oyal favor, and Louis XIV. granted them a pension of
two thousand livres. Sainte-Beuve states that their conversion was
perfectly sincere and conscientious. In all their subsequent works
were seen traces of Mme. Dacier's powerful intellect, which was much
superior to that of her husband. Boileau said: "In their production of
_esprit_, it is Mme. Dacier who is the father."

Besides her translations of the plays of Plautus, all of Terence, the
_Clouds_ and _Plutus_ of Aristophanes, she published her translation
of the _Iliad_ and _Odyssey_ (1711-1716), which gave her a prominent
place in the history of French literature, especially as it appeared
at the time of the "quarrels of the ancients and moderns," which
concerned the comparative merits of ancient and modern literature.

Mme. Dacier thoroughly appreciated the grandeur of Homer and knew the
almost insurmountable difficulties of a translation; therefore,
when in 1714 the _Iliad_ appeared in verse (in twelve songs by La
Motte-Houdart), preceded by a discourse on Homer, in which the author
announced that his aim was to purify and embellish Homer by ridding
him "of his barbarian crudeness, his uncivil familiarities, and his
great length," the ire of Mme. Dacier was aroused, and in defence of
her god she wrote her famous _Des Causes de la Corruption du Gout_
(Causes of the Corruption of Taste), a long defence of Homer, to which
La Motte replied in his _Reflexions de la Critique_ This rekindled the
whole controversy, and sides were immediately formed.

Mme. Dacier was not politic; although she sustained her ideas well
and displayed much erudition and depth of reason, she is said to have
injured her cause by the violence of her polemic. Her immoderate tone
and bitter assaults upon the elegant and discerning favorite only
detracted from his opponent's favor and grace. Voltaire said: "You
could say that the work of M. de La Motte was that of a woman of
_esprit_, while that of Mme. Dacier was of a _homme savant_. He
translated the _Iliad_ very poorly, but attacked very well." Mme.
Dacier's translation remained a standard for two centuries. She and
her adversary became reconciled at a dinner given by M. de Valincour
for the friends of both parties; upon that festive occasion, "they
drank to the health of Homer, and all was well."

Mme. Dacier died in 1720. "She was a _savante_ only in her study or
when with savants; otherwise, she was unaffected and agreeable
in conversatio