FRENCH LITERATURE.
INTRODUCTION.—1. French Literature and its Divisions.—2. The Language
PERIOD FIRST.—1. The Troubadours.—2. The Trouvères.—3. French
Literature in the Fifteenth Century.—4. The Mysteries and Moralities:
Charles of Orleans, Villon, Ville-Hardouin, Joinville, Froissart, Philippe
de Commines.
PERIOD SECOND.—1. The Renaissance and the Reformation: Marguerite de
Valois, Marot, Rabelais, Calvin, Montaigne, Charron, and others.—2. Light
Literature: Ronsard, Jodelle, Hardy, Malherbe, Scarron, Madame de
Rambouillet, and others.—3. The French Academy.—4. The Drama:
Corneille.—5. Philosophy: Descartes, Pascal; Port Royal.—6. The Rise of
the Golden Age of French Literature: Louis XIV.—7. Tragedy: Racine.—8.
Comedy: Molière.—9. Fables, Satires, Mock-Heroic, and other Poetry: La
Fontaine, Boileau.—10. Eloquence of the Pulpit and of the Bar:
Bourdaloue, Bossuet, Massillon, Fléchier, Le Maitre, D'Aguesseau, and
others.—11. Moral Philosophy: Rochefoucault, La Bruyère, Nicole.—12.
History and Memoirs: Mézeray, Fleury, Rollia, Brantôme, the Duke of Sully,
Cardinal de Retz.—13. Romance and Letter Writing: Fénelon, Madame de
Sévigné.—257
PERIOD THIRD.—1. The Dawn of Skepticism: Bayle, J. B. Rousseau,
Fontenelle, Lamotte.—2. Progress of Skepticism: Montesquieu, Voltaire.
—3. French Literature during the Revolution: D'Holbach, D'Alembert,
Diderot, J. J. Rousseau, Buffon, Beaumarchais, St. Pierre, and others.
—4. French Literature under the Empire: Madame de Staël, Chateaubriand,
Royer-Collard, Ronald, De Maistre.—5. French Literature from the Age of
the Restoration to the Present Time. History: Thierry, Sismondi, Thiers,
Mignet, Martin, Michelet, and others. Poetry and the Drama; Rise of the
Romantic School: Béranger, Lamartine, Victor Hugo, and others; Les
Parnassiens. Fiction: Hugo, Gautier, Dumas, Mérimée, Balzac, Sand,
Sandeau, and others. Criticism: Sainte-Beuve, Taine, and others.
Miscellaneous.