Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 4).

Date:: 1830-33

Credit: Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 4). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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$none of the true elevation of the tragic art, but only an imitation, sometimes a happy one, of tlie manner struck out by Corneille. He was a man of a proud and independent character, disdained to flatter the great, and passed much of his life in a condition bordering on jjoverty. More fortunate circumstances might have given more amenity to his spirit; but, neglected, as he imagined, by mankind, he sought consolation in the company of dogs and cats, which he picked up in the streets (the poorest and most sickly were those which he prefen-ed), and found a species of enjoyment in an iiregular manner of living. In 1731, he became a member of the academy. Cr^billon died June 17, 1762, at the age of 88. Louis XV erected a magnificent monument to him in the church of St. Gervais, which, however, was never entu-ely completed till it was removed to the museum of French monu- ments {aux petits Au^ustins). Besides the splendid edition of Cr6billon's works pub- lished by the order of Louis XV, for the benefit of the author, after the successful performance of Catiline [(Euvres de Cre- bUlon, imprimerie R. du Louvre, 1750, 2 vols. 4to.), there is another published by Didot the elder, 1812, 3 vols., in both of which, however, six verses are omitted in Catiline, which had been left out in the representation, as applicable to madame de Pompadour. Crebillon, Claude Prosper Jolyot de, the younger, son of the preceding, bom at Paris in 1707, succeeded as an author in an age of licentiousness. By the exhi- bition of gi'oss ideas, covered only with a thin veil, and by the subtleties with which he excuses licentious principles, Cr^billon contributed to diftlise a general corruption of mamiers, before confined to the higher circles of Parisian society. In later times, the French taste has been so much chang- ed, especially by the revolution, that such indelicacies as are found in his works would not be tolerated at the present day. His own morals, however, appear to have been the opposite of those which he por- trayed. We are told of his cheerfulness, his rectitude of piinciple, and his blame- less life. In the circle of the Dominicaux (a Sunday society), he was a favorite, and the caveau where Piron, Gallet, Coll6, wrote their songs and uttered their jests, was made respectable by his company. Of his works, the best are—Lettres de la Marquise * * * au Comte de* * * (1732, 2 vols., 12mo.); Tanzai et JVcadame (less licentious, but fiill of now unintelligible allusions); Les Egaremens du Caur et de Vtsprit (Hague, 1736,3 vols.], perhaps tlie most successful, but luifinished. One of his most voluptuous pieces is Le Sopha (1745, 2 vols.). In the same licentious strain are most of his other writings com- posed. It is still a disputed point whether he was the autlior of the LettreS de la Mar- quise de Pompadour. They are not in- cluded in the edition of 1779, 7 vols., 12mo. Cr6billon held a small ofiicc in the censoi-shij) of tlie press. He died at Paris, Ajjril 12, 1777