BOILEAU.

26 ?

in the right, he argued with moderation and gentleness;when in the wrong, he grew angry if contradicted: hiseyes sparkled with a fire that even intimidated Boileau,who yielded at once, remarking, at the same time, to hisneighbour, “ Henceforth I shall always agree with theprince when he is in the wrong.”

The First President Lamoignon also honoured himwith his intimate friendship; and Arnaud and Nicole,churchmen distinguished for their virtues and talents,were among his dearest and most revered friends. But,besides these, he had intimates of his own station, ofnot less genius than himself; authors, yet without rival,ship, who enjoyed the zest given by each other’s wit insociety; to whom he was strongly attached, and withwhom, in the heyday of life, he played many a prank,and spent long hours of social enjoyment. Racine,La Fontaine, Moliere , and Chapelle* were among these.Many anecdotes are told concerning them, which makesus the more regret that no faithful Boswell was near toglean more amply. The “ Boileana,” which pretended torecord their wit, is by no means authentic. LouisRacine , in his valuable life of his father, has given us oneor two; from these — the shadow rather than the lightof wit — marking its place rather than displaying itsform — we select a few.

This knot of friends frequently dined at a celebratedtraiteur’s, or at one another’s houses; in particular, atMoliere’s and Boileau’s country houses at Auteuil .The conversation on these occasions was brilliant; and,did a silly remark escape from any among them, a finewas immediately levied. Chapelain’s poem of the“ Pucelle” was on the table, and, according to the qualityof the fault, the accused was adjudged to read a certainnumber of lines from this poem: twenty lines was aheavy punishment; a whole page was considered equi-valent to a sentence of death.

The famous supper, when the whole company resolvedto drown themselves, has been related in the life of* For an account of Chapelle, see Life of Moliere.