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Lives of the most eminent literary and scientific men of France, Vol. 2 (of 2)

Chapter 1: THE
By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
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A collection of concise biographical sketches of notable French literary and scientific figures, arranged with analytical and chronological tables and an index. Each life account outlines upbringing, education, principal works, stylistic traits, and illustrative anecdotes, while noting critical reception and the broader historical and intellectual context. The volume blends factual chronology with thematic commentary to present readable portraits that highlight individual contributions, habits, and the circumstances that shaped each subject's career.

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Title: Lives of the most eminent literary and scientific men of France, Vol. 2 (of 2)

Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Editor: Dionysius Lardner

Release date: May 17, 2021 [eBook #65361]
Most recently updated: October 18, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Laura Natal Rodrigues at Free Literature (Images generously made available by The Internet Archive.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIVES OF THE MOST EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN OF FRANCE, VOL. 2 (OF 2) ***

THE

CABINET OF BIOGRAPHY.

CONDUCTED BY THE

REV. DIONYSIUS LARDNER, LL.D. F.R.S. L. & E.

M.R.I.A. F.R.A.S. F.L.S. F.Z.S. Hon. F.C.P.S. &c. &c.
ASSISTED BY

EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

EMINENT
LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF FRANCE.

VOL. II.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR
LONGMAN, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS,
PATERNOSTER-ROW;
AND JOHN TAYLOR,
UPPER GOWER STREET.
1839.



CONTENTS

TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE FIRST VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF FRANCE.
TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE SECOND VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF FRANCE.
VOLTAIRE
ROUSSEAU
CONDORCET
MIRABEAU
MADAME ROLAND
MADAME DE STAËL
INDEX
TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE FIRST VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF ITALY, SPAIN, AND PORTUGAL.
TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE SECOND VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF ITALY, SPAIN, AND PORTUGAL.
TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE THIRD VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF ITALY, SPAIN, AND PORTUGAL.
INDEX


The Analytical and Chronological Tables and Index to the Series of Lives of Eminent Literary and Scientific Men of Italy, Spain, and Portugal, are given at the end of this volume.


TABLE,
ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL,
TO THE FIRST VOLUME OF
LIVES OF
EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF FRANCE.

MONTAIGNE.
1533-1592
 
A. D.
PAGE
Birth of Michel de Montaigne
1533.
1
Pierre Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne
 
1
Education of Montaigne and his five Brothers
 
2
The Public School of Guienne
 
5
Ætat 26. Friendship with Etienne de la Boétie
1559.
7
Death of É. de la Boétie
1563.
9
Ætat 33. Marriage of Montaigne
1566.
9
Death of his father Pierre
 
10, 11
Troubles of France
 
10
Duke of Guise
 
10
Henry King of Navarre, afterwards Henri Quatre
 
11
Anecdotes of the Civil War
 
13, 14
Ætat. 47. Montaigne's Journey through Switzerland to Munich,
Venice, and Rome
1580.
17
Ætat. 48. Citizenship of Rome granted to Montaigne by a Bull
of the Pope
1581.
18
Description of Rome
 
18
Devotion of Montaigne, and Offering at the Shrine of Loretto
 
19
Montaigne elected Mayor by the Citizens of Bordeaux. His
return home to fill that Office
 
19
Ætat 52. Friendship of Montaigne for Mlle. Marie de Gournay
le Jars
1585.
20
Ætat. 60. Decease of this celebrated Author
His Character
1592.
21
Montaigne's Essays edited by Mlle. de Gournay, with a Preface
by that Lady
 
21


RABELAIS.
1483-1553.
Lord Bacon's Opinion of Rabelais
 
23
Style of his Romance in Writings
 
23
Presumed Date of Birth of Rabelais
1483.
23
His Education in a Monastery
 
24
Rabelais assumes the Franciscan Habit, and preaches
Envy of Monks
 
24
His Condemnation to Bread and Water
 
25
On his Release he turns to the Rule of Benedict
 
25
Rabelais quits the Monks, and studies Medicine
 
26
His Edition of Hippocrates
 
26
His Visit to Cardinal du Bellay
 
27
His scarlet Gown
 
27
Established as Physician at Lyons
 
28
Rabelais' Journey to Rome
 
28
His Correspondence
 
28, 30
Interview with Pope Paul III.
 
29
His Journey to Lyons and Paris
 
29
Rabelais, Abbot of St. Maur-des-Fosses, and Curé de Meudon
 
30
His celebrated Work, or Romance
 
31
Controversy resulting therefrom
 
31
Rome, attack on, by Rabelais
 
31
Francis I. protects him from the Sorbonne
 
31, 32
Opinions of French Authors on Francis Rabelais
 
34
His Imitators enumerated
 
36
His various Works
 
37
His Acquirements in Languages and Science
 
38
Exemplary Conduct as a Minister of Religion
 
39
Ætat. 70. His Decease
 
39
Epitaphs for Rabelais
1553.
39


CORNEILLE.
1606-1684.
State of French Poetry and Literature
 
40
Birth of Corneille
1606.
40
Consequences of the Civil War in France
1590-1600.
41
Rise of the French Drama
 
42
Ætat. 23. Corneille writes "Mélite," a Comedy
1629.
42
Ætat. 28. His early Tragedies, &c.
1634.
42
Cardinal de Richelieu employs Corneille, Rotrou, Colletet,
Bois-Robert, and L'Étoile on his own Dramatic Works
 
