the women of the french salons-第8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！



We　cannot　dismiss　this　woman；　whom　Cousin　regards　as　the　most　accomplished　type　of　the　society　she　adorned；　without　a　word　more。　　Though　her　ambition　was　gratified　by　the　honors　that　fell　upon　her　husband；　who　after　holding　many　high　positions　was　finally　entrusted　with　the　education　of　the　Dauphin；　and　though　her　own　appointment　of　dame　d'honneur　to　the　Queen　gave　her　an　envied　place　at　court；　we　trace　with　regret　the　close　of　her　brilliant　career。　　As　has　been　already　indicated；　she　added　to　much　esprit　a　character　of　great　sweetness；　and　manners　facile；　gracious；　even　caressing。　　With　less　elevation；　less　independence；　and　less　firmness　than　her　mother；　she　had　more　of　the　sympathetic　quality；　the　frank　unreserve；　that　wins　the　heart。　　No　one　had　so　many　adorers；　no　one　scattered　so　many　hopeless　passions；　no　one　so　gently　tempered　these　into　friendships。　　She　knew　always　how　to　say　the　fitting　word；　to　charm　away　the　clouds　of　ill　humor；　to　conciliate　opposing　interests。　　But　this　spirit　of　complaisance　which；　however　charming　it　may　be；　is　never　many　degrees　removed　from　the　spirit　of　the　courtier；　proved　to　be　the　misfortune　of　her　later　life。　　Too　amiable；　perhaps　too　diplomatic；　to　frown　openly　upon　the　King's　irregularities；　she　was　accused；　whether　justly　or　otherwise；　of　tacitly　favoring　his　relations　with　Mme。　De　Montespan。　　The　husband　of　this　lady　took　his　wife's　infidelity　very　much　to　heart；　and；　failing　to　find　any　redress；　forced　himself　one　day　into　the　presence　of　Madam　de　Montausier；　and　made　a　violent　scene　which　so　affected　her　that　she　fell　into　a　profound　melancholy　and　an　illness　from　which　she　never　rallied。　　There　is　always　an　air　of　mystery　thrown　about　this　affair；　and　it　is　difficult　to　fathom　the　exact　truth；　but　the　results　were　sufficiently　tragical　to　the　woman　who　was　quoted　by　her　age　as　a　model　of　virtue　and　decorum。

In　1648；　the　troubles　of　the　Fronde；　which　divided　friends　and　added　fuel　to　petty　social　rivalries；　scattered　the　most　noted　guests　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet。　　Voiture　was　dead；　Angelique　Paulet　died　two　years　later。　　The　young　Marquis　de　Pisani；　the　only　son　and　the　hope　of　his　family；　had　fallen　with　many　brave　comrades　on　the　field　of　Nordlingen。　　Of　the　five　daughters；　three　were　abbesses　of　convents。　　The　health　of　the　Marquise；　which　had　always　been　delicate；　was　still　further　enfeebled　by　the　successive　griefs　which　darkened　her　closing　years。　　Her　husband；　of　whom　we　know　little　save　that　he　was　sent　on　various　foreign　missions；　and　〃loved　his　wife　always　as　a　lover；〃　died　in　1652。　　She　survived　him　thirteen　years；　living　to　see　the　death　of　her　youngest　daughter；　Angelique；　wife　of　the　Comte　de　Grignan　who　was　afterwards　the　son…in…law　of　Mme。　de　Sevigne。　　She　witnessed　the　elevation　of　her　favorite　Julie；　but　was　spared　the　grief　of　her　death　which　occurred　five　or　six　years　after　her　own。　　The　aged　Marquise；　true　to　her　early　tastes；　continued　to　receive　her　friends　in　her　ruelle；　and　her　salon　had　a　brief　revival　when　the　Duchesse　de　Montausier　returned　from　the　provinces；　after　the　second　Fronde；　but　its　freshness　had　faded　with　its　draperies　of　blue　and　gold。　　The　brilliant　company　that　made　it　so　famous　was　dispersed；　and　the　glory　of　the　Salon　Bleu　was　gone。

There　is　something　infinitely　pathetic　in　the　epitaph　this　much…　loved　and　successful　woman　wrote　for　herself　when　she　felt　that　the　end　was　near：

Ici　git　Arthenice；　exempte　des　rigueurs　Don't　la　rigueur　du　sort　l'a　touours　poursuivie。　Et　si　tu　veux；　passant；　compter　tous　ses　malheurs；　Tu　n'aura　qu'a；　compter　les　moments　de　sa　vie。

The　spirit　of　unrest　is　there　beneath　the　calm　exterior。　　It　may　be　some　hidden　wound；　it　may　be　only　the　old；　old　weariness；　the　inevitable　burden　of　the　race。　　〃Mon　Dieu！〃　wrote　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　in　the　height　of　her　worldly　success；　〃how　sad　life　is！　　I　pass　my　days　without　other　consolation　than　the　thought　that　death　will　end　it　all。〃

