The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26

ne French Ambassador On spsakespesrs
and Pnnoe.

MOST OF our readers arc no oouuS eWsso
that, since Taine's death. no rfsasAmAn
has shown himself 10 conversant with Eng
nsh literature a. has NJ. J. J. Jusserand,
lately French Minister TO Copenhasen
and at present the Ambassador OF tho
French Republic At Washington. We might
even 60 further and say that no Ensiish-
man has shown himself 90 thoroughly
acquainted with the social life and htera-
tvre OF England In the fourteenth Century,
that 10 to say. the age Of the Black Death
aid Of the serfs' uprising. OF Wyciine'
Chaucer,. Piers Plowman, and Cover.
The many who recall his earlier pubiioa-
tions will be glad TO see his latest book,
Sbakespearei IN Franee(0 p. Putnams Sons),
which pressnts q review Of the reception
~hich Shakespeare had encountered In
France, from the close Of the reign OF Eliza
beth down TO the present time. Tho au'
thor's command OF the English language
b not moro surprising than b his fsmAi-
aity with the history Of the English stage
II b Obvious that an adequate treatment
Of the subject called also for an almost
Of the French theatre, for In the absence
Of such information. IL would be impossible
u decide how much indirect influence
uk1kQt Q6N4- of1Cu--G&GIh0A W otAsAcofSS~sD
on the other side Of the British Channel.
The book deserves TO be carefully per,ased,
cd the score, not only Of erudition. but also
ofsAAe .anthor's appreciative and symps-
thsttc spirit, which, however. b reconcile-
bIe With judicial attitude Victor Hugo
profeesed to admire Shakespeare, but
there 10 no reason TO believe that he could
reAds him. NJ Jusserand both resds him
- - BAT kn IL hIirri
TO his faults than Dryden was, and he
would not have bis countrymen renounce
their own dramatic ideals because they
have at last awakened to Shakespeare's
excellences '-'
N. Jusserand recalls the remarkable
fact that English players came to France
IN the time OF Shakespeare and performed
dramas In Paris and at Court. English
dramatists came, too. and, amona others,
Ben johnson. Nor werc the English acton
who came TO Paris mere strolling players;
thsy did things on . rather large scale.
for there was only one permanent theatre
in Paris, and that one they hired. There
h no record. however. ~ the pieces that
they played, but we know that other English
companies, which about the same time
were met with in tho Low Countries. In
Denmark and in Germany had . repertoire
which included several pieces Of Shakes-
peare's, Of 0reene's. and Of Mariowe's.
There 10 reason to believe. however. that
In, paris the English aotors must have he'd
recourse to mimicry. to comioal gestiouls-
ions and to acrobatic feats. for their Ian
9tisss could not have been UNDERWOOD
At the date OF shakespsare's death tisisl,
his writings and his name. those Of Sponsor
- - all Nho RllvAhothan lyYimtn
and tisamatists, were unknown. Scarcely
q few short literary works In prose had been
translated. SO far as France was con-
cerped acquaintance with literary Eng
land was practically limited TO the Latin
works produced In the last-named country.
The only dramatist In Great Britain Who
can be said to have inffuenced the French
s.age at all was the Franco-Scotohman,
George Buchanan.
What renders the almost total ineoranee
Of Engllsh literature which prevailed In
France during the sixteenth csntsry
strange phenomenon 10 the fact thss ~
precisely the same epoch Freoch htsrssurs
was familiar,to almost al edocased people
In London. Innumerable examples Of
such knowledge arc brought together In
the book before %. Thus 4 p poiatsd
out that "sketton initiates tho Fsl4ISses
Dc IA We Htmains; Barclay translates
Girngoire; Wyatt derives his Inspiration
not only from the Italians, but also from
Marot and Saint, Gelsis; Sponsor copies
Marot. translated the Roman sonnets OF
Du BellAy, and boSrows from French htera-
ture the idea Off his royal and noble
shepherd's.' Margaret Of Navarro 10
praised by Nash - = maintainer Of mirth. :
Radicals is famorie In London, famous
enough to be q cause al anxiety to moralists.
Ronsard figures on the most elegant dssks.
Montaigne 10 translated and becomes
familiar to Shakespeare. Du Bartas, owing
partly to the similtuds Of his religion 70
Englands. becomes more celebrated In
England than In France; Desportes and
Pibrac are reproduced In English versions.
There was no reciprocity, however. Eng
hsh wac . Language unknown In France,
sas. - parisia3 men o! letters Il he s!x-
tenth century. English literature did not
exist. It 10 true that Anglo-Fr vo-
cabularies and grammar were compiled
ct the epoch, but such works were meant
10 teach French to the Ensliah. not the
reverse. The need OF English grammar
vas not felt in France. Cotgraves French.
English dictionary. which was complied
In ieIi, and went through numerous edi-
lions In the seventeenth century. was IN.
tepdsd specially for IN English public.
French sohoolteachers abounded In Eng.
land. but professor Of English would have
starved to death In Paris. Tho chief Con-
tinental professor OF Enslsh In the sx'
tenth century lived. not In Paris. but In
Antwerp, and did not teach English alons. but
Spanish. Italian. French and Flemish - well
What he had In view was English. rather
than French pupils. Even . smattsrins
Of English wasA very rare accomplishment
Radicals goes oil to pieces when he triss
to make Panurge use tbs speech Of the
An this b the moro astonishing because
In the ago Of tho French Renaissance Z
lively curiosity about foreign countries and
foreign htersturs was felt In all csasses
OF French society. Al the very tina when
IN English grammar was unknown u
Frenchmen. dialogues and vocsbularies
were compiled and printed IN is7s to teach
the language Of thu Brazilian abonginss
Henri Estisnns. in treatise published In
1879, declared that the French Language
has two rivals. Italian and Spanish. Ger
man alan IN unentiopad but Enaiiah = to.