La Tentation de
Saint Antoine_, which grew out of a fragmentary sketch entitled _Smarh_
(a mediaeval Mystery, the manuscript tells us), written in early youth.
_La Tentation_ proved a source of labor, for he never ceased revising it
until it appeared in book form in 1874. In 1847, he wrote a modern play,
entitled _Le Candidat_, produced in 1874 at the Vaudeville. It was not
his first dramatic effort, as he had already written a sort of lyric
fairy-play, _Le Chateau des Coeurs_, which was published in his
_Oeuvres Posthumes_.

In 1849 Flaubert visited Greece, Egypt, and Syria, again accompanied by
his friend Maxime Ducamp. After his return he planned a book of
impressions similar to _Par les Champs et par les Greves_, which was the
result of the trip to Brittany; but the beginning only was achieved.
Still he gathered many data for his future great novel, _Salammbo_. The
year 1851 found him back in Croisset, working at _La Tentation de Saint
Antoine_, which he dropped suddenly, when half finished, for an entirely
different subject--_Madame Bovary_, a novel of provincial life,
published first in 1857 in the _Revue de Paris_. For this Flaubert was
prosecuted, on the charge of offending against public morals, but was
acquitted after the remarkable defense offered by Maitre Senard.

Flaubert's fame dates from _Madame Bovary_, which was much discussed by
press and public. Many, including his friend, Maxime Ducamp, condemned
it, but Sainte-Beuve gave it his decisive and courageous approval. It
was generally considered, however, as the starting point of a new phase
in letters, frankly realistic, and intent on understanding and
expressing everything. Such success might have influenced Flaubert's
artistic inclinations but did not, for while _Madame Bovary_ was
appearing in the _Revue de Paris_, the _Artiste_ was publishing
fragments of _La Tentation de Saint Antoine_.

In 1858 Flaubert went to Tunis, visited the site of ancient Carthage,
and four years afterwards wrote _Salammbo_, a marvellous reconstitution,
more than half intuitive, of a civilisation practically unrecorded in
history. This extraordinary book did not call forth the enthusiasm that
greeted _Madame Bovary_. Flaubert, in whom correctness of detail was a
passion, was condemned, even by Sainte-Beuve, for choosing from all
history a civilisation of which so little is known. The author replied,
and a lengthy controversy ensued, but it was not a subject that could be