the women of the french salons-第4章

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n　of　which　she　was　the　architect　and　the　animating　spirit；　but　even　this　is　better　known　today　through　its　faults　than　its　virtues。　　It　is　a　pleasant　task　to　clear　off　a　little　dust　from　its　memorials；　and　to　paint　in　fresh　colors　one　who　played　so　important　a　role　in　the　history　of　literature　and　manners。

Catherine　de　Vivonne　was　born　at　Rome　in　1588。　　Her　father；　the　Marquis　de　Pisani；　was　French　ambassador；　and　she　belonged　through　her　mother　to　the　old　Roman　families　of　Strozzi　and　Savelli。　　Married　at　sixteen　to　the　Count　d'Angennes；　afterwards　Marquis　de　Rambouillet；　she　was　introduced　to　the　world　at　the　gay　court　of　Henry　IV。　　But　the　coarse　and　depraved　manners　which　ruled　there　were　altogether　distasteful　to　her　delicate　and　fastidious　nature。　　At　twenty　she　retired　from　these　brilliant　scenes　of　gilded　vice；　and　began　to　gather　round　her　the　coterie　of　choice　spirits　which　later　became　so　famous。

Filled　with　the　poetic　ideals　and　artistic　tastes　which　had　been　nourished　in　a　thoughtful　and　elegant　seclusion；　it　seems　to　have　been　the　aim　of　her　life　to　give　them　outward　expression。　　Her　mind；　which　inherited　the　subtle　refinement　of　the　land　of　her　birth；　had　taken　its　color　from　the　best　Italian　and　Spanish　literature；　but　she　was　in　no　sense　a　learned　woman。　　She　was　once　going　to　study　Latin；　in　order　to　read　Virgil；　but　was　prevented　by　ill　health。　　It　is　clear；　however；　that　she　had　a　great　diversity　of　gifts；　with　a　basis　of　rare　good　sense　and　moral　elevation。　　〃She　was　revered；　adored；〃　writes　Mme。　de　Motteville；　〃a　model　of　courtesy；　wisdom；　knowledge；　and　sweetness。〃　　She　is　always　spoken　of　in　the　chronicles　of　her　time　as　a　loyal　wife；　a　devoted　mother；　the　benefactor　of　the　suffering；　and　the　sympathetic　adviser　of　authors　and　artists。　　The　poet　Segrais　says：　〃She　was　amiable　and　gracious；　of　a　sound　and　just　mind；　it　is　she　who　has　corrected　the　bad　customs　which　prevailed　before　her。　　She　taught　politeness　to　all　those　of　her　time　who　frequented　her　house。　　She　was　also　a　good　friend；　and　kind　to　every　one。〃　　We　are　told　that　she　was　beautiful；　but　we　know　only　that　her　face　was　fair　and　delicate；　her　figure　tall　and　graceful；　and　her　manner　stately　and　dignified。　　Her　Greek　love　of　beauty　expressed　itself　in　all　her　appointments。　　The　unique　and　original　architecture　of　her　hotel；which　was　modeled　after　her　own　designs；the　arrangement　of　her　salon；　the　pursuits　she　chose；　and　the　amusements　she　planned；　were　all　a　part　of　her　own　artistic　nature。　　This　was　shown　also　in　her　code　of　etiquette；　which　imposed　a　fine　courtesy　upon　the　members　of　her　coterie；　and　infused　into　life　the　spirit　of　politeness；　which　one　of　her　countrymen　has　called　the　〃flower　of　humanity。〃　　But　this　esthetic　quality　was　tempered　with　a　clear　judgment；　and　a　keen　appreciation　of　merit　and　talent；　which　led　her　to　gather　into　her　society　many　not　〃to　the　manner　born。〃　　Sometimes　she　delicately　aided　a　needy　man　of　letters　to　present　a　respectable　appearancea　kindness　much　less　humiliating　in　those　days　of　patronage　that　it　would　be　today。　　As　may　readily　be　imagined；　these　new　elements　often　jarred　upon　the　tastes　and　prejudices　of　her　noble　guests；　but　in　spite　of　this　it　was　considered　an　honor　to　be　received　by　her；　and；　though　not　even　a　duchess；　she　was　visited　by　princesses。

Adding　to　this　spirit　of　noble　independence　the　prestige　of　rank；　beauty；　and　fortune；　a　temper　of　mingled　sweetness　and　strength；　versatile　gifts　controlled　by　an　admirable　reason；　a　serene　and　tranquil　character；　a　playful　humor；　free　from　the　caprices　of　a　too　exacting　sensibility；　a　perfect　savoir…faire；　and　we　have　the　unusual　combination　which　enabled　her　to　hold　her　sway　for　so　many　years；　without　a　word　of　censure　from　even　the　most　scandal…　loving　of　chroniclers。

〃We　have　sought　in　vain；〃　writes　Cousin；　〃for　that　which　is　rarely　lacking　in　any　life　of　equal　or　even　less　brilliancy；　some　calumny　or　scandal；　an　equivocal　word；　or　the　lightest　epigram。　　We　have　found　only　a　concert　of　warm　eulogies　which　have　run　through　many　generations。　。　。　。　　She　has　disarmed　Tallemant　himself。　　This　caricaturist　of　the　seventeenth　century　has　been　pitiless　towards　the　habitues　of　her　illustrious　house；　but　he　praises　her　with　a　warmth　which　is　very　impressive　from　such　a　source。〃

