the women of the french salons-第54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！


of　this　friendship；　whose　fine　quality　is　shown　in　the　few　scattered　leaves　of　a　correspondence　overflowing　with　the　wealth　of　two　rare　though　unequally　gifted　natures。

At　a　later　period　her　husband's　position　in　the　ministry；　and　the　pronounced　opinions　of　her　brilliant　daughter；　gave　to　the　salon　of　Mme。　Necker　a　marked　political　and　semi…revolutionary　coloring。　　Her　inclinations　always　led　her　to　literary　diversions；　rather　than　to　the　discussion　of　economic　questions；　but　as　Mme。　de　Stael　gradually　took　the　scepter　that　was　falling　from　her　hand；　she　found　it　difficult　to　guide　the　conversation　into　its　old　channels。　　Her　pale；　thoughtful　face；　her　gentle　manner；　her　soft　and　penetrating　voice；　all　indicated　an　exquisitely　feminine　quality　quite　in　unison　with　the　spirit　of　urbanity　and　politeness　that　was　even　then　going　out　of　fashion。　　Her　quiet　and　earnest　though　interesting　conversation　was　somewhat　overshadowed　by　the　impetuous　eloquence　of　Mme。　de　Stael；　who　gave　the　tone　to　every　circle　into　which　she　came。　　〃I　am　more　and　more　convinced　that　I　am　not　made　for　the　great　world；〃　she　said　to　the　Duchesse　de　Lauzun；　with　an　accent　of　regret。　　〃It　is　Germaine　who　should　shine　there　and　who　should　love　it；　for　she　possesses　all　the　qualities　which　put　her　in　a　position　to　be　at　once　feared　and　sought。〃

If　she　was　allied　to　the　past；　however；　by　her　tastes　and　her　sympathies；　she　belonged　to　the　future　by　her　convictions；　and　her　many…sided　intellect　touched　upon　every　question　of　the　day。　　Profoundly　religious　herself；　she　was　broadly　tolerant；　always　delicate　in　health；　she　found　time　amid　her　numerous　social　duties　to　aid　the　poor　and　suffering；　and　to　establish　the　hospital　that　still　bears　her　name。　　Her　letters　and　literary　records　reveal　a　woman　of　liberal　thought　and　fine　insight；　as　well　as　scholarly　tastes。　　If　she　lacked　a　little　in　the　facile　graces　of　the　French　women；　she　had　to　an　eminent　degree　the　qualities　of　character　that　were　far　rarer　in　her　age　and　sphere。　　Though　she　was　cold　and　reserved　in　manner；　beneath　the　light　snow　which　she　brought　from　her　native　hills　beat　a　heart　of　warm　and　tender；　even　passionate；　impulses。　　Devoted　wife；　loyal　friend；　careful　mother；　large…minded　and　large…souled　woman；　she　stands　conspicuous；　in　a　period　of　lax　domestic　relations；　for　the　virtues　that　grace　the　fireside　as　well　as　for　the　talents　that　shine　in　the　salon。

But　she　was　not　exempt　from　the　sorrows　of　a　nature　that　exacts　from　life　more　than　life　can　give；　and　finds　its　illusions　vanish　before　the　cold　touch　of　experience。　　She　had　her　hours　of　darkness　and　of　suffering。　　Even　the　love　that　was　the　source　of　her　keenest　happiness　was　also　the　source　of　her　sharpest　griefs。　　In　the　days　of　her　husband's　power　she　missed　the　exclusive　attention　she　craved。　　There　were　moments　when　she　doubted　the　depth　of　his　affection；　and　felt　anew　that　her　〃eyes　were　wedded　to　eternal　tears。〃　　She　could　not　see　without　pain　his　extreme　devotion　to　her　daughter；　whose　rich　nature；　so　spontaneous；　so　original；　so　foreign　to　her　own；　gave　rise　to　many　anxieties　and　occasional　antagonisms。　　This　touches　the　weak　point　in　her　character。　　She　was　not　wholly　free　from　a　certain　egotism　and　intellectual　vanity；　without　the　imagination　to　comprehend　fully　an　individuality　quite　remote　from　all　her　preconceived　ideas。　　She　was　slow　to　accept　the　fact　that　her　system　of　education　was　at　fault；　and　her　failure　to　mold　her　daughter　after　her　own　models　was　long　a　source　of　grief　and　disappointment。　　She　was　ambitious　too；　and　had　not　won　her　position　without　many　secret　wounds。　　When　misfortunes　came；　the　blows　that　fell　upon　her　husband　struck　with　double　force　into　her　own　heart。　　She　was　destined　to　share　with　him　the　chill　of　censure　and　neglect；　the　bitter　sting　of　ingratitude；　the　lonely　isolation　of　one　fallen　from　a　high　place；　whose　friendship　and　whose　favors　count　no　more。

