the women of the french salons-第40章

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〃She　knew　my　tastes　and　always　offered　me　those　dishes　I　preferred；〃　said　Fontenelle　when　she　died　in　1740。　　〃It　is　an　irreparable　loss。〃　　Perhaps　his　hundred　years　should　excuse　his　not　going　to　her　funeral　for　fear　of　catching　cold。


CHAPTER　XII。　MADAME　GEOFFRIN　AND　THE　PHILOSOPHERS　Cradles　of　the　New　PhilosophyNoted　Salons　of　this　Period　　　Character　of　Mme。　GeoffrinHer　Practical　EducationAnecdotes　of　her　HusbandComposition　of　her　SalonIts　Insidious　InfluenceHer　Journey　to　WarsawHer　Death

During　the　latter　half　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　center　of　social　life　was　no　longer　the　court；　but　the　salons。　　They　had　multiplied　indefinitely；　and；　representing　every　shade　of　taste　and　thought；　had　reached　the　climax　of　their　power　as　schools　of　public　opinion；　as　well　as　their　highest　perfection　in　the　arts　and　amenities　of　a　brilliant　and　complex　society。　　There　was　a　slight　reaction　from　the　reckless　vices　and　follies　of　the　regency。　　If　morals　were　not　much　better；　manners　were　a　trifle　more　decorous。　　Though　the　great　world　did　not　take　the　tone　of　stately　elegance　and　rigid　propriety　which　it　had　assumed　under　the　rule　of　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　it　was　superficially　polished；　and　a　note　of　thoughtfulness　was　added。　　Affairs　in　France　had　taken　too　serious　an　aspect　to　be　ignored；　and　the　theories　of　the　philosophers　were　among　the　staple　topics　of　conversation；　indeed；　it　was　the　great　vogue　of　the　philosophers　that　gave　many　of　the　most　noted　social　centers　their　prestige　and　their　fame。　　It　is　not　the　salons　of　the　high　nobility　that　suggest　themselves　as　the　typical　ones　of　this　age。　　It　is　those　which　were　animated　by　the　habitual　presence　of　the　radical　leaders　of　French　thought。　　Economic　questions　and　the　rights　of　man　were　discussed　as　earnestly　in　these　brilliant　coteries　as　matters　of　faith　and　sentiment；　of　etiquette　and　morals；　had　been　a　hundred　years　before。　　Such　subjects　were　forced　upon　them　by　the　inexorable　logic　of　events；　and　fashion；　which　must　needs　adapt　itself　in　some　measure　to　the　world　over　which　it　rules；　took　them　up。　　If　the　drawing　rooms　of　the　seventeenth　century　were　the　cradles　of　refined　manners　and　a　new　literature；　those　of　the　eighteenth　were　literally　the　cradles　of　a　new　philosophy。

The　practical　growth　and　spread　of　French　philosophy　was　too　closely　interwoven　with　the　history　of　the　salons　not　to　call　for　a　word　here。　　Its　innovations　were　faintly　prefigured　in　the　coterie　of　Mme。　de　Lambert；　where　it　colored　almost　imperceptibly　the　literary　and　critical　discussions。　　But　its　foundations　were　more　firmly　laid　in　the　drawing　room　of　Mme。　de　Tencin；　where　the　brilliant　wit　and　radical　theories　of　Montesquieu；　as　well　as　the　pronounced　materialism　of　Helvetius；　found　a　congenial　atmosphere。　　Though　the　mingled　romance　and　satire　of　the　〃Persian　Letters；〃　with　their　covert　attack　upon　the　state　and　society；　raised　a　storm　of　antagonism；　they　called　out　a　burst　of　admiration　as　well。　　The　original　and　aggressive　thought　of　men　like　Voltaire；　Rousseau；　d'Alembert；　and　Diderot；　with　its　diversity　of　shading；　but　with　the　cardinal　doctrine　of　freedom　and　equality　pervading　it　all；　had　found　a　rapidly　growing　audience。　　It　no　longer　needed　careful　nursing；　in　the　second　half　of　the　century。　　It　had　invaded　the　salons　of　the　haute　noblesse；　and　was　discussed　even　in　the　anterooms　of　the　court。　　Mme。　de　Pompadour　herself　stole　away　from　her　tiresome　lover…king　to　the　freethinking　coterie　that　met　in　her　physician's　apartments　in　the　Entresol　at　Versailles；　and　included　the　greatest　iconoclasts　of　the　age。　　If　she　had　any　misgivings　as　to　the　outcome　of　these　discussions；　they　were　fearlessly　cast　aside　with　〃Apres　Nous　le　Deluge。〃　　〃In　the　depth　of　her　heart　she　was　with　us；〃　said　Voltaire　when　she　died。

