As Julie d'Angennes and her sister Angelique attained an age to divide their mother's authority in the _salon_, its sentiment grew quintessential, and its taste was subtilised well-nigh to inanity. They censured _Polyeucte_; they found Chapelain's unhappy epic "perfectly beautiful, but excessively tiresome"; they laid their heads together over Descartes' _Discours de la Methode_, and profoundly admired the philosopher; they were enraptured by the madrigals on flowers, more than three score in number, offered as the _Guirlande de Julie_ on Mademoiselle's fete; they gravely debated the question which should be the approved spelling, _muscadin_ or _muscardin_. In 1649 they were sundered into rival parties--_Uranistes_ and _Jobelins_--tilting in literary lists on behalf of the respective merits of a sonnet by Voiture and a sonnet by Benserade. The word _precieux_ is said to date from 1650. The Marquise de Rambouillet survived Moliere's satiric comedy _Les Precieuses Ridicules_ (1659) by several years. Mme. de Sevigne, Mme. de la Fayette, Flechier, the preacher of fashion, were among the illustrious personages of the decline of her _salon_. We smile at its follies and affectations; but, while it harmed literature by magnifying things that were petty, it did something to refine manners, to quicken ideas, to encourage clearness and grace of expression, and to make the pursuit of letters an avenue to social distinction. Through the Hotel de Rambouillet, and the _salons_ which both in Paris and the provinces imitated its modes, and pushed them to extravagance, the influence of women on literature became a power for good and for evil. The "Works," as they were styled, of VINCENT VOITURE (1598-1648)--posthumously published--represent one side of the spirit of the _salon_. Capable of something higher, he lived to exhibit his ingenuity and wit in little ways, now by a cleverly-turned verse, now by a letter of gallantry. Although of humble origin, he was for long a presiding genius in the _chambre bleue_ of Arthenice. His play of mind was unhappily without a subject, and to be witty on nothings puts a strain on wit. Voiture expends much labour on being light, much serious effort in attaining vanities. His letters were admired as models of ingenious elegance; the life has long since passed from their raillery and badinage, but Voiture may be credited with having helped to render French prose pliant for the uses of pleasure.