43
Theatre of the Cardinal
 
43
Corneille retires to Rouen
1635.
43
His Amatory Poems
 
43
Ætat 29. His "Medea" acted
 
44
Corneille's Genius excited by the Study of Guillen do Castro
 
45
Unity, dramatic, considered as a Fetter on modern Talent
 
45
He composed the "Cid"
 
45
Unparalleled Success of this Drama
 
46
Critique of the "Cid" by the French Academy
1637.
47
Ætat. 33. Writes "Horace," a Tragedy
1639.
48
Ætat. 40. Corneille's Tragedy of "Rodogune"
1616.
52
Success of his "Œdipus"
 
54
Is elected of the French Academy
1642.
55
His Manners and Conversation
 
55
Thomas Corneille's Tragedies
 
56
Ætat. 62. Pierre Corneille and his Family established in Paris
1662.
56
Rivality of Corneille and Racine
 
57, 58
Louis XIV.'s Court
 
58
Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans
 
58
Ætat. 79. Death of Pierre Corneille
1684.
59
Veneration for his Memory
 
60
Eloge by Racine
 
61
Account of his Sons and Daughter
 
61


ROCHEFOUCAULD.
1613-1680.
The Duke de la Rochefoucauld's Maxims
 
63
High Station of his House, and its ancient Power
 
63
Reign of Henry IV.
 
64
Reign of Louis XIII.
 
64
Cardinal de Richelieu represses the Ambition of the French
Nobles
 
64
Anne of Austria, Regent of France
1643.
64
Five Years of Peace and Tranquillity
 
67
Ætat. 29. The Prince de Marsillac (afterwards Duc de la
Rochefoucauld) returns to Paris
1642.
63
Battle of Rocroi gained by Condé over the Spaniards
1644.
67
Civil War in France
 
68
The Fronde
 
68
Barricades of Paris
 
68
De Retz, Cardinal, Coadjutor of the Archbishopric of Paris
 
68
Account of the Princes de Condé, de Conti, and their Sister the
Duchess de Longueville
 
68
Condé and his Brother imprisoned at Vincennes
1650.
72
Liberated by the Frondeurs
 
73
His Actions with Turenne
 
80
Is defeated by Turenne near Paris
 
81
Raises the Standard of Rebellion in Holland
 
82
Peace concluded between the Court and the Fronde
 
83
Louis XIV. assumes the Government of his Kingdom
 
83
War of the Fronde terminated, and the Party dissolved
1653.
83
Ætat. 40. Duke de la Rochefoucauld retires with his Family to
Danvilliers to recover from his Wounds
1653.
83
Recalled by Mazarin to Court
 
84
Literati in Paris in the Reign of Louis XIV.
 
85
Ætat. 67. Death of the Duke de la Rochefoucauld
1680.
89, 90
Critique on his "Maxims"
 
91
Memoirs of the Regency of Anne of Austria, Widow of
Louis XIII.
 
96


MOLIÈRE.
1622-1673.
Distinguished Writers of the Age of Louis XIV.
 
97
Family of Poquelin
 
97
Birth of Jean Baptiste Poquelin, who assumed the Name of
Molière
1622.
98
His Studies at College
 
98
His Fellow-Students under Gassendi
 
99
Ætat. 19. Attends on Louis XIII. as Royal Valet-de-Chambre
1641.
100
Execution of Cinq-Mars
 
100
Cardinal de Richelieu's Plays, and Encouragement of Actors
 
101
Ætat. 21. Molière studies the Law
1643.
101
Molière's taking the Stage for his Profession offensive to his
Relatives
 
101
His Theatrical Company
 
102
The Fronde and Civil War injurious to the Theatre
 
102
Molière's Company perform at Bordeaux, where he produces an
unsuccessful Tragedy
 
103
His early Comedies
 
103
His excellent Farcical Interludes performed at the Prince de
Conti's Mansion of Pezenas
 
105
Molière and his Comedians established in Paris
 
106
They perform at Court
 
106
"Les Précieuses Ridicules," a Satire on the Hôtel Rambouillet
 
107
The Poet Voiture
 
108
Ætat. 37. Molière's Satire of the Affectation then in Fashion
1659.
109
Fête given by the Finance Minister Fouquet to Louis XIV.
 
111
Le grand Condé patronises Molière
 
113
Molière decried for being an Actor, is protected in his duties as
Royal Valet-de-Chambre by Louis XIV.
 
114
Molière's Marriage
 
115
He writes "l'Ecole des Femmes"
 
117
The Court Ballets
 
118
"Tartuffe"
 
119
The Soldiers of the King's Body Guard, deprived of their free
Admission to the Theatre, create a Riot
 
121
Ætat. 44. "Le Misanthrope"
1666.
122
Scene from the "Amphitryon"
 
124
Molière writes "l'Avare"
 
127
Scene from the Comedy of "George Dandin"
 
127
Unprecedented Success of "Tartuffe"
 
126
Friendship of Molière with Boileau, Racine, and the Wits of his
Time
 
131
A Supper Party described
 
131
"Monsieur de Pourceaugnac"
 
132
Molière's Comedy of "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme"
 
133
Scene from "Les Femmes Savantes"
 
135
Molière writes "Le Malade Imaginaire"
1673.
138
Ætat. 51. Is carried from the Stage in a dying State
 
139
Funeral Rites denied him
 
140
Character of Molière
 
141
His Charity
 
143
His Style
 
146
His Troop of Comedians dispersed
 
148