Mme。　de　Rambouillet　had　worked　unconsciously　toward　a　very　important　end。　　She　found　a　language　crude　and　inelegant；　manners　coarse　and　licentious；　morals　dissolute　and　vicious。　　Her　influence　was　at　its　height　in　the　age　of　Corneille　and　Descartes；　and　she　lived　almost　to　the　culmination　of　the　era　of　Racine　and　Moliere；　of　Boileau　and　La　Bruyere；　of　Bossuet　and　Fenelon；　the　era　of　simple　and　purified　language；　of　refined　and　stately　manners；　and　of　at　least　outward　respect　for　morality。　　To　these　results　she　largely　contributed。　　Her　salon　was　the　social　and　literary　power　of　the　first　half　of　the　century。　　In　an　age　of　political　espionage；　it　maintained　its　position　and　its　dignity。　　It　sustained　Corneille　against　the　persecutions　of　Richelieu；　and　numbered　among　its　habitues　the　founders　of　the　Academie　Francaise；　who　continued　the　critical　reforms　begun　there。

As　a　school　of　politeness；　it　has　left　permanent　traces。　　This　woman　of　fine　ideals　and　exalted　standards　exacted　of　others　the　purity　of　character；　delicacy　of　thought；　and　urbanity　of　manner；　which　she　possessed　in　so　eminent　a　degree　herself。　　Her　code　was　founded　upon　the　best　instincts　of　humanity；　and　whatever　modifications　of　form　time　has　wrought　its　essential　spirit　remains　unchanged。　　〃Politeness　does　not　always　inspire　goodness；　equity；　complaisance；　gratitude；〃　says　La　Bruyere；　〃but　it　gives　at　least　the　appearance　of　these　qualities；　and　makes　man　seem　externally　what　he　ought　to　be　internally。〃

It　was　in　this　salon；　too；　that　the　modern　art　of　conversation；　which　has　played　so　conspicuous　a　part　in　French　life；　may　be　said　to　have　had　its　birth。　　Men　and　women　met　on　a　footing　of　equality；　with　similar　tastes　and　similar　interests。　　Different　ranks　and　conditions　were　represented；　giving　a　certain　cosmopolitan　character　to　a　society　which　had　hitherto　been　narrow　in　its　scope　and　limited　in　its　aims。　　Naturally　conversation　assumed　a　new　importance；　and　was　subject　to　new　laws。　　To　quote　again　from　LaBruyere；　who　has　so　profoundly　penetrated　the　secrets　of　human　nature：　〃The　esprit　of　conversation　consists　much　less　in　displaying　itself　than　in　drawing　out　the　wit　of　others　。　。　。　　Men　do　not　like　to　admire　you；　they　wish　to　please；　they　seek　less　to　be　instructed　or　even　to　be　entertained；　than　to　be　appreciated　and　applauded；　and　the　most　delicate　pleasure　is　to　make　that　of　others。〃　　〃To　please　others；〃　says　La　Rochefoucauld；　〃one　must　speak　of　the　things　they　love　and　which　concern　them；　avoid　disputes　upon　indifferent　maters；　ask　questions　rarely；　and　never　let　them　think　that　one　is　more　in　the　right　than　themselves。〃

Many　among　the　great　writers　of　the　age　touch　in　the　same　tone　upon　the　philosophy　underlying　the　various　rules　of　manners　and　conversation　which　were　first　discussed　at　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　and　which　have　passed　into　permanent　though　unwritten　lawsunfortunately　a　little　out　of　fashion　in　the　present　generation。

It　is　difficult　to　estimate　the　impulse　given　to　intelligence　and　literary　taste　by　this　breaking　up　of　old　social　crystallizations。　　What　the　savant　had　learned　in　his　closet　passed　more　or　less　into　current　coin。　　Conversation　gave　point　to　thought；　clearness　to　expression；　simplicity　to　language。　　Women　of　rank　and　recognized　ability　imposed　the　laws　of　good　taste；　and　their　vivid　imaginations　changed　lifeless　abstractions　into　something　concrete　and　artistic。　　Men　of　letters；　who　had　held　an　inferior　and　dependent　position；　were　penetrated　with　the　spirit　of　a　refined　society；　while　men　of　the　world；　in　a　circle　where　wit　and　literary　skill　were　distinctions；　began　to　aspire　to　the　role　of　a　bel　esprit；　to　pride　themselves　upon　some　intellectual　gift　and　the　power　to　write　without　labor　and　without　pedantry；　as　became　their　rank。　　Many　of　them　lacked　seriousness；　dealing　mainly　with　delicate　fancies　and　trivial　incidents；　but　pleasures　of　the　intellect　and　taste　became　the　fashion。　Burlesques　and　chansons　disputed　the　palm　with　madrigals　and　sonnets。　　A　neatly　turned　epigram　or　a　clever　letter　made　a　social　success。

Perhaps　it　was　not　a　school　for　genius　of　the　first　order。　　Society　favors　graces　of　form　and　expression　rather　than　profound　and　serious　thought。　　No　Homer；　nor　Aeschylus；　nor　Milton；　nor　Dante