the women of the french salons-第63章

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e　she　returned　to　Paris；　and　her　salon　at　the　Arsenal　was　a　center　for　a　few　celebrities。　　Many　of　these　names　have　small　significance　today。　　A　few　men　like　Talleyrand；　LaHarpe；　Fontanes；　and　Cardinal　Maury　were　among　her　friends；；　and　she　was　neutral　enough；　or　diplomatic　enough；　not　to　give　offense　to　the　new　government。　　But　she　was　a　woman　of　many　affectations；　and　in　spite　of　her　numerous　accomplishments；　her　cleverness；　and　her　literary　fame；　the　circle　she　gathered　about　her　was　never　noted　for　its　brilliancy　or　its　influence。　　As　a　historic　figure；　she　is　more　remarkable　for　the　variety　of　her　voluminous　work；　her　educational　theories；　and　her　observations　upon　the　world　in　which　she　lived；　than　for　talents　of　a　purely　social　order。

One　is　little　inclined　to　dwell　upon　the　ruling　society　of　this　period。　　It　had　neither　the　dignity　of　past　traditions　nor　freedom　of　intellectual　expression。　　Its　finer　shades　were　drowned　in　loud　and　glaring　colors。　　The　luxury　that　could　be　commanded　counted　for　more　than　the　wit　and　intelligence　that　could　not。

As　the　social　elements　readjusted　themselves　on　a　more　natural　basis；　there　were　a　few　salons　out　of　the　main　drift　of　the　time　in　which　the　literary　spirit　flourished　once　more；　blended　with　the　refined　tastes；　the　elegant　manners；　and　the　amiable　courtesy　that　had　distinguished　the　old　regime。　　But　the　interval　in　which　history　was　made　so　rapidly；　and　the　startling　events　of　a　century　were　condensed　into　a　decade；　had　wrought　many　vital　changes。　　It　was　no　longer　the　spirit　of　the　eighteenth　century　that　reappeared　under　its　revived　and　attractive　forms。　　We　note　a　tone　of　seriousness　that　had　no　permanent　place　in　that　world　of　esprit　and　skepticism；　of　fine　manners　and　lax　morals；　which　divided　its　allegiance　between　fashion　and　philosophy。　　The　survivors　of　so　many　heart…breaking　tragedies；　with　their　weary　weight　of　dead　hopes　and　sad　memories；　found　no　healing　balm　in　the　cold　speculation　and　scathing　wit　of　Diderot　or　Voltaire。　　Even　the　devotees　of　philosophy　gave　it　but　a　half…hearted　reverence。　　It　was　at　this　moment　that　Chateaubriand；　saturated　with　the　sorrows　of　his　age；　and　penetrated　with　the　hopelessness　of　its　philosophy；　offered　anew　the　truths　that　had　sustained　the　suffering　and　broken…hearted　for　eighteen　centuries；　in　a　form　so　sympathetic；　so　fascinating；　that　it　thrilled　the　sensitive　spirits　of　his　time；　and　passed　like　an　inspiration　into　the　literature　of　the　next　fifty　years。　　The　melancholy　of　〃Rene〃　found　its　divine　consolation　in　the　〃Genius　of　Christianity。〃　　It　was　this　spirit　that　lent　a　new　and　softer　coloring　to　the　intimate　social　life　that　blended　in　some　degree　the　tastes　and　manners　of　the　old　noblesse　with　a　refined　and　tempered　form　of　modern　thought。　　It　recalls；　in　many　points；　the　best　spirit　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　There　is　a　flavor　of　the　same　seriousness；　the　same　sentiment。　　It　is　the　sentiment　that　sent　so　many　beautiful　women　to　the　solitude　of　the　cloister；　when　youth　had　faded　and　the　air　of　approaching　age　began　to　grow　chilly。　　But　it　is　not　to　the　cloister　that　these　women　turn。　　They　weave　romantic　tales　out　of　the　texture　of　their　own　lives；　they　repeat　their　experiences；　their　illusions；　their　triumphs；　and　their　disenchantments。　　As　the　day　grows　more　somber　and　the　evening　shadows　begin　to　fall；　they　meditate；　they　moralize；　they　substitute　prayers　for　dreams。　　But　they　think　also。　　The　drama　of　the　late　years　had　left　no　thoughtful　soul　without　earnest　convictions。　　There　were　numerous　shades　of　opinion；　many　finely　drawn　issues。　　In　a　few　salons　these　elements　were　delicately　blended；　and　if　they　did　not　repeat　the　brilliant　triumphs　of　the　past；　if　they　focused　with　less　power　the　intellectual　light　which　was　dispersed　in　many　new　channels；　they　have　left　behind　them　many　fragrant　memories。　　One　is　tempted　to　linger　in　these　temples　of　a　goddess　half…dethroned。　　One　would　like　to　study　these　women　who　added　to　the　social　gifts　of　their　race　a　character　that　had　risen　superior　to　many　storms；　hearts　that　were　mellowed　and　purified　by　premature　sorrow；　and　intellects　that　had　taken　a　deeper　and　more　serious　tone　from　long　brooding　over　the　great　problems　of　their　time。　　But　only　a　glance　is　permitted　us　here。　　Most　of　them　have　been　drawn　in　living　colors　by　Saint…Beuve；　from　whom　I　gather　here　and　there　a　salient　trait。

