the women of the french salons-第7章

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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　her　friend　Mme。　de　Longueville；　who　soon　after　her　marriage　is　attacked　with　the　same　dreaded　malady。　　Mme。　de　Sable　is　afraid　of　contagion；　and　refuses　to　see　Mlle。　de　Rambouillet；　who　writes　her　a　characteristic　letter。　　As　it　gives　us　a　vivid　idea　of　her　esprit　as　well　as　of　her　literary　style；　I　copy　it　in　full；　though　it　has　been　made　already　familiar　to　the　English　reader　by　George　Eliot；　in　her　admirable　review　of　Cousin's　〃Life　of　Mme。　De　Sable。〃

Mlle　de　Chalais　（Dame　de　compagnie　to　the　Marquise）　will　please　read　this　letter　to　Mme。　la　Marquise；　out　of　the　wind。

Madame；　I　cannot　begin　my　treaty　with　you　too　early；　for　I　am　sure　that　between　the　first　proposition　made　for　me　to　see　you；　and　the　conclusion；　you　will　have　so　many　reflections　to　make；　so　many　physicians　to　consult；　and　so　many　fears　to　overcome；　that　I　shall　have　full　leisure　to　air　myself。　　The　conditions　which　I　offer　are；　not　to　visit　you　until　I　have　been　three　days　absent　from　the　Hotel　de　Conde；　to　change　all　my　clothing；　to　choose　a　day　when　it　has　frozen；　not　to　approach　you　within　four　paces；　not　to　sit　down　upon　more　than　one　seat。　　You　might　also　have　a　great　fire　in　your　room；　burn　juniper　in　the　four　corners；　surround　yourself　with　imperial　vinegar；　rue；　and　wormwood。　　If　you　can　feel　safe　under　these　conditions；　without　my　cutting　off　my　hair；　I　swear　to　you　to　execute　them　religiously；　and　if　you　need　examples　to　fortify　you；　I　will　tell　you　that　the　Queen　saw　M。　de　Chaudebonne　when　he　came　from　Mlle。　de　Bourbon's　room；　and　that　Mme。　d'Aiguillon；　who　has　good　taste　and　is　beyond　criticism　on　such　points；　has　just　sent　me　word　that　if　I　did　not　go　to　see　her；　she　should　come　after　me。

Mme。　de　Sable　retorts　in　a　satirical　vein；　that　her　friend　is　too　well　instructed　in　the　needed　precautions；　to　be　quite　free　from　the　charge　of　timidity；　adding　the　hope　that　since　she　understands　the　danger；　she　will　take　better　care　of　herself　in　the　future。

This　calls　forth　another　letter；　in　which　Mlle。　de　Rambouillet　says；　〃One　never　fears　to　see　those　whom　one　loves。　　I　would　have　given　much；　for　your　sake；　if　this　had　not　occurred。〃　　She　closes　this　spicy　correspondence；　however；　with　a　very　affectionate　letter　which　calms　the　ruffled　temper　of　her　sensitive　companion。

Mme。　de　Sable　has　another　friend；　Mlle。　d'Attichy；　who　figures　quite　prominently　in　the　social　life　of　a　later　period；　as　the　Comtesse　de　Maure。　　〃This　lady　was　just　leaving　Paris　to　visit　her　in　the　country；　when　she　learned　that　Mme。　de　Sable　had　written　to　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　that　she　could　conceive　of　no　greater　happiness　than　to　pass　her　life　alone　with　Julie　d'Angennes。　　This　touches　her　sensibilities　so　keenly　that　she　changes　her　plans；　and　refuses　to　visit　one　who　could　find　her　pleasure　away　from　her。　　Mme。　de　Sable　tries　in　vain　to　appease　her　exacting　friend；　who　replies　to　her　explanations　by　a　long　letter　in　which　she　recalls　their　tender　and　inviolable　friendship；　and　closes　with　these　words：

Malheurteuse　est　l'ignorance；　Et　plus　malheureux　le　savoir。

Having　thus　lost　a　confidence　which　alone　rendered　life　supportable　to　me；　I　cannot　dream　of　taking　the　journey　so　much　talked　of；　for　there　would　be　no　propriety　in　traveling　sixty　leagues　at　this　season；　in　order　to　burden　you　with　a　person　so　uninteresting　to　you；　that　after　years　of　a　passion　without　parallel　you　cannot　help　thinking　that　the　greatest　pleasure　would　consist　in　passing　life　without　her。　　I　return　then　into　my　solitude；　to　examine　the　faults　which　cause　me　so　much　unhappiness；　and　unless　I　can　correct　them；　I　should　have　less　joy　than　confusion　in　seeing　you。　　I　kiss　your　hands　very　humbly。

How　this　affair　was　adjusted　does　not　appear；　but　as　they　remained　devoted　friends　through　life；　unable　to　live　apart；　or　pass　a　day　happily　without　seeing　each　other；　it　evidently　did　not　end　in　a　serious　alienation。　　It　suggests；　however；　a　delicacy　and　an　exaltation　of　feeling　which　we　are　apt　to　accord　only　to　love；　and　which　go　far　toward　disproving　the　verdict　of　Mongaigne；　that　〃the　soul　of　a　woman　is　not　firm　enough　for　so　durable　a　tie　as　friendship。〃

