In the 18th century the Spanish drama, like that of the rest of Europe, came largely under the influence of French taste and models, though not until French dramatists had found inspira tion in the plays of Spanish masters. Moratin was the most successful follower of Moliere; and in opposition to French supremacy, Ram6n de la Cruz composed some hundreds of farces or sainetes, very like the old pasos. In the 19th century the romantic movement made itself felt in the drama, and the Don Alvaro of the Duque de Rivas achieved a triumph in 1835 similar to that of Hernani in Paris. Later in the century Jose Zorrilla was perhaps the most popular of dramatists, and at the present day the plays of Echegaray have attracted international interest France.-- Although in the Middle Ages, both the religious and secular drama received a higher development in France than in any other nation, yet in the 16th century the influence of Italian humanism turned French men of letters away from national to classical models. The comic drama indeed continued, but in tragedy the Senecan exotic was for the time triumphant. Jodelle's and were strict imitations of Seneca, retaining even the choruses; and the plays of Gamier and Mont christien, highly esteemed by the literati of Europe, were similarly misdirected efforts. Toward the end of the 16th century Alexander Hardy, a skilful playwright, made use both of the national drama and of Spanish roman ticism and gave vogue to the genre of tragi comedy and established the rhymed Alexandrine as the verse to be employed henceforth in the drama. Hardy's plays aided in interesting people of culture in the professional theatre and were followed by a generation of dramatic activity.
A well-established theatre and a cultivated audience consequently awaited the arrival of a great dramatic poet. Corneille's (1606-89) first play of importance, the 'Cid,> was based on a Spanish original and, though constructed with admirable coherence and condensation, did not adhere to the three unities. For this it was censured by the French Academy, recently in stituted by Richelieu, and henceforth Corneille adopted their cramping limitations. French tragedy by his powerful example was thus com mitted to the form exampled by Seneca and defined by the Italian humanists though usually the chorus was abandoned. A certain gain in simplicity of plot and conciseness of treatment was thus obtained at the expense of a narrow ing of incident and an artificiality of characteri zation. Corneille dealt with heroic deeds, ex alted character, noble sentiments, extraordinary situations. Racine, who followed him, chose less unusual stories, simplifying the action even more than Corneille, and excelled in the analy sis of passion. Love is the dominant motive in his plays and the heroines are the persons for whom he seeks our sympathy. Melodious and dramatic as his verse is, it carries an impression of artificiality, at least to foreigners, perhaps largely on account of the conventionalized lan guage demanded by the courtly and sophisti cated audiences to which he appealed. French
tragedy represents the elegance of the court of Louis XIV, as English tragedy represents the stirring activity of Elizabethan England, and as Sophoclean tragedy represents the culmination of Athenian civilization.
The greatest French dramatist, however, was a writer of comedies. An actor, and a manager of a strolling company of players that finally established itself at Paris, Mohere grew slowly to the full employment of his powers. His early experience taught him the means of win ning his audience, and he availed himself of every known resource in strengthening his dra matic facility. The Italian comedy of masks, the plays of Plautus and Terence and the methods and themes of Spanish drama were all drawn upon by him in his conquest of every department of comer'. His masterpieces, at once triumphantlx effective on the stage and most penetrating in their revelation of the ab surdities and wealmesses of human nature, have a fresh appeal to every reader to-clay through their humor and their philosophy, and they have remained these 200 years the unapproached models of modern comedy.
Corneille, Racine and Moliere continued the great models of drama through the 18th century everywhere in Europe, and naturally most of all in France. Lesage, Marivaux and Beau marchais were the leading followers of Moliere; and the classical tragedy received new authority through the weight of Voltaire's precept and example. A new species of drama, however, arose that violated the classical restrictions on comedy and tragedy. The tearful comedy, 'Comedic pathetic and sentimental, had a considerable popularity in England and France, and was sustained by the criticism and plays of Diderot. Blending with another spe cies, the trogidie bourgeoise, tragedy of common life, this tearful comedy has indeed continued as a recognized species under the name of &tante. In the early 19th century the skilful mechanism of Scribe achieved popular success without obeying the rules, but it was not until the performance of (Hernani) (1830) that the romantic liberation from the pseudo-classical restrictions was assured. The poetical brilliancy of Victor Hugo and the spontaneous inventive ness of the elder Dumas created a romantic drama, essentially melodramatic perhaps, but at least overwhelming the pseudo-classical preten sions. During the middle of the century, when in other nations the acted drama had ceased to be a serious department of literature, it still held its own in France in the plays of the younger Dumas Augier and others. Until the advent of its ts serious study of contemporary society offered the most hopeful sign of the reinvigo ration of the drama, and its technical excellence was the model of all other theatres. More re cently the varied work of many dramatists, as Hervieu and Rostand, offers evidence that French eminence in modern drama is still to be maintained.