CHAPTER VII. MADAME DE LA FAYETTE
Her Friendship with Mme. De Sevigne--Her Education--Her
Devotion to the Princess Henrietta--Her Salon--La Rochefoucauld--
Talent as a Diplomatist--Comparison with Mme. De Maintenon--Her
Literary Work--Sadness of her Last Days--Woman in Literature

CHAPTER VIII. SALONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Characteristics of the Eighteenth Century--Its Epicurean
Philosophy--Anecdote of Mme. Du Deffand--The Salon an Engine of
Political Power--Great Influence of Woman--Salons Defined--Literary
Dinners--Etiquette of the Salons--An Exotic on American Soil

CHAPTER IX. AN ANTECHAMBER OF THE ACADEMIE FRANCAISE
The Marquise de Lambert--Her "Bureau d'Esprit"--Fontenelle--
Advice to her Son--Wise Thoughts on the Education of Women--Her
Love of Consideration--Her Generosity--Influence of Women upon
the Academy

CHAPTER X. THE DUCHESSE DU MAINE
Her Capricious Character--Her Esprit--Mlle. De Launay--Clever
Portrait of her Mistress--Perpetual Fetes at Sceaux--Voltaire
and the "Divine Emilie"--Dilettante Character of this Salon

CHAPTERXI. MADAME DE TENCIN AND MADAM DU CHATELET
An Intriguing Chanoinesse--Her Singular Fascination--Her Salon--Its
Philosophical Character--Mlle. Aisse--Romances of Mme. De
Tencin--D'Alembert--La Belle Emilie--Voltaire--the Two Women
Compared