Comedy.— The transformation was less marked than for tragedy. There was evolu tion rather than creation, properly speaking. Farce combined with Morality, and we wit nessed, under Italian influence, the comedy of intrigue with its artificial and complicated im broglios its conventional and stereotyped figures of wily valets, dishonest servants, bullying assassins and innocent and coquettish maidens. At the beginning we find a few poetical works, 'Eugene) by Jodelle, played in 1552 after his Tresoriere) and 'Les Es bahis' by Jacques Grevin. These were merely farces, amusing in a coarse and rough sense. Pierre Larivey, a direct descendant by his father of the Giunti, the famous printers of Venice, introduced into France the Italian comedy. Everything was of foreign extraction, the plot, dialogue and the different characters. The style alone was original, the language spirited and colored. It will be seen later that Moliere borrowed quite a lot of ideas from this theatre, notably in 'l'Avare' where Harpagon losing his cash-box appears to be inspired by the miser in Larivey's piece 'les Esprits' who has been robbed of "sa there bourse.' This is not much, but it is practically all worth mentioning. Toward the end of the 16th century, tragical comedy and pastoral plays replaced comedy proper. The latter was not revived until 1629 with by Corneille.
We have now arrived at a glorious period in French dramatic art, in which it reaches its zenith. It is incarnated in three great names: Corneille, Racine and Moliere. .The two first mentioned have immortalized tragedy. The latter is the undisputed master of comedy not only in France but throughout the world. Moliere did for comedy what Shakespeare did for drama. In order to understand this period it is not sufficient to study the works only, it is above all necessary to understand the nature of this classicism and the part it plays in French dramatic art.
Classicism in the French Theatre. Char acter of Classical Art.— The classical mind, de fined by Malherbe and confirmed by Boileau, possesses„a certain number of essential traits which have a direct bearing on dramatic. art, and more especially in regard to tragedy.
Classical literature emulates the ancient au thors. But this does not mean a mere servile copying of the works. Masters are looked for rather than models; these ancient works furnish themes which can be developed and subjects which are capable of expansion. For example, the Roman historians, Tite-Live and Tacite, the epical poets, Homer and Virgil, the great trag edy writers Sophocles, Euripides and even Se nique, afforded inspiration to Corneille and Racine in most of their tragedies.
Classical literature is goVerned by reason. In this it admirably suits French genius with its lucid and enlightened mind. This faculty of reasoning power restrains and disciplines the imagination and sensibility without in any way suppressing them.
Classical literature follows nature. There fore it avoids allegorical subjects, abstract ideas and symbols so inherent to the theatre of the Middle Age, and which we shall find- in the works of the romantic writers. Classical liter ature portrays individuals and humanity in the supreme moments of passion or self-assertive ness. It is psychological, devoted to the an alysis of the intellectual and moral faculties, to the observation and development of the de cisions they provoke. It is not descriptive and does not concern itself, to any great extent, with local color; neither physical nature nor the customs of society interest it. It only recognizes concrete man, resolute and active. It is not pathetic and does not endeavor to excite emotion without appealing to intelligence.
As classical literature obeys the laws of reason and nature it therefore follows that it respects the rule of the three-unities: (1) Unity of Place.—It is not in the nature of things that a drama which is limited as to time should lead the actors and spectators to the four cor ners of the world. (2) Unity of Time.— It is unnatural that a violent crisis occasioning a tension of the entire being should last years, months or even days; it must be confined to a few hours. (3) Unity of Action.—Above all it is absolutely unnatural for the interest to be scattered over a multiplicity of disconnected episodes; it must be concentrated on a single action. In this connection we cannot do better than quote Boileau's famous precept : " Qu'en un lieu, qu'en un jour un soul fait accompli, Tienne jusqul la fin le thfatre rempli." (" That but one accomplished fact in a phoe or a day. Holds the theatre filled unto the end.") It will be seen that it is the exact o...site of the diversified and confused art of the ‘, iddle Age, which, in its interminable plays, paid no attention to time, place or action.
Finally, classical literature required a dis tinction to be made in the different styles: trag edy, a noble style, and comedy, a popular style, thus forming two distinct spheres separated by an impassable barrier. This is yet another difference distinguishing it both from the art of the Middle Age and that of the Romantic period. It now remains to be seen how, on such lines France was able to produce in the 17th century such perfect, if not the most vig orous, works in dramatic art of modern times.