Ir has been suggested, that a few desultory sketches of the shining lights of the French theatre would form an appropriate addendum to our national reminiscences of our own stage. We hasten to comply with the suggestion, and on turning over the pages of memory in search of material, the first name that strikes us is MOLIERE, the greatest, although not the earliest comic writer of his country. Jodelle, Mairet, and Hardy, preceded him in point of date. Jodelle and Mairet courted Melpomene as well as her more lively sister. Hardy confined himself more immediately to Thalia. All three are better known by their names than their works, which are seldom read, and only to be found in two or three public libraries. The former are sometimes quoted, but the latter are never referred to. Hardy was gifted with a muse almost as prolific as that of Lope de Vega, and could dash off a comedy of two thousand lines in twenty-four hours. It has been recorded, and is currently believed, that he wrote seven hundred pieces, of which only forty-one are now extant. Lope de Vega composed no less than eighteen hundred, and made little of despatching an average comedy before breakfast. Both the Frenchman and Spaniard treated with sovereign contempt the "nonumque prematur in annum of Horace, if they had ever taken the trouble to read that discouraging canon. Modern dramatic poets are too much "pressed by hunger and request of friends," to check their speed of composition by such a heavy drag-chain. Hardy died in 1630, ten years after Moliere was born. His dramas are all characterised by the faults of his age. He wrote without plan, and in utter defiance of rules. The construction is invariably monstrous, and often mixed up with the grossest indelicacy. dialogue is short and hurried; his characters carry on an altercation in

His

single lines or couplets, a style of writing afterwards adopted with singular brilliancy by Corneille. He has little imagination, less variety of plot, and continually repeats the same incident. He had a command of words without genius, while his versification is laboured and bombastic. The oldest dramatic composition in the French language is a broad farce, called "L'Avocat Patelin," familiar to the English public under the title of the Village Lawyer, which is almost a literal translation of the original. The authorship is still unsettled, although it has been assigned to many. Fontinelle carries back the date of this production to the time of Louis XII. (1498-1515). In his "Histoire du Theatre François," he gives a long extract, which he considers worthy of being compared with Moliere, and mentions that Pasquier has another. This little comedy was at first written in quaint rhymes and antiquated style. After some time it was modernised into prose. In this state it has been ascribed to Palaprat, and published separately, with his name, although not included in the entire collection of his dramas. It was certainly in existence long before Palaprat was born. Rabelais alludes to "Patelin," and Rabelais died in 1553, ninety-seven years before the birth of Palaprat.*

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, so celebrated afterwards under the adopted surname of Moliere, was born at Paris, in 1620, six years after the death of Shakspeare; whom he was destined to rival in the richness of his comic genius, as he also resembled him in the duration of his existence. Each of these great men died at the comparatively early age of fifty-two. Moliere, in one respect, surpassed Shakspeare; in the excellence of his acting. He sustained many of the leading characters in his own plays,

with executive talent equal to his skill in their conception. Shakspeare, we are to suppose, never soared beyond mediocrity as an actor; the Ghost in Hamlet, and Adam in As you like it, being often named as his most prominent assumptions. Lee, Otway, and Farquhar, were even more unfortunate, and failed entirely when they ventured to face the lamps. Moliere and Shakspeare were actors before they commenced the trade of authorship, and the one vocation served them as an apprenticehip to the other.

The father and grandfather of Moliere filled the office of valet-dechambre and upholsterer to the King (Louis XIII.) The post was considered an heirloom in their family, and the reversion was already secured to the young representative. Up to the age of fourteen he was educated at home, conformably to his prospects; but he then conceived an idea very opposite to the wishes of his parents, and to which they yielded with great reluc tance. He demanded, and obtained permission to complete his studies at the College of Clermont, where he remained five years. At college he formed an intimacy with Chapelle, Bernier, and Cyrano, and with them, became a pupil of the celebrated Gassendi. Elegant literature and profound philosophy united to form his taste and imbue his mind with the just principles which exhibit themselves in the many characters he has so ably drawn.

When Louis XIII. made a royal progress to Narbonne, in 1641, the father of Moliere was too infirm to attend his duty, so that the son was compelled to quit his cherished studies, and supply his place; but on his return to Paris, he yielded to his star, which destined him to become the founder of a new and imperishable school of French comedy. The warm patronage which Cardinal Richelieu afforded to dramatic poets, had caused a taste for the theatre to become the prevailing fashion. Several private companies were formed to act for their domestic amusement. The young Poquelin enrolled himself in one of these, which became known by the title of the "Illustrious Theatre." On this occasion, he dropped his own name, and assumed that of Moliere; either from consideration for his family, who detested the theatrical profession, or in compliance

with the example of several of his associates.

