they　speak。　　The　variety　is　infinite　and　full　of　charm。
  Mme。　de　Sevigne　talks　upon　paper；　of　the　trifling　affairs　of　every…day　life；　adding　here　and　there　a　sparkling　anecdote；　a　bit　of　gossip；　a　delicate　characterization；　a　trenchant　criticism；　a　dash　of　wit；　a　touch　of　feeling；　or　a　profound　thought。　　All　this　is　lighted　up　by　her　passionate　love　of　her　daughter；　and　in　this　light　we　read　the　many…sided　life　of　her　time　for　twenty…five　years。　　Mme。　de　La　Fayette　takes　the　world　more　seriously；　and　replaces　the　playful　fancy　of　her　friend　by　a　richer　vein　of　imagination　and　sentiment。　　She　sketches　for　us　the　court　of　which　Madame　（title　given　to　the　wife　of　the　king's　brother）　is　the　central　figurethe　unfortunate　Princes　Henrietta　whom　she　loved　so　tenderly；　and　who　died　so　tragically　in　her　arms。　　She　writes　novels　too；　not　profound　studies　of　life；　but　fine　and　exquisite　pictures　of　that　side　of　the　century　which　appealed　most　to　her　poetic　sensibility。　　We　follow　the　leading　characters　of　the　age　through　the　ten…volume　romances　of　Mlle。　de　Scudery；　which　have　mostly　long　since　fallen　into　oblivion。　　Doubtless　the　portraits　are　a　trifle　rose…colored；　but　they　accord；　in　the　main；　with　more　veracious　history。　　The　Grande　Mademoiselle　describes　herself　and　her　friends；　with　the　curious　naivete　of　a　spoiled　child　who　thinks　its　smallest　experiences　of　interest　to　all　the　world。　　Mme。　de　Maintenon　gives　us　another　picture；　more　serious；　more　thoughtful；　but　illuminated　with　flashes　of　wonderful　insight。
  Most　of　these　women　wrote　simply　to　amuse　themselves　and　their　friends。　　It　was　only　another　mode　of　their　versatile　expression。　　With　rare　exceptions；　they　were　not　authors　consciously　or　by　intention。　　They　wrote　spontaneously；　and　often　with　reckless　disregard　of　grammar　and　orthography。　　But　the　people　who　move　across　their　gossiping　pages　are　alive。　　The　century　passes　in　review　before　us　as　we　read。　　The　men　and　women　who　made　its　literature　so　brilliant　and　its　salons　so　famous；　become　vivid　realities。　　Prominent　among　the　fair　faces　that　look　out　upon　us　at　every　turn；　from　court　and　salon；　is　that　of　the　Duchesse　de　Longueville；　sister　of　the　Grand　Conde；　and　heroine　of　the　Fronde。　　Her　lovely　blue　eyes；　with　their　dreamy　languor　and　〃luminous　awakenings；〃　turn　the　heads　alike　of　men　and　women；　of　poet　and　critic；　of　statesman　and　priest。　　We　trace　her　brief　career　through　her　pure　and　ardent　youth；　her　loveless　marriage；　her　fatal　passion　for　La　Rochefoucauld；　the　final　shattering　of　all　her　illusions；　and　when　at　last；　tired　of　the　world；　she　bows　her　beautiful　head　in　penitent　prayer；　we　too　love　and　forgive　her；　as　others　have　done。　　Were　not　twenty…five　years　of　suffering　and　penance　an　ample　expiation？　　She　was　one　of　the　three　women　of　whom　Cardinal　Mazarin　said　that　they　were　〃capable　of　governing　and　overturning　three　kingdoms。〃　　The　others　were　the　intriguing　Duchesse　de　Chevreuse；　who　dazzled　the　age　by　her　beauty　and　her　daring　escapades；　and　the　fascinating　Anne　de　Gonzague；　better　known　as　the　Princesse　Palatine；　of　whose　winning　manners；　conversational　charm；　penetrating　intellect；　and　loyal　character　Bossuet　spoke　so　eloquently　at　her　death。　　We　catch　pleasant　glimpses　of　Mme。　Deshoulieres；　beautiful　and　a　poet；　of　Mme。　Cornuel；　of　whom　it　was　said　that　〃every　sin　she　confessed　was　an　epigram〃；　of　Mme。　de　Choisy；　witty　and　piquante；　of　Mme。　de　Doulanges；　also　a　wit　and　femme　d'esprit。
