Читать книгу The Women of the French Salons - Amelia Gere Mason - Страница 4

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I. SALONS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY Characteristics of French

Woman—Gallic Genius for Conversation—Social Conditions—Origin of the

Salons—Their Power—Their Composition—Their Records

CHAPTER II. THE HOTEL DE RAMBOUILLET Mme. De Rambouillet—The

Salon Bleu—Its Habitues—Its

Diversions—Corneille—Balzac—Richelieu—Romance of the

Grand Conde—the Young Bossuet—Voiture—The Duchesse de

Longueville—Angelique Paulet—Julie d'Angennes—Les Precieuses

Ridicules—Decline of the Salon—Influence upon Literature and Manners

CHAPTER III. MADEMOISELLE DE SCUDERY AND THE SAMEDIS Salons of the

Noblesse—"The Illustrious Sappho"—Her Romances—The Samedis—Bons Mots

of Mme. Cornuel—Estimate of Mlle. De Scudery

CHAPTER IV. LA GRANDE MADEMOISELLE Her Character—Her Heroic Part in the

Fronde—Her Exile—Literary Diversions of her Salon—A Romantic Episode

CHAPTER V. A LITERARY SALON AT PORT ROYAL Mme. De Sable—Her

Worldly Life—Her Retreat—Her Friends—Pascal—The Maxims of La

Rochefoucauld—Last Days of the Marquise

CHAPTER VI. MADAME DE SEVIGNE Her Genius—Her Youth—Her Unworthy

Husband—Her Impertinent Cousin—Her love for her Daughter—Her

Letters—Hotel de Carnavalet—Mme. Duplessis Guengaud—Mme. De

Coulanges—The Curtain Falls

CHAPTER VII. MADAME DE LA FAYETTE Her Friendship with Mme. De

Sevigne—Her Education—Her Devotion to the Princess Henrietta—Her

Salon—La Rochefoucauld—Talent as a Diplomatist—Comparison with Mme.

De Maintenon—Her Literary Work—Sadness of her Last Days—Woman in

Literature

CHAPTER VIII. SALONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY Characteristics of

the Eighteenth Century—Its Epicurean Philosophy—Anecdote of Mme. Du

Deffand—The Salon an Engine of Political Power—Great Influence of

Woman—Salons Defined—Literary Dinners—Etiquette of the Salons—An

Exotic on American Soil

CHAPTER IX. AN ANTECHAMBER OF THE ACADEMIE FRANCAISE The Marquise de

Lambert—Her "Bureau d'Esprit"—Fontenelle—Advice to her Son—Wise

Thoughts on the Education of Women—Her Love of Consideration—Her

Generosity—Influence of Women upon the Academy

CHAPTER X. THE DUCHESSE DU MAINE Her Capricious Character—Her

Esprit—Mlle. De Launay—Clever Portrait of her Mistress—Perpetual

Fetes at Sceaux—Voltaire and the "Divine Emilie"—Dilettante Character

of this Salon

CHAPTER XI. MADAME DE TENCIN AND MADAM DU CHATELET An Intriguing

Chanoinesse—Her Singular Fascination—Her Salon—Its Philosophical

Character—Mlle. Aisse—Romances of Mme. De Tencin—D'Alembert—La Belle

Emilie—Voltaire—the Two Women Compared

CHAPTER XII. MADAME GEOFFRIN AND THE PHILOSOPHERS Cradles of the New

Philosophy—Noted Salons of this Period—Character of Mme. Geoffrin—Her

Practical Education—Anecdotes of her Husband—Composition of her

Salon—Its Insidious Influence—Her Journey to Warsaw—Her Death

CHAPTER XIII. ULTRA PHILOSOPHICAL SALONS—MADAME D'EPINAY Mme. De

Graffigny—Baron D'Holbach—Mme. D'Epinay's Portrait of Herself—Mlle.

Quinault—Rousseau—La Chevrette—Grimm—Diderot—The Abbe

Galiani—Estimate of Mme. D'Epinay

CHAPTER XIV. SALONS OF THE NOBLESSE—MADAME DU DEFFAND La Marechale

de Luxenbourg—The Temple—Comtesse de Boufflers—Mme. Du Dufand—Her

Convent Salon—Rupture with Mlle. De Lespinasse—Her Friendship with

Horace Walpole—Her Brilliancy and her Ennui

CHAPTER XV. MADEMOISELLE DE LESPINASSE A Romantic Career—Companion

of Mme. Du Deffand—Rival Salons—Association with the

Encyclopedists—D'Alembert—A Heart Tragedy—Impassioned Letters—A Type

Unique in her Age

CHAPTER XVI. THE SALON HELVETIQUE The Swiss Pastor's Daughter—Her

Social Ambition—Her Friends Mme. De Marchais—Mme. D'Houdetot—Duchesse

de Lauzun—Character of Mme. Necker—Death at Coppet—Close of the Most

Brilliant Period of the Salons

CHAPTER XVII. SALONS OF THE REVOLUTION—MADAME ROLAND Change in the

Character of the Salons—Mme. De Condorcet—Mme. Roland's Story of

her Own Life—A Marriage of Reason—Enthusiasm for the Revolution—Her

Modest Salon—Her Tragical Fate

CHAPTER XVIII. MADAM DE STAEL Supremacy of Her Genius—Her Early

Training—Her Sensibility—A Mariage de Convenance—Her Salon—Anecdote

of Benjamin Constant—Her Exile—Life at Coppet—Secret Marriage—Close

of a Stormy Life

CHAPTER XIX. SALONS OF THE EMPIRE AND RESTORATION—MADAME RECAMIER A

Transition period—Mme. De Montesson—Mme. De Genus—Revival of the

Literary Spirit—Mme. De Beaumont—Mme. De Remusat—Mme. De Souza—Mme.

De Duras—Mme. De Krudener—Fascination of Mme. Recamier—Her

Friends—Her Convent Salon—Chateaubriand Decline of the Salon