large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_06_yonge_64kb_13
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_06_yonge_64kb
English
12344
Blaise Pascal, one of the greatest geniuses of all times, was attaching himself to the Jansenists. BLEISE PASCAL ONE OF THE GREATEST GENIUSES OF ALL TIMES WAS ATTACHING HIMSELF TO THE JANSENISTS
t itself to raise and refine the manners, literature, and language of the time. No word that was considered vulgar or coarse was allowed to pass muster; and though in process of time this censorship became pedantic and petty, there is no doubt that much was done to purify both the language and the tone of thought. Poems, plays, epigrams, eulogiums, and even sermons were rehearsed before the committee of taste in the Hôtel de Rambouillet, and a wonderful new stimulus was there given, not only to ornamental but to solid literature. Many of the great men who made France illustrious were either ending or beginning their careers at this time. Memoir writing specially flourished, and the characters of the men and women of the court are known to us on all sides. Cardinal de Retz and the Duke of Rochefoucauld, both deeply engaged in the Fronde, have left, the one memoirs, the other maxims of great power of irony. Mme. de Motteville, one of the queen's ladies, wrote a full history of the court. LIANT SOCIETY WHICH SET ITSELF TO RAISE AND REFINE THE MANNERS LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE OF THE TIME NO WORD THAT WAS CONSIDERED VULGAR OR COARSE WAS ALLOWED TO PASS MUSTER AND THOUGH IN PROCESS OF TIME THIS CENSORSHIP BECAME PEDANTIC AND PETTY THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT MUCH WAS DONE TO PURIFY BOTH THE LANGUAGE AND THE TONE OF THOUGHT POEMS PLAYS EPIGRAMS EULOGIUMS AND EVEN SERMONS WERE REHEARSED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE OF TASTE IN THE HOTEL DE HOMBOUILLIER AND A WONDERFUL NEW STIMULUS WAS THERE GIVEN NOT ONLY TO ORNAMENTAL BUT TO SOLID LITERATURE MANY OF THE GREAT MEN WHO MADE FRANCE ILLUSTRIOUS WERE EITHER ENDING OR BEGINNING THEIR CAREERS AT THIS TIME MEMOIR WRITING SPECIALLY FLOURISHED AND THE CHARACTERS OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE COURT ARE KNOWN TO US ON ALL SIDES CARDINAL DE RETZ AND THE DUKE OF HOCHEV FOUQUET BOTH DEEPLY ENGAGED IN THE FOND HAVE LEFT THE ONE MEMOIRS THE OTHER MAXIMS OF GREAT POWER OF IRONY MADAME DE MORTAVILLE ONE OF THE QUEEN'S LADIES WROTE A FULL HISTORY OF THE COURT
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