ution of the
Macedonian empire, the decline of the empire of Rome, the beginnings
of the French monarchy are successively presented. But the chief
personages are idealised portraits drawn from the society of the
author's time. The spirit of the Hotel de Rambouillet is transferred
to the period when the Scythian Oroondate was the lover of Statira,
daughter of Darius; the Prince de Conde masks in _Cleopatre_ as
Coriolan; Pharamond is the Grand Monarch in disguise. Notwithstanding
the faded gallantries and amorous casuistry of La Calprenede's
interminable romances, a certain spirit of real heroism, offspring of
the writer's ardent imagination and bright southern temper, breathes
through them. They were the delight of Mme. de Sevigne and of La
Fontaine; even in the eighteenth century they were the companions of
Crebillon, and were not forgotten by Rousseau.

Still more popular was _Artamene, ou le Grand Cyrus_. Mdlle. de
Scudery, the "Sapho" of her Saturday _salon_, a true _precieuse_,
as good of heart and quick of wit as she was unprepossessing of person,
supplied the sentiment and metaphysics of love to match the
gasconading exploits of her brother's invention. It was the time not
only of preciosity, but of the Fronde, with its turbulent adventures
and fantastic chivalry. Under the names of Medes and Persians could
be discovered the adventurers, the gallants, the fine ladies of the
seventeenth century. In _Clelie_ an attempt is made to study the
curiosities of passion; it is a manual of polite love and elegant
manners; in its _carte de Tendre_ we can examine the topography of
love-land, trace the routes to the three cities of "Tendre," and learn
the dangers of the way. Thus the heroic romance reached its term;
its finer spirit became the possession of the tragic drama, where
it was purified and rendered sane. The modern novel had wandered in
search of its true self, and had not succeeded in the quest. When
_Gil Blas_ appeared, it was seen that the novel of incident must also
be the novel of character, and that in its imitation of real life
it could appropriate some of the possessions which by that time comedy
had lost.

The extravagances of sentiment produced a natural reaction. Not a
few of the intimates of the Hotel de Rambouillet found a relief from
their fatigue of fine manners and high-pitched emotions in the
unedifying jests and merry tales of the tavern. A comic, convivial,
burlesque or picaresque literature bec