[Footnote 79: Que si quelqu'un, mes Vers, alors vous importune, Pour savoir mes parents, ma vie, et ma fortune, Contez lui qu'allié d'assez hauts magistrats, Fils d'un greffier, né d'ayeux avocats, Des le berceau perdant une forte jeune mère, Réduit seize ans après à pleurer mon vieux père, J'allai d'un pas hardi, par moi-mème guidé, Et de mon seul génie en marchant seconde, Studieux amateur de Perse et d'Horace, Assez pres de Regnier m'asseoir sur le Parnasse.--Epître X. La famille en pâlit, et vit en frémissant, Dans la poudre du greffier un poète naissant.--Epître V.] [Footnote 80: The duc de Montauzier married Julie d'Angennes, demoiselle de Rambouillet--the deity of the clique which established the system of factitious gallantry which Molière and Boileau ridiculed and exploded. Of course the duke was inimically inclined; but time softened the exasperation, and Boileau, by apt flattery in his epistle to Racine, completed the change. Soon after the publication of this epistle, the peer and poet met in the galleries of Versailles, and exchanged compliments; the duke took the satirist home to dine with him, and was his friend ever after.] [Footnote 81: The following is a specimen of the poetry of the "Pucelle,"--the Maid of Orleans is addressing the king:-- "O! grand prince, que grand des cette heure j'appelle, Il est vrai, le respect sert de bride à mon zèle: Mais ton illustre aspect me redouble le cœur, Et me le redoublant, me redouble la peur. A ton illustre aspect mon cœur se sollicite, Et grimpant contre mont, la dure terre quitte. O! que n'ai-je le ton désormais assez fort Pour aspirer à toi, sans te faire de tort. Pour toi puissé-je avoir une mortelle pointe Vers où l'épaule gauche à la gorge est conjointe, Que le coup brisât l'os, et fit pleûvoir le sang De la temple, du dos, de l'épaule, et du flanc."] [Footnote 82: Voltaire, in his "Mémoire sur la Satire," severely censures Boileau. Voltaire was peculiarly sensitive to satire, while he never spared it in his turn; he cherished a sort of reserve in his mind, that made it venial in him to attack with virulence, while no one was to censure him without the most cutting return. This fact, however, does not alter his argument. It is a difficult question. It may be said that it is impossible but that bad books should be criticised by contemporary writers, while all men of generous and liberal natures will be averse to undertaking the office of butcher themselves.] [Footnote 83: The pensions were granted in 1663. Chapelain selected the names; but we can hardly believe that he wrote the list, such as it has come down to us, wherein the praise lavished on himself is ridiculous enough: The occasion of the pension is appended to the name: this is a specimen of some among them:-- "Au sieur Pierre Corneille, premier poète dramatique du monde, deux mille francs.