MALHERBE.--In the midst of this unrestrained literature one man attempted
to impose reason, accuracy of mind, taste, and conciseness. This was
Malherbe, who was also a powerful lyric poet, a stylist with an ear for
melody. His influence was considerable, but forty years after his own
time; for it was the poets of 1660 who were formed of him and proclaimed
themselves his disciples. In his own day he had only Maynard and Racan
as pupils, or rather as partisans, for their work but little resembled
his.

THE THEATRE.--On the stage the first portion of the seventeenth century,
certainly as far as 1636, was only the corollary of the sixteenth. Hardy,
writing without method or rule, being in addition a very weak poet,
presided in the theatre whilst Mairet, in imitation of the Italians and
in imitation too of the bulk of the dramatists of the sixteenth century,
essayed to establish formal tragedy, but without creating much effect
because his talent was of an inferior description.

At last Corneille arose and, after feeling his way a little, created
French tragedy; but as this was only in 1636, and as in the course of his
long career he came into the second half of the century, he will be dealt
with a little later.

PROSE: BALZAC; DESCARTES.--In prose, the first half of the seventeenth
century was fruitful in important works. Cardinal de Perron, who began as
an amiable elegant poetaster, became a great orator and formidable
controversialist. Guez de Balzac, a little lacking in ideas yet an
extremely good writer, though but little detached from preciosity, as
Voltaire observed, imparted harmony to his phrases both in his letters
and in his _Socrates a Christian_. Vaugelas arranged the code of