ffeminacy engendered
by provincial life. His old Bouvard was turning into a blockhead; in
short, "he was no longer in it at all."

"The theatre is an article of consumption like any other. It is
advertised in the newspapers. We go to the theatre to be amused. The
good thing is the thing that amuses."

"But, idiot," exclaimed Pecuchet, "what amuses you is not what amuses
me; and the others, as well as yourself, will be weary of it by and by.
If plays are written expressly to be acted, how is it that the best of
them can be always read?"

And he awaited Dumouchel's reply. According to the professor, the
immediate fate of a play proved nothing. The _Misanthrope_ and _Athalie_
are dying out. _Zaire_ is no longer understood. Who speaks to-day of
Ducange or of Picard? And he recalled all the great contemporary
successes from _Fanchon la Vielleuse_ to _Gaspardo le Pecheur_, and
deplored the decline of our stage. The cause of it is the contempt for
literature, or rather for style; and, with the aid of certain authors
mentioned by Dumouchel, they learned the secret of the various styles;
how we get the majestic, the temperate, the ingenuous, the touches that
are noble and the expressions that are low. "Dogs" may be heightened by
"devouring"; "to vomit" is to be used only figuratively; "fever" is
applied to the passions; "valiance" is beautiful in verse.

"Suppose we made verses?" said Pecuchet.

"Yes, later. Let us occupy ourselves with prose first."

A strict recommendation is given to choose a classic in order to mould
yourself upon it; but all of them have their dangers, and not only have
they sinned in point of style, but still more in point of phraseology.

This assertion disconcerted Bouvard and Pecuchet, and they set about
studying grammar.

Has the French language, in its idiomatic structure definite articles
and indefinite, as in Latin? Some think that it has, others that it has
not. They did not venture to decide.

The subject is always in agreement with the verb, save on the occasions
when the subject is not in agreement with it.

There was formerly no distinction between the verbal adjective and the
present participle; but the Academy lays down one not very easy to
grasp.

They were much pleased to learn that the pronoun _leur_ is used for
persons, but also for things, while _ou_ and _en_ are used for things
and sometimes for persons.

Ought we to say _Cette femme a l'air bon_ or _l'air bonne_?--_une b