draught through the fuel, the evolution of heat is luoderate and may last several hours. But when the door is shut and much air is drawn through the eoal, the latter is more quickly burned; the temperature is liigher because more heat is evolved during a shorter period of time, but in the long rim the amount of heat produced is the same.
Since the process of combustion is a form of chemical transformation more striking and more commonly met with than any other process, it early attracted the attention of scientific observers". But since, on the other hand, it involves the consumption and formation of gases, it battled their ingenuity for many centuries. Those light, colorless, aeriform substances had, in the first place, to be discovered; and for a long time they escaped the attention of observers, in spite of their being present everywhere and constantly interfering with experimental work. Further, the peculiar properties of gases, to- gether with the striking appearance of flames and fires, gave birth to the erroneous idea that material bodies are capable of losing weight by combining with certain 'principles' and of gain- ing weight by having such 'principles' taken away from them. Thus the phenomena of com- bustion long hampered the progress of science. But it was the same phenomena that also finally led to truer conceptions ; for their correct inter- pretation by Lavoisier formed the cornerstone upon which rests the gigantic structure of the chemistry of to-day. See Food; Fuel; Thebmo- che.mistry; Chemistry.
COMEDIE FRANÇAISE, ko'ma'de' friiN'-
saz' ( Fr., French comedy ) . The oHieial name
of the Theatre Français, the national theatre of
France, subsidized by the State for the advancement of dramatic art. Its history dates officially
from October 21, 1080, when a decree of Louis XiV. amalgamated the two rival companies of the Hotel de Bonrgogne and the Hotel Guenfigaud, the latter being a fusion, after Moli&re's
death in 1673, of the Theatre du Marais and
the Troupe de JIoli6re. It thus maintains a
practically unbroken tradition from the time of
the great master of comedy, and is still familiarly known as the House of Molière. In 1682 the King granted to his comedians an annual pension
of f2,000 livres (about $2400), their first subsidy. In 1689 they established themselves in a new house, in what is now called the 'Rue de l'Ancienne Comedie,' and took the name of ’La Comedie Francaise;' under it they played until the Revolution with a succession of such artists as Baron, Adrienne Lecouvreur, Le Kain, and
Mademoiselle Clairon. For a time (1770-82) they
were housed in the Palace of the Tuileries itself.
Later, on the performance of Chenier's anti-
monarchical play of Charles IX. in 1789, violent political discussions arose among the performers,
and ultimately they split into two sections: the
Republican party, under the young tragedian
Talma, establishing a new theatre under the
name 'Theatre de la ECpublique.' on the site of
the present building in the Rue de Richelieu:
while the Royalist section took the title 'Théâtre de la Nation.' In September, 1793, the latter
was suddenly closed by order of the Committee
of Public Safety, and the players imprisoned,
though they were afterwards gradually released.
For a few years the rivalry continued : then in
1709, for a short time, there was an absolute interruption in the history of the Theatre Français. In May of that year, however, the Comedie was once more reorganized and settled in the Rue
de Richelieu. Napoleon, while at Moscow, October
15, 1812, prescribed the regulations which, modi-
fied in 18.50 and 18.59, still govern the company.
There is an administrateur-gcncral appointed by
the Government. The socidtaires are members
of the company, who, as shareholders, divide the
profits according to certain rules. Before being
elected as a sociitaire, an artist must have served
in the theatre as a pensionnaire, upon a salary.
A sociitaire, after twenty years of service, is
allowed to retire with a pension of 4000 francs.
The annual sum received from the State is 240,-
000 francs; and the theatre, being removed from
the fear of temporary jjccuniary failure, is in no
sense a mere business speculation, but serves as
an educator of public taste and sets a standard
of dramatic training. Here many of the gi-eatest
artists of the modern French stage have won
their triumphs, including Miles. Mars, Rachel,
Brohan, and, for a part of her career, Sarah
Bernhardt, and ilil. Talma, Got, Moimet-SuUy,
and Coquelin. Early in 1900 the historic build-
ing adjoining the Palais Royal was partly de-
stroyed by a disastrous fire, but was promptly
rebuilt in improved fashion within the same
lines. Consult: Matthews, Ttie Theatres of
Paris (New York, 1880) ; Lucas, Uistoire philosophique et litteraire du Thcatre-Franffais
(Paris, 1862-63) ; Bonnassies, La Comedie Française, histoire administrative (Paris, 1874); Joannides. La Comedie Fransaise de 16S0 a 1900, dictionnaire general des pieces et des auteurs, preface by Jules Claretie (Paris, 1901) ; Cochrane, The Theatre Frangais in the Reign of Louis
XV. (London, 1879) : and, for a discussion of many of the plays of its recent repertory, Weiss, Autour de la Comedie Franfaise (Paris, 1892).
COMÉDIE HUMAINE, u'man' (Fr., human
comedy) . A series of novels by Honore de
Balzac, the first volume of which was published in 1829, but the general title of which was not
announced until 1842. Its plan was to present
a panorama of the entire life of his country and
time. This colossal attempt was left incomplete
on his death in 1850. But well nigh a hundred
novels remain, dealing Avith innumerable types
and sitxiations characteristic of the France of the
early nineteenth century.
COMEDY. See Drama.
COMEDY OF ERRORS, The. An early
play of Shakespeare, acted at C4ray's Inn, De-
cember 28, 1504, and printed in 1623. It was
probably suggested by the Menwchmi of Plautug.
The plot revolves around the' amusing blunders
caused by the complete similarity, in person,
of the twin brothers, Antipholus of Syracuse
and Antipholus of Ephesus, and their twin
servants, the Dromios. whom even their masters
are not able to tell apart.
COMELY BANK. A suburban street lead-
ing out of Edinburgh, from the northwest of
the town. Thomas Carlyle lived there at the
time of his visit to .Jeffrey.
COME′NIUS, or Komensky, Johann Amos (1592-1670). A noted educational reformer of the seventeenth century, born either at or near Ungarisch-Brod, Moravia. His parents belonged to the Moravian Brethren, and Comenius became
