"And what about Molière?"
"As to Molière, if you want to study something that is worth taking trouble over, you must ascend, not descend."
"From Molière to whom?"
"From Molière to Terence, from Terence to Plautus, from Plautus to Aristophanes."
"But it seems to me you are forgetting Corneille?"
"I am not forgetting him: I have put him on one side." "Why?"
"Because he is neither an ancient Greek nor an old Roman."
"What is Corneille, then?"
"He is a Cordouan, like Lucan; you will see, when you compare them, that his verse has striking resemblance to the metre of the Pharsalia."