File:The women of the salons, and other French portraits (1901) (14753422216).jpg

Identifier: womenofsalonsoth00hall (find matches)
Title: The women of the salons, and other French portraits
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Hall, Evelyn Beatrice, 1868-1919
Subjects: Women Salons
Publisher: London, New York (etc.) Longmans, Green, and co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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oraceWalpole worshipped at the shrine of such a grace,softness, and delicacy, when old Mary Montagucharacterised the whole correspondence as alwaystittle-tattle, and Lord Chesterfield deigned to ad-mire its ease, freedom, and friendship, each critichad no doubt a little right on his side, and thetruth lies somewhere between them all. Marie de Rabutin Chantal, who is to this day areligion among all Frenchmen, and was herselfFrench, not only by birth, but by every instinctand quality of her character, was born on a certainday in February 1626. Her father died when shewas a baby, her mother when she was only sevenyears old, so that the little creature knew nothing inher own childhood of the maternal affection whichshe was to turn hereafter into a fine art, and whichwas to make her a name for ever. Her uncle, Abbe of Coulanges, brought her up inthe country quiet of his priory at Livry. What afresh breath of spring this gay, soft, quick, brightlittle French girl must have brought into that
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fff////////r <■//■ oy&i, ///r <■//■ Vc 1/-1 </■?)/ . fy-/) MADAME DE SEVIGNE 205 studious atmosphere of mystic piety, and to thegrave Jansenist philosophers, my uncles companions !She had Menage and Chapelain for her tutors. Shelearned Latin, Spanish, Italian, and wore the weightof learning now, as she wore it all her life, lightlylike a flower. She was only sixteen, with the in-nocence of that calm life still upon her, when she waspresented at the brilliant court of Anne of Austriaand received with a truly Gallic transport andenthusiasm. She had those yeux bleus qui reventen regardant. She had cette fleur printaniere deteint. She had the sweetest brightness, naturalness,charm. She was so fresh and so gay, so kind, happy,and girlish. All her biographers are in love with her.They would not be French if they could refuse toadore such a divinity. It is only one of them whosuggests that she could have needed anything tocomplete her perfection—and that the deepenin

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