the women of the french salons-第46章

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ation　and　the　most　genuine　sympathy。　　〃Bon　Dieu；〃　he　writes　to　Diderot；　〃how　this　woman　is　to　be　pitied！　　I　should　not　be　troubled　about　her　if　she　were　as　strong　as　she　is　courageous。　　She　is　sweet　and　trusting；　she　is　peaceful；　and　loves　repose　above　all；　but　her　situation　exacts　unceasingly　a　conduct　forced　and　out　of　her　character；　nothing　so　wears　and　destroys　a　machine　naturally　frail。〃　　She　aided　him　in　his　correspondance　litteraire；　wrote　a　treatise　on　education；　which　had　the　honor　of　being　crowned　by　the　Academy；　and；　among　other　things　of　more　or　less　value；　a　novel；　which　was　not　published　until　long　after　her　death。　　With　many　gifts　and　attractions；　kind；　amiable；　forgiving；　and　essentially　emotional；　Mme。　d'Epinay　seems　to　have　been　a　woman　of　weak　and　undecided　character；　without　sufficient　strength　of　moral　fiber　to　sustain　herself　with　dignity　under　the　unfortunate　circumstances　which　surrounded　her。　　〃It　depends　only　upon　yourself；〃　said　Grimm；　〃to　be　the　happiest　and　most　adorable　creature　in　the　world；　provided　that　you　do　not　put　the　opinions　of　others　before　your　own；　and　that　you　know　how　to　suffice　for　yourself。〃　　Her　education　had　not　given　her　the　worldly　tact　and　address　of　Mme。　Geoffrin；　and　　her　salon　never　had　a　wide　celebrity；　but　it　was　a　meeting　place　of　brilliant　and　radical　thinkers；　of　the　men　who　have　perhaps　done　the　most　to　change　the　face　of　the　modern　world。　　In　a　quiet　and　intimate　way；　it　was　one　among　the　numberless　forces　which　were　gathering　and　gaining　momentum　to　culminate　in　the　great　tragedy　of　the　century。　　Mme。　d'Epinay　did　not　live　to　see　the　catastrophe。　　Worn　out　by　a　life　of　suffering　and　ill　health；　she　died　in　1783。

Whatever　her　faults　and　weaknesses　may　have　been；　the　woman　who　could　retain　the　devoted　affection　of　so　brilliant　and　versatile　a　man　as　Grimm　for　twenty…seven　years；　who　was　the　lifelong　friend　and　correspondent　of　Galiani　and　Voltaire；　and　the　valued　confidante　of　Diderot；　must　have　had　some　rare　attractions　of　mind；　heart；　or　character。


CHAPTER　XIV。　SALONS　OF　THE　NOBLESSEMADAME　DU　DEFFAND　La　Marechale　de　LuxembourgThe　TempleComtesse　de　Boufflers　　Mme。　du　DeffandHer　Convent　SalonRupture　with　Mlle。　de　LespinasseHer　Friendship　with　Horace　WalpoleHer　brilliancy　and　Her　Ennui

While　the　group　of　iconoclasts　who　formed　the　nucleus　of　the　philosophical　salons　was　airing　its　theories　and　enjoying　its　increasing　vogue；　there　was　another　circle　which　played　with　the　new　ideas　more　or　less　as　a　sort　of　intellectual　pastime；　but　was　aristocratic　au　fond；　and　carefully　preserved　all　the　traditions　of　the　old　noblesse。　　One　met　here　the　philosophers　and　men　of　letters；　but　they　did　not　dominate；　they　simply　flavored　these　coteries　of　rank　and　fashion。　　In　this　age　of　esprit　no　salon　was　complete　without　its　sprinkling　of　literary　men。　　We　meet　the　shy　and　awkward　Rousseau　even　in　the　exclusive　drawing　room　of　the　clever　and　witty　but　critical　Marechale　de　Luxembourg；　who　presides　over　a　world　in　which　the　graces　rulea　world　of　elegant　manners；　of　etiquette；　and　of　forms。　　This　model　of　the　amenities；　whose　gay　and　faulty　youth　ripened　into　a　pious　and　charitable　age；　was　at　the　head　of　that　tribunal　which　pronounced　judgment　upon　all　matters　relating　to　society。　　She　was　learned　in　genealogy；　analyzed　and　traced　to　their　source　the　laws　of　etiquette；　possessed　a　remarkable　memory；　and　without　profound　education；　had　learned　much　from　conversation　with　the　savants　and　illustrious　men　who　frequented　her　house。　　Her　wit　was　proverbial；　and　she　was　never　at　a　loss　for　a　ready　repartee　or　a　spicy　anecdote。　　She　gave　two　grand　suppers　a　week。　　Mme。　de　Genlis；　who　was　often　there；　took　notes；　according　to　her　custom；　and　has　left　an　interesting　record　of　conversations　that　were　remarkable　not　only　for　brilliancy；　but　for　the　thoughtful　wisdom　of　the　comments　upon　men　and　things。　　La　Harpe　read　a　great　part　of　his　works　in　this　salon。　　Rousseau　entertained　the　princely　guests　at　Montmorency　with　〃La　Nouvelle　Heloise〃　and　〃Emile；〃　and　though　never　quite　at　ease；　his　democratic　theories　did　not　prevent　him　from　feeling　greatly　honored　by　their　friendly　courtesies；　indeed；　he　loses　his　usual　bitterness　when　speaking　of　this　noble　patroness。　　He　says　that　her　conversation　was　marked　by　an　exquisite　delicacy　that　always　pleased；　and　her　flatteries　were　intoxicating　because　they　were　simple　and　seemed　to　escape　without　intention。

