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hawthorns。 … In paintings of landscapes of this era we have the same
thing； the trees being generalized； … of no known species。
＇18＇ This evolution is seen today as well； television having the same
effect upon its actors as the 18th century drawing…room。 （SR。）
＇19＇ See in the 〃Lycée；〃 by la Harpe； after the analysis of each
piece； his remarks on detail in style。
＇20＇ The omission of the pronouns； I； he； we； you； they； the article
the； and of the verb； especially the verb to be。 Any page of
Rabelais； Amyot or Montaigne； suffices to show how numerous and
various were the transpositions。
＇21＇ Vaugelas； ibid 。 〃No language is more inimical to ambiguities
and every species of obscurity。〃
＇22＇ See the principal romances of the seventeenth century； the
〃Roman Bourgeois；〃 by Furetière； the 〃Princess de Clèves；〃 by Madame
de Lafayette； the 〃Clélie；〃 by Mme。 de Scudéry； and even Scarron's
〃Roman Comique。〃 … See Balzac's letters ； and those of Voiture and
their correspondents； the 〃Récit des grands jours d'Auvergne；〃 by
Fléchier； etc。 On the oratorical peculiarities of this style cf。
Sainte…Beuve； 〃Port…Royal；〃 2nd ed。 I。 515。
＇23＇ Voltaire； 'Esay sur le poème épique'； 〃Our nation； regarded by
strangers as superficial is； with the pen in its hand； the wisest of
all。 Method is the dominant quality of all our writers。〃
＇24＇ Milton's works are built up with 8；000。 〃Shakespeare； who
displayed a greater variety of expression than probably any writer in
any language； produced all his plays with about 15；000 words and the
Old Testament says all it has to say with 5；642 words。〃 （Max Müller；
〃Lectures on the Science of language；〃 I。 309。） … It would be
interesting to place alongside of this Racine's restricted vocabulary。
That of Mme。 de Scudery is extremely limited。 In the best romance of
the XVIIth century； the 〃Princesse de Clèves；〃 the number of words is
reduced to the minimum。 The Dictionary of the old French Academy
contains 29；712 words； the Greek Thesaurus； by H。 Estienne； contains
about 150；000。
＇25＇ Compare together the translations of the Bible made by de Sacy
and Luther； those of Homer by Dacier； Bitaubé and Lecomte de Lisle；
those of Herodotus； by Larcher and Courrier； the popular tales of
Perrault and those by Grimm； etc。
＇26＇ See the 〃Discours académique；〃 by Racine； on the reception of
Thomas Corneille： 〃In this chaos of dramatic poetry your illustrious
brother brought Reason on the stage； but Reason associated with all
the pomp and the ornamentation our language is capable of。〃
＇27＇ Voltaire； 〃Essay sur le poème épique；〃 290。 〃It must be admitted
that a Frenchman has more difficulty in writing an epic poem than
anybody else。 。 。 。 Dare I confess it？ Our own is the least poetic of
all polished nations。 The works in verse the most highly esteemed in
France are those of the drama； which must be written in a familiar
style approaching conversation。〃
＇28＇ Except in 〃Pensées；〃 by Pascal； a few notes dotted down by a
morbidly exalted Christian； and which certainly； in the perfect work；
would not have been allowed to remain as they are。
＇29＇ See in the Cabinet of Engravings the theatrical costumes of the
middle of the XVIIIth century。 … Nothing could be more opposed to the
spirit of the classic drama than the parts of Esther and Brittannicus；
as they are played nowadays； in the accurate costumes and with scenery
derived from late discoveries at Pompeii or Nineveh。
＇30＇ The formality which this indicates will be understood by those
familiar with the use of the pronoun thou in France； denoting intimacy
and freedom from restraint in contrast with ceremonious and formal
intercourse。 … Tr。
＇31＇ See the parts of the moralizers and reasoners like Cléante in
〃Tartuffe；〃 Ariste in 〃Les Femmes Savantes；〃 Chrysale in 〃L'Ecole des
Femmes；〃 etc。 See the discussion between the two brothers in 〃Le
Festin de Pierre；〃 III。 5； the discourse of Ergaste in 〃L'Ecole des
Maris〃； that of Eliante； imitated from Lucretius in the 〃Misanthrope；〃
II。 5； the portraiture； by Dorine in 〃Tartuffe；〃 I。 1。 … The portrait
of the hypocrite； by Don Juan in 〃Le Festin de Pierre；〃 V。 2。
＇32＇ For instance the parts of Harpagon and Arnolphe。
＇33＇ We see this in Tartuffe； but only through an expression of
Dorine； and not directly。 Cf。 in Shakespeare； the parts of Coriolanus；
Hotspur； Falstaff； Othello； Cleopatra； etc。
＇34＇ Balzac passed entire days in reading the 〃Almanach des cent
mille adresses；〃 also in a cab in the streets during the afternoons；
examining signs for the purpose of finding suitable names for his
characters。 This little circumstance shows the difference between two
diverse conceptions of mankind。
＇35＇ 〃At the present day； whatever may be said； there is no such
thing as Frenchmen； Germans； Spaniards； and Englishmen； for all are
Europeans。 All have the same tastes； the same passions； the same
habits； none having obtained a national form through any specific
institution。〃 Rousseau； 〃Sur le gouvernement de Pologne；〃 170。
＇36＇ Previous to 1750 we find something about these in 〃Gil…Blas；〃
and in 〃Marianne；〃 （Mme。 Dufour the sempstress and her shop）。 …
Unfortunately the Spanish travesty prevents the novels of Lesage from
being as instructive as they might be。
＇37＇ Interesting details are found in the little stories by Diderot
as； for instance； 〃Les deux amis de Bourbonne。〃 But elsewhere he is a
partisan； especially in the 〃Religieuse；〃 and conveys a false
impression of things。
＇38＇ 〃To attain to the truth we have only to fix our attention on the
ideas which each one finds within his own mind。〃 （Malebranche；
〃Recherche de la Vérité；〃 book I。 ch。 1。） … 〃Those long chains of
reasoning； all simple and easy； which geometers use to arrive at their
most difficult demonstrations； suggested to me that all things which
come within human knowledge must follow each other in a similar
chain。〃 （Descartes； 〃Discours de la Methode；〃 I。 142）。 … In the
seventeenth century In the 17th century constructions a priori were
based on ideas； in the 18th century on sensations； but always
following the same mathematical method fully displayed in the 〃Ethics〃
of Spinoza。
＇39＇ See especially his memoir： 〃De l'influence du climat sur les
habitudes morales；〃 vague； and wholly barren of illustrations
excepting one citation from Hippocrates。
＇40＇ These are Sieyès own words。 … He adds elsewhere； 〃There is no
more reality in assumed historical truths than in assumed religious
truths。〃 （〃Papiers de Sieyès；〃 the year 1772； according to Sainte…
Beuve； 〃Causeries du lundi；〃 V。 194）。 … Descartes and Malebranche
already expressed this contempt for history。
＇41＇ Today； in 1998； we know that Taine was right。 The research on
animal and human behavior； on animal and human brain circuitry； and
the behavior of the crue