A Short History of French Literature

Abbé Academy admirable appeared Boileau born Bossuet called Chansons Chansons de Gestes character characteristics chief chiefly classical cloth comedy considerable contemporary Corneille criticism curious death Descartes deserves Diderot died distinguished drama dramatist early Edition eighteenth century English excellence Extra fcap famous Fénelon fiction Fontaine France French literature French poetry genius imitation important influence interest Joseph de Maistre kind language later Latin least less letters literary history Louis Louis XIV Madame Madame de Sévigné Madame du Deffand manner Marot medieval memoirs mentioned merit Molière Montesquieu moral noticed novel original Paris partly peculiar perhaps period philosophical pieces plays Pléiade poems poet poetical poetry political popular produced prose published Rabelais Racine remarkable Revolution romances Rousseau Saint satire seventeenth century singular style success talent tion tragedy translated Trouvères verse Victor Hugo vols Voltaire writer written wrote