the women of the french salons-第59章

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nt　fame。


CHAPTER　XVIII。　MADAME　DE　STAEL　Supremacy　of　Her　GeniusHer　Early　TrainingHer　Sensibility　　　a　Mariage　de　ConvenanceHer　SalonAnecdote　of　Benjamin　ConstantHer　ExileLife　at　CoppetSecret　MarriageClose　of　a　Stormy　Life。

The　fame　of　all　other　French　women　is　more　or　less　overshadowed　by　that　of　one　who　was　not　only　supreme　in　her　own　world；　but　who　stands　on　a　pinnacle　so　high　that　time　and　distance　only　serve　to　throw　into　stronger　relief　the　grand　outlines　of　her　many…sided　genius。　　Without　the　simplicity　and　naturalness　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　the　poise　and　judgment　of　Mme。　de　Lafayette；　or　the　calm　foresight　and　diplomacy　of　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　Mme。　de　Stael　had　a　brilliancy　of　imagination；　a　force　of　passion；　a　grasp　of　intellect；　and　a　diversity　of　gifts　that　belonged　to　none　of　these　women。　　It　is　not　possible　within　the　limits　of　a　brief　chapter　to　touch　even　lightly　upon　the　various　phases　of　a　character　so　complex　and　talents　so　versatile。　　One　can　only　gather　a　few　scattered　traits　and　indicate　a　few　salient　points　in　a　life　of　which　the　details　are　already　familiar。　　As　woman；　novelist；　philosopher；　litterateur；　and　conversationist；　she　has　marked；　if　not　equal；　claims　upon　our　attention。　　To　speak　of　her　as　simply　the　leader　of　a　salon　is　to　merge　the　greater　talent　into　the　less；　but　her　brilliant　social　qualities　in　a　measure　brought　out　and　illuminated　all　the　others。　　It　was　not　the　gift　of　reconciling　diverse　elements；　and　of　calling　out　the　best　thoughts　of　those　who　came　within　her　radius；　that　distinguished　her。　　Her　personality　was　too　dominant　not　to　disturb　sometimes　the　measure　and　harmony　which　fashion　had　established。　　She　did　not　listen　well；　but　her　gift　was　that　of　the　orator；　and；　taking　whatever　subject　was　uppermost　into　her　own　hands；　she　talked　with　an　irresistible　eloquence　that　held　her　auditors　silent　and　enchained。　　Living　as　she　did　in　the　world　of　wit　and　talent　which　had　so　fascinated　her　mother；　she　ruled　it　as　an　autocrat。

The　mental　coloring　of　Mme。　de　Stael　was　not　taken　in　the　shade；　as　that　of　Mme。　Roland　had　been。　　She　was　reared　in　the　atmosphere　of　the　great　world。　　That　which　her　eager　mind　gathered　in　solitude　was　subject　always　to　the　modification　which　contact　with　vigorous　living　minds　is　sure　to　give。　　The　little　Germaine　Necker　who　sat　on　a　low　stool　at　her　mother's　side；　charming　the　cleverest　men　of　her　time　by　her　precocious　wit；　who　wrote　extracts　from　the　dramas　she　heard；　and　opinions　upon　the　authors　she　read；　who　made　pen…portraits　of　her　friends；　and　cut　out　paper　kings　and　queens　to　play　in　the　tragedies　she　composed；　whose　heart　was　always　overflowing　with　love　for　those　around　her；　and　who　had　supreme　need　for　an　outlet　to　her　sensibilities；　was　a　fresh　type　in　that　age　of　keen　analysis；　cold　skepticism；　and　rigid　forms。　　The　serious　utterances　of　her　childhood　were　always　suffused　with　feeling。　　She　loved　that　which　made　her　weep。　　Her　sympathies　were　full　and　overflowing；　and　when　her　vigorous　and　masculine　intellect　took　the　ascendency　it　directed　them；　but　only　partly　held　them　in　check。　　It　never　dulled　nor　subdued　them。　　The　source　of　her　power；　as　also　of　her　weakness；　lay　perhaps　in　her　vast　capacity　for　love。　　It　gave　color　and　force　to　her　rich　and　versatile　character。　　It　animated　all　she　did　and　gave　point　to　all　she　wrote。　　It　found　expression　in　the　eloquence　of　her　conversation；　in　the　exaltation　and　passionate　intensity　of　her　affections；　in　the　fervor　of　her　patriotism；　in　the　self…forgetful　generosity　that　brought　her　very　near　the　verge　of　the　scaffold。　　Here　was　the　source　of　that　indefinable　quality　we　call　geniusnot　genius　of　the　sort　which　Buffon　has　defined　as　patience；　but　the　divine　flame　that　crowns　with　life　the　dead　materials　which　patience　has　gathered。

