daughter of Philip IV., King of Spain, had only lately arrived, and as a
taste for the Spanish drama appeared to spring up anew in France,
Molière thought perhaps that a heroic comedy in that style might meet
with some success, the more so as a company of Spanish actors had been
performing in Paris the plays of Lope de Vega and Calderon, since the
24th of July, 1660. Therefore, he brought out, on the 4th of February,
1661, his new play of _Don Garcia of Navarre_. It is said that there
exists a Spanish play of the same name, of which the author is unknown;
Molière seems to have partly followed an Italian comedy, written by
Giacinto Andrea Cicognini, under the name of _Le Gelosie fortunata del
principe Rodrigo_; the style, loftiness and delicacy of expression are
peculiar to the French dramatist.

_Don Garcia of Navarre_ met with no favourable reception, though the
author played the part of the hero. He withdrew it after five
representations, but still did not think its condemnation final, for he
played it again before the King on the 29th of September, 1662, in
October, 1663, at Chantilly, and twice at Versailles. He attempted it
anew on the theatre of the Palace-Royal in the month of November, 1663;
but as it was everywhere unfavourably received, he resolved never to
play it more, and even would not print it, for it was only published
after his death in 1682. He inserted some parts of this comedy in the
_Misanthrope_, the _Femmes Savantes_, _Amphitryon_, _Tartuffe_ and _Les
Fâcheux, where they produced great effect.

Though it has not gained a place on the French stage, it nevertheless
possesses some fine passages. Molière wished to create a counterpart of
_Sganarelle_, the type of ridiculous jealousy, and to delineate
passionate jealousy, its doubts, fears, perplexities and anxieties, and
in this he has succeeded admirably. However noble-minded Don Garcia may