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than any other； even if it should lack weight。〃
＇2＇ HIST： honnête homme means gentleman。 （SR。）
＇3＇ Descartes； ed。 Cousin； XI。 333； I。 121； 。 。 。 Descartes
depreciates 〃simple knowledge acquired without the aid of reflection；
such as languages； history； geography； and； generally； whatever is not
based on experience。 。 。 。 It is no more the duty of an honest man to
know Greek or Latin than to know the Swiss or Breton languages； nor
the history of the Romano…Germanic empire any more than of the
smallest country in Europe。〃
＇4＇ Molière； 〃Les Femmes Savantes；〃 and 〃La Critique de l'école des
femmes。〃 The parts of Dorante with Lycidas and of Clitandre with
Trissotin。
＇5＇ The learned Huet； （1630…1721）； true to the taste of the sixteenth
century； describes this change very well from his point of view。 〃When
I entered the world of letters these were still flourishing； great
reputations maintained their supremacy。 I have seen letters decline
and finally reach an almost entire decay。 For I scarcely know a person
of the present time that one can truly call a savant。〃 The few
Benedictines like Ducange and Mabillon； and later； the academician
Fréret； the president Bouhier of Dijon； in short； the veritable
erudites exercise no influence。
＇6＇ Nicole； 〃Oeuvres morales；〃 in the second essay on Charity and
Self…love； 142。
＇7＇ Voltaire； 〃Dialogues；〃 〃L'intendant des menus et l'abbé Grizel；〃
129。
＇8＇ Maury adds with his accustomed coarseness； 〃We； in the French
Academy； looked upon the members of the Academy of Sciences as our
valets。〃 … These valets at that time consisted of Lavoisier；
Fourcroy； Lagrange； Laplace； etc。 （A narrative by Joseph de Maistre；
quote by Sainte…Beuve； 〃Causeries du lundi；〃 IV。 283。）
＇9＇ This description makes me think of the contemporary attitudes
pejoratively called 〃politically correctness。〃 Thus the drawings…room
audience of the 18th century have today been replaced by the
〃political correct〃 elite holding sway in teacher training schools；
schools of journalism； the media and hence among the television
public。 The same mechanism which moved the upper class in the 18th
century moves it in the 20th century。。 （S。R。）
＇10＇ Today in 1999 we may speak of the TV mold forced by the measured
popularity or 〃ratings〃of the programs。 （SR。
＇11＇ Vaugelas； 〃Remarques sur la langue fran？aise：〃 〃It is the mode
of speech of the most sensible portion of the court； as well as the
mode of writing of the most sensible authors of the day。 It is better
to consult women and those who have not studied than those who are
very learned in Greek and in Latin。〃
＇12＇ One of the causes of the fall and discredit of the Marquis
d'Argenson in the eighteenth century； was his habit of using these。
＇13＇ Vaugelas； ibid。。 〃Although we may have eliminated one…half of
his phrases and terms we nevertheless obtain in the other half all the
riches of which we boast and of which we make a display。〃 … Compare
together a lexicon of two or three writers of the sixteenth century
and one of two or three writers of the seventeenth。 A brief statement
of the results of the comparison is here given。 Let any one； with pen
in hand； note the differences on a hundred pages of any of these
texts； and he will be surprised at it。 Take； for examples； two writers
of the same category； and of secondary grade； Charron and Nicole。
＇14＇ For instance； in the article 〃Ignorance；〃 in the 〃Dict。
Philosophique。〃
＇15＇ La Harpe； 〃Cours de Littérature；〃 ed。 Didot。 II。 142。
＇16＇ A battle…axe used by the Franks。 … TR。
＇17＇ I cite an example haphazard from the 〃Optimiste〃 （1788）； by
Colin d'Harleville。 In a certain description； 〃The scene represents a
bosquet filled with odoriferous trees。〃 … The classic spirit rebels
against stating the species of tree； whether lilacs； lindens or
hawthorns。 … In paintings of landscapes of this era we have the same
thing； the trees being generalized； … of no known species。
＇18＇ This evolution is seen today as well； television having the same
effect upon its actors as the 18th century drawing…room。 （SR。）
＇19＇ See in the 〃Lycée；〃 by la Harpe； after the analysis of each
piece； his remarks on detail in style。
＇20＇ The omission of the pronouns； I； he； we； you； they； the article
the； and of the verb； especially the verb to be。 Any page of
