the women of the french salons-第6章

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d　and　impetuous　character；　her　frank　and　original　manners；　together　with　her　luxuriance　of　blonde　hair；　gained　her　the　sobriquet　of　La　Belle　Lionne。　　Nor　must　we　forget　Mlle。　de　Scudery；　one　of　the　most　constant　literary　lights　of　this　salon；　and　in　some　sense　its　chronicler；　nor　the　fastidious　Mme。　de　Sable。

The　brightest　ornament　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　however；　was　Julie　d'Angennes；　the　petted　daughter　of　the　house；　the　devoted　companion　and　clever　assistant　of　her　mother。　　Her　gaiety　of　heart；　amiable　temper；　ready　wit；　and　gracious　manners　surrounded　her　with　an　atmosphere　of　perpetual　sunshine。　　Fertile　in　resources；　of　fine　intelligence；　winning　the　love　alike　of　men　and　women；　she　was　the　soul　of　the　serious　conversations；　as　well　as　of　the　amusements　which　relieved　them。　　These　amusements　were　varied　and　often　original。　　They　played　little　comedies。　　They　had　mythological　fetes；　draping　themselves　as　antique　gods　and　goddesses。　　Sometimes　they　indulged　in　practical　jokes　and　surprises；　which　were　more　laughable　than　dignified。　　Malherbe　and　Racan；　the　latter　sighing　hopelessly　over　the　attractions　of　the　dignified　Marquise；　gave　her　the　romantic　name　of　Arthenice；　and　forthwith　the　other　members　of　the　coterie　took　some　nom　de　parnasse；　by　which　they　were　familiarly　known。　　They　read　the　〃Astree〃　of　d'Urfe；　that　platonic　dream　of　a　disillusioned　lover；　discussed　the　romances　of　Calprenede　and　the　sentimental　Bergeries　of　Racan。　　Such　Arcadian　pictures　seemed　to　have　a　singular　fascination　for　these　courtly　dames　and　plumed　cavaliers。　　They　tried　to　reproduce　them。　　Assuming　the　characters　of　the　rather　insipid　Strephons　and　florimels；　they　made　love　in　pastoral　fashion；　with　pipe　and　lutethese　rustic　diversions　serving　especially　to　while　away　the　long　summer　days　in　the　country　at　Rambouillet；　at　Chantilly；　or　at　Ruel。　　They　improvised　sonnets　and　madrigals；　they　praised　each　other　in　verse；　they　wrote　long　letters　on　the　slightest　pretext。　　As　a　specimen　of　the　badinage　so　much　in　vogue；　I　quote　from　a　letter　written　by　Voiture　to　one　of　the　daughters　of　Mme。　de　Rambouillet；　who　was　an　abbess；　and　had　sent　him　a　present　of　a　cat。

〃Madame；　I　was　already　so　devoted　to　you　that　I　supposed　you　knew　there　was　no　need　of　winning　me　by　presents；　or　trying　to　take　me　like　a　rat；　with　a　cat。　　Nevertheless；　if　there　was　anything　in　my　thought　that　was　not　wholly　yours；　the　cat　which　you　have　sent　me　has　captured　it。〃　　After　a　eulogy　upon　the　cat；　he　adds：　〃I　can　only　say　that　it　is　very　difficult　to　keep；　and　for　a　cat　religiously　brought　up　it　is　very　little　inclined　to　seclusion。　　It　never　sees　a　window　without　wishing　to　jump　out；　it　would　have　leaped　over　the　wall　twenty　times　if　it　had　not　been　prevented；　and　no　secular　cat　could　be　more　lawless　or　more　self…willed。〃

The　wit　here　is　certainly　rather　attenuated；　but　the　subject　is　an　ungrateful　one。　　Mme。　de　Sevigne　finds　Voiture　〃libre；　badin；　charmant；〃　and　disposes　of　his　critics　by　saying；　〃So　much　the　worse　for　those　who　do　not　understand　him。〃　　One　is　often　puzzled　to　detect　this　rare　spirituelle　quality；　but　it　is　fair　to　presume　that　it　was　of　the　volatile　sort　that　evaporates　with　time。　

All　this　sentimental　masquerading　and　exaggerated　gallantry　suggests　the　vulnerable　side　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　the　side　which　its　enemies　have　been　disposed　to　make　very　prominent。　　Among　those　who　tried　to　imitate　this　salon；　Spanish　chivalry　doubtless　degenerated　into　a　thousand　absurdities；　and　it　must　be　admitted　that　the　salon　itself　was　not　free　from　reproach　on　this　point。　　It　became　the　fashion　to　write　and　talk　in　the　language　of　hyperbole。　　Sighing　lovers　were　consumed　with　artificial　fires；　and　ready　to　die　with　affected　languors。　　Like　the　old　poets　of　Provence；　whose　spirit　they　caught　and　whose　phrases　they　repeated；　they　were　dying　of　love　they　did　not　feel。　　The　eyes　of　Phyllis　extinguished　the　sun。　　The　very　nightingales　expired　of　jealousy；　after　hearing　the　voice　of　Angelique。

