one into another—at least this liberty is very rare; our syllables cannot produce a sensible harmony by their long or short measures; our cæsuras and a certain number of feet would not suffice to distinguish verse from prose. Besides, so many great masters—Corneille, Racine, Boileau—have so accustomed our ears to the harmony of rhyme, that we could not endure any other; and he who wished to deliver himself from the burthen which the great Corneille carried, would be regarded with reason, not as a bold genius adventuring in a new route, but as a weak man who could not journey in the ancient ways."
The tragedy of "Brutus," acted on a private stage, was not permitted to appear in print, and was not represented till many years later. But he gave "Eryphile" to the stage, which was a failure; and, very soon after, "Zaire," which had a prodigious success. It was in this play that he first exchanged the classic for the romantic style, without, however, ceasing to preserve the unities, and, no longer the imitator of Racine and Corneille, became himself the founder of a school. "Zaire," he says, "is the first drama in which I have dared to abandon myself to all the sensibility of my heart: it is my only tender tragedy."
"Those who are fond of literary history," says the advertisement to the play, "will like to hear how the piece was produced. Many ladies had reproached the author with not putting enough love into his tragedies; he replied that he did not believe it to be the proper place for love; but since they must absolutely have amorous heroes, he would do as others did"… "The idea," he says, again, "struck me, of contrasting in the same picture, honour, rank, country,