The　modern　spirit　of　change　has　long　since　swept　away　all　vestiges　of　the　old　Rue　Saint…Thomas…du…Lourvre　and　the　time…　honored　dwellings　that　ornamented　it。　　Conspicuous　among　these；　and　not　far　from　the　Palais　Royal；　was　the　famous　Hotel　de　Rambouillet。　　The　Salon　Bleu　has　become　historic。　　This　〃sanctuary　of　the　Temple　of　Athene；〃　as　it　was　called　in　the　stilted　language　of　the　day；　has　been　illuminated　for　us　by　the　rank；　beauty；　and　talent　of　the　Augustan　age　of　France。　　We　are　more　or　less　familiar　with　even　the　minute　details　of　the　spacious　room；　whose　long　windows；　looking　across　the　little　garden　towards　the　Tuileries；　let　in　a　flood　of　golden　sunlight。　　We　picture　to　ourselves　its　draperies　of　blue　and　gold；　its　curious　cabinets；　its　choice　works　of　art；　its　Venetian　lamps；　and　its　crystal　vases　always　filled　with　flowers　that　scatter　the　perfume　of　spring。

It　was　here　that　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　held　her　court　for　nearly　thirty　years；　her　salon　reaching　the　height　of　its　power　under　Richelieu；　and　practically　closing　with　the　Fronde。　　She　sought　to　gather　all　that　was　most　distinguished；　whether　for　wit；　beauty；　talent；　or　birth；　into　an　atmosphere　of　refinement　and　simple　elegance；　which　should　tone　down　all　discordant　elements　and　raise　life　to　the　level　of　a　fine　art。　　There　was　a　strongly　intellectual　flavor　in　the　amusements；　as　well　as　in　the　discussions　of　this　salon；　and　the　place　of　honor　was　given　to　genius；　learning；　and　good　manners；　rather　than　to　rank。　　But　it　was　by　no　means　purely　literary。　　The　exclusive　spirit　of　the　old　aristocracy；　with　its　hauteur　and　its　lofty　patronage；　found　itself　face　to　face　with　fresh　ideals。　　The　position　of　the　hostess　enabled　her　to　break　the　traditional　barriers；　and　form　a　society　upon　a　new　basis；　but　in　spite　of　the　mingling　of　classes　hitherto　separated；　the　dominant　life　was　that　of　the　noblesse。　　Woman　of　rank　gave　the　tone　and　made　the　laws。　　Their　code　of　etiquette　was　severe。　　They　aimed　to　combine　the　graces　of　Italy　with　the　chivalry　of　Spain。　　The　model　man　must　have　a　keen　sense　of　honor；　and　wit　without　pedantry；　he　must　be　brave；　heroic；　generous；　gallant；　but　he　must　also　possess　good　breeding　and　gentle　courtesy。　　The　coarse　passions　which　had　disgraced　the　court　were　refined　into　subtle　sentiments；　and　women　were　raised　upon　a　pedestal；　to　be　respectfully　and　platonically　adored。　　In　this　reaction　from　extreme　license；　familiarity　was　forbidden；　and　language　was　subjected　to　a　critical　censorship。　　It　was　here　that　the　word　PRECIEUSE　was　first　used　to　signify　a　woman　of　personal　distinction；　accomplished　in　the　highest　sense；　with　a　perfect　accord　of　intelligence；　good　taste；　and　good　manners。　　Later；　when　pretension　crept　into　the　inferior　circles　which　took　this　one　for　a　model；　the　term　came　to　mean　a　sort　of　intellectual　parvenue；　half　prude　and　half　pedant；　who　affected　learning；　and　paraded　it　like　fine　clothes；　for　effect。

〃Do　you　remember；〃　said　Flechier；　many　years　later；　in　his　funeral　oration　on　the　death　of　the　Duchesse　de　Montausier；　〃the　salons　which　are　still　regarded　with　so　much　veneration；　where　the　spirit　was　purified；　where　virtue　was　revered　under　the　name　of　the　incomparable　Arthenice；　where　people　of　merit　and　quality　assembled；　who　composed　a　select　court；　numerous　without　confusion；　modest　without　constraint；　learned　without　pride；　polished　without　affectation？〃

Whatever　allowance　we　may　be　disposed　to　make　for　the　friendship　of　the　eminent　abbe；　he　spoke　with　the　authority　of　personal　knowledge；　and　at　a　time　when　the　memories　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　were　still　fresh。　　It　is　true　that　those　who　belonged　to　this　professed　school　of　morals　were　not　all　patterns　of　decorum。　　But　we　cannot　judge　by　the　Anglo…Saxon　standards　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　faults　of　an　age　in　which　a　Ninon　de　L'Enclos　lives　on　terms　of　veiled　intimacy　with　a　strait…laced　Mme。　de　Mainte