse；　and　preferred　burying　herself　among　the　rare　treasures　of　her　library　at　Cirey。

The　influence　of　Mme。　de　Tencin　was　felt；　not　only　in　the　social　and　intellectual；　but　in　the　political　life　of　the　century。　　The　traditions　of　her　salon　lingered　in　those　which　followed；　modified　by　the　changes　that　time　and　personal　taste　always　bring。　　Mme。　du　Chatelet　was　more　learned；　but　she　lacked　the　tact　and　charm　which　give　wide　personal　ascendancy。　　Her　influence　was　largely　individual；　and　her　books　have　been　mostly　forgotten。　　These　women　were　alike　defiant　of　morality；　but　taken　all　in　all；　the　character　of　Mme。　Chatelet　has　more　redeeming　points；　though　little　respect　can　be　accorded　to　either。　　With　the　wily　intellect　of　a　Talleyrand；　Mme。　de　Tencin　represents　the　social　genius；　the　intelligence；　the　esprit；　and　the　worst　vices　of　the　century　on　which　she　has　left　such　conspicuous　traces。

〃She　knew　my　tastes　and　always　offered　me　those　dishes　I　preferred；〃　said　Fontenelle　when　she　died　in　1740。　　〃It　is　an　irrepa