It　would　be　difficult；　perhaps；　to　find　anywhere　a　company　of　clever　people　bent　upon　amusing　themselves　and　passing　every　day　more　or　less　together；　whose　sayings　and　doings　would　bear　to　be　exactly　chronicled。　　The　literary　diversions　and　poetic　ideals　of　this　circle；　too；　gave　a　certain　color　to　the　charge　of　affectation；　among　people　of　less　refined　instincts；　who　found　its　esprit　incomprehensible；　its　manners　prudish；　and　its　virtue　a　tacit　reproach；　but　the　dignified　and　serious　character　of　many　of　its　constant　habitues　should　be　a　sufficient　guarantee　that　it　did　not　greatly　pass　the　limits　of　good　taste　and　good　sense。　　The　only　point　upon　which　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　seems　to　have　been　open　to　criticism　was　a　certain　formal　reserve　and　an　over…　fastidious　delicacy；　but　in　an　age　when　the　standards　of　both　refinement　and　morals　were　so　low；　this　implies　a　virtue　rather　than　a　defect。　　Nor　does　her　character　appear　to　have　been　at　all　tinged　with　pretension。　　〃I　should　fear　from　your　example　to　write　in　a　style　too　elevated；〃　says　Voiture；　in　a　letter　to　her。　　But　traditions　are　strong；　and　people　do　not　readily　adapt　themselves　to　new　models。　　Character　and　manners　are　a　growth。　　That　which　is　put　on；　and　not　ingrained；　is　apt　to　lack　true　balance　and　proportion。　　Hence　it　is　not　strange　that　this　new　order　of　things　resulted　in　many　crudities　and　exaggerations。

It　is　not　worth　while　to　criticize　too　severely　the　plumed　knights　who　took　the　heroes　of　Corneille　as　models；　played　the　harmless　lover；　and　paid　the　tribute　of　chivalric　deference　to　women。　　The　strained　politeness　may　have　been　artificial；　and　the　forms　of　chivalry　very　likely　outran　the　feeling；　but　they　served　at　least　to　keep　it　alive；　while　the　false　platonism　and　ultra…　refined　sentiment　were　simply　moral　protests　against　the　coarse　vices　of　the　time。　　The　prudery　which　reached　a　satirical　climax　in　〃Les　Precieuses　Ridicules〃　was　a　natural　reaction　from　the　sensuality　of　a　Marguerite　and　a　Gabrielle。　　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　saw　and　enjoyed　the　first　performance　of　this　celebrated　play；　nor　does　it　appear　that　she　was　at　all　disturbed　by　the　keen　satire　which　was　generally　supposed　to　have　been　directed　toward　her　salon。　　Moliere　himself　disclaims　all　intention　of　attacking　the　true　precieuse；　but　the　world　is　not　given　to　fine　discrimination；　and　the　true　suffers　from　the　blow　aimed　at　the　false。　　This　brilliant　comedian；　whose　manners　were　not　of　the　choicest；　was　more　at　home　in　the　lax　and　epicurean　world　of　Ninon　and　Mme。　de　la　Sablierea　world　which　naturally　did　not　find　the　decorum　of　the　precieuses　at　all　to　its　taste；　the　witticism　of　Ninon；　who　defined　them　as　the　〃Jansenists　of　love；〃　is　well　known。　　It　is　not　unlikely　that　Moliere　shared　her　dislike　of　the　powerful　and　fastidious　coterie　whose　very　virtues　might　easily　have　furnished　salient　points　for　his　scathing　wit。

But　whatever　affectations　may　have　grown　out　of　the　new　code　of　manners；　it　had　a　more　lasting　result　in　the　fine　and　stately　courtesy　which　pervaded　the　later　social　life　of　the　century。　　We　owe；　too；　a　profound　gratitude　to　these　women　who　exacted　and　were　able　to　command　a　consideration　which　with　many　shades　of　variation　has　been　left　as　a　permanent　heritage　to　their　sex。　　We　may　smile　at　some　of　their　follies；　have　we　not　our　own　which　some　nineteenth　century　Moliere　may　serve　up　for　the　delight　and　possible　misleading　of　future　generations？

There　is　a　warm　human　side　to　this　daily　intercourse；　with　its　sweet　and　gracious　courtesies。　　The　women　who　discuss　grave　questions　and　make　or　unmake　literary　reputations　in　the　salon；　are　capable　of　rare　sacrifices　and　friendships　that　seem　quixotic　in　their　devotion。　　Cousin；　who　has　studied　them　so　carefully　and　so　sympathetically；　has　saved　from　oblivion　many　private　letters　which　give　us　pleasant　glimpses　of　their　everyday　life。　　As　we　listen　to　their　quiet　exchange　of　confidences；　we　catch　the　smile　that　plays　over　the　light　badinage；　or　the　tear　that　lurks　in　the　tender　words。

A　little　son　of　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　has　the　small　pox；　and　his　sister　Julie　shares　the　care　of　him　with　her　mother；　when　every　one　else　has　fled。　　At　his　death；　she　devotes　herself　to