THE

CABINET OF BIOGRAPHY.

CONDUCTED BY THE

REV. DIONYSIUS LARDNER, LL.D. F.R.S. L. & E.

M.R.I.A. F.R.A.S. F.L.S. F.Z.S. Hon. F.C.P.S. &c. &c.
ASSISTED BY

EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

EMINENT
LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF FRANCE.

VOL. II.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR
LONGMAN, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS,
PATERNOSTER-ROW;
AND JOHN TAYLOR,
UPPER GOWER STREET.
1839.


CONTENTS

[TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE FIRST VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF FRANCE.]

[TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE SECOND VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF FRANCE.]

[VOLTAIRE]
[ROUSSEAU]
[CONDORCET]
[MIRABEAU]
[MADAME ROLAND]
[MADAME DE STAËL]
[INDEX]
[TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE FIRST VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF ITALY, SPAIN, AND PORTUGAL.]

[TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE SECOND VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF ITALY, SPAIN, AND PORTUGAL.]

[TABLE, ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, TO THE THIRD VOLUME OF
LIVES OF EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF ITALY, SPAIN, AND PORTUGAL.]

[INDEX]


The Analytical and Chronological Tables and Index to the Series of Lives of Eminent Literary and Scientific Men of Italy, Spain, and Portugal, are given at the end of this volume.


[TABLE,
ANALYTICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL,
TO THE FIRST VOLUME OF
LIVES OF
EMINENT LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN
OF FRANCE.]

MONTAIGNE.

1533-1592

A. D.

PAGE

Birth of Michel de Montaigne

1533.

[1]

Pierre Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne

[1]

Education of Montaigne and his five Brothers

[2]

The Public School of Guienne

[5]

Ætat 26. Friendship with Etienne de la Boétie

1559.

[7]

Death of É. de la Boétie

1563.

[9]

Ætat 33. Marriage of Montaigne

1566.

[9]

Death of his father Pierre

[10], [11]

Troubles of France

[10]

Duke of Guise

[10]

Henry King of Navarre, afterwards Henri Quatre

[11]

Anecdotes of the Civil War

[13], [14]

Ætat. 47. Montaigne's Journey through Switzerland to Munich,
Venice, and Rome

1580.

[17]

Ætat. 48. Citizenship of Rome granted to Montaigne by a Bull
of the Pope

1581.

[18]

Description of Rome

[18]

Devotion of Montaigne, and Offering at the Shrine of Loretto

[19]

Montaigne elected Mayor by the Citizens of Bordeaux. His
return home to fill that Office

[19]

Ætat 52. Friendship of Montaigne for Mlle. Marie de Gournay
le Jars

1585.

[20]

Ætat. 60. Decease of this celebrated Author
His Character

1592.

[21]

Montaigne's Essays edited by Mlle. de Gournay, with a Preface
by that Lady

[21]

RABELAIS.

1483-1553.

Lord Bacon's Opinion of Rabelais

[23]

Style of his Romance in Writings

[23]

Presumed Date of Birth of Rabelais

1483.

[23]

His Education in a Monastery

[24]

Rabelais assumes the Franciscan Habit, and preaches
Envy of Monks

[24]

His Condemnation to Bread and Water

[25]

On his Release he turns to the Rule of Benedict

[25]

Rabelais quits the Monks, and studies Medicine

[26]

His Edition of Hippocrates

[26]

His Visit to Cardinal du Bellay

[27]

His scarlet Gown

[27]

Established as Physician at Lyons

[28]

Rabelais' Journey to Rome

[28]

His Correspondence

[28], [30]

Interview with Pope Paul III.

[29]

His Journey to Lyons and Paris

[29]

Rabelais, Abbot of St. Maur-des-Fosses, and Curé de Meudon

[30]

His celebrated Work, or Romance

[31]

Controversy resulting therefrom

[31]

Rome, attack on, by Rabelais

[31]

Francis I. protects him from the Sorbonne

[31], [32]

Opinions of French Authors on Francis Rabelais

[34]

His Imitators enumerated

[36]

His various Works

[37]

His Acquirements in Languages and Science

[38]

Exemplary Conduct as a Minister of Religion

[39]

Ætat. 70. His Decease

[39]

Epitaphs for Rabelais

1553.

[39]

CORNEILLE.

