BOILEAU-DESPREAUX, Nicolas, was born at Paris on the 1st November 1636. Crone, not far from the capital, ha3 been frequently stated to be his birthplace, but the matter seems to be pretty nearly settled by the researches of M. Labat ^Recherches historiques sur V Hotel de la Préfecture de Police), who has discovered the very house in the Rue de Jérusalem where the poet was born. He was educated at the College of Beauvais, and was at first destined for the legal profession. From this, however, after a short trial, he recoiled in disgust, complaining bitterly of the amount of chicanery which passed under the name of law and justice. To escape such a course of life he began to study for the church, and actually received a priory of a small annual value, but his wishes soon turned in another direction. He gave up his clerical profession, and, his father having left him a small provision suffi - cient for his wants, thenceforward devoted himself to letters. Such of his early poems as have been preserved hardly contain the promise of what he ultimately became. The first piece in which his peculiar powers were displayed was a satirical poem, Adieus of a Poet to the City of Pams, published in 1660. This was quickly followed by eight others, and the number was at a later period increased to twelve. A twofold interest attaches to the satires. In the first place the author skilfully parodies and attacks writers who at the time were placed in the very first rank, such as Chapelain, Cotin, Quinault, and Scudéri; he openly raised the standard of revolt against the older poets. But in the second place he showed, both by precept and practice, what were the poetical capabilities of the French language. Prose, in the hands of such writers as Descartes and Pascal, had proved itself a ...