1806.] 



a7icl Writtngs of M. de la Harpe. 



39 



liinifclf from his old and faithful domef- 

 tics, whom his poverty vvpuld not peiniit 

 him to keep. 



The poem which wa5 crowned on the 

 fume day with the eulogy is not to be 

 compared with it. It is intitled — " Ad- 

 vice to a Young Poet." 



An epoch now iurived when our orator 

 muli bend belbrc a rival. M. Necker, 

 who was much attached to M. de la 

 Harpe, was willing, without otFcnding his 

 delicacy, to give him an inftance of his 

 fricndlhip, and he added a large fum to 

 the prize at the Academy of Marieilles, 

 whofe fubjett was an Eulogy on Lafon- 

 taine. He did not doubt La Harpe 

 would gain the prize, which would at 

 once concur to his glory and the cafe of 

 his cifcumftances. The event did not 

 aufwcr this expectation. 



We will not difcufs the decifion of the 

 Academy ; and will only fay, that La 

 Harpe fceins to have fei/.ed the character 

 of Lafontaine, and the fecret of his ta- 

 lent. Ever guided by talle, his fcyle in 

 this difcourfe is fmiple, and conformable 

 to the genius of Lafontaine. In the ex- 

 ordium he interrogates the fabuliil, and 

 makes him fay — " You gi\ e yourfelf 

 much trouble to difcover how I could 

 plcafe fo greatly ; it colts me much lefs 

 to do fo." This is is a delicate touch of 

 criticifm. The author makes us love the 

 talent of Lafontaine, the niceft colours 

 of which he happily analyzes. 



The Academy fomctimes propofed par- 

 ticular qucftions, and in 17(37 the prize 

 for the following was gained by La 

 Harpe — " Of the JNIiferies of War, and 

 the Advantages of Peace." This dif- 

 courfe vvas marked by the parity and ele- 

 gance of its diction. 



So many triumphs opened at length 

 the doors of the Academy to our author. 

 He fuccecded to ColarJcau. In his dif- 

 courfe on his reception he dwelt on the 

 qualities which men of letters ought to 

 poflofs, and on the advantages and incon- 

 veniences which may refult from their 

 intercourfe with men of high rank, whom 

 the inflitution of th.e Academy gave them 

 for ijrethren. Vaugelas had handled this 

 queftion with much lagacity in his excel- 

 lent preface to " Remarks on the French 

 I^anguage," where he obferves, that the 

 fociety of men of rank at the Academy 

 Ipread through the writings of the acade- 

 micians the graces of politenefs. M. de 

 la Harpe fuftained the fame opinion with 

 more refearch and eloquence. 



Not to interrupt the hiftory of oyr au- 

 thor's academic fuccelt, ^^■e have forborne 



till now to fpeak of his tragedies. Long 

 before he had obtajned fo many crowns, 

 he had made himfelf known very advan;- 

 tageoully by a tragedy intitled " War- 

 wick," which was reprefented before he 

 was twenty-four years of age, and gave 

 proofs of a diftinguillied talent in the art. 

 The piece fucceeded, and deferved to do 

 fo. The dignity of the principal part, 

 the magnanimity of Queen Margaret, the 

 whole of the fourth a6t, which is rcfplen- 

 dent with beauties, have contributed to 

 maintain its (tation on the ilage, where it 

 has been frequently revived. That how- 

 ever which has alfo contributed much to 

 this fuccefs is, the high-toned feeling and 

 inllexifiility of his hero. As we hnve be- 

 fore intimated, this aptitude to exprefs 

 the vehement palhons of wounded pride 

 and infulted talents vvas not in La Harpe 

 the effett of a tranfient conil)ination, but 

 was the inmate of his heart, irritated by 

 injuflice. This opinion is conlirmed by 

 the vigour and fuccefs of fuch (jtHiis dra- 

 matic works as contain charaCtei-s of that 

 fpecies. His other pieces, though writ- 

 ten with much art, and fmely conceived, 

 are tar from having that original and bold 

 colour belonging to the former. Corio- 

 lanus is a character confonant to our au- 

 thor's feelings ; and Philortetes offered 

 to him another of the fame kind. He 

 has excelled in drawing both. In all the 

 fcenes in which the indignation of Philoc- 

 tctcs developes itfelf againfl Ulyfles and 

 the Atrides, he is moft happy. In no one 

 of his plays has he carried the tragic ftyle 

 to fo great a degree of force and grandeur 

 as in this fine imitation of Sophocles. 

 Irony too is a figure which he has here 

 employed in a manner fometimes to re- 

 cal the ftyle of Corneille. 



The other tragedies of M. de la Harpe 

 are inferior to thofe we have noticed ; 

 yet they are read with pleafure, becaufe 

 they are wi-itten in an elegant iij\e, and 

 polTefs that fweetnefs which refults from 

 a due obfervance of the rules of compo- 

 fition. 



Tlje " Barmecides" had the advantage 

 of reprefenting novel manners, and of 

 touching upon one of the moft brilliant 

 periods of the hiftory of the Arabs. "Jo- 

 hanna of Naples" has more merit. The 

 fine drawing of the part of Montefcale, 

 and the generous and noble character of 

 the King of Hungary, a ftyle of the great- 

 eft purity and elegance, with much feli- 

 city of incident, are fufficient to compen- 

 faie for the defefts oi' this tragedy. Not- 

 withftanding the clamours of his enemies, 

 itlwd many fuccefsful reprefcntations. 



M. de 



