INTRODUCTION

"Spanish literature," said Guizot, "shared with Corneille the honour of the first French Tragedy and Comedy. Genius is evidently as necessary for sélection and imitation as for invention, for, although Spanish. literatnre was open to ail the wits of the âge, Corneille alone was able to dérive from it the Cid and the Menteur.

** It is not by the arrangement of its plot, or by the truth of its sentiments, that the Menteur is distinguished irom Corneille' s earlier comédies. In many of thèse latter the rules are as caref uUy observed ; unity of place is more so in the Flaee Royale, and unity of time in the Suivante; but the dramatic effect of the Menteur arises from the portraiture of a real well-known character, and Corneille once more taught the public to enjoy the charm of truth. Bef ore the time of Hardy Comedy had been gay but licentious, afterwards it was licentious and melancholy, and Corneille, by rendering it more pure, may perhaps hâve made it somewhat more sober."

The play was first performed in 1642, and met with à favourable réception, something of which is related by Corneille himself in La Suite du Menteur y where Cliton, speaking to Dorante, alludes to the success of the comedy, and goes so far as giving us the portrait of the principal actor, the celebrated Jodelet.

The first édition was published in 1644. We hâve subjoined an

arguihent explicative of the plot, and besides copions notes,

philological and literary, there will be found in the appendices

interesting criticisms on the play by most compétent writers, as

wcll as a notice of the principal imitations or adaptations of

Comeille'B comedy.