Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-02-19

for Cornee patrons yet on TINS topcthe merits OF the
tCid "be was antagonist almost as bitter as Scuder
Corneile did not rest in silence under these rproaches
he took up his pen in sefefence and entered the lists
Of literary controversy with his embiteredani powerful
adyersaries The paper warfare which ensued affords
interesting page to the literary history Of France. It's
veil sketched by NJ. Guizot, and must content
selves VIII, this reference to his narrative. .lE
The poet next Les Horaces,a and expecting
that his enemies would s~-.Ast fora srmad
himself for another struggle. Monsieur Gubt shall re-
late what followed:
Armed at all points Corneille firmly awaited the enc
my but appeared the outburst OF trlth had i'm
posed silence upon envy and it dared not HOPE renew
with equal advantage warfare, the rdic1e attendant
upon which had been borne easily by Rpheeu than
by Scuderi The universal cry of admiration is all that
has reached From that time forth, for many Years
masterpieces followed one another in quick succession
without obstacle and almost without interruption. We
longer have to look for the history of the sage amidst
chaotic heap of crude conceptions in whia vanly
strive to discover single scntllation of genus ey
dence of Improvement Such works. hencefovard leave
Of their existence in the history Of he art and
yield to the productions of genns all that pace which
they had formerly usurped Until the adyenlof Racine
the history Of the stage the life fCornee
and the biography Of Cornele is wholly written in
his works - = 1--WE have seen Coheille raise
himself by single bound to the proud eleva by which
he lowered above his age; behold him ns Pertha
rite Theodore, &C. falling back again belw the stand
ard Of taste and enlightenment for which as in
mpOr6 1870
is finished and he has impressed upon the drama move
ment with which he sno longer able to keep pace wish
discover and describe with precision the true character
Of this movement communicated by man q genius to
of genius powerful his own; and lie peculiar
nature Of that genius which, after having rsed its art
and its audience to equal elevation umble keep
its place in the region to which thad carredhem How
came it that Gornele the father of our drama, not
also its lawgiver? tits impossbleto imagine
what Corneles genius would have become nd to divine
either the extraordinary beauties which haveun
folded the flights of which it might have guilty
he had boldly abandoned himself to his guidance
As regarded his own personal knowledge, Cneie was
in almost the position Shakespeare am Caderon
but his age and country civilized han theirs
and criticism avaed ITSELF for the instruction the poet
of all the requirements of his age and country Cornee
feared and braved criticism, and provoked it his def
ance he would allow of it's censures but he did all
he could to avoid them. Taking warning by rst attack
he longer ventured to hazard for fear of cuder all
that France would probably have appauded Incapable
of yielding his adversaries and angry at beng obliged
to combat them he yet withdrew from the pah in which
he was likely to meet with them and perhaps
Involuntary prudence saved him from SOME dangerous
qucksands undoubtedly deprived him of some precious
] discoveries"
"Unperceiyed and unintentionally Corneile has sub
jected his characters the sway of the ideas Of his
tmea time at which protracted disorders hatntroduced
into morality which still far from having great
progress somewhat of that uncertainty whiu is engen
dered by party ties and the duties of position The few
ness of general ideas combined with the multitude and
diversity of private interests leave great latitude to that
pseudo-moraty which is made to suit the necessities of
the moment, and which the requirements of conscience
transform into State virtue The principles Of common
morality seemed binding only those persons who were
not authorized by great interests to contemn them Few
actions thought sufficiently culpable in themselves
not to find excuse in private motives and few charac
tiers well established to be deemed inaccessible
to the influence of such motives. Nine de Rambouillet
the respected lady of her time received from Car
dina Richelieu, who held her in great esteem says Sc
gras message in which he begged her his friend to
of VIII Al NEE
ngs which then held at her house and Segrais on
learning her refusal to comply with the request ascrbes
it to the fact that she did not know what it was to be
partisan and to do any bad turn So acting as the
Cardinals spy would have been nothing more than be-
coming partisan The most insignf- :, fats
y2Ehy S yhsp s As fseEy the
young Duke de Rheteois who then sixteen years of
the which he took to have his hair well cured
The Duke replied that it cured naturally and when M
de Luyne. in presence Of the King affected asonshment
at this the King inquired if what he said true No.
Sire, replied the Duke de Rheteos Why did you not
say when asked you inquired NJ. de Luynes. Be-
cause answered the Duke, tell truth to the King, but
to you what please
Such traits Of character these continually
curing before the eyes of Cornee and these traits he
hns bestowed upon the Greeks and Romans who were
thought so like and yet much fattered by his coun
trmen who easily acknowledged the authenticity of these
lustrous ancents they had difficulty in feeling
themselves to be Greeks and Romans like them"
With these mesgre excerpts relative to Cornele the
poet, let join the following description of Cornele
the man:
Destitute Of all that distinguishes from his
equals he to be rrevocaby doomed to pass unnotc
ed in the crowd His appearance is common his CONVEX
.aon dull his language incorrect his tmidty awkward
bis Judgment uncertain and his experience perfectly child
ish he finds himself brought in contact, either by
cessity or by chance with persons whom birth fortune
has placed above him. he does rightly appreciate the
position which he occupies in respect Them but thinks
only OF the connection Of protector and protected
Eubslsts between
This Psrtraiture is abundanty justified by the sketches
Of Cornee which have been left by nearly oil his
temporaries. His Life" written by Fontenee, his
nephew, though sufficiently lavish in laudston Of "my
uncle might be quoted in confirmation Of every feature
traced in VI. Guitots rapid delineation.
The length to which have already extended our OBJ
ervanons and quotations precludes from adding any
thing on the controversy which has long wsged be-
tween English and French critics touching the nature and
laws OF the legitimate drama Besides the work which
have SO mperecty noticed the present article the
publishers have just issued similar one by the same
author entitled Shakespeare and his Times" Perhaps
We may find an early occasion employ it as rubrc
under which to discuss the ve1ed question TINT must for
the present be left in allegiance. Meanwhile we have
y to commend these valuable but unpretendng volumes
to the careful perusa Of all aas in French letters and
all admirers Of the peerles, bard whom the whole world
has at last agreed to call natures darling and sncys
child"
letter from Genoa, in Italy dated on tn. 18th Janu
airy, says:
"A complete revolution in the means Of steam n,v;o,
ton and locomoton is anticipated here from reoent In
I vautt Nv Ir ~ o ,.nss. TT