The International Weekly Miscellany - Volume I, No. 4 | Page 4

death of De Tencin,
assembled in the house of Geoffrin. It appears, however, that Madame
de Tencin, as well as the whole fashionable world to which she
belonged, could never altogether disavow their contempt for science, if
indeed it be true, that she was accustomed to call her society by the
indecent by-name of her ménagerie. Fontenelle, Montesquieu, Mairan,
Helvetius who was then quite young and present rather as a hearer than
a speaker, Marivaux and Astruc, formed the nucleus of this clever
society and led the conversation. Marmontel, who was not well suited
to this society, in which more real knowledge and a deeper train of
thought was called for than he possessed, informs us what the tone of
this society was, and speaks of their hunting after lively conceits and
brilliant flashes of wit, in a somewhat contemptuous manner.
Marmontel, however, himself admits, that he was only once in the
society, and that in order to read his 'Aristomenes,' and that greater
simplicity and good humor prevailed there than in the house of
Madame Geoffrin, in which he was properly at home.
Madame de Tencin's influence upon the new literature of the opposition
party, or rather upon the spirit of the age, may be best judged of from
the fact, that she largely contributed to the first preparation and
favorable reception of Montesquieu's "Spirit of Laws." It is certain, at
least, that she bought a large number of copies and distributed them
amongst her friends. Madame Geoffrin went further; the society which
had previously met at Madame de Tencin's, no sooner held their
reunions in her house, than she drew together the whole literary and the
fashionable world, foreign ministers, noblemen and princes who were
on their travels, etc. Marmontel also says, that the aged Madame de
Tencin had guessed quite correctly the intentions of Madame Geoffrin,
when she said, that she merely came to her house so often in order to
see what part of her inventory she could afterward make useful.
Madame Geoffrin became celebrated all over Europe, merely by
devoting a portion of her income and of her time to the reception of

clever society. She had neither the knowledge, the mind, nor the
humility of Madame de Tencin, which the latter at least affected toward
the close of her life; she was cold, egotistical, calculating, and brought
into her circle nothing more than order, tact and female delicacy.
Geoffrin also assumed the tone of high life, which always treats men of
learning, poets and artists, as if they were mantua-makers or
hair-dressers; and which must ever value social tact and the tone which
is only to be acquired in good society, higher than all studies and arts
upon which any one possessed of these properties is in a condition to
pass judgment without having spent any time in their investigation.
Marmontel is therefore honest enough to admit that he and his friends,
as well as Madame Geoffrin herself, were accustomed to make a full
parade when foreign princes, ministers, and celebrated men or women
dined at the house. On such occasions especially, Madame Geoffrin
displayed all the charms of her mind, and called to us, "now let us be
agreeable."
Geoffrin's house was the first school of bon ton in Europe: Stanislaus
Poniatowsky, even after he became King of Poland, addressed her by
the tender name of mother, invited her to Warsaw, and received her as a
personage of high distinction. All the German courts which followed
the fashion, paid correspondents in order to be made acquainted with
the trifles which occupied that circle. Catherine II. had no sooner
mounted the throne than she began to pay a commissioner at this
literary court, and even Maria Theresa distinguished Madame Geoffrin
in a remarkable manner, on her return from Poland. Besides, we are
made acquainted by Marmontel, who ranked his hostess among the
gods of this earth, with the anxiety and cautiousness of this lady of the
world, who afterward broke altogether with the chiefs of the new
literature, and most humbly did homage to the old faith, because she
had never wholly forsaken her old prejudices.
The able writers of the time were used by Geoffrin only as means to
promote her objects, to gain a reputation for splendor, and to glorify
France. The King of Prussia sought her society, in order to refresh and
cheer his mind when he was worn out with the cares and toils of
government.

Madame Geoffrin opened her house regularly on Mondays for artists,
and on Wednesdays for men of learning; but as she neither understood
the arts nor sciences, she took part in the conversation only so far as she
could do so without exposing her weak side. She understood admirably
how to attract the great men to her