Historians usually describe the 18 ^th century as a Golden Age for most of the major and minor Arts, with its admirable achievements, masterworks of architecture, painting, sculpture, music, literature, as well as Grand Style furniture, jewelry, tableware, tapestry, fabrics and of course Fashion. Another Art reigned supreme, though, mainly in France, where the trend was set; but it has left nearly no trace at all, because of its particularly ephemeral nature: the ART OF CONVERSATION, as practiced mostly in Salons.

This unique mix of mastery of language, verbal elegance, charming (or ferocious) wit, quicksilver replies, original insights, refined sense of finely-shaded nuances in the choice of words, charming courtesy towards one another, logic in development of ideas, and fanciful speech, was the epitome of the French-speaking European Civilization in those days.

It is our duty as Royal Courts Courtiers to revive it, just as it has been done by Creators in visual arts, with magnificent dresses, gowns and wigs, fabulous carriages and montgolfieres , and awesome chateaux .

We are responsible for keeping this lost Art alive, and I am always happy to contribute to a literary or scientific Salon where profound ideas are exchanged in this most graceful manner of the 1700s.

For those of you who have not yet attended a SL Royal Courts Salon Meeting, I will provide an (imaginary, of course) example. A transcript of the Salon would go like this:

Karl-Heinz Moderator: Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends, I think we can begin now. We will celebrate this month the 300 ^th anniversary of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the famous philosopher, and I thought it a good idea to discuss his life and works.

- Comte de Bourlemou nods

- Lady Marshmallow: Greetings everyone! Hope I am not too late?

-K-H Moderator: Not at all, Madame, please take a seat Socan anyone tell us what he knows about Rousseau?

- Comte de Bourlemou nods

-KH Moderator: Can you be a little more specific, Sir?

-Comte de Bourlemou: He was a Frenchman.

-KH Moderator: yes, he wrote in French Well, actually he was a Swiss, but lived most of his life in France, and

-Arabella Klinkscale: Hellooooo! How are you today?

-Seraphine Percepied: Arabella! where have you been?

- Arabella Klinkscale: * pouts*shopping, what do you think?

-Seraphine Percepied,( in IM to Arabella) : Where did you get this dress, bitch?

-Seraphine Percepied: Ooops, sorry, Monsieur, please go ahead with Rousseau

-KH Moderator: errrrwhat were we saying? Did anyone read a book by Rousseau?

- Comtesse de la Porte de lEscalier de la Cave: Bonjoor Bonjoor! Hi Dears! Did I miss something?

- Comte de Bourlemou: Greetings, Madame

- Lord Myron de Verne: Bonjhpur, Madomee (* my usual typonese*)

- Lady Marshmallow whispers Shhhhhh, sit down and listen, dear Comtesse

-Lord Myron de Verne: I have read several books by Rousseau

-Comtesse de la Porte de lEscalier de la Cave: (( gorgeous dress, Arabella:-)))

-Lord Myron de Verne:...I had little time to prepare this Salon meeting, and if my English was better, i could tell you more about these books

- Comte de Bourlemou shakes his head

- Graf von Strumpf: Meine Damen und Herren!

- Graf von Strumpf bows

- Lady Marshmallow: Oh! Strumpfy! What brings you here? I did not know you were interested in French Enlightenment?

- Graf von Strumpf: Donnerwetter! Bullshit! I came here for the liquors!

- Graf von Strumpf smiles brightly

- KH Moderator: so, lets sum up what we said Rousseau was a Swiss, born in Geneva Switzerland was in those days- and still is- a confederation of free states or Lnder, a very advanced democracy, some sort of Republic

-Arabella Klinkscale: I loooove Geneva! Very clean city, a big big big lake, with a lovely big big fountain spray in the middle

-Graf von Strumpf: Ach Ja! Eine echte demokratische Republik damals,but darn Calvinist puritans, the Swiss!

-KH Moderator: you made a point, dear Graf, but lets not get too far away from our subject, though

- Principessa della Zuppa al Pomodoro creeps in silently but with majesty

- Comte de Bourlemou stands up and bows to the Principessa

- Graf von Strumpf stands up, clicks his heels ( schlagt seine Hacken zusammen), and bows even deeper

- Lord Myron de Verne stands up ( or rather jumps up like a devil out of a box, and finds himself standing on the nearby table, stomping the cakes and drinks)

- Lord Myron de Verne bows deeply to the Principessa (while still standing on the table)

- Lord Myron de Verne: Please take my seat, Principessa!

- Principessa della Zuppa al Pomodoro: awww thank you, Gentlemen, Je vous pray de reste seated , Messiours!

(KH Moderator rezzes a seat for la Principessa - and it happens to be a yellow and pink polka-dotted beanbag, which she overlooks with disdain)

-Long silence, public chat box remains empty-

-KH Moderator: So Rousseau may have been heavily influenced by his natal country, though he rejected it later and was himself rejected by

- Comte de Bourlemou: I am sorry, RL calls, I have to leave, A bientt!

- KH Moderator: See you soon, Monsieur

- Comte de Bourlemou nods

-Arabella Klinkscale: Me too! ((Gotta feed the kitty! ))

- Arabella Klinkscale giggles

- Lord Myron de Verne: I could try to translate some of Rousseau books for you , if you care for instance, Les Confessions, la Nouvelle Helose 2400 pages in all, if you are not in a hurry

- KH Moderator: Thank you, but they are already translated, Milord

- Lord Myron de Verne lurks, and looks at Lady Marshmallow, head and arms down, with an Away tag above her

- Seraphine Percepied: can I upload them for free in my Kindle?

-Principessa Della Zuppa al Pomodoro: May I have some of these cupcakes? They look delicious!

- Comtesse de la Porte de lEscalier de la Cave: personally, I prefer Voltaire

-Graf von Strumpf: Where are the liquors?

-Principessa Della Zuppa al Pomodoro: OMG! Is it THAT late? How time flies in your company! I have to rush back home, Ciaoooo!

- Graf von Strumpf clicks heels four times, turning east , west, north and south, and thanks the audience for the very interesting discussion ( * poofs*)

(Lord Myron de Verne crashes for the third time and does not come back)

-KH Moderator, staying alone with Lady Marshmallow who is afk: Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, its been a pleasure and a privilege to share these enlightening moments with you.

For our next Salon meeting, we will discuss the progress of science , most notably the steam engines.

( End of transcription)

I am proud I took my share in this remarkable experiment: of course, all this needs some polishing, but it is really comforting to see how we, Second Life Royal Courts members, strive to resuscitate the dead art of conversation, in all its brilliance and purity.