It　was　impossible　that　a　child　so　eager；　so　sympathetic；　so　full　of　intellect　and　esprit；　should　not　have　developed　rapidly　in　the　atmosphere　of　her　mother's　salon。　　Whether　it　was　the　best　school　for　a　young　girl　may　be　a　question；　but　a　character　like　that　of　Mme。　de　Stael　is　apt　to　go　its　own　way　in　whatever　circumstances　it　finds　itself。　　She　was　the　despair　of　Mme。　Necker；　whose　educational　theories　were　altogether　upset　by　this　precocious　daughter　who　refused　to　be　cast　in　a　mold。　　But　she　was　habituated　to　a　high　altitude　of　thought。　　Men　like　Marmontel；　La　Harpe；　Grimm；　Thomas；　and　the　Abbe　Raynal　delighted　in　calling　out　her　ready　wit；　her　brilliant　repartee；　and　her　precocious　ideas。　　Surrounded　thus　from　childhood　with　all　the　appointments　as　well　as　the　talent　and　esprit　that　made　the　life　of　the　salons　so　fascinating；　inheriting　the　philosophic　insight　of　her　father；　the　literary　gifts　of　her　mother；　to　which　she　added　a　genius　all　her　own；　heir　also　to　the　spirit　of　conversation；　the　facility；　the　enthusiasm；　the　love　of　pleasing　which　are　the　Gallic　birthright；　she　took　her　place　in　the　social　world　as　a　queen　by　virtue　of　her　position；　her　gifts；　and　her　heritage。　　Already；　before　her　marriage；　she　had　changed　the　tone　of　her　mother's　salon。　　She　brought　into　it　an　element　of　freshness　and　originality　which　the　dignified　and　rather　precise　character　of　Mme。　Necker　had　failed　to　impart。　　She　gave　it　also　a　strong　political　coloring。　　This　influence　was　more　marked　after　she　became　the　wife　of　the　Swedish　ambassador；　as　she　continued　for　some　time　to　pass　her　evenings　in　her　mother's　drawing　room；　where　she　became　more　and　more　a　central　figure。　　Her　temperament　and　her　tastes　were　of　the　world　in　which　she　lived；　but　her　reason　and　her　expansive　sympathies　led　her　to　ally　herself　with　the　popular　cause；　hence　she　was；　to　some　extent；　a　link　between　two　conflicting　interests。

It　was　in　1786　that　Mme。　de　Stael　entered　the　world　as　a　married　woman。　　This　marriage　was　arranged　for　her　after　the　fashion　of　the　time；　and　she　accepted　it　as　she　would　have　accepted　anything　tolerable　that　pleased　her　idolized　father　and　revered　mother。　　When　only　ten　years　of　age；　she　observed　that　they　took　great　pleasure　in　the　society　of　Gibbon；　and　she　gravely　proposed　to　marry　him；　that　they　might　always　have　this　happiness。　　The　full　significance　of　this　singular　proposition　is　not　apparent　until　one　remembers　that　the　learned　historian　was　not　only　rather　old；　but　so　short　and　fat　as　to　call　out　from　one　of　his　friends　the　remark　that　when　he　needed　a　little　exercise　he　had　only　to　take　a　turn　of　three　times　around　M。　Gibbon。　　The　Baron　de　Stael　had　an　exalted　position；　fine　manners；　a　good　figure；　and　a　handsome　face；　but　he　lacked　the　one　thing　that　Mme。　de　Stael　most　considered；　a　commanding　talent。　　She　did　not　see　him　through　the　prism　of　a　strong　affection　which　transfigures　all　things；　even　the　most　commonplace。　　What　this　must　have　meant　to　a　woman　of　her　genius　and　temperament　whose　ideal　of　happiness　was　a　sympathetic　marriage；　it　is　not　difficult　to　divine。　　It　may　account；　in　some　degree；　for　her　restlessness；　her　perpetual　need　of　movement；　of　excitement；　of　society。　　But；　whatever　her　domestic　troubles　may　have　been；　they　were　of　limited　duration。　　She　was　quietly　separated　from　her　husband　in　1798。　　Four　years　later　she　decided　to　return　to　Coppet　with　him；　as　he　was　unhappy　and　longed　to　see　his　children。　　He　died　en　route。

The　period　of　this　marriage　was　one　of　the　most　memorable　of　France；　the　period　when　noble　and　generous　spirits　rallied　in　a　spontaneous　movement　for　national　regeneration。　　Mme。　De　Stael　was　in　the　flush　of　hope　and　enthusiasm；　fresh　from　the　study　of　Rousseau　and　her　own　dreams　of　human　perfectibility；　radiant；　too；　with　the　reflection　of　her　youthful　fame。　　Among　those　who　surrounded　her　were　the　Montmorencys；　Lafayette；　and　Count　Louis　de　Narbonne；　whose　brilliant　intellect　and　charming　manners　touched　her　perhaps　too　deeply　for　her　peace　of　mind。　　There　were　also　Barnave；　Chenier；　Talleyrand；　Mirabeau；　Vergniaud；　and　many　others　of　the　active　leaders　of　the　Revolution。　　A　few　woman　mingled　in　her　more　intimate　circle；　which　was　still　of　the　old　society。　　Of　these　were　the　ill…fated　Duchesse　de　Gramont；　Mme。　de　Lauzun；　the　Princesse　de　Poix；　and　the　witty；　lovable　Marechale　de　Beauvau。　　As　a　rule；　though　devoted　to　her　friends　and　kind