the women of the french salons-第30节

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President　Henault；　the　life…long　friend　of　Mme。　du　Deffand；　whose　light　criticism　of　a　pure…minded　woman　might　be　regarded　as　rather　flattering　than　otherwise；　says：　〃It　was　apparent　that　Mme。　de　Lambert　touched　upon　the　time　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　she　was　a　little　affected；　and　had　not　the　force　to　overstep　the　limits　of　the　prude　and　the　precieuse。　　Her　salon　was　the　rendevous　of　celebrated　men　。　。　。　。　　In　the　evening　the　scenery　changed　as　well　as　the　actors。　　A　more　elegant　world　assembled　at　the　suppers。　　The　Marquise　took　pleasure　in　receiving　people　who　were　agreeable　to　each　other。　　Her　tone；　however；　did　not　vary；　and　she　preached　la　belle　galanterie　to　some　who　went　a　little　beyond　it。　　I　was　of　the　two　parties；　I　dogmatized　in　the　morning　and　sang　in　the　evening。〃　　The　two　eminent　Greek　Scholars；　La　Motte　and　Mme。　Dacier；　held　spirited　discussions　on　the　merits　of　Homer；　which　came　near　ending　in　permanent　ill…feeling；　but　the　amiable　hostess　gave　a　dinner　for　them；　〃they　drank　to　the　health　of　the　poet；　and　all　was　forgotten。〃　　The　war　between　the　partizans　of　the　old　and　the　new　was　as　lively　then　as　it　is　today。　　〃La　Motte　and　Fontenelle　prefer　the　moderns；〃　said　the　caustic　Mme。　du　Deffand；　〃but　the　ancients　are　dead；　and　the　moderns　are　themselves。〃　　The　names　of　Sainte…Aulaire；　de　Sacy；　Mairan；　President　Henault；　and　others　equally　scholarly　and　witty；　suffice　to　indicate　the　quality　of　the　conversation；　which　treated　lightly　and　gracefully　of　the　most　serious　things。　　The　Duchesse　du　Maine　and　her　clever　companion；　Mlle。　de　Launay　were　often　among　the　guests；　also　the　beautiful　and　brilliant　Mme。　de　Caylus；　a　niece　of　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　whom　some　poetical　critic　has　styled　〃the　last　flower　of　the　seventeenth　century。〃　　Sainte…Aulaire；　tired　of　the　perpetual　excitement　at　Sceaux；　characterized　this　salon　by　a　witty　quatrain：

Je　suis　las　de　l'esprit；　il　me　met　en　courroux；　Il　me　renverse　la　cervelle；　Lambert；　je　viens　chercher　un　asile　chez　vous；　Entre　La　Motte　et　Fontenelle。

The　wits　of　the　day　launched　many　a　shaft　of　satire　against　it；　as　they　had　against　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　a　century　earlier；　but　it　was　an　intellectual　center　of　great　influence；　and　was　regarded　as　the　sanctuary　of　old　manners　as　well　as　the　asylum　of　new　liberties。　　Its　decorous　character　gave　it　the　epithet　of　〃very　respectable；〃　but　this　eminently　respectable　company；　which　represented　the　purest　taste　of　the　time；　often　included　Adrienne　Lecouvreur；　who　was　much　more　remarkable　for　talent　than　for　respectability。　　We　have　a　direct　glimpse　of　it　through　the　pen　of　d'Artenson：

〃I　have　just　met　with　a　very　grievous　loss　in　the　death　of　the　Marquise　de　Lambert〃　（he　writes　in　1733）。　〃For　fifteen　years　I　have　been　one　of　her　special　friends；　and　she　has　done　me　the　favor　of　inviting　me　to　her　house；　where　it　is　an　honor　to　be　received。　　I　dined　there　regularly　on　Wednesday；　which　was　one　of　her　days　。　。　。　。　。　　She　was　rich；　and　made　a　good　and　amiable　use　of　her　wealth；　for　the　benefit　of　her　friends；　and　above　all　for　the　unfortunate。　　A　pupil　of　Bachaumont；　having　frequented　only　the　society　of　people　of　the　world；　and　of　the　highest　intelligence；　she　knew　no　other　passion　than　a　constant　and　platonic　tenderness。〃

