CORNEILLE, kiir-na-ye, Pierre, French dramatist: b. Rouen, 6 June 1606; d. Paris, 1 Oct. 1684. He began his dramatic career with comedy. His first piece was (Mate,' played in 1629. It was followed from 1632 to 1636 by (Clitandre' •, (La Veuve); (La Galerie du Palais' ; (La Suivante' ; (La Place Royale' ; Comique,' which had great success. Being more natural and more vigorous in style than the dramas which then held the stage, they announced the approach of a reformer endowed with talents of a higher order, and as such he was recognized even by his rivals. His(Medea,) produced in 1635, and imitated from Seneca, was the first indication of his talent for tragedy. His next work was (Le Cid,' which raised his fame at one bound to its highest pinnacle. It has been translated into numerous languages, but scarcely bears out its reputation. The popu larity of the play was unbounded. But its ene mies were stimulated by the hatred of Cardinal Richelieu for its author. Corneille had been appointed as one of five authors to whom Riche lieu entrusted the writing out of plays from plots furnished b.y himself, but he had been guilty of condemning the plot of a comedy com mitted to him, and the offense was unpardon able. Richelieu stimulated Chapelain to write a critique on behalf of the Academy. The critique was moderate, and while condeinning the plot, admitted freely the merits of the author. It is printed in some editions of Corneille's worlcs under the title, 'Sentiments de l'Acadeinie Frangaise sur la Tragi-Comedie du Cid.' Among other accusations brought against Corneille was want of originality. This led to his selecting as his next subject Horace (not the poet, but the Horatius of early Roman his tory), which is perhaps the work in which he shows the greatest invention, and is one of the most admired of his productions. It appeared in 1639; the same year appeared (Cinna,) which, according to Voltaire, was the chef-d'euvre of Corneille; and in 1640 the (Polyeucte,' which other critics have styled the most original, the most touching and the most sublime work of the author, the chef-d'euvre at once of Chris tian tragedy and of the French theatre. There is one flaw in this work which its admirers do not seem to have noticed. The poet so far mis
takes the spirit of the Christian religion as to make Polyeucte, a convert under the Roman Einpire, bringing martyrdom upon himself by rushing in to interrupt the Pagan sacrifices and overthrow the altar on which the priest is sacri ficing. (Pompee,) an inferior piece, appeared in 1641, and in 1642 (Le Menteur,' the greatest of Corneille's comedies, imitated, like the (Cid,' from the Spanish. Foote has produced an English version of it called (The Liar.' From this time the success of Corneille as a dramatist steadily declined and many of his numerous works, in spite of the fame of their author, never acquired celebrity. On the merits of others the utmost diversity of opinion has prevailed, the same work being the subject of extravagant eulogy and unqualified condemna tion. (Rodogune,) (Heradius,> (Don Sanche and (Nicomede are among the best works of his second period, 1646-52. (Rodogune' was his own favonte production. Sonie critics spealc highly of it; others condemn it as showing marked indications of decline. From 1653-59 he gave up writing for the stage and employed himself with preparing a poetical translation of the (De Imitatione Christi.' In the latter year he was induced to return to the drama and persevered 15 years amid declining success in producing pieces generally inferior to his earlier works. CEdipe) (1659) and (Sertoriue (1662) are the best works of this period. (Tite et Berenice' (1670) was a rival production to the Berenice' of Racine, the subject being pre scribed to both poets by the Princess Henriette; but Racine's poem was a success, that of Cor neille a failure. His last pieces, (Pulcherie) (1672), (Surena) (1674), were the weakest as well as the last He had been chosen a meinber of the Academie Frangaise in 1647, and was dean of the Academie when he died in 1684. Besides his dramas he wrote some minor poetry, elegies, sonnets, epistles, etc., under the title of (Poesies Diverses,' and also in prose three dis courses, (Sur le Poime dramatique) ; (Sur la tragedie); and (Sur les trois unites.' Voltaire has remarked that Corneille was the first dramatist who made the sentiment of admira tion the basis of tragedy instead of terror or pity.