SCARRON, PAUL, the creator of French burlesque, was b. at Paris in 1610. His father, a counselor of parliament, was a man of fortune and good family; but be having married again after the death of Paul's mother, discord broke out between the second wife and her step-children, the result of which was that Paul had to leave the house. About 1634; he visited Italy, where he made the acquaintance of Poussin the painter. 0 J his return to Paris, he delivered himself over to a life of very'gross pleasure, the conse quence of which was that, in less than four years, he was seized with permanent paralysis of the limbs. What makes this incident in his career still interesting is the fact, that it undoubtedly exercised no inconsiderable influence on the development of his peculiar genius, which, as a French critic justly says, was " the image of his body." Ilis love of burlesque, of malicious buffoonery, of profane gaiety, was a way of escape through the gates of mockery from the tourmens rehemens of his incnral le ailment. his scramble for the means of living is excusable when we consider his hapless infirmity. Ile wrote verses, flattering dedications, begging-letters for pensions, etc.; and in 1643 he even managed to get a benefice at Mans, which he held for three years, when he returned to Paris, and lived ill ft sort of elegant Bohemian style. He had a pension from Mazarin of 500 crowns; but when the cardinal declined (probably from avarice) to allow the Typhon to be dedicated to lihn, Scarron got absurdly indig nant, and joining the Frondeurs, lampooned Mazarin with spleenful, virulence. How ever, when the war of the Fronde was at an end, and Mazarin had triumphed, Scarrou was ready with an ode to del'injuste satire.
This baseness, however, did not win him back his pension, which the "object of his unjust satire" had withdrawn; and it might have fared hard with the poet had other friends not started up—for example, Fouquet, who granted him a pension of 1600 crowns—and had he himself not been the most consummate beggar that ever lived. If he
could not get a benefice or a purse of gold, or a lodge at court, he would take a load of firewood, or a carriage, pasties. capon, cheese, poodles, etc.—nothing came amiss; and his ample neknowledzements showed how thoroughly he had mastered the art of express in; gratitude. Doubtless his physical helplessness induced this bad habit, but his importunities were so pleasantly worded that they never estranged the friends ou whom he fastened. In 1652, Scarron married Francois d'Aubign6—a girl of 17, who subse quently became the mistress of Louis XIV., and is known as Madame Maintenon (q.v.). He died early in October 1660—the exact date is not known, but he was buried on the 7th. It is a proof of the charm of his company that his rooms were frequented by most of the men and women of his day who were distinguished either in literature or society. Among his works may be mentioned Le Typhon, Virgi T•avesti (Par. 1618-32), La Hazerimule (1649), La Baronade, Leandre et hero, Ode Burlesque, La RI-alien du Corn bat des Parques et des Pants sac Si Hort de re, Poesies Direr8CS (Par. 1643-51), com prising sonnets. madrigals, epistles, satires, songs, etc.; Le Roman Comique (Par. 1651), a most amusing account of the life led by a company of strolling players—it is the best known, and perhaps the best of all Scarron's productions; Nat:elks Tragieomiques, from one of which (Les hypocrites) Moliiffe has taken the idea of Tarlac; besides a number of clever but coarse comedies. The editions of his works are very numerous, but the bust is that of Brazen de In Martiniilre (Amster., 10 vols., 1737: Par., 7 vols., 1786). Victor Foul-net, to whom we are indebted for most of the information in this article, republished Le Boman Ownique, in 1857, and Le Virgile Traresti in 1853.