Mme。　de　Luxembourg　was　an　autocrat；　and　did　not　hesitate　to　punish　errors　in　taste　by　social　ostracism。　　〃Erase　the　name　of　Monsieur　　　　from　my　list；〃　she　said；　as　a　gentleman　left　after　relating　a　scandalous　story　reflecting　upon　some　one's　honor。　　It　was　one　of　her　theories　that　〃society　should　punish　what　the　law　cannot　attack。〃　　She　maintained　that　good　manners　are　based　upon　noble　and　delicate　sentiments；　that　mutual　consideration；　deference；　politeness；　gentleness；　and　respect　to　age　are　essential　to　civilization。　　The　disloyal；　the　ungrateful　bad　sons；　bad　brothers；　bad　husbands；　and　bad　wives；　whose　offenses　were　serious　enough　to　be　made　public；　she　banished　from　that　circle　which　called　itself　la　bonne　compagnie。　　It　must　be　admitted；　however；　that　it　was　les　convenances　rather　than　morality　which　she　guarded。

A　rival　of　this　brilliant　salon；　and　among　the　most　celebrated　of　its　day；　was　the　one　at　the　Temple。　　The　animating　spirit　here　was　the　amiable　and　vivacious　Comtesse　de　Boufflers；　celebrated　in　youth　for　her　charms；　and　later　for　her　talent。　　She　was　dame　d'honneur　to　the　Princesse　de　Conti；　wife　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　who　was　noted　for　her　caustic　wit；　as　well　as　for　her　beauty。　　It　was　in　the　salon　of　his　clever　and　rather　capricious　sister　that　the　learned　Prince　de　Conti　met　her　and　formed　the　intimacy　that　ended　only　with　his　life。　　She　was　called　the　idole　of　the　Temple；　and　her　taste　for　letters　gave　her　also　the　title　of　Minerve　savante。　　She　wrote　a　tragedy　which　was　said　to　be　good；　though　she　would　never　let　it　go　out　of　her　hands；　and　has　been　immortalized　by　Rousseau；　with　whom　she　corresponded　for　sixteen　years。　　Hume　also　exchanged　frequent　letters　with　her；　and　she　tried　in　vain　to　reconcile　these　two　friends　after　their　quarrel。　　President　Henault　said　he　had　never　met　a　woman　of　so　much　esprit；　adding　that　〃outside　all　her　charms　she　had　character。〃　　For　society　she　had　a　veritable　passion。　　She　said　that　when　she　loved　England　the　best　she　could　not　think　of　staying　there　without　〃taking　twenty…four　or　twenty…five　intimate　friends；　and　sixty　or　eighty　others　who　were　absolutely　necessary　to　her。〃　　Her　conversation　was　full　of　fire　and　brilliancy；　and　her　gaiety　of　heart；　her　gracious　manners；　and　her　frank　appreciation　of　the　talent　of　others　added　greatly　to　her　piquant　fascination。　　She　delighted　in　original　turns　of　expression；　which　were　sometimes　far…fetched　and　artificial。　　One　of　her　friends　said　that　〃she　made　herself　the　victim　of　consideration；　and　lost　it　by　running　after　it。〃　　Her　rule　of　life　may　be　offered　as　a　model。　　〃In　conduct；　simplicity　and　reason；　in　manners；　propriety　and　decorum；　in　actions；　justice　and　generosity；　in　the　use　of　wealth；　economy　and　liberality；　in　conversation；　clearness；　truth；　precision；　in　adversity；　courage　and　pride；　in　prosperity；　modesty　and　moderation。〃　　Unfortunately　she　did　not　put　all　this　wisdom　into　practice；　if　we　judge　her　by　present　standards。　　We　have　a　glimpse　of　the　famous　circle　over　which　she　presided　in　an　interesting　picture　formerly　at　Versailles；　now　at　the　Louvre。　　The　figures　are　supposed　to　be　portraits。　　Among　others　are　Mme。　de　Luxembourg；　the　Comtesse　de　Boufflers；　and　the　lovely　but　ill…　fated　young　stepdaughter；　Amelie；　Comtesse　de　Lauzun；　to　whom　she　is　so　devoted；　the　beautiful　Comtesse　d'Egmont；　Mme。　de　Beauvan；　President　Henault；　the　witty　Pont　de　Veyle；　Mairan；　the　versatile　scientist；　and　the　Prince　de　Conti。　　In　the　midst　of　this　group　the　little　Mozart；　whose　genius　was　then　delighting　Europe；　sits　at　the　harpsichord。　　The　chronicles　of　the　time　give　us　pleasant　descriptions　of　the　literary　diversions　of　this　society；　which　met　by　turns　at　the　Temple　and　Ile…Adam。　　But　the　Prince　as　well　as　the　clever　Comtesse　had　a　strong　leaning　tow