Moliere must have encountered
many such a man whilst the wars of the Fronde were raging, during his
perigrinations in the provinces. Even at the present time, a Mascarille
is no impossibility; for, "like master like man." There are also in
_The Blunderer_ too many incidents, which take place successively,
without necessarily arising one from another. Some of the characters are
not distinctly brought out, the style has often been found fault with,
by Voltaire and other competent judges, [Footnote: Victor Hugo appears
to be of another opinion. M. Paul Stapfer, in his _les Artistes juges
et parties_ (2nd Causerie, the Grammarian of Hauteville House, p. 55),
states:--"the opinion of Victor Hugo about Moliere is very peculiar.
According to him, the best written of all the plays of our great comic
author is his first work, _l'Etourdi_. It possesses a brilliancy
and freshness of style which still shine in _le Depit amoureux_,
but which gradually fade, because Moliere, yielding unfortunately to
other inspirations than his own, enters more and more upon a new way."]
but these defects are partly covered by a variety and vivacity which are
only fully displayed when heard on the stage.
In the third volume of the "Select Comedies of M.
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