There　were　clairvoyant　spirits　who　traced　the　new　theories　to　their　logical　results。　　Mme。　du　Deffand　speaks　with　prophetic　vision　of　the　reasoners　and　beaux　esprits　〃who　direct　the　age　and　lead　it　to　its　ruin。〃　　There　were　conservative　women；　too；　who　used　their　powerful　influence　against　them。　　It　was　in　the　salon　of　the　delicate　but　ardent　young　Princesse　de　Robecq　that　Palissot　was　inspired　to　write　the　satirical　comedy　of　〃The　Philosophers；〃　in　which　Rousseau　was　represented　as　entering　on　all　fours；　browsing　a　lettuce；　and　the　Encyclopedists　were　so　mercilessly　ridiculed。　　This　spirited　and　heroic　daughter…in…law　of　the　Duchesse　de　Luxembourg；　the　powerful　patroness　of　Rousseau；　was　hopelessly　ill　at　the　time；　and；　in　a　caustic　reply　to　the　clever　satire；　the　abbe　Morellet　did　not　spare　the　beautiful　invalid　who　desired　for　her　final　consolation　only　to　see　its　first　performance　and　be　able　to　say；　〃Now；　Lord；　thou　lettest　thy　servant　depart　in　peace；　for　mine　eyes　have　seen　vengeance。〃　　The　cruel　attack　was　thought　to　have　hastened　her　death；　and　the　witty　abbe　was　sent　to　the　Bastille；　but　he　came　out　in　two　months；　went　away　for　a　time；　and　returned　a　greater　hero　than　ever。　　There　is　a　picture；　full　of　pathetic　significance；　which　represents　the　dying　princess　on　her　pillow；　crowned　with　a　halo　of　sanctity；　as　she　devotes　her　last　hours　to　the　defense　of　the　faith　she　loves。　　One　is　reminded　of　the　sweet　and　earnest　souls　of　Port　Royal；　but　her　vigorous　protest；　which　furnished　only　a　momentary　target　for　the　wit　of　the　philosophers；　was　lost　in　the　oncoming　wave　of　skepticism。

The　vogue　of　these　men　received　its　final　stamp　in　the　admiring　patronage　of　the　greatest　sovereigns　in　Europe。　　Voltaire　had　his　well…known　day　of　power　at　the　court　of　Frederick　the　Great。　　Grimm　and　Diderot；　too；　were　honored　guests　of　that　most　liberal　of　despots；　and　discussed　their　novel　theories　in　familiar　fashion　with　Catherine　II；　at　St。　Petersburg。　　The　reply　of　this　astute　and　clear…sighted　empress　to　the　eloquent　plea　of　Diderot　may　be　commended　for　its　wisdom　to　the　dreamers　and　theorists　of　today。

〃I　have　heard；　with　the　greatest　pleasure；　all　that　your　brilliant　intellect　has　inspired　you　to　say；　but　with　all　your　grand　principles；　which　I　comprehend　very　well；　one　makes　fine　books　and　bad　business。　　You　forget　in　all　your　plans　of　reform　the　difference　of　our　two　positions。　　You　work　only　on　paper；　which　permits　everything；　it　is　quite　smooth　and　pliant；　and　opposes　no　obstacles　to　your　imagination　nor　to　your　pen；　while　I；　poor　empress；　I　work　upon　the　human　cuticle；　which　is　quite　sensitive　and　irritable。〃

It　is　needless　to　say　that　the　men　so　honored　by　sovereigns　were　petted　in　the　salons；　in　spite　of　their　disfavor　with　the　Government。　　They　dined；　talked；　posed　as　lions　or　as　martyrs；　and　calmly　bided　their　time。　　The　persecution　of　the　Encyclopedists　availed　little　more　than　satire　had　done；　in　stemming　the　slowly　rising　tide　of　public　opinion。　　Utopian　theories　took　form　in　the　ultra　circles；　were　insidiously　disseminated　in　the　moderate　ones；　and　were　lightly　discussed　in　the　fashionable　ones。　　Men　who　talked；　and　women　who　added　enthusiasm；　were　alike　unconscious　of　the　dynamic　force　of　the　material　with　which　they　were　playing。

Of　the　salons　which　at　this　period　had　a　European　reputation；　the　most　noted　were　those　of　Mme。　du　Deffand；　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　and　Mme。　Geoffrin。　　The　first　was　the　resort　of　the　more　intellectual　of　the　noblesse；　as　well　as　the　more　famous　of　the　men　of　letters。　　The　two　worlds　mingled　here；　the　tone　was　spiced　with　wit　and　animated　with　thought；　but　it　was　essentially　aristocratic。　　The　second　was　the　rallying　point　of　the　Encyclopedists　and　much　frequented　by　political　reformers；　but　the　rare　gifts　of　its　hostess　attracted　many　from　the　great　world。　　The　last　was　moderate　in　tone；　though　philosophical　and　thoroughly　cosmopolitan。　　Sainte…Beuve　pronounced　it　〃the　most　complete；　the　best　organized；　and　best　conducted　of　its　time；　the　best　established　since　the　foundation　of　the　salons；　that　is；　since　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet。〃

〃Do　you　know　why　La　Geoffrin　comes　here？　　It　is　to　see　what　she　can　gather　from　my　inventory；〃　remarked　Mme。　de　Tencin　on　her　death　bed。　　She　understood　thoroughly　her　world；　and　knew　that　her　friend　wished　to　capture　the　celebrities　who　were　in　the　habit　of　meeting　in　her　salon。　　But　she　does　not　seem　to　have　borne