the women of the french salons-第62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！


t　her　rapid　judgments；　which　have　the　force　of　inspiration；　are　in　advance　of　her　time；　though　in　the　main　correct　from　her　own　point　of　view；　while　her　flaws　in　workmanship　are　more　than　counterbalanced　by　that　inward　illumination　which　is　Heaven's　richest　and　rarest　gift。　　But　who　cares　to　dwell　upon　the　shadows　that　scarcely　dim　the　brilliancy　of　a　genius　so　rare　and　so　commanding？　　They　are　but　spots　on　the　sun　that　are　only　discovered　by　looking　through　a　glass　that　veils　its　radiance。　　It　is　just　to　weigh　her　by　the　standards　of　her　own　age。　　Born　at　its　highest　level；　she　soared　far　above　her　generation。　　She　carried　within　herself　the　vision　of　a　statesman；　the　penetration　of　a　critic；　the　insight　of　a　philosopher；　the　soul　of　a　poet；　and　the　heart　of　a　woman。　　If　she　was　not　without　faults；　she　had　rare　virtues。　　No　woman　has　ever　exercised　a　wider　or　more　varied　influence。　　With　one　or　two　exceptions；　none　stands　on　so　high　a　pinnacle。　　George　Sand　was　a　more　finished　artist；　George　Eliot　was　a　greater　novelist；　a　more　accurate　scholar；　and　a　more　logical　thinker；　but　in　versatility；　in　intellectual　spontaneity；　in　brilliancy　of　conversation　and　natural　eloquence　of　thought　she　is　without　a　rival。　　Her　moral　standards；　too；　were　above　the　average　of　her　time。　　Her　ideals　were　high　and　pure。　　The　wealth　of　her　emotions　and　the　rich　coloring　of　sentiment　in　which　her　thoughts　and　feelings　were　often　clothed　left　her　open　to　possible　misconceptions。　　It　was　her　fate　to　be　grossly　misunderstood；　to　miss　the　domestic　happiness　she　craved；　to　be　the　victim　of　a　sleepless　persecution；　to　pass　her　best　years　in　a　dreary　exile　from　the　life　she　most　loved；　to　be　maligned　by　her　enemies　and　betrayed　by　her　friends。　　Her　very　virtues　were　construed　into　faults　and　turned　against　her。　　Though　we　may　not　lift　the　veil　from　her　intimate　life；　we　may　fairly　judge　her　by　her　own　ideals　and　her　dominant　traits。　　The　world；　which　is　rarely　indulgent；　has　been　in　the　main　just　to　her　motives　and　her　character。　　〃I　have　been　ever　the　same；　intense　and　sad；〃　were　among　her　last　words。　　〃I　have　loved　God；　my　father；　and　liberty。〃　　But　she　was　a　victim　to　the　contradictory　elements　in　her　own　nature；　and　walked　always　among　storms。　　This　nature；　so　complex；　so　rich；　so　ardent；　so　passionate；　could　it　ever　have　found　permanent　repose？


CHAPTER　XIX。　THE　SALONS　OF　THE　EMPIRE　AND　RESTORATIONMADAME　RECAMIER　A　Transition　PeriodMme。　de　MontessonMme。　de　Genlis　Revival　of　the　Literary　SpiritMme。　de　BeaumontMme。　de　RemusatMme。　de　SouzaMme。　de　DurasMme。　de　Krudener　　Fascination　of　Mme。　RecamierHer　FriendsHer　Convent　Salon　　　ChateaubriandDecline　of　the　Salon

In　the　best　sense；　society　is　born；　not　made。　　A　crowd　of　well…　dressed　people　is　not　necessarily　a　society。　　They　may　meet　and　disperse　with　no　other　bond　of　union　than　a　fine　house　and　lavish　hospitality　can　give。　　It　may　be　an　assembly　without　unity；　flavor；　or　influence。　　In　the　social　chaos　that　followed　the　Revolution；　this　truth　found　a　practical　illustration。　　The　old　circles　were　scattered。　　The　old　distinctions　were　virtually　destroyed；　so　far　as　edicts　can　destroy　that　which　lies　in　the　essence　of　things。　　A　few　who　held　honored　names　were　left；　or　had　returned　from　a　long　exile；　to　find　themselves　bereft　of　rank；　fortune；　and　friends；　but　these　had　small　disposition　to　form　new　associations；　and　few　points　of　contact　with　the　parvenus　who　had　mounted　upon　the　ruins　of　their　order。　　The　new　society　was　composed　largely　of　these　parvenus；　who　were　ambitious　for　a　position　and　a　life　of　which　they　had　neither　the　spirit；　the　taste；　the　habits；　nor　the　mellowing　traditions。　　Naturally　they　mistook　the　gilded　frame　for　the　picture。　　Unfamiliar　with　the　gentle　manners；　the　delicate　sense　of　honor；　and　the　chivalrous　instincts　which　underlie　the　best　social　life；　though　not　always　illustrated　by　its　individual　members；　they　were　absorbed　in　matters　of　etiquette　of　which　they　were　uncertain；　and　exacting　of　non…essentials。　　They　regarded　society　upon　its　commercial　side；　contended　over　questions　of　precedence；　and；　as　one　of　the　most　observing　of　their　contemporaries　has　expressed　it；　〃bargained　for　a　courtesy　and　counted　visits。〃　　〃I　have　seen　quarrels　in　the　imperial　court；〃　she　adds；　〃over　a　visit　more　or　less　long；　more　or　less　deferred。〃　　Perhaps　it　is　to　be　considered　that　in　a　new　order　which　has　many　aggressive　elements；　this　balancing　of　courtesies　is　not　without　a　certain　raison　d'etre　as　a　protection　against　serious　inroads　upon　time　and　hospitality；　but　the　fault　lies　behind　all　this；　in　the　lack　of　that　subtle　social　sense　which　makes　the　discussion　of　these　things　superfluous；　not　to　say　impossible。

