New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS
THE FRENCH SALONS.

OF volumes could be prepared nom the great magazine
OF fact and anecdote which the Frepch memoirs fur
nisb. OF course, IL not possible for Mrs. Mason,
In the space OF less than 800 pages. to do anything
like justice TO the subject but nevertheless she has
produced book which Is fun of interes and which
will probably be found full enough by the majority
Of readers who only seek general outline OF such
matters. The French salon is or the most
remarkable instrument known for the application
Of woman's influence TO general sculturc literature
and politics. without anything approaching orgahl-
zaton or selfdeveloped system from the beginning
salon exercised influence unxampcd In history.
That phase Of it most commonly insisted upon AZ
least during the "sncen regime" Is Its fnvonty anu
gayety. No doubt IN the decadence OF the Regency
1t became much what society was, ana the author Vi
This volume has found it necessary to touch ish'H
upon this epoch which, in truth, will not bear close
handling In work intended for the general pubic.
the important Of the salon did not cease even
under those demoraNzing conditions. 1t continued
to push forward that renaissance movement winch was
90 eliminate In the Revolution, and when IN clearing
the ground for that CONFUSION was to sweep away
religion and introduce mserialst philosophy. marked
equally by its extremsm and its crudity.
The salon moreover represented constantly the
various strata OF French society. II consisted OF
congeres of little factions, each of which served as
a distributing point for IDEAS and opinions The
clever spirtuele and ambitious women who conducted
these gatherings held their places and TOOK thelr
places by right Of natural selection and survival Oh
the fttest In the seventeenth century note of ari-
flciality dominated French society. Literature ana
life stood apart from another and the literary
rccreations which the salon OF the period affected
strike us to-day as having been singularly sf taste
less and jejune. When the men and women OF the
salons gave the rein to their naive wit and humor'
the results were very different and even the stiffness
and search for H.erary polish had its good effects,
for n tended to soften and refine society which
l,.A ham
Nor must 1t be forgotten that the salon did much to-
ward. improving the position of women and in pro-
noting chivarous behavior toward them 1t has often
been sd-usualy by critics OF nations less advanced
in poteness-that French gallantry is insncere and
superficial. This however, is only partly true Most
men have in them central core Of barbarism and II,
as civilization progresses, this does not disappear but
is only overlaid with veneering of courtesy and
poteness this veneeng is the less distinct adj
vance upon the preceding condition, in which there
was the same underlying and selfshness,
and attempt to disguise or restrain II. Inc salon
taught higher code Of manners, and that was good
thing 10 do 1t had, as rule, little serious lntenuon
to play reformer, but the influence OF educated
women and even of beautiful and gracious women
uho could not pretend to much intellectually was
eletng and refining as the event sufficiently proved
There are many features in the history of the salon
which can hardly be apprehended unless the national
character and tendencies have been studied, ana I'M
less allowance be made for difference in the points OF
view But ii is easy to appreciate the strength OF the
intellectual fermentation which was constantly going
on in these circles the wholesome and stimulating
Effect of that friction Of ideas which the general inter
communication produced All T&ndS Sf brilliant
minds were here brought in contact for the salon was
not one but various. The literary, the philosophical
the purely social and the political salons each haa
their votaries and these, too, passed from one 10
another circle freshenng their wits by the exchange oi
opinions. And what women the salon brought into
prominence How long list of brilliant and dis
tincuished DANES the very name recalls: NINE. oe
Ramb0ujIet the Duchcsse de Longueville, Mhe de
scudery Madame de Sevigne. Madame dc La Fayette,
Madame de Deifand, Nine. de Sencin, Mme dn Chate-
let. Nine Geonrin. Nine. d'Eplnay. Mlle de Les
ppasse Nine. Necker. Nine. de stael, Mme' dc
C;enlis Nine. Recamer, Nine. de Krudener, Nine. de
Iemusat, and how many more Some distinguished
ia intellect some for wit, and some for converse
tional charm or beauty of person grace and charm
81 manners The salon proved, among other things,
that French women could exercise true fascination
without possessing personal beauty Not Few Oh .he
most eminent and socially influential Of these iadies
we're not even good looking; and some were positNey
bomely. But the men who listened to them forgot
their faces and perhaps thls, ior "omen' was WV
greatest triumph OF all
How noble an array Of great men-men Of letters,
men of sclece men of politics, men Of art-avc passed.
through and exhibited themselves In the French salon.
and how many poor and struggling men OF genius nave
owed their rise to the kindly help OF the women VINO
presided there! It was the salon that, in the seVch-
Ieenth and eighteenth centuries, modified the cere-
ropial austertes of feuda etiquette and fomed
bridge between rank and talent The poor author OF
dmast or poet or man OF science found there oppor
tunty for making himself known such he would have
.onght in vain elsewhere Die purposes of intel
lectal intercourse the barriers OF birth ana posiuoh
were lowered. The grand dame dc par lie monde as
tIora IN
poet who slept in an attic and owned but single coat
"a his back The salon. too, the nursery of those
advanced views known in connection with the Eneyclo
pedla Here the social contract Of Rousseau the rights
of man. the atheism of dioback the seeptcism OF vol
tsIre and dAlembert and Dderot were discussed ana
analyzed; and hence percclated through the lower
strata OF society those philosophical hypothesis
which, when applied by ignorance and prejudice and
passion to the practical affairs OF life and govern
ment produced tremendous results, which had never
entered into the conception OF their original propa-
gators What the influence OF the salon was, even
when II declining to its fall, may be judged from
the constant apprehension 1t caused Napoleon, whose
maxim it was that whatever opposed him must be
crushed. With all his egotism and masterfuness, he
recognized the mpossibty OF suppesSng this instu-
ton Madame de Stael. indeed, he could drive Into
exile, though thus he could not silence her. But
the Faubourg st. German troubled him, though Its In
lbitants had fallen TO be feeble folk, and with all
his brutality to women, he feared them both socially
and politically.
The salon has virtually passed away. Other times
other modes. But the interest Of it can never die
and however closely it may have been studied, it con-
stiutes 20 vivid animated and changefnl panorama
od human that books like this must always be
wei5ome and popular. Mrs. Mason has we think, per
formed her task on the whole very satisfactorily, and
her sketches brief though they necessarily give
clear and often striking impression of the people and
the scenes she describes The publishers have made
of the volume beautiful gft-book, with handsome
and appropriate sumptuous paper and print and
a series OF MelleXecuted portraits.