1606-1684.

State of French Poetry and Literature

[40]

Birth of Corneille

1606.

[40]

Consequences of the Civil War in France

1590-1600.

[41]

Rise of the French Drama

[42]

Ætat. 23. Corneille writes "Mélite," a Comedy

1629.

[42]

Ætat. 28. His early Tragedies, &c.

1634.

[42]

Cardinal de Richelieu employs Corneille, Rotrou, Colletet,
Bois-Robert, and L'Étoile on his own Dramatic Works

[43]

Theatre of the Cardinal

[43]

Corneille retires to Rouen

1635.

[43]

His Amatory Poems

[43]

Ætat 29. His "Medea" acted

[44]

Corneille's Genius excited by the Study of Guillen do Castro

[45]

Unity, dramatic, considered as a Fetter on modern Talent

[45]

He composed the "Cid"

[45]

Unparalleled Success of this Drama

[46]

Critique of the "Cid" by the French Academy

1637.

[47]

Ætat. 33. Writes "Horace," a Tragedy

1639.

[48]

Ætat. 40. Corneille's Tragedy of "Rodogune"

1616.

[52]

Success of his "Œdipus"

[54]

Is elected of the French Academy

1642.

[55]

His Manners and Conversation

[55]

Thomas Corneille's Tragedies

[56]

Ætat. 62. Pierre Corneille and his Family established in Paris

1662.

[56]

Rivality of Corneille and Racine

[57], [58]

Louis XIV.'s Court

[58]

Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans

[58]

Ætat. 79. Death of Pierre Corneille

1684.

[59]

Veneration for his Memory

[60]

Eloge by Racine

[61]

Account of his Sons and Daughter

[61]

ROCHEFOUCAULD.

1613-1680.

The Duke de la Rochefoucauld's Maxims

[63]

High Station of his House, and its ancient Power

[63]

Reign of Henry IV.

[64]

Reign of Louis XIII.

[64]

Cardinal de Richelieu represses the Ambition of the French
Nobles

[64]

Anne of Austria, Regent of France

1643.

[64]

Five Years of Peace and Tranquillity

[67]

Ætat. 29. The Prince de Marsillac (afterwards Duc de la
Rochefoucauld) returns to Paris

1642.

[63]

Battle of Rocroi gained by Condé over the Spaniards

1644.

[67]

Civil War in France

[68]

The Fronde

[68]

Barricades of Paris

[68]

De Retz, Cardinal, Coadjutor of the Archbishopric of Paris

[68]

Account of the Princes de Condé, de Conti, and their Sister the
Duchess de Longueville

[68]

Condé and his Brother imprisoned at Vincennes

1650.

[72]

Liberated by the Frondeurs

[73]

His Actions with Turenne

[80]

Is defeated by Turenne near Paris

[81]

Raises the Standard of Rebellion in Holland

[82]

Peace concluded between the Court and the Fronde

[83]

Louis XIV. assumes the Government of his Kingdom

[83]

War of the Fronde terminated, and the Party dissolved

1653.

[83]

Ætat. 40. Duke de la Rochefoucauld retires with his Family to
Danvilliers to recover from his Wounds

1653.

[83]

Recalled by Mazarin to Court

[84]

Literati in Paris in the Reign of Louis XIV.

[85]

Ætat. 67. Death of the Duke de la Rochefoucauld

1680.

[89], [90]

Critique on his "Maxims"

[91]

Memoirs of the Regency of Anne of Austria, Widow of
Louis XIII.

[96]

MOLIÈRE.

1622-1673.

Distinguished Writers of the Age of Louis XIV.

[97]

Family of Poquelin

[97]

Birth of Jean Baptiste Poquelin, who assumed the Name of
Molière

1622.

[98]

His Studies at College

[98]

His Fellow-Students under Gassendi

[99]

Ætat. 19. Attends on Louis XIII. as Royal Valet-de-Chambre

1641.

[100]

Execution of Cinq-Mars

[100]

Cardinal de Richelieu's Plays, and Encouragement of Actors

[101]

Ætat. 21. Molière studies the Law

1643.

[101]

Molière's taking the Stage for his Profession offensive to his
Relatives

[101]

His Theatrical Company

[102]

The Fronde and Civil War injurious to the Theatre

[102]