dividual　exceptions　to　this　limitation。　　Our　social　life　is　largely　a　form；　a　whirl；　a　commercial　relation；　a　display；　a　duty；　the　result　of　external　accretion；　not　of　internal　growth。　　It　is　not　in　any　sense　a　unity；　nor　an　expression　of　our　best　intellectual　life；　this　seeks　other　channels。　　Men　are　immersed　in　business　and　politics；　and　prefer　the　easy；　less　exacting　atmosphere　of　the　club。　　The　woman　who　aspires　to　hold　a　salon　is　confronted　at　the　outset　by　this　formidable　rival。　　She　is　a　queen　without　a　kingdom；　presiding　over　a　fluctuating　circle　without　homogeneity；　and　composed　largely　of　womena　fact　in　itself　fatal　to　the　true　esprit　de　societe。　　It　is　true　we　have　our　literary　coteries；　but　they　are　apt　to　savor　too　much　of　the　library；　we　take　them　too　seriously；　and　bring　into　them　too　strong　a　flavor　of　personality。　　We　find　in　them；　as　a　rule；　little　trace　of　the　spontaneity；　the　variety；　the　wit；　the　originality；　the　urbanity；　the　polish；　that　distinguished　the　French　literary　salons　of　the　last　century。　　Even　in　their　own　native　atmosphere；　the　salons　exist　no　longer　as　recognized　institutions。　　This　perfected　flower　of　a　past　civilization　has　faded　and　fallen；　as　have　all　others。　　The　salon　in　its　widest　sense；　and　in　some　modified　form；　may　always　constitute　a　feature　of　French　life；　but　the　type　has　changed；　and　its　old　glory　has　forever　departed。　　In　a　foreign　air；　even　in　its　best　days；　it　could　only　have　been　an　exotic；　flourishing　feebly；　and　lacking　both　color　and　fragrance。　　As　a　copy　of　past　models　it　is　still　less　likely　to　be　a　living　force。　　Society；　like　government；　takes　its　spirit　and　its　vitality　from　its　own　soil。
  CHAPTER　IX。　AN　ANTECHAMBER　OF　THE　ACADEMIE　FRANCAISE　The　Marquise　de　LambertHer　〃Bureau　d'Esprit〃Fontenelle　Advice　to　her　SonWise　Thoughts　on　the　Education　of　WomenHer　love　of　ConsiderationHer　GenerosotyInfluence　of　Women　upon　the　Academy。
  While　the　gay　suppers　of　the　regent　were　giving　a　new　but　by　no　means　desirable　tone　to　the　great　world　of　Paris；　and　chasing　away　the　last　vestiges　of　the　stately　decorum　that　marked　the　closing　days　of　Louis　XIV；　and　Mme。　de　Maintenon；　there　was　one　quiet　drawing　room　which　still　preserved　the　old　traditions。　　The　Marquise　de　Lambert　forms　a　connecting　link　between　the　salons　of　the　seventeenth　and　eighteenth　centuries；　leaning　to　the　side　of　the　latter；　intellectually；　but　retaining　much　of　the　finer　morality　that　distinguished　the　best　life　of　the　former。　　Her　attitude　towards　the　disorders　of　the　regency　was　similar　to　that　which　Mme。　de　Rambouillet　had　held　towards　the　profligate　court　of　Henry　IV；　though　her　salon　never　attained　the　vogue　of　its　model。　　It　lacked　a　certain　charm　of　youth　and　freshness　perhaps；　but　it　was　one　of　the　few　in　which　gambling　was　not　permitted；　and　in　which　conversation　had　not　lost　its　serious　and　critical　flavor。
  If　Mme。　de　Lambert　were　living　today　she　would　doubtless　figure　openly　as　an　author。　　Her　early　tastes　pointed　clearly　in　that　direction。　　She　was　inclined　to　withdraw　from　the　amusements　of　her　age；　and　to　pass　her　time　in　reading；　or　in　noting　down　the　thoughts　that　pleased　her。　　The　natural　bent　of　her　mind　was　towards　moral　reflections。　　In　this　quality　she　resembled　Mme。　de　Sable；　but　she　was　a　woman　of　greater　breadth　and　originality；　though　less　fine　and　exclusive。　　She　wrote　much　in　later　life　on　educational　themes；　for　the　benefit　of　her　children　and　for　her　own　diversion；　but　she　yielded　to　the　prejudices　of　her　age　against　the　woman　author；　and　her　works　were　given　to　the　world　only　through　the　medium　of　friends　to　whom　she　had　read　or　lent　them。　　〃Women；〃　she　said；　〃should　have　towards　the　sciences　a　modesty　almost　as　sensitive　as　towards　vices。〃　　But　in　spite　of　her　studied　observance　of　the　conventional　limits　which　tradition　still　assigned　to　her　sex；　her　writings　suggest　much　more　care　than　is　usually　bestowed　upon　the　amusement　of　an　idle　hour。　　If；　like　many　other　women　of　her　time；　she　wrote　only　for　her　friends；　she　evidently　doubted　their　discretion　in　the　matter　of　secrecy。
