n old man, starting up in the parterre,
exclaimed, "Courage, Moliere, this is real comedy!" and, secondly,
that the author himself, perceiving from the general applause that he
had touched the true vein of composition, declared his purpose
henceforward to read his lessons from the human bosom, instead of
studying the pages of Terence and Plautus.

After an unsuccessful effort at a serious piece ("Don Garcie de
Navarre, ou Le Prince Jaloux"), Moliere resumed his natural bent; and
in "L'Ecole des Maris" presented one of his best compositions, and at
once obliterated all recollection of his failure. It was acted at
Paris with unanimous applause, and again represented at the
magnificent entertainment given by the superintendent of finances,
Fouquet, to Louis XIV. and his splendid court.

"L'Ecole des Femmes" was Moliere's next work of importance. It is a
comedy of the highest order. An old gentleman, who had been an
intriguer in his youth and knew (as he flattered himself) all the
wiles of womankind, endeavors to avoid what he considers as the usual
fate of husbands, by marrying his ward, a beautiful girl, simple
almost to silliness, but to whom nature has given as much of old
mother Eve's talent for persuasion and imposition as enables her to
baffle all the schemes of her aged admirer and unite herself to a
young gallant more suited to her age. The "Country Wife" of Wycherly
is an imitation of this piece, with the demerit on the part of the
English author of having rendered licentious a plot which, in
Moliere's hands, is only gay.

Although this piece was well received and highly applauded, it was at
the same time severely criticised by those who had swallowed without
digesting the ridicule which the author had heaped on the Hotel de
Rambouillet in the "Precieuses Ridicules," and on the various conceits
and follies of the court in "Les Facheux." Such critics having shown
themselves too wise to express the pain which they felt on their own
account, now set up as guardians of the purity of the national morals
and language. A _naive_ expression used by Agnes was represented as
depraving the one; a low and somewhat vulgar phrase was insisted upon
as calculated to ruin the other. This affected severity in morals and
grammar did not impose on the public, who were quite aware of the
motives of critics who endeavored to ground such formidable charges on
foundations so limited. The celebrated Boileau drew his pen in defence
of