In　the　solitude　of　Coppet；　where　she　died　at　fifty…seven；　during　the　last　and　darkest　days　of　the　Revolution；　perhaps　she　realized　in　the　tireless　devotion　of　her　husband　and　the　loving　care　of　Mme。　de　Stael　the　repose　of　heart　which　the　brilliant　world　of　Paris　never　gave　her。

With　all　her　gifts；　which　have　left　many　records　that　may　be　read；　and　in　spite　of　a　few　shadows　that　fall　more　or　less　upon　all　earthly　relations；　not　the　least　of　her　legacies　to　posterity　was　the　beautiful　example；　rarer　then　than　now；　of　that　true　and　sympathetic　family　life　in　which　lies　the　complete　harmony　of　existence；　a　safeguard　against　the　storms　of　passion；　a　perennial　fount　of　love　that　keeps　the　spirit　young；　the　tranquility　out　of　which　spring　the　purest　flowers　of　human　happiness　and　human　endeavor。

There　were　many　salons　of　lesser　note　which　have　left　agreeable　memories。　　It　would　be　pleasant　to　recall　other　clever　and　beautiful　women　whose　names　one　meets　so　often　in　the　chronicles　of　the　time；　and　whose　faces；　conspicuous　for　their　clear；　strong　outlines；　still　look　out　upon　us　from　the　galleries　that　perpetuate　its　life；　but　the　list　is　too　long　and　would　lead　us　too　far。　　From　the　moving　procession　of　social　leaders　who　made　the　age　preceding　the　Revolution　so　brilliant　I　have　chosen　only　the　few　who　were　most　widely　known；　and　who　best　represent　its　dominant　types　and　its　special　phases。

The　most　remarkable　period　of　the　literary　salons　was　really　closed　with　the　death　of　Mme。　du　Deffand；　in　1780。　　Mme。　Geoffrin　had　already　been　dead　three　years；　and　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　four。　　Some　of　the　most　noted　of　the　philosophers　and　men　of　letters　were　also　gone；　others　were　past　the　age　of　forming　fresh　ties；　the　young　men　belonged　to　another　generation；　and　no　new　drawing　rooms　exactly　replaced　the　old　ones。　　Mme。　Necker　still　received　the　world　that　was　wont　to　assemble　in　the　great　salons；　Mme。　de　Condorcet　presided　over　a　rival　coterie；　and　there　were　numerous　small　and　intimate　circles；　but　the　element　of　politics　was　beginning　to　intrude；　and　with　it　a　degree　of　heat　which　disturbed　the　usual　harmony。　　The　reign　of　esprit；　the　perpetual　play　of　wit　had　begun　to　pall　upon　the　tastes　of　people　who　found　themselves　face　to　face　with　problems　so　grave　and　issues　so　vital。　　There　was　a　slight　reaction　towards　nature　and　simplicity。　　〃They　may　be　growing　wiser；〃　said　Walpole；　〃but　the　intermediate　change　is　dullness。〃　　For　nearly　half　a　century　learned　men　and　clever　women　had　been　amusing　themselves　with　utopian　theories；　a　few　through　conviction；　the　majority　through　fashion；　or　egotism；　or　the　vanity　of　saying　new　things；　just　as　the　world　is　doing　today。　　The　doctrines　put　forth　by　Montesquieu；　vivified　by　Voltaire；　and　carried　to　the　popular　heart　by　Rousseau　had　been　freely　discussed　in　the　salons；　not　only　by　philosophers　and　statesmen；　but　by　men　of　the　world；　poets；　artists；　and　pretty　women。　　The　sparks　of　thought　with　which　they　played　so　lightly　filtered　slowly　through　the　social　strata。　　The　talk　of　the　drawing　room　at　last　reached　the　street。　　But　the　torch　of　truth　which；　held　aloft；　serves　as　a　beacon　star　to　guide　the　world　towards　some　longed　for　ideal　becomes　often　a　deadly　explosive　when　it　falls　among　the　poisonous　vapors　of　inflammable　human　passions。　　Liberty；　equality；　fraternity　assumed　a　new　and　fatal　significance　in　the　minds　of　the　hungry　and　restless　masses　who；　embittered　by　centuries　of　wrong；　were　ready　to　carry　these　phrases　to　their　immediate　and　living　conclusions。　　They　had　found　their　watchwords　and　their　hour。　　The　train　was　already　laid　beneath　this　complex　social　structure；　and　the　tragedy　that　followed　carried　to　a　common　ruin　court　and　salon；　philosophers　and　beaux　esprits；　innocent　women　and　dreaming　men。

That　the　salons　were　unconscious　instruments　in　hastening　the　catastrophe；　which　was　sooner　or　later　inevitable；　is　undoubtedly　true。　　Their　influence　in　the　dissemination　of　thought　was　immense。　　The　part　they　played　was；　to　a　limited　extent；　precisely　that　of　the　modern　press；　with　an　added　personal　element。　　They　moved　in　the　drift　of　their　time；　directed　its　intelligence；　and　reflected　its　average　morality。　　As　centers　of　serious　conversation　they　were　distinctly　stimulating。　　It　is　quite　possible　that