emy_--Unofficial founding by Conrart in 1629. Official
standing six years later. Relation of Richelieu to it. Its dictionary.
Total effect of this distinguished society on French literature.

2. _Romances of Chivalry_--Give an account of Madame de Scudery and a
description of Clelie and the Grand Cyrus. Discuss also Honore d'Urfe
and the Astree. Note the probable influence of the English writer, Lyly.

3. _Moralists_--La Fontaine. Saint Evremond. La Rochefoucauld. La
Bruyere.

4. _Philosophers_--Descartes. Pascal. Malebranche. Bayle. Readings from
Pascal's Pensees. (Many translations.)

5. _Great Preachers_--Bossuet. Fenelon. Massillon. Bourdaloue. Readings
from translations, especially the famous introduction to Massillon's
funeral oration on Louis XIV.

BOOKS TO CONSULT--Brunctiere: Manual of French Literature. Dowden:
History of French Literature. Van Laun: History of French Literature.

The material for this meeting is very great, especially on the
biographical side. Interesting brief papers might be prepared on any of
the names mentioned. Sainte-Beuve, considered by many to be the greatest
of critics, has essays on all of the writers named, and readings from
his Causeries de Lundi (translated now) would be delightful.

VI--THE DRAMA UNDER LOUIS XIV

1. _Corneille_--Story of his life. Readings from the Cid, Horace, and
Polyeucte. (Translation by Nokes.)

2. _Racine_--Relation to Port-Royal. Ode on the marriage of the king.
Classical subjects. Esther and Athalie, his masterpiece, written at the
request of Madame de Maintenon for her young ladies at St. Cyr. Readings
from Andromaque, Phedre, and Athalie. (Bohn's translation.)

3. _Moliere_--Early life as a strolling player. Rescue of his company
from failure by his own writings. Paris and the favor of the Duc
d'Orleans. Failure in tragedy; success in comedy. Taken up by the king.
Royal fetes. Limitations of this work. First characteristic play:
L'Ecole des Femmes. Moliere as the greatest of comedy-writers. Readings
from Tartuffe, Le Misanthrope, Le Medecin Malgre Lui. Les Femmes
Savantes. (Many translations. Curtis Hidden Page's is fine.)

BOOKS TO CONSULT--Guizot: Corneille and His Times. Trollope: Corneille
and Racine. Hatton: Life of Moliere. Brander Matthews: Great Plays
(French and German), with notes. (Contains Le Cid, Horace, Polyeucte,
and Tartuffe.)

As Moliere is unquestionably the great dramatist of the period, devote
the day largely to him.