Rabelais； Amyot or Montaigne； suffices to show how numerous and
various were the transpositions。
＇21＇ Vaugelas； ibid 。 〃No language is more inimical to ambiguities
and every species of obscurity。〃
＇22＇ See the principal romances of the seventeenth century； the
〃Roman Bourgeois；〃 by Furetière； the 〃Princess de Clèves；〃 by Madame
de Lafayette； the 〃Clélie；〃 by Mme。 de Scudéry； and even Scarron's
〃Roman Comique。〃 … See Balzac's letters ； and those of Voiture and
their correspondents； the 〃Récit des grands jours d'Auvergne；〃 by
Fléchier； etc。 On the oratorical peculiarities of this style cf。
Sainte…Beuve； 〃Port…Royal；〃 2nd ed。 I。 515。
＇23＇ Voltaire； 'Esay sur le poème épique'； 〃Our nation； regarded by
strangers as superficial is； with the pen in its hand； the wisest of
all。 Method is the dominant quality of all our writers。〃
＇24＇ Milton's works are built up with 8；000。 〃Shakespeare； who
displayed a greater variety of expression than probably any writer in
any language； produced all his plays with about 15；000 words and the
Old Testament says all it has to say with 5；642 words。〃 （Max Müller；
〃Lectures on the Science of language；〃 I。 309。） … It would be
interesting to place alongside of this Racine's restricted vocabulary。
That of Mme。 de Scudery is extremely limited。 In the best romance of
the XVIIth century； the 〃Princesse de Clèves；〃 the number of words is
reduced to the minimum。 The Dictionary of the old French Academy
contains 29；712 words； the Greek Thesaurus； by H。 Estienne； contains
about 150；000。
＇25＇ Compare together the translations of the Bible made by de Sacy
and Luther； those of Homer by Dacier； Bitaubé and Lecomte de Lisle；
those of Herodotus； by Larcher and Courrier； the popular tales of
Perrault and those by Grimm； etc。
＇26＇ See the 〃Discours académique；〃 by Racine； on the reception of
Thomas Corneille： 〃In this chaos of dramatic poetry your illustrious
brother brought Reason on the stage； but Reason associated with all
the pomp and the ornamentation our language is capable of。〃
＇27＇ Voltaire； 〃Essay sur le poème épique；〃 290。 〃It must be admitted
that a Frenchman has more difficulty in writing an epic poem than
anybody else。 。 。 。 Dare I confess it？ Our own is the least poetic of
all polished nations。 The works in verse the most highly esteemed in
France are those of the drama； which must be written in a familiar
style approaching conversation。〃
＇28＇ Except in 〃Pensées；〃 by Pascal； a few notes dotted down by a
morbidly exalted Christian； and which certainly； in the perfect work；
would not have been allowed to remain as they are。
＇29＇ See in the Cabinet of Engravings the theatrical costumes of the
middle of the XVIIIth century。 … Nothing could be more opposed to the
spirit of the classic drama than the parts of Esther and Brittannicus；
as they are played nowadays； in the accurate costumes and with scenery
derived from late discoveries at Pompeii or Nineveh。
＇30＇ The formality which this indicates will be understood by those
familiar with the use of the pronoun thou in France； denoting intimacy
and freedom from restraint in contrast with ceremonious and formal
intercourse。 … Tr。
＇31＇ See the parts of the moralizers and reasoners like Cléante in
〃Tartuffe；〃 Ariste in 〃Les Femmes Savantes；〃 Chrysale in 〃L'Ecole des
Femmes；〃 etc。 See the discussion between the two brothers in 〃Le
Festin de Pierre；〃 III。 5； the discourse of Ergaste in 〃L'Ecole des
Maris〃； that of Eliante； imitated from Lucretius in the 〃Misanthrope；〃
II。 5； the portraiture； by Dorine in 〃Tartuffe；〃 I。 1。 … The portrait
of the hypocrite； by Don Juan in 〃Le Festin de Pierre；〃 V。 2。
＇32＇ For instance the parts of Harpagon and Arnolphe。
＇33＇ We see this in Tartuffe； but only through an expression of
Dorine； and not directly。 Cf。 in Shakespeare； the parts of Coriolanus；
Hotspur； Falstaff； Othello； Cleopatra； etc。
＇34＇ Balzac passed entire days in reading the 〃Almanach des cent
mille adresses；〃 also in a cab in the streets during the afternoons；
examining signs for the purpose of finding suitable names for his
characters。 This little circumstance shows the difference between two
diverse conceptions of mankind。
＇35＇ 〃At the present day； whatever may be said； there is no such
thing as Frenchmen； Germans； Spaniards； and Englishmen； for all are
Europeans。 All have the same tastes； the same passions； the same
habits； none havi