We　like　to　dwell　upon　these　inner　phases　of　a　famous　and　powerful　coterie；　not　only　because　they　bring　before　us　so　vividly　the　living；　moving；　thinking；　loving　women　who　composed　it；　letting　us　into　their　intimate　life　with　its　quiet　shadings；　its　fantastic　humors；　and　its　wayward　caprices；　but　because　they　lead　us　to　the　fountain　head　of　a　new　form　of　literary　expression。　　We　have　seen　that　the　formal　letters　of　Balzac　were　among　the　early　entertainments　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　that　Voiture　had　a　witty　or　sentimental　note　for　every　occasion。　　Mlle。　de　Scudery　held　a　ready　pen；　and　was　in　the　habit　of　noting　down　in　her　letters　to　absent　friends　the　conversation；　which　ran　over　a　great　variety　of　topics；　from　the　gossip　of　the　moment　to　the　gravest　questions。　　There　was　no　morning　journal　with　its　columns　of　daily　news；　no　magazine　with　its　sketches　of　contemporary　life；　and　these　private　letters　were　passed　from　one　to　another　to　be　read　and　discussed。　　The　craze　for　clever　letters　spread。　　Conversations　literally　overflowed　upon　paper。　　A　romantic　adventure；　a　bit　of　scandal；　a　drawing　room　incident；　or　a　personal　pique；　was　a　fruitful　theme。　　Everybody　aimed　to　excel　in　an　art　which　brought　a　certain　prestige。　　These　letters；　most　of　which　had　their　brief　day；　were　often　gathered　into　little　volumes。　　Many　have　long　since　disappeared；　or　found　burial　in　the　dust　of　old　libraries　from　which　they　are　occasionally　exhumed　to　throw　fresh　light　upon　some　forgotten　nook　and　by　way　of　an　age　whose　habits　and　manners；　virtues　and　follies；　they　so　faithfully　record。　　A　few；　charged　with　the　vitality　of　genius；　retain　their　freshness　and　live　among　the　enduring　monuments　of　the　society　that　gave　them　birth。　　The　finest　outcome　of　this　prevailing　taste　was　Mme。　de　Sevigne；　who　still　reigns　as　the　queen　of　graceful　letter　writers。　　Although　her　maturity　belongs　to　a　later　period；　she　was　familiar　with　the　Rambouillet　circle　in　her　youth；　and　inherited　its　best　spirit。

The　charm　of　this　literature　is　its　spontaneity。　　It　has　no　ulterior　aim；　but　delights　in　simple　expression。　　These　people　write　because　they　like　to　write。　　They　are　original　because　they　sketch　from　life。　　There　is　something　naive　and　fresh　in　their　vivid　pictures。　　They　give　us　all　the　accessories。　　They　tell　us　how　they　lived；　how　they　dressed；　how　they　thought；　how　they　acted。　　They　talk　of　their　plans；　their　loves；　and　their　private　piques；　with　the　same　ingenuous　frankness。　　They　condense　for　us　their　worldly　philosophy；　their　sentiments；　and　their　experience。　　The　style　of　these　letters　is　sometimes　heavy　and　stilted；　the　wit　is　often　strained　and　far…fetched；　but　many　of　them　are　written　with　an　easy　grace　and　a　lightness　of　touch　as　fascinating　as　inimitable。

The　marriage　of　Julie　d'Angennes；　in　1645；　deprived　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　of　one　of　its　chief　attractions。　　It　was　only　through　the　earnest　wish　of　her　family　that；　after　a　delay　of　thirteen　years；　she　yielded　at　last　to　the　persevering　suit　of　the　Marquis；　afterwards　the　Duc　de　Montausier；　and　became　his　wife。　　She　was　then　thirty…eight；　and　he　three　years　younger。　　The　famous　〃Guirlande　de　Julie；〃　which　he　dedicated　and　presented　to　her；　still　exists；　as　the　unique　memorial　of　his　patient　and　enduring　love。　　This　beautiful　volume；　richly　bound；　decorated　with　a　flower　exquisitely　painted　on　each　of　the　twenty…nine　leaves　and　accompanied　by　a　madrigal　written　by　the　Marquis　himself　or　by　some　of　the　poets　who　frequented　her　house；　was　a　remarkable　tribute　to　the　graces　of　the　woman　whose　praises　were　so　delicately　sung。　　The　faithful　lover；　who　was　a　Protestant；　gave　a　crowning　proof　of　his　devotion；　in　changing　his　religion。　　So　much　adoration　could　hardly　fail　to　touch　the　most　capricious　and　obdurate　of　hearts。

We　cannot　dismiss　this　woman；　whom　Cousin　regards　as　the　most　accomplished　type　of　the　society　she　adorned；　wi