eighteenth-century salons, although, in the strict sense of the word,
Mme. de Tencin's salon was of a political rather than a literary
nature. Successively nun, mistress, mother, she was one of the
shrewdest women of the century. Born in 1681, she early became a nun;
but such was the character of her life at the convent that it was not
long before she became a mother. In 1714 she abandoned her conventual
life and went to Paris, where she rose to influence as the mistress of
Cardinal Dubois and of the regent, the Duke of Orleans. At Paris her
real activity began; she arrived at that gay capital with no other
collateral than a pretty face and an extraordinary cunning, which
soon brought her a fortune. Fertile in resources of all kinds, she
succeeded immediately, and gained for her nephew the cardinal's hat.
In 1717 was born to her the afterward famous d'Alembert, whom she left
upon the steps of the church Saint-Jean-le-Rond; afterward, when he
had become eminent and her power was waning, she unsuccessfully used
every means at her command to gain his favor and recognition; the
father of that child was the Chevalier Destouches.

About 1726, when lovers were numerous and friends plentiful, the death
of Lafresnaye occurred at her salon. In his testament he stated that
his death was caused by Mme. de Tencin; however, she was too shrewd,
cunning, and careful to be guilty of permitting any weak points to
appear in her plots, and it was not difficult for her to clear herself
of that charge by the verdict of the judges, who considered the
accusation a posthumous vengeance.

The great literary men whom Mme. de Tencin gathered about her,
Fontenelle, Montesquieu, Mairan, Marivaux, Helvetius, Marmontel, were
called her menagerie, or her _betes_. Among them, Marivaux received
a pension of one thousand ecus from her, besides drawing at will upon
the exchequer of an old maid by the name of Saint-Jean. Marmontel,
desirous of writing tragedies, took lessons from the famous Mlle.
Clairon--at his friend's expense. To give a correct idea of the
character of woman's influence upon the literary style of that
century, the words of Marmontel may be quoted: "He who wishes to write
with precision, energy, and vigor, may live with man only; but he who
in his style wishes to have subtleness, amenity, charm, flexibility,
will do well, I think, to live with woman."

Mme. de Tencin exerted an immense influence upon the men of her
circle, especially