Who　that　is　familiar　with　the　fine　and　exquisite　thought　of　Joubert　can　fail　to　be　interested　in　the　delicate　and　fragile　woman　whom　he　met　in　her　supreme　hour　of　suffering；　to　find　in　her　a　rare　and　permanent　friend；　a　literary　confidante；　and　an　inspiration？　　Mme。　de　Beaumontthe　daughter　of　Montmorin；　who　had　been　a　colleague　of　Necker　in　the　ministryhad　been　forsaken　by　a　worthless　husband；　had　seen　father；　mother；　brother；　perish　by　the　guillotine；　and　her　sister　escape　it　only　by　losing　her　reason；　and　then　her　life；　before　the　fatal　day。　　She；　too；　had　been　arrested　with　the　others；　but　was　so　ill　and　weak　that　she　was　left　to　die　by　the　roadside　en　route　to　Paris　　a　fate　from　which　she　was　saved　by　the　kindness　of　a　peasant。　　It　was　at　this　moment　that　Joubert　befriended　her。　　These　numerous　and　crushing　sorrows　had　shattered　her　health；　which　was　never　strong；　but　during　the　few　brief　years　that　remained　to　her　she　was　the　center　of　a　coterie　more　distinguished　for　quality　than　numbers。　　Joubert　and　Chateaubriand　were　its　leading　spirits；　but　it　included　also　Fontanes；　Pasquier；　Mme。　de　Vintimille；　Mme。　de　Pastoret；　and　other　friends　who　had　survived　the　days　in　which　she　presided　with　such　youthful　dignity　over　her　father's　salon。　　The　fascination　of　her　fine　and　elevated　intellect；　her　gentle　sympathy；　her　keen　appreciation　of　talent；　and　her　graces　of　manner　lent　a　singular　charm　to　her　presence。　　Her　character　was　aptly　expressed　by　this　device　which　Rulhiere　had　suggested　for　her　seal：　〃Un　souffle　m'agite　et　rien　ne　m'ebrante。〃　　Chateaubriand　was　enchanted　with　a　nature　so　pure；　so　poetic；　and　so　ardent。　　He　visited　her　daily；　read　to　her　〃Atala〃　and　〃Rene；〃　and　finished　the　〃Genius　of　Christianity〃　under　her　influence。　　He　was　young　then；　and　that　she　loved　him　is　hardly　doubtful；　though　the　friendship　of　Joubert　was　far　truer　and　more　loyal　than　the　passing　devotion　of　this　capricious　man　of　genius；　who　seems　to　have　cared　only　for　his　own　reflection　in　another　soul。　　But　this　sheltered　nook　of　thoughtful　repose；　this　conversational　oasis　in　a　chaotic　period　had　a　short　duration。　　Mme。　de　Beaumont　died　at　Rome；　where　she　had　gone　in　the　faint　hope　of　reviving　her　drooping　health；　in　1803。　　Chateaubriand　was　there；　watched　over　her　last　hours　with　Bertin；　and　wrote　eloquently　of　her　death。　　Joubert　mourned　deeply　and　silently　over　the　light　that　had　gone　out　of　his　life。

We　have　pleasant　reminiscences　of　the　amiable；　thoughtful；　and　spirituelle　Mme。　de　Remusat；　who　has　left　us　such　vivid　records　of　the　social　and　intimate　life　of　the　imperial　court。　　A　studious　and　secluded　childhood；　prematurely　saddened　by　the　untimely　fate　of　her　father　in　the　terrible　days　of　1794；　an　early　and　congenial　marriage；　together　with　her　own　wise　penetration　and　clear　intellect；　enabled　her　to　traverse　this　period　without　losing　her　delicate　tone　or　serious　tastes。　　She　had　her　quiet　retreat　into　which　the　noise　and　glare　did　not　intrude；　where　a　few　men　of　letters　and　thoughtful　men　of　the　world　revived　the　old　conversational　spirit。　　She　amused　her　idle　hours　by　writing　graceful　tales；　and；　after　the　close　of　her　court　life　and　the　weakening　of　her　health；　she　turned　her　thoughts　towards　the　education　and　improvement　of　her　sex。　　Blended　with　her　wide　knowledge　of　the　world；　there　is　always　a　note　of　earnestness；　a　tender　coloring　of　sentiment；　which　culminates　towards　the　end　in　a　lofty　Christian　resignation。

We　meet　again　at　this　time　a　woman　known　to　an　earlier　generation　as　Mme。　de　Flahaut；　and　made　familiar　to　us　through　the　pens　of　Talleyrand　and　Gouverneur　Morris。　　She　saw　her　husband　fall　by　the　guillotine；　and；　after　wandering　over　Europe　for　years　as　an　exile；　became　the　wife　of　M。　de　Souza；　and；　returning　to　Paris；　took　her　place　in　a　quiet　corner　of　the　unaccustomed　world；　writ