  Linked　with　these　by　a　thousand　ties　of　sympathy　and　affection　were　the　worthy　counterparts　of　Pascal　and　Arnauld；　of　Bossuet　and　Fenelon；　the　devoted　women　who　poured　out　their　passionate　souls　at　the　foot　of　the　cross；　and　laid　their　earthly　hopes　upon　the　altar　of　divine　love。　　We　follow　the　devout　Jacqueline　Pascal　to　the　cloister　in　which　she　buries　her　brilliant　youth　to　die　at　thirty…five　of　a　wounded　conscience　and　a　broken　heart。　　Many　a　bruised　spirit；　as　it　turns　from　the　gay　world　to　the　mystic　devotion　which　touches　a　new　chord　in　its　jaded　sensibilities；　finds　support　and　inspiration　in　the　strong　and　fervid　sympathy　of　Jacqueline　Arnauld；　better　known　as　Mere　Angelique　of　Port　Royal。　　This　profound　spiritual　passion　was　a　part　of　the　intense　life　of　the　century；　which　gravitated　from　love　and　ambition　to　the　extremes　of　penitence　and　asceticism。
  A　multitude　of　minor　figures；　graceful　and　poetic；　brilliant　and　spirituelles；　flit　across　the　canvas；　leaving　the　fragrance　of　an　exquisite　individuality；　and　tempting　one　to　extend　the　list　of　the　versatile　women　who　toned　and　colored　the　society　of　the　period。　　But　we　have　to　do；　at　present；　especially　with　those　who　gathered　and　blended　this　fresh　intelligence；　delicate　fancy；　emotional　wealth；　and　religious　fervor；　into　a　society　including　such　men　as　Corneille；　Balzac；　Bossuet；　Richelieu；　Conde；　Pascal；　Arnault；　and　La　Rochefoucauldthose　who　are　known　as　leaders　of　more　or　less　celebrated　salons。　　Of　these；　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　and　Mme。　de　Sable　were　among　the　best　representative　types　of　their　time；　and　the　first　of　the　long　line　of　social　queens　who；　through　their　special　gift　of　leadership；　held　so　potent　a　sway　for　two　centuries。
  CHAPTER　II。　THE　HOTEL　DE　RAMBOUILLET　Mme。　de　RambouilletThe　Salon　BleuIts　HabituesIts　DiversionsCorneilleBalzacRichelieuRomance　of　the　Grand　CondeThe　Young　BossuetVoitureThe　Duchesse　de　LonguevilleAngelique　PauletJulie　d'AngennesLes　Precieuses　RidiculesDecline　of　the　SalonInfluence　upon　Literature　and　Manners
  The　Hotel　de　Rambouillet　has　been　called　the　〃cradle　of　polished　society；〃　but　the　personality　of　its　hostess　is　less　familiar　than　that　of　many　who　followed　in　her　train。　　This　may　be　partly　due　to　the　fact　that　she　left　no　record　of　herself　on　paper。　　She　aptly　embodied　the　kind　advice　of　Le　Brun。　　It　was　her　special　talent　to　inspire　others　and　to　combine　the　various　elements　of　a　brilliant　and　complex　social　life。　　The　rare　tact　which　enabled　her　to　do　this　lay　largely　in　a　certain　self…effacement　and　the　peculiar　harmony　of　a　nature　which　presented　few　salient　points。　　She　is　best　represented　by　the　salon　of　which　she　was　the　architect　and　the　animating　spirit；　but　even　this　is　better　known　today　through　its　faults　than　its　virtues。　　It　is　a　pleasant　task　to　clear　off　a　little　dust　from　its　memorials；　and　to　paint　in　fresh　colors　one　who　played　so　important　a　role　in　the　history　of　literature　and　manners。