It　was　the　wish　of　Napoleon　to　reconstruct　a　society　that　should　rival　in　brilliancy　the　old　courts。　　With　this　view　he　called　to　his　aid　a　few　women　whose　names；　position；　education；　and　reputation　for　esprit　and　fine　manners　he　thought　a　sufficient　guarantee　of　success。　　But　he　soon　learned　that　it　could　not　be　commanded　at　will。　　The　reply　of　the　Duchesse　d'Brantes；　who　has　left　us　so　many　pleasant　reminiscences　of　this　period；　in　which　she　was　an　actor　as　well　as　an　observer；　was　very　apt。

〃You　can　do　all　that　I　wish；〃　he　said　to　her；　〃you　are　all　young；　and　almost　all　pretty；　ah；　well！　　A　young　and　pretty　woman　can　do　anything　she　likes。〃

〃Sire；　what　your　Majesty　says　may　be　true；〃　she　replied；　〃but　only　to　a　certain　point。　　If　the　Emperor；　instead　of　his　guard　and　his　good　soldiers；　had　only　conscripts　who　would　recoil　under　fire；　he　could　not　win　great　battles　like　that　of　Austerlitz。　　Nevertheless；　he　is　the　first　general　in　the　world。〃

But　this　social　life　was　to　serve　a　personal　end。　　It　was　to　furnish　an　added　instrument　of　power　to　the　autocrat　who　ruled；　to　reflect　always　and　everywhere　the　glory　of　Napoleon。　　The　period　which　saw　its　cleverest　woman　in　hopeless　exile；　and　its　most　beautiful　one　under　a　similar　ban　for　the　crime　of　being　her　friend；　was　not　one　which　favored　intellectual　supremacy。　　The　empire　did　not　encourage　literature；　it　silenced　philosophy；　and　oppressed　the　talent　that　did　not　glorify　itself。　　Its　blighting　touch　rested　upon　the　whole　social　fabric。　　The　finer　elements　which；　to　some　extent；　entered　into　it　were　lost　in　the　glitter　of　display　and　pretension。　　The　true　spirit　of　conversation　was　limited　to　private　coteries　that　kept　themselves　in　the　shade；　and　were　too　small　to　be　noted。

The　salon　which　represented　the　best　side　of　the　new　regime　was　that　of　Mme。　de　Montesson；　wife　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　a　woman　of　brilliant　talents；　finished　manners；　great　knowledge　of　the　world；　fine　gifts　of　conversation；　and；　what　was　equally　essential；　great　discrimination　and　perfect　tact。　　If　her　niece；　Mme。　de　Genlis；　is　to　be　trusted；　she　had　more　ambition　that　originality；　her　reputation　was　superior　to　her　abilities；　and　her　beauty　covered　many　imperfections。　　But　she　had　experience；　finesse；　and　prestige。　　Napoleon　was　quick　to　see　the　value　of　such　a　woman　in　reorganizing　a　court；　and　treated　her　with　the　greatest　consideration；　even　asking　her　to　instruct　Josephine　in　the　old　customs　and　usages。　　Her　salon；　however；　united　many　elements　which　it　was　impossible　to　fuse。　　There　were　people　of　all　parties　and　all　conditions；　a　few　of　the　nobles　and　returned　emigres；　the　numerous　members　of　the　Bonaparte　family；　the　new　military　circle；　together　with　many　people　of　influence　〃not　to　the　manner　born。〃　　Mme。　de　Montesson　revived　the　old　amusements；　wrote　plays　for　the　entertainment　of　her　guests　gave　grand　dinners　and　brilliant　fetes。　　But　the　accustomed　links　were　wanting。　　Her　salon　simply　illustrates　a　social　life　in　a　state　of　transition。

Mme。　de　Genlis　had　lived　much　in　the　world　before　the　Revolution；　and　her　position　in　the　family　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　together　with　her　great　versatility　of　talent；　had　given　her　a　certain　vogue。　　Author；　musician；　teacher；　moralist；　critic；　poser；　egotist；　femme　d'esprit；　and　friend　of　princes；　her　romantic　life　would　fill　a　volume　and　cannot　be　even　touched　upon　in　a　few　lines。　　After　ten　years　of　exile　she　returned　to　Paris；　and　her　salon　at　the　Arsenal　was　a　center　for　a　few　celebrities。　　Many　of　t