troop. His only desire now is to show that he is worthy of their confidence, and his success surprises every one; but he not merely wants to manage well his men, he takes it into his head to reform the stage altogether, for he is ashamed of the plays they produce, and scorns the audiences that applaud them. In 1646, they play at Bordeaux, at Nantes, and at Vienne, and they now produce short comedies of Molière's own composition, such as Le Docteur Amoureux and La Jalousie du Barbouillé, imitated from the Italian. They would play those for a short while and then discard them; and Molière will forget their very titles and only remember their most comical traits, which in his subsequent productions he will use again to better advantage. In 1653, they play l'Étourdi at Lyon and at Avignon ; when next they are heard from (1654), they are at Pézenas, at Narbonne, and then at Montpellier, where Le Dépit Amoureux is given. His success is now no longer confined to the localities where they have been playing, but makes its way into the neighboring provinces. The prince de Conti, who at this time was holding an assembly of the states of Languedoc, sends for Molière and bids him take charge of the festivities to which he has invited the population of that province. The prince becomes the protector of the company, and renews his old-time friendship with Molière, to whom he offers his private secretaryship. But Molière, sure of his genius, has the courage to refuse the offer. Qualifying this refusal, he says: "Que deviendront ces pauvres gens que j'ai amenés de si loin? qui les conduira? Ils ont compté sur moi, et je me reprocherai de les abandonner." Molière remained poet and comedian, and thus to France was saved one of her most illustrious sons !

In 1657 their wanderings take them again to Lyon and to Avignon; and in 1658 to Rouen. They return to Paris the following year, Molière then being 36 years of age. Molière

had spent 12 years in the provinces and passed through the many vicissitudes that are inevitably connected with such a wandering and agitated life; the result was that he had acquired a vast knowledge of men.

His reputation had preceded him to Paris and, through his friend the prince de Conti, he is presented to the duc d'Orléans who, in his turn, introduces him to his brother, the king Louis XIV. He and his company play for the first time before the entire court on the 24th of October, 1658, choosing for the occasion Corneille's tragedy Nicomède. After the representation, Molière advances to the front of the stage and with a few happy words thanks the king for his kindness to himself and his company, begging him at the same time to allow them to produce one of the farces they had been in the habit of playing in the provinces. The request is granted and they play Les Trois Docteurs Rivaux, which greatly amuses the king and the court, and Molière's success is assured. Monsieur, the king's brother, takes Molière and his little troop under his protection, and the Illustre Théâtre changes its name to that of Les Comédiens de Monsieur. By order of the king, the Théâtre du Petit-Bourbon in the Louvre is placed at their disposal.

On the 18th of November, 1659, Les Précieuses Ridicules takes Paris by storm and draws forth admiration from all sides, even from those against whom the satire is directed. Sganarelle is produced next-May 28, 1660, — and the same year Molière and his company leave the Louvre and take up their quarters at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, which had been erected by order of Richelieu, for the representation of his tragedy Mirame.

Now Molière writes play after play in rapid succession, and in the same year, 1661, they produce Don Garcie de Navarre (February 4), L'École des Maris (June 24), Les Fâcheux (August 1).

In the month of February, 1662, when 40 years of age, Molière marries Armande Béjart, who is only twenty. This proves a most unfortunate marriage. His gay and fascinating bride causes him much suffering, from which he draws those scenes of love, suspicion and jealousy, calling forth so many roars of laughter from the audience. In 1662 appears L'École des Femmes, an attempt to show the danger of bringing girls up in too strict a manner; this is followed in 1663, on the 1st of June and on the 14th of October respectively, by Critique de l'École des Femmes and L'impromptu de Versailles.

In 1664 Molière's first child is born; Louis XIV is its godfather and the duchesse d'Orléans the godmother. In the same year appear Le Mariage Forcé (January 24), La Princesse d'Élide (May 7), Tartuffe, first three acts (May 12), and the beginning of a translation of Lucretius.

In 1665 Les Comédiens de Monsieur change to Troupe du Roi, and the company is subsidized with a yearly pension of seven thousand livres. Molière's second child is born. Don Juan ou le Festin de Pierre is given February 15, and on the 15th of September L'Amour Médecin.

In 1666: Le Misanthrope (June 4), Le Médecin malgré lui (August 9), Ballet des Muses and Mélicerte (December 2).

:

In 1667 Le Sicilien (January 5), Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur (August 5), and prohibited by order of the president of parliament. This work is of all Molière's masterpieces the masterpiece. The object of its ridicule and sting is the man whose life and character are engaged in feigning the possession of virtue, and who pretends to be that which he is not. It made many enemies for Molière. Whether it was mainly directed against the clergy or not, they so considered it, for some of them went so far as to write treatises which they hoped would counteract its effects.

In 1668 they produce Amphitryon (January 13), Georges Daudin (July 15), L'AVARE (September 9).

In 1669 Tartuffe comes to the front again and is produced on the 5th of February; on the 6th of October, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, and still in the same year La gloire du Val de Grâce.

In 1670: Les Amants Magnifiques (February), Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (October 13).

In 1671: Psyché (April), Fourberies de Scapin (May 24), La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas (December 2).

In 1672: Les Femmes Savantes (March 11).

In 1673: Le Malade Imaginaire (February 10).

Molière's disposition was naturally of a melancholy character, and his unhappy home life only made it worse; his constitution was not a very strong one, and he suffered from many ailments; but nothing seems to have interfered with his mental activity, which continued more vigorous as he advanced in years. One thing, however, that gave him

more trouble than all the rest was his weak chest and a stubborn cough. On the morning of the fourth representation of Le Malade Imaginaire (February 17, 1673), he suffered more than usual. His anxious friends and also his wife, to whom he had been reconciled, begged him not to go on the stage that day. "Comment voulez-vous que je fasse?" he said to them; "il y a cinquante pauvres ouvriers qui n'ont que leur journée pour vivre; que feront-ils si l'on ne joue pas? Je me reprocherais d'avoir négligé de leur donner du pain un seul jour, le pouvant faire absolument."

The hour for the representation comes, he is at his post, and acts apparently as well as ever, though he tries hard to hide from the spectators how much he is suffering. A sudden convulsion seizes him, he is carried to his home, where he dies in agonizing pain a few hours afterwards.

Thus ended the career of one of the greatest men in French literature. If one were to enumerate all the characters he has created, he would arrive at the sum total of

ACTEURS.

1. HARPAGON, père de Cléante et d'Élise, et amoureux de Mariane. 2. CLÉANTE, fils d'Harpagon, amant de Mariane.

3. ÉLISE, fille d'Harpagon, amante de Valère.

4. VALÈRE, fils d'Anselme, et amant d'Élise.

5. MARIANE, amante de Cléante, et aimée d'Harpagon.

6. ANSELME, père de Valère et de Mariane.

7. FROSINE, femme d'intrigue.

8. MAÎTRE SIMON, courtier.

9. MAÎTRE JACQUES, cuisinier et cocher d'Harpagon. 10. LA FLÈCHE, valet de Cléante.

II. DAME CLAUDE, servante d'Harpagon.

12. BRINDAVOINE,

13. LA MERLUCHE,

laquais d'Harpagon.

14. LE COMMISSAIRE et son clerc.

La scène est à Paris.