rave defence from the malice of his
critics, and the flying gossip of the court circle, Moliere found out the
art of congregating the public to _The Quarrels of Authors_. He dramatised
his critics. In a comedy without a plot, and in scenes which seemed rather
spoken than written, and with characters more real than personated, he
displayed his genius by collecting whatever had been alleged to depreciate
it; and _La Critique de L'Ecole des Femmes_ is still a delightful
production. This singular drama resembles the sketch-book of an artist,
the _croquis_ of portraits--the loose hints of thoughts, many of which we
discover were more fully delineated in his subsequent pieces. With the
same rapid conception he laid hold of his embarrassments to furnish
dramatic novelties as expeditiously as the king required. Louis XIV. was
himself no indifferent critic, and more than once suggested an incident or
a character to his favourite poet. In _L'Impromptu de Versailles_, Moliere
appears in his own person, and in the midst of his whole company, with all
the irritable impatience of a manager who had no piece ready. Amidst this
green-room bustle Moliere is advising, reprimanding, and imploring, his
"ladies and gentlemen." The characters in this piece are, in fact, the
actors themselves, who appear under their own names; and Moliere himself
reveals many fine touches of his own poetical character, as well as his
managerial. The personal pleasantries on his own performers, and the hints
for plots, and the sketches of character which the poet incidentally
throws out, form a perfect dramatic novelty. Some of these he himself
subsequently adopted, and others have been followed up by some dramatists
without rivalling Moliere. The _Figaro_ of Beaumarchais is a descendant of
the _Mascarille_ of Moliere; but the glory of rivalling Moliere was
reserved for our own stage. Sheridan's _Critic, or a Tragedy Rehearsed,_
is a congenial dramatic satire with these two pieces of Moliere.

The genius of Moliere had now stepped out of the restricted limits of the
old comedy; he now looked on the moving world with other eyes, and he
pursued the ridiculous in society. These fresher studies were going on at
all hours, and every object was contemplated with a view to comedy. His
most vital characters have been traced to living originals, and some of
his most ludicrous scenes had occurred in reality before they delighted
the audience. Monsieur Jourdain had expresse