[Born at La Ferté Milon, in France, 1639. Died there, 1699. Aged 60.]
Racine was the Euripides of France, as Corneille was her Æschylus. The
first excelled in impassioned tenderness, the last in power and
sublimity. Corneille borrowed from the Spanish stage; Racine took his
inspiration from the ancients, whom he studied with ardour and effect.
He published “Phèdre,” one of his best tragedies, when he was
thirty-eight years old, but, disgusted with the envy which he raised, he
resolved to renounce the theatre ever afterwards. He did not keep his
word; for some years later, at the request of Madame de Maintenon, he
wrote his beautiful drama of “Athalie,” which, it would seem, was not
appreciated at the time. His versification is sweet, expressive, and
harmonious; and his plays are remarkable for grace and feeling. He was
himself beloved for his simplicity, modesty, and genuine character. He
was too sensitive to adverse criticism.