In Paris, from 1661 to 1664 joyous meetings took place in Boileau's rooms in the Rue du Colombier of a distinguished group, which included Moliere, Chapelle, Racine, and La Fontaine. La Fontaine, the _bonhomme_, who escaped from the toil of conversation which did not interest him in shy or indolent taciturnity, could be a charming talker with companions of his choice. Probably to Boileau's urgency is due the first original publication of La Fontaine, a little volume of _Nouvelles en Vers_ (1664-1665), containing the _Joconde_, a tale from Ariosto, and a comic story versified from Boccaccio. Almost immediately there followed a collection of ten _Contes_, with the author's name upon the title-page, and at various later dates were published added tales, until five parts completed the series. The success was great, but great also was the scandal, for the _bonhomme_, drawing from Boccaccio, the Heptameron, the Cent Nouvelles nouvelles, Rabelais, Petronius, Athenaeus, and other sources, had exhibited no more regard for decency than that which bestows the graces of lightness, brightness, wit, and gaiety upon indecency. His unabashed apology was that the artistic laws of the _conte_ obliged him to decline the laws of modesty; and among those who applauded his tales were the Duchess de Bouillon and Mme. de Sevigne. It is indeed impossible not to applaud their skill in rapid and easy narrative, and the grace, freedom, and spontaneity of the verse. The first six books of the _Fables_ appeared in 1668; the next five in two parts, in 1678 and 1679; the twelfth and last book in 1694. When the _Psyche_ was published, soon after the first group of the _Fables_, the prose and verse were placed in a graceful setting, which tells of the converse of the author with his friends Boileau, Racine, and Moliere (or possibly Chapelle) in the midst of the unfinished gardens of Versailles, where the author of _Psyche_, named happily Polyphile (for he loved many things, and among them his friends), will read his romance for his literary comrades. "_J'aime le jeu, l'amour, les livres, la musique, La ville et la campagne, enfin tout: il n'est rien Qui ne me soit souverain bien Jusq'aux sombres plaisirs d'un coeur melancolique._"