Moliere's grandfather was very fond of his grandson, and had also an equal attachment for the stage. He often carried the youth to the "Hotel de Bourgogne," at that time the leading theatre in Paris. The father, who looked upon this idle recreation with a jealous eye, as interfering with more profitable business, one day demanded of the grandsire, why he took the boy so often to the play? "Do you wish," said he, "to make an actor of him?" "I wish, with all my heart," replied the old man, "that he might make as good an actor as Bellerose." Bellerose, whose real name was Pierre le Messier, was the Betterton of the French stage, although earlier than the Englishman in point of time. He arrived at great reputation, and was the original representative of nearly all the tragic heroes of Corneille. name ranks with Baron, LeKain, and Talma. The young Poquelin was deeply struck with the answer of his grandfather, and from that moment, in his own thoughts, his future course of life was decided on.

His

In the private company he joined, a young actress was engaged, named Armande Bejart. She possessed beauty, talent, agreeable manners, an admirable taste in singing, and many external graces, which made her universally popular. Moliere became enamoured, and married her; but the union proved unproductive of happiness. She was giddy, thoughtless, and, perhaps, unfaithful; but, nevertheless, she found a second husband after the death of

the first. In conjunction with his wife, Moliere collected together a regular company of professional actors, and opened a theatre in Lyons.

His father, vexed at the son's conduct, endeavoured through the persuasions of many friends, to dissuade him from the course of life on which he had determined. At last he employed the intercession of the master with whom Moliere had boarded for several years during the early period of his education; hoping, that by the memory of his ancient authority, he would bring him back to the regular path of duty. Moliere, on the contrary, succeeded in winning the former preceptor over to his own adopted profession, and induced him to become the doctor of their company; persuading him that the

little Latin, of which he was master, would qualify him for that line of characters, and that the independence of an actor was preferable to the slavery of a pedagogue.

At Lyons, Moliere produced his first comedy, L'Etourdi, the success of which drew nearly the entire audience from a rival establishment in the same city. Many members deserted from the failing concern, and enlisted under the banners of Moliere; accompanying him to Languedoc, where he went to offer his services to the Prince de Conti, who was then holding, Beziers, the "States of Provence." The Prince had been acquainted with Moliere at College, and had often commanded the performances of the "Illustrious Theatre," in his palace at Paris.

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L'Etourdi appeared again at Beziers with increased success. The fame of Moliere was carried still higher by Le Depit Amoureux, and Les Precieuses Ridicules; even some trifling farces were applauded, which the author afterwards suppressed, as considering them unworthy of the reputation to which he aspired. During this country noviciate, he frequently visited Paris, to which place as a residence, his thoughts and ambition always pointed; and contrived to be introduced to Monsieur, who presented him to the King and the Queen Mother, Anne of Austria. He performed before their Majesties, and obtained permission to exhibit with his company in the Guard-room of the old Louvre, and, subsequently, in that of the Palais Royal. In 1665, they became regularly attached to the King's service, and from this epoch we may date the commencement of the reign of true comic taste on the French stage. Moliere was then forty-five, and had not reached his elevation without many years of anxious labour and progressive advancement. His genius developed itself by degrees, and was strengthened and matured by success.

In 1666 appeared the Misanthrope, not only one of the ablest specimens of Moliere's genius, but one of the most complete comedies that ever was written in any language. The actors predicted unfavourably of its reception, and the event corroborated their judg ment. The Misanthrope was a decided failure, and Moliere withdrew it. In a month after he brought it out again,

preceded by the Fagot-Maker, or the Physician in Spite of Himself, a farce of broad humour, translated into English by Fielding, under the title of the Mock Doctor. This trifle was received with acclamations, and ran for three months without intermission, always followed by the Misanthrope. The farce protected and established the comedy. The enemies of Moliere, who were ever active to injure him, endeavoured to persuade the Duke de Montausier, one of the princes of the blood, that the character of the Misanthrope was intended as a caricature of himself. The Prince went to see it, and said, on leaving the theatre, "I should be very well contented to resemble the Misanthrope of Moliere."

