French Literature
INTRODUCTION.—1. French Literature and its Divisions.—2. The Language.
PERIOD FIRST.—1. The Troubadours.—2. The Trouvères French Literature in the Fifteenth Century.—4. The Mysteries and Moralities: Charles of Orleans, Villon, Ville-Hardouin, Joinville, Froissart, Philippe de Commines.
PERIOD SECOND.—1. The Renaissance and the Reformation: Marguerite de Valois, Marot, Rabelais, Calvin, Montaigne, Charron and others.—2. Light Literature: Ronsard Jodelle, Hardy, Malherbe, Scarron, Madame de Rambouillet, and others.—3. The French Academy.—4. The Drama:
Corneille.—5. Philosophy: Descartes, Pascal; Port Royal.—6. The Rise of the Golden Age of French Literature: Louis XIV.—7. Tragedy: Racine.—8.
Comedy: Molière.—9. Fables, Satires, Mock-Heroic, and other Poetry: La Fontaine, Boileau.—10. Eloquence of the Pulpit and of the Bar:
Bourdaloue, Bossuet, Massillon, Fléchier, Le Maître, D’Aguesseau, and others.—11. Moral Philosophy: Rochefoucault La Bruyère, Nicole.—12.
History and Memoirs: Mézeray, Fleury, Rollin, Brantôme the Duke of Sully, Cardinal de Retz.—13. Romance and Letter Writing: Fénelon, Madame de Sévigné.
PERIOD THIRD.—1. The Dawn of Skepticism: Bayle, J. B. Rousseau, Fontenelle, Lamotte.—2. Progress of Skepticism: Montesquieu, Voltaire. —3. French Literature during the Revolution: D’Holbach, D’Alembert, Diderot, J. J. Rousseau, Buffon, Beaumarchais, St. Pierre, and others.—4.
French Literature under the Empire: Madame de Staël, Châteaubriand, Royer- Collard, Ronald, De Maistre.—5. French Literature from the Age of the Restoration to the Present Time. History: Thierry, Sismondi, Thiers, Mignet, Martin, Michelet, and others. Poetry and the Drama; Rise of the Romantic School: Béranger, Lamartine, Victor Hugo, and others; Les Parnassiens. Fiction: Hugo, Gautier, Dumas, Mérimée, Balzac, Sand, Sandeau and others. Criticism: Sainte-Beuve, Taine, and others. Miscellaneous.