  Catherine　de　Vivonne　was　born　at　Rome　in　1588。　　Her　father；　the　Marquis　de　Pisani；　was　French　ambassador；　and　she　belonged　through　her　mother　to　the　old　Roman　families　of　Strozzi　and　Savelli。　　Married　at　sixteen　to　the　Count　d'Angennes；　afterwards　Marquis　de　Rambouillet；　she　was　introduced　to　the　world　at　the　gay　court　of　Henry　IV。　　But　the　coarse　and　depraved　manners　which　ruled　there　were　altogether　distasteful　to　her　delicate　and　fastidious　nature。　　At　twenty　she　retired　from　these　brilliant　scenes　of　gilded　vice；　and　began　to　gather　round　her　the　coterie　of　choice　spirits　which　later　became　so　famous。
  Filled　with　the　poetic　ideals　and　artistic　tastes　which　had　been　nourished　in　a　thoughtful　and　elegant　seclusion；　it　seems　to　have　been　the　aim　of　her　life　to　give　them　outward　expression。　　Her　mind；　which　inherited　the　subtle　refinement　of　the　land　of　her　birth；　had　taken　its　color　from　the　best　Italian　and　Spanish　literature；　but　she　was　in　no　sense　a　learned　woman。　　She　was　once　going　to　study　Latin；　in　order　to　read　Virgil；　but　was　prevented　by　ill　health。　　It　is　clear；　however；　that　she　had　a　great　diversity　of　gifts；　with　a　basis　of　rare　good　sense　and　moral　elevation。　　〃She　was　revered；　adored；〃　writes　Mme。　de　Motteville；　〃a　model　of　courtesy；　wisdom；　knowledge；　and　sweetness。〃　　She　is　always　spoken　of　in　the　chronicles　of　her　time　as　a　loyal　wife；　a　devoted　mother；　the　benefactor　of　the　suffering；　and　the　sympathetic　adviser　of　authors　and　artists。　　The　poet　Segrais　says：　〃She　was　amiable　and　gracious；　of　a　sound　and　just　mind；　it　is　she　who　has　corrected　the　bad　customs　which　prevailed　before　her。　　She　taught　politeness　to　all　those　of　her　time　who　frequented　her　house。　　She　was　also　a　good　friend；　and　kind　to　every　one。〃　　We　are　told　that　she　was　beautiful；　but　we　know　only　that　her　face　was　fair　and　delicate；　her　figure　tall　and　graceful；　and　her　manner　stately　and　dignified。　　Her　Greek　love　of　beauty　expressed　itself　in　all　her　appointments。　　The　unique　and　original　architecture　of　her　hotel；which　was　modeled　after　her　own　designs；the　arrangement　of　her　salon；　the　pursuits　she　chose；　and　the　amusements　she　planned；　were　all　a　part　of　her　own　artistic　nature。　　This　was　shown　also　in　her　code　of　etiquette；　which　imposed　a　fine　courtesy　upon　the　members　of　her　coterie；　and　infused　into　life　the　spirit　of　politeness；　which　one　of　her　countrymen　has　called　the　〃flower　of　humanity。〃　　But　this　esthetic　quality　was　tempered　with　a　clear　judgment；　and　a　keen　appreciation　of　merit　and　talent；　which　led　her　to　gather　into　her　society　many　not　〃to　the　manner　born。〃　　Sometimes　she　delicately　aided　a　needy　man　of　letters　to　present　a　respectable　appearancea　kindness　much　less　humiliating　in　those　days　of　patronage　that　it　would　be　today。　　As　may　readily　be　imagined；　these　new　elements　often　jarred　upon　the　t