The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-07
in HONOR OR CORNEILLE
TRI- CENTENARY OF tn EGREAT
DRAMATIST's BIRTH,

the POet--YaIe Students Present Ex-
cerpts from La Cid, His Masterpiece,
in Brilliant style-Reception at Art
School.
The 900th anniversary of the birth OF
the great French dramatic poet, Pierre
Corneille, was observed at Yale yester-
day In an exceedingly appropriate man
ner. M. Jusserand, the French am
bassador to this country, and the most
distinguished representative of his ma
tion in the United States, made a spec
ial trip to New Haven in acceptance OF
an invitation to be present and al
dress the assembly.
Lampson lycehm was flied almost 10
Its seating capacity by an audience OF
prominent society people and studehts
The platform was tastefully Decorated
with potted shrub trees forming ave-
nues on either side of it.
Prof. sanderson of the French de-
nartnent introduced Ambassador JUS
serand who spoke mainly In freneh
closing, however, with brief remarks IN
English His address follows below;
Following the remarks of M. LESSER
and extracts from Comedies master
piece LIE Gid, were presented by stu
dents of the university in French. The
production was excellently given re-
reiving most merited appreciation from
the audience.
A reception was given in honor or the
ambassador at the art school at winch
many of the stE dents of French were
present.
Corneille Is oue OF the three greatest
figures In the French drama ranking
with Moliere and Racine.
The address of M. Jusserand Is as
follows
Every Erenchman owes debt OF
gratitude to the university Of Yale for
the touching homage rendered by her
to the memory Of the greatest dramaN-
list, thinker and moral educator Pierre
Corneille; all of US owe the Warmest
thanks to Prof. Sanderson for his elo-
ouerrt address, wen worthy of his fame
as a. savant and as a teacher Such
honages are particularly valuable conn
ing from a university where literary
and especially dramatic art Is held in
such honor The greatest gap in Eng
fish literature is the lack of an ade-
ouate edition Of Ben Jonson; and while
men Of letters in all the world have
been clamoring for such an EDITION, II
I'd the university Of Yale that has as
sumed the task and is now supplying
the want,
The poet whom we honor to-day APP
peared at momentous period OF
French history; the intellectual future
of the country was In suspense; ano
the same mistake might have beer
made concerning the France that was
then to be, as is sometimes made
about contemporary France People
had never been fonder of the ntcetlef
Of language and the refined elegance OF
form. One might have thought that the
century would be the century OF the
'sprecieuses," of Voltaire, of that Bal
FAC who condemned the language OF
Montaigne because, as the famous es'
sayist was not living at court, 1t was
held impossible he could speak proper
Nv. 1t seemed as though new Byban
tiun were at hand.
But 1t was not. And the centur!
turned out to be the century of Pascal
Turenne, Vauban, the century of tina
] soldier and philosopher Descartes, on
Of the greatest einancipators of human
though the century Of Papin, the in
ventor of steam, the century of Cor
nellie, that great teacher of energy
Observation-Disclosures, fearlessness. faith II
duty.
The France OF Cornedlle Is not dead
That country Is often judged iron
those very misleading signs; the work
of certain of her novelists and he
more or less "decadent" poets. B1inl
her representative, / may perhaps b
permitted TO say word in her favor.
But France proved, and continues t.
be, a complete nation, with a conplet
genius; the better justifying the sym
c1athy Of her American friends. Be
cause her sons can paint, sonnetize an,
show taste, do not believe that they ar
indifferent to traders bad colonizers
weak soldiers, sailors or sportsmen; d
not think that the Comedian tradition
is dead among them.
It is dead neither on the stage, nor i
real life.
Now the blessings of peace hav
been given us, and long may we EMO
them. 1t would be mistake, howevei
to believe that, owing to peace, TIL
nerves of the French nation have bee
unstrung.
Yes, French people can produce son
nets and paint pictures. but they ca
also produce Pasteur, cut the Sue
canal, launch the first submarine, stan
the first automobile. discover radiun
devise the best boilers in use for stear
navigation Their trade is not insia
nif1cart; its increase last year wa
nearly Of $100, 900 000
Their colonies have been managed I
a way which may be called creditabl
Are our nerves unstrung? Read tn
reports Of the Olympic games; ne
fancy reports, the authentic and tru
ones. There you will see that the tW
nations who came first, for the nun
her Of their first prizes were til
French and the Americans And notf
ing more pleasant than to find then
thus united In the front rank. Ma
they continue so.
Yes we can riIne sonnet, but 'shoul
be much less proud of our sonnets
we could no nothing else
/ am sure you agree with me, yc
young men of Yale. You feel that