  As　the　child　who　inherited　the　rather　formidable　name　of　Anne　Theresa　de　Marguenat　de　Coucelles　was　born　during　the　last　days　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet；　she　doubtless　cherished　many　illusions　regarding　this　famous　salon。　　Its　influence　was　more　or　less　apparent　when　the　time　came　to　open　one　of　her　own。　　Her　father　was　a　man　of　feeble　intellect；　who　died　early；　but　her　mother；　a　woman　more　noted　for　beauty　than　for　decorum；　was　afterward　married　to　Bachaumont；　a　well…known　bel　esprit；　who　appreciated　the　gifts　of　the　young　girl；　and　brought　her　within　a　circle　of　wits　who　did　far　more　towards　forming　her　impressible　mind　than　her　light　and　frivolous　mother　had　done。　　She　was　still　very　young　when　she　became　the　wife　of　the　Marquis　de　Lambert；　an　officer　of　distinction；　to　whose　interests　she　devoted　her　talents　and　her　ample　fortune。　　The　exquisitely　decorated　Hotel　Lambert；　on　the　Ile　Saint　Louis；　still　retains　much　of　its　old　splendor；　though　the　finest　masterpieces　of　Lebrun　and　Lesueur　which　ornamented　its　walls　have　found　their　way　to　the　Louvre。　　〃It　is　a　home　made　for　a　sovereign　who　would　be　a　philosopher；〃　wrote　Voltaire　to　Frederick　the　Great。　　In　these　magnificent　salons；　Mme。　de　Lambert；　surrounded　by　every　luxury　that　wealth　and　taste　could　furnish；　entertained　a　distinguished　company。　　She　carried　her　lavish　hospitalities　also　to　Luxembourg；　where　she　adorned　the　position　of　her　husband；　who　was　governor　of　that　province　for　a　short　period　before　his　death　in　1686。　　After　this　event；　she　was　absorbed　for　some　years　in　settling　his　affairs；　which　were　left　in　great　disorder；　and　in　protecting　the　fortunes　of　her　two　children。　　This　involved　her　in　long　and　vexatious　lawsuits　which　she　seems　to　have　conducted　with　admirable　ability。　　〃There　are　so　few　great　fortunes　that　are　innocent；〃　she　writes　to　her　son；　〃that　I　pardon　your　ancestors　for　not　leaving　you　one。　　I　have　done　what　I　could　to　put　in　order　our　affairs；　in　which　there　is　left　to　women　only　the　glory　of　economy。〃　　It　was　not　until　the　closing　years　of　her　life；　from　1710　to　1733；　that　her　social　influence　was　at　its　height。　　She　was　past　sixty；　at　an　age　when　the　powers　of　most　women　are　on　the　wane；　when　her　real　career　began。　　She　fitted　up　luxurious　apartments　in　the　Palais　Mazarin；　employing　artists　like　Watteau　upon　the　decorations；　and　expending　money　as　lavishly　as　if　she　had　been　in　the　full　springtide　of　life；　instead　of　the　golden　autumn。　　Then　she　gathered　about　her　a　choice　and　lettered　society；　which　seemed　to　be　a　world　apart；　a　last　revival　of　the　genius　of　the　seventeenth　century；　and　quite　out　of　the　main　drift　of　the　period。　　〃She　was　born　with　much　talent；〃　writes　one　of　her　friends；　〃she　cultivated　it　by　assiduous　reading；　but　the　most　beautiful　flower　in　her　crown　was　a　noble　and　luminous　simplicity；　of　which；　at　sixty　years；　she　took　it　into　her　head　to　divest　herself。　　She　lent　herself　to　the　public；　associated　with　the　Academicians；　and　established　at　her　house　a　bureau　d'esprit。〃　　Twice　a　week　she　gave　dinners；　which　were　as　noted　for　the　cuisine　as　for　the　company；　and　included；　among　others；　the　best　of　the　forty　Immortals。　　Here　new　works　were　read　or　discussed；　authors　talked　of　their　plans；　and　candidates　were　proposed　for　vacant　chairs　in　the　Academy。　　〃The　learned　and　the　lettered　formed　the　dominant　element；〃　says　a　critic　of　the　time。　　〃They　dined　at　noon；　and　the　rest　of　the　day　was　passed　in　conversations；　in　readings；　in　literary　and　scientific　discussions。　　No　card　tables；　it　was　in　ready　wit　that　each　one　paid　his　contribution。〃　　Ennui　never　came　to　shed　its　torpors　over　these　reunions；　of　which　the　Academy　furnished　the　most　distinguished　guests；　in　company　with　grands　seigneurs　eager　to　show　themselves　as　worthy　by　intelligence　as　by　rank　to　play　a　role　in　these　gatherings　of　the　intellectual　elite。　　Fontenelle　was　the　presiding　genius　of　this　salon；　and　added　to　its　critical　and　literary　spirit　a　tinge　of　philosophy。　　This　gallant　savant；　who　was　adored　in　society　as　〃a　man　of　rare　and　exquisite　conversation；〃　has　left　many　traces　of　himself　here。　　No　one　was　so　sparkling　in　epigram；　no　one　talked　so　beautifully　of　love；　of　which　he　knew　nothing；　and　no　one　talked　to　delightfully　of　science；　of　which　he　knew　a　great　deal。　　But　he　thought　that　knowledge　needed　a　seasoning　of　sentiment　to　make　it　palatable　to　women。　　In　his　〃Pluralite　des　Mondes；〃　a　singular　melange　of　science　and　sentiment；　which　he　had　written　some　years　before　and　dedicated　to　a　daughter　of　the　gay　and　learned　Mme。　de　La　Sabliere；　he　talks　about　the　stars；　to　la　belle　marquise；　like　a　lover；　but　his　delicate　flatteries　are　the　seasoning　of　serious　truths。　　It　was　the　first　attempt　to　offer　science　sugar…coated；　and　suggests　the　character　of　this　coterie；　which　prided　itself　upon　a　discreet　mingling　of　elevated　thought　with　decorous　gaiety。　　The　world　moves。　　Imagine　a　female　undergraduate　of　Harvard　or　Columbia　taking　her　astronomy　diluted　with　sentiment！
  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：　〃I