The　quality　of　character　and　intellect　which　gave　Mme。　de　Lambert　so　marked　an　influence；　we　find　in　her　own　thoughts　on　a　great　variety　of　subjects。　　She　gives　us　the　impression　of　a　woman　altogether　sensible　and　judicious；　but　not　without　a　certain　artificial　tone。　　Her　well…considered　philosophy　of　life　had　an　evident　groundwork　of　ambition　and　worldly　wisdom；　which　appears　always　in　her　advice　to　her　children。　　She　counsels　her　son　to　aim　high　and　believe　himself　capable　of　great　things。　　〃Too　much　modesty；〃　she　says；　〃is　a　languor　of　the　soul；　which　prevents　it　from　taking　flight　and　carrying　itself　rapidly　towards　glory〃a　suggestion　that　would　be　rather　superfluous　in　this　generation。　　Again；　she　advises　him　to　seek　the　society　of　his　superiors；　in　order　to　accustom　himself　to　respect　and　politeness。　　〃With　equals　one　grows　negligent；　the　mind　falls　asleep。〃　　But　she　does　not　regard　superiority　as　an　external　thing；　and　says　very　wisely；　〃It　is　merit　which　should　separate　you　from　people；　not　dignity　or　pride。〃　　By　〃people〃　she　indicates　all　those　who　think　meanly　and　commonly。　　〃The　court　is　full　of　them；〃　she　adds。　　Her　standards　of　honor　are　high；　and　her　sentiments　of　humanity　quite　in　the　vein　of　the　coming　age。　　She　urges　her　daughter　to　treat　her　servants　with　kindness。　　〃One　of　the　ancients　says　they　should　be　regarded　as　unfortunate　friends。　　Think　that　humanity　and　Christianity　equalize　all。〃

Her　criticisms　on　the　education　of　women　are　of　especial　interest。　　Behind　her　conventional　tastes　and　her　love　of　consideration　she　has　a　clear　perception　of　facts　and　an　appreciation　of　unfashionable　truths。　　She　recognizes　the　superiority　of　her　sex　in　matters　of　taste　and　in　the　enjoyment　of　〃serious　pleasures　which　make　only　the　MIND　LAUGH　and　do　not　trouble　the　heart〃　She　reproaches　men　with　〃spoiling　the　dispositions　nature　has　given　to　women；　neglecting　their　education；　filling　their　minds　with　nothing　solid；　and　destining　them　solely　to　please；　and　to　please　only　by　their　graces　or　their　vices。〃　　But　she　had　not　always　the　courage　of　her　convictions；　and　it　was　doubtless　quite　as　much　her　dislike　of　giving　voice　to　unpopular　opinions　as　her　aversion　to　the　publicity　of　authorship；　that　led　her　to　buy　the　entire　edition　of　her　〃Reflexions　sur　les　Femmes；〃　which　was　published　without　her　consent。

