royaumes, mais qui seront de ces bonnes gens de mediocre condition, qui
vont tout doucement leur grand chemin, dont les uns seront beaux et les
autres laids, les uns sages et les autres sots; et ceux-cy out bien la
mine de composer le plus grand nombre" ("Roman bourgeois," ed. Janet, p.
6).

[356] Rabelais by Urquhart, London, 1653, 8vo; Cervantes in 1612; and
again by T. Shelton in 1620 and by J. Philips, 1687.

[357] Scarron's "Comical romance: or a facetious history of a company of
strowling stage-players," London, 1676, fol. Preface to the
continuation. The translator is at some pains to anglicize his original;
when Scarron speaks of Paris, the translator puts London; Ragotin is
heard defending Spenser (chapter xv.). The poet in Scarron brags of his
acquaintance with Corneille and Rotrou, and in the English text, with
Shakespeare, Fletcher, and Jonson (chap. viii.). There were other
translations of Scarron: "The whole comical works of M. Scarron,"
translated by Mr. T. Brown, Mr. Savage, and others, London, 1700, 8vo;
"The comic romance," translated by O. Goldsmith, Dublin, 1780(?) 2 vol.
12mo. His shorter novels or stories were separately translated by John
Davies, who states in the preface of "The unexpected Choice," London,
1670, that he did so at the suggestion of the late Catherine Philips,
the matchless Orinda.

[358] "The extravagant Shepherd, the anti-romance, or the history of the
shepherd Lysis," London, 1653, another edition 1660. Strange to say,
besides some adaptations from Spanish authors ("La Picara," 1665; "Donna
Rosina," 1700?), a translation of Voiture's Letters, 1657, the same John
Davies of Kidwelly, who had written this eloquent appeal against
heroical romances, translated "Clelia," 1656, and part of "Cleopatra" in
conjunction with Loveday.

[359] See also in Furetiere's "Roman bourgeois" how the reading of
"Astree" made of Javotte "la plus grande causeuse et la plus coquette
fille du quartier" (Ed. Janet, i. p. 173).

[360] "The Adventures of Covent Garden, in imitation of Scarron's city
romance," London, 1699, 16mo. "Scarron" is here evidently for
"Furetiere." This work, the author of which is unknown, has long been
forgotten, though deserving a better fate. It is dedicated "to all my
ingenious acquaintance at Will's coffee-house."

[361] _Cf._ Moliere: "Je voudrais bien savoir si la grande regle de
toutes les regles n'est pas de plaire, et si une piece de theatre qui a
attrape son but