Page:Poet Lore, volume 34, 1923.djvu/77



Marie de Gournay, bas bleu, and adopted daughter of Monttaigne, was a prominent figure in the literary and social life of the Paris of the last half of the sixteenth century and first half of the century following. In her apartment in the Rue St-Honoré, opposite the church des Pères de l'Oratoire, many great men in the literary coterie of Paris were wont to gather. Indeed, the Académie Française, in its infancy, frequently met in her little home, there to spend feverish afternoons discussing the Dictionnaire which they were just then beginning.

Mademoiselle de Gournay moved among the great at court, counted there some friends and a few enemies, but many more mockers, who did not take her books seriously, and whose great delight was to make sport of her. Not to be taken seriously seems to have been the life long plaint of Marie de Gournay. There have come down to us many stories of the pranks played upon her.

For example, there is the prank of The Three Racans played upon her by three "flapper" youths of that period. At the time, Marie de Gournay was about sixty years old She sent to the poet Racan, whom she had never seen, a copy of her complete works. At three o'clock in the afternoon, Racan was to call to thank her for her gift. At one o'clock, the Chevalier Bueil called under the name of Racan, imitating the poet to the best of his ability, even to his lisp. Mademoiselle de Gournay, delighted at the visit, was charming, and exceedingly pleasant. Bueil left. At two o'clock, there arrived the Chevalier Yvrande also introducing himself as Racan. Marie was astonished.

"You are making fun of me, Monsieur," she exclaimed sharply.

"I, make fun of you, the adopted daughter of Montaigne, never!"

"Well then, Monsieur, the one who just left must have played a trick on me."