One　of　her　marked　traits　was　moderation。　　〃The　taste　is　spoiled　by　amusements；〃　she　writes。　　〃One　becomes　so　accustomed　to　ardent　pleasures　that　one　cannot　fall　back　upon　simple　ones。　　We　should　fear　great　commotions　of　the　soul；　which　prepare　ennui　and　disgust。〃　　This　wise　thought　suggests　the　influence　of　Fontenelle；　who　impressed　himself　strongly　upon　the　salons　of　the　first　half　of　the　century。　　His　calm　philosophy　is　distinctly　reflected　in　the　character　of　Mme。　de　Lambert；　also　in　that　of　Mme。　Geoffrin；　with　whom　he　was　on　very　intimate　terms。　　It　is　said　that　this　poet；　critic；　bel　esprit；　and　courtly　favorite；　whom　Rousseau　calls　〃the　daintiest　pedant　in　the　world；〃　was　never　swayed　by　any　emotion　whatever。　　He　never　laughed；　only　smiled；　never　wept；　never　praised　warmly；　though　he　did　say　pretty　things　to　women；　never　hurried；　was　never　angry；　never　suffered；　and　was　never　moved　by　suffering。　　〃He　had　the　gout；〃　says　one　of　his　critics；　〃but　no　pain；　only　a　foot　wrapped　in　cotton。　　He　put　it　on　a　footstool；　that　was　all。〃　　It　is　perhaps　fair　to　present；　as　the　other　side　of　the　medallion；　the　portrait　drawn　by　the　friendly　hand　of　Adrienne　LeCouvreur。　　〃The　charms　of　his　intellect　often　veiled　its　essential　qualities。　　Unique　of　his　kind；　he　combines　all　that　wins　regard　and　respect。　　Integrity；　rectitude；　equity　compose　his　character；　an　imagination　lively　and　brilliant；　turns　fine　and　delicate；　expressions　new　and　always　happy　ornament　it。　　A　heart　pure；　actions　clear；　conduct　uniform；　and　everywhere　principles　。　。　。　。　　Exact　in　friendship；　scrupulous　in　love；　nowhere　failing　in　the　attributes　of　a　gentleman。　　Suited　to　intercourse　the　most　delicate；　though　the　delight　of　savants；　modest　in　his　conversation；　simple　in　his　actions；　his　superiority　is　evident；　but　he　never　makes　one　feel　it。〃　He　lived　a　century；　apparently　because　it　was　too　much　trouble　to　die。　　When　the　weight　of　years　made　it　too　much　trouble　to　live；　he　simply　stopped。　　〃I　do　not　suffer；　my　friends；　but　I　feel　a　certain　difficulty　in　existing；〃　were　his　last　words。　　With　this　model　of　serene　tranquillity；　who　analyzed　the　emotions　as　he　would　a　problem　in　mathematics；　and　reduced　life　to　a　debit　and　credit　account；　it　is　easy　to　understand　the　worldly　philosophy　of　the　women　who　came　under　his　influence。

But　while　Mme。　de　Lambert　had　a　calm　and　equable　temperament；　and　loved　to　surround　herself　with　an　atmosphere　of　repose；　she　was　not　without　a　fine　quality　of　sentiment。　　〃I　exhort　you　much　more　to　cultivate　your　heart；〃　she　writes　to　her　son；　〃than　to　perfect　your　mind；　the　true　greatness　of　the　man　is　in　the　heart。〃　　〃She　was　not　only　eager　to　serve　her　friends　without　waiting　for　their　prayers　or　the　humiliating　exposure　of　their　needs；〃　said　Fontenelle；　〃but　a　good　action　to　be　done　in　favor　of　indifferent　people　always　tempted　her　warmly　。　。　。。　　The　ill　success　of　some　acts　of　generosity　did　not　correct　the　habit；　she　was　always　equally　ready　to　do　a　kindness。〃　　She　has　written　very　delicately　and　beautifully　of　friendships　between　men　and　women；　and　she　had　her　own　intimacies　that　verged　upon　tenderness；　but　were　free　from　any　shadow　of　reproach。　　Long　after　her　death；　d'Alembert；　in　his　academic　eulogy　upon　de　Sacy；　refers　touchingly　to　the　devoted　friendship　that　linked　this　elegant　savant　with　Mme。　de　Lambert。　　〃It　is　believed；〃　says　President　Henault；　〃that　she　was　married　to　the　Marquis　de　Sainte…Aulaire。　　He　was　a　man　of　esprit；　who　only　bethought　himself；　after　more　than　sixty　years；　of　his　talent　for　poetry；　and　Mme。　de　Lambert；　whose　house　was　filled　with　Academicians；　gained　him　entrance　into　the　Academy；　not