Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 7.djvu/443

FRENCH.] DRAMA 423 rench ragedy in be 16th ury> and most successful 1 was in prose raised Mm to the fore most position among the dramatists of his age. In tragedy K de Cienfucgos (d. 1809) likewise showed some originality. After, however, the troubles of the French domination and the war had come to an end, the precepts and examples of the new school failed to reassert them selves. The Spanish dramatists of the present century, after passing, as in the instances of F. Martinez de la Rosa and Breton de los Horreros, from the system of French comedy to the manner of the national drama, appear either to have stood under the influence of the French romantic school, or to have .returned once more to the old national models. Among the former class A. Gil y Zarate, among the latter J. Zorilla, are mentioned as specially prominent. Mean while the old popular religious performances are not wholly extinct in Spain, and their relics may long continue to sur vive there. Whatever may be the future history of one of the most remarkable of dramatic literatures, it may confidently be predicted that so long as Spain is Spain, her theatre will not be permanently denationalized, and that the revolutions it may be destined to undergo are unlikely to extinguish, in whatever degree they may repress, its conservative elements. The beginnings of the regular drama in FRAXCE, which here, without absolutely determining, potently swayed its entire course, sprang directly from the literary movement of the Renaissance. Du Bellay sounded the note of attack which converted that movement in France into an endeavour to transform the national literature; and in Ronsard the classical school of poetry put forward its conquering hero and sovereign lawgiver. Among the disciples who gathered round Ronsard, and with him formed the " Pleiad " of French literature, Stephen Jodelle (1532-1572), the reformer of the French theatre, soon held a distinguished place. The stage of this period left ample room for the enterprise of this youthful writer. The popularity of the old entertainments had reached its height when Louis XII., in his conflict with Pope Julius II., had not scrupled to call in the aid of Pierre Gregoire (Gringore), and when the Mere Softs had mockingly masqueraded in the petticoats of Holy Church. Under Francis I. the Inquisition had to some extent succeeded in repressing the audacity of the actors, whose follies were at the same time an utter abomination in the eyes of the Huguenots. For a time the very mysteries had been prohibited. Meanwhile, isolated trans lations of Italian 2 or classical 3 dramas had in literature begun the movement which Jodelle now transferred to the stage itself. His tragedy, Gleopatre Captive,, was produced there on the same day as his comedy, L Eugene, in 1552, his DiJon se sacrifiant following in 1558. Thus at a time when a national theatre was perhaps impossible in a country distracted by civil and religious conflicts, whose monarchy had not yet welded together a number of provinces attached each to its own traditions, and whose population, especially in the capital, was enervated by frivolity or enslaved by fanaticism, was born that long-lived artificial growth, the so-called classical tragedy of France, For French comedy, though subjected to the same influences as tragedy, had a national basis upon which to proceed, and its history is partly that of a modification of old popular forms. The history of French tragedy begins with the Cleopatre Captive, in the representation of which the author, together w ith other members of the "Pleiad," took part. It is a tragedy in the manner of Seneca, devoid of action and 1 El Si de las Ninas (The Young Maidens Consent). 2 Trissino, Sofonisba. 3 Sophocles, Antigone; Electro,; Euripides, Hecuba; Terence, nd~ia; Aristophanes, Plutus (by Ronsard, 1549). provided with a ghost and a chorus. Though mainly written hi the five-foot Iambic couplet, it already contains passages in the Alexandrine metre, which soon afterwards La Peruse by his Mcdee (pr. 1556) established in French tragedy, and which Jodelle employed in his Didon. Numerous tragedies followed in the same style by various authors, among whom Bounyn produced the first French regular tragedy on a subject neither Greek nor Roman, 4 and the brothers De la Taille. 5 and J. Grevin, 6 distinguished themselves by their style. Though in the reign of Charles IX. a vain attempt was made by Filleul to introduce the pastoral style of the Italians into French tragedy 7 (while the Brotherhood of the Passion was intermingling with pastoral plays its still continued reproductions of the old entertain ments, and the religious drama making its expiring efforts), the classical school, in spite of all difficulties, prevailed. Monchrestien exhibited unusual vigour of rhetoric ; 8 and in R. Gamier (1545-1601) French tragedy reached the greatest height in nobility and dignity of style, as well as in the exhibition of dramatic passion, to which it attained before Corneille. In his tragedies 9 choruses are still inter spersed among the long Alexandrine tirades of the dialogue. During this period, comedy had likewise been influenced Come* by classical models ; but the distance was less between the under national farces and Terence, than between the mysteries ? and moralities, and Seneca and the Greeks. LEngcne differs little in style from the more elaborate of the old farces ; and while it satirizes the foibles of the clergy without any appreciable abatement of the old licence, its theme is the favourite burden of the French comic theatre of all times le cocuaye. The examples, however, which directly facilitated the productivity of the French comic dramatists of this period, among whom Jean delaTaille was the first to attempt a regular comedy in prose, 10 were those of the Italian stage, which in 1576 established a permanent colony in France, destined to survive there till the close of the 17th century, by which time it had adopted the French language, and was ready to coalesce with French actors, without, however, relinquishing all remembrance of its origin. R. Belleau (1528-1577), a member of the " Pleiad," produced a comedy in which the type (already approached by Jodelle) of the swaggering captain appears; 11 J. Grevin copied Italian intrigue, characters, and manners ; 12 O. de Turnebe (d. 1581) borrowed the title of one Italian play 13 and perhaps parts of the plots of others; the Florentine F. d Amboise (d. 1558) produced versions of two Italian comedies ; 14 and the foremost French comic poet of the century, P. de Larivey (1550-1612), likewise an Italian born (of the name of Pietro Giunto), openly professed to imitate the poets of his native country. His plays are more or less literal transla tions of L. Dolce, 15 Secchi, 16 and other Italian dramatists ; and this lively and witty author, to whom Moliere owes much, thus connects two of the most important and successful growths of the modern comic drama. Before, however, either tragedy or comedy in France Freiu entered into the period of their history when genius was to tra S e illuminate both with creations of undying merit, they had, come , together with the general literature of the country, passed j n th ( through anew phase of the national life. The troubles 17th and terrors of the great civil and religious wars of the 16th centn century had in certain spheres of society produced a reac- ^ tion towards culture and refinement ; and the ssal had been set upon the results of the Renaissance by Malherbe, the 4 La Soltane (1561). 5 Da ire (Darius). 6 La Mort de Cesar. 7 Achilla (1563). 8 Les Lacenes; Marie Stuart or L Ecossaise. 9 La Juire, &c. 10 Les Coriraux (1573). 11 La Reconnue (Le Capitaine Rodomont). 12 Les Esbahis. 13 Les Contens (S. Parabosco, I Content!). 14 Les Neapolitaines; Les L>eses)erades de V Amour.

15 Les Larfuais (Ragazzi). 16 Les Tromveries (Gli Inganni).