ugelas in 1687,
and in 1694 a dictionary of technical terms, intended to supplement that
of the Academy. A complete translation of Ovid's _Metamorphoses_ (he had
published six books with the _Heroic Epistles_ some years previously)
followed in 1697. In 1704 he lost his sight and was constituted a
"veteran," a dignity which preserved to him the privileges, while it
exempted him from the duties, of an academician. But he did not allow
his misfortune to put a stop to his work, and in 1708 produced a large
_Dictionnaire universel geographique et historique_ in three volumes
folio. This was his last labour. He died at Les Andelys on the 8th of
December 1709, aged eighty-four. It has been the custom to speak of
Thomas Corneille as of one who, but for the name he bore, would merit no
notice. This is by no means the case; on the contrary, he is rather to
be commiserated for his connexion with a brother who outshone him as he
would have outshone almost any one. But the two were strongly attached
to one another, and practically lived in common. Of his forty-two plays
(this is the utmost number assigned to him) the last edition of his
complete works contains only thirty-two, but he wrote several in
conjunction with other authors. Two are usually reprinted as his
masterpieces at the end of his brother's selected works. These are
_Ariane_ (1672) and the _Comte d' Essex_, in the former of which Rachel
attained success. But of _Laodice_, _Camma_, _Stilica_ and some other
pieces, Pierre Corneille himself said that "he wished he had written
them," and he was not wont to speak lightly. _Camma_ (1661, on the same
story as Tennyson's _Cup_) especially deserves notice. Thomas Corneille
is in many ways remarkable in the literary gossip-history of his time.
His _Timocrate_ boasted of the longest run (80 nights) recorded of any
play in the century. For _La Devineresse_ he and his coadjutor de Vise
(1638-1710, founder of the _Mercure galant_, to which Thomas
contributed) received above 6000 livres, the largest sum known to have
been thus paid. Lastly, one of his pieces (_Le Baron des Fondrieres_)
contests the honour of being the first which was hissed off the stage.

There is a monograph, _Thomas Corneille, sa vie et ses ouvrages_
(1892), by G. Reynier. See also the _Fragments inedits de critique sur
Pierre et Thomas Corneille_ of Alfred de Vigny, published in 1905.
(G. SA.)

CORNELIA (2nd cent. B.C.), daughter of Scipio Afr