In 1667 Moliere produced the celebrated comedy of Le Tartuffe, which may be considered his masterpiece. It was for a long time uncertain whence he had derived this title, which has become generically adopted into the French language, as synonymous with religious hypocrite or false devotee. The success which creates a proverb, or establishes new words, can be of no ordinary nature. The following story has obtained currency relative to the origin of the name. Moliere once happened to be at the residence of the Papal Nuncio in company with two ecclesiastics, whose hypocritical and mortified demeanour assimilated well with the idea then predominant in his mind, which was entirely occupied with his projected comedy of the Impostor. Some truffles were brought in, and presented to his Excellency to know if he would purchase them. One of the two sanctified attendants, who understood a little Italian, started suddenly from his silent absorption at sight of the gastronomic delicacy, and selecting the best, exclaimed, with an excited air, "Tartufoli, Signor Nunzio, Tartufoli!" Moliere, who was always an attentive observer on the look-out for traits of character, immediately adpted the idea of giving to his impostor the name of Tartuffe. This may or may not be the origin of the term, but it will do very well until a better is found.

The three first acts of the Tartuffe were acted privately before Louis XIV. and the two queens, on the 12th May, 1664, being the sixth day of the fetes of Versailles. The King forbade the public representation of the play until

it was finished and examined by competent judges, adding, that for himself he saw nothing objectionable in it. This prohibition was enough to excite a general opposition to the piece and the author, on the part of all pretenders to religion. Even the sincerely devout became alarmed, not very clearly understanding the object of the writer. When Moliere had represented on the stage fantastical marquesses, affected fops, and ignorant physicians, all the world laughed and enjoyed the joke; even those who were supposed to be caricatured laughed with the rest. But the case was different with the Tartuffe, which came home to the consciences of too many to be passed over as an insulated portrait. Accordingly, the comedy was denounced by the hypocritical as a general attack upon all religion, cried down as a mass of abomination, and declared worthy to be burnt by the hands of the public executioner. A worthy curate, in a book which he dedicated to the King, decided that Moliere was a candidate for the flames, and damned him of his own individual authority. The bishops and the legate having sat in judgment on the work, decided with more lenity, and the King at length delivered a verbal permission to Moliere to act his comedy; but he ordered at the same time that the title should be changed to that of the Impostor, that the actor who represented the part should be called "Panulphe," and that he should be dressed like a man of the world, with a narrow-brimmed hat, curled hair, a large collar, a sword, and a laced coat. The King's authority carried the play through, in spite of all opposition; and it proved so attractive, that the actors of the company insisted on a double share being paid to the author for every representation -a rule which was regularly observed during his life. The celebrated Jesuit priest Bourdaloue honoured Moliere by a discourse exclusively directed to the condemnation of his comedy. "What right have you," said Father Maimbourg, an eccentric preacher, to him one day, "to take our trade out of our hands, and deliver sermons from the stage? "And what right have you," retorted Moliere, "to take our trade out of our hands, and act comedies in the pulpit ?"

At the very time when all this outcry was raised against Tartuffe, a most licentious piece was acting in

Paris, entitled Scaramouche Hermite, in which a hermit, dressed as a monk, ascends in the night, by a ladder, to the chamber of a married woman, and comments, with gross buffoonery, on his own situation. This unsaintly burlesque was even acted at the Court. The King was shocked (or pretended to be so), and said to the great Condé, "I should like to know why the good people who affect to be so scandalised by the comedy of Moliere, are silent on this extravagance of Scaramouche." "Sire," replied the Prince," the reason is evident. Scaramouche sports with heaven and religion, for which these worthy gentlemen care nothing. Moliere holds themselves up to ridicule, which touches them beyond endurance."

Several writers have charged Moliere with having derived the idea of the Tartuffe from the Italian theatre. A very old sketch has been named as furnishing the ground-work to the French poet. The contrary is the fact. The Italians, and particularly Gigli, the author of the sketch in question, which he entitled "Il Dottor Bacchetoni," have copied from Moliere.

It has been verified beyond dispute, that his comedy is of older date than the Italian farces he has been accused of using. More probability attaches to the supposition that the Abbé Roquette, Bishop of Autun, furnished to Moliere the original of his Hypocrite, and that the details of his life and character were supplied by Boileau, through the medium of M. de Guilleragnes. Moliere was introduced by his friend and literary adviser, Chapelle, to the celebrated Ninon de l'Enclos, and read to her his far-famed comedy. She expressed her admiration of the work in the warmest terms, and then recited to the author an adventure similar to that of the hero of his piece; but so highly coloured, and full of point, that Moliere, with a rare modesty, declared on quitting her, that if the play had not been already finished, he should be afraid to bring it on the stage after hearing the story of Ninon. The particular incident she related to Moliere is thus given by Voltaire, in his memoirs of that remarkable woman :"When M. de Gourville, who was named for twenty-four hours as succesor to Colbert, and whom we have seen since die one of the leading men