Moliere and the Restoration Comedy in England (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ...true. She was never suffered to play with a male child, though but in coats; nay, her very babies were of the feminine gender. Oh, she never looked a man in the face, but her own father or the chaplain; and him we made a shift to put upon her for a woman, by the help of his long garments and his sleek face, till she was going in her fifteen." This comedy of Congreve approaches more nearly to the excellence of Moliere than any other piece in our language. In general, his works do not reveal that depth and penetration which are characteristic of the French master. There is, however, in the character of Lady Wishfort and her unvenerable old age something not far remote from Arnolphe, whose experiences amuse us, but yet, at times, arouse our pity and condolence. MOLIERE AND THE RESTORATIOX COMEDY IN EvGLAND. A few words concerning Congreve's wit as compared with that of Moliere may not be out of place before we proceed to the work of the next writer. Congreve has, so to speak, laid himself out for wit, and has carried it to such extent that his dialogue has suffered in consequence; the thread of his dialogue is frequently lost in the onset of witty attacks and witty repartees in which his characters indulge. He absolutely squeezes the whole of the latent wit out of a word or a phrase, and does not rest content until he has done so. His work shows him to be skilled in every species of wit, his playing upon words, his witty phraseology, and his witty similes are surprisingly executed. Moliere's wit, on the other hand, is in no degree strained; it is not a wit of words or of phraseology, but is such as can be conceived as being produced in actual life. He has clearly explained what he thinks wit should be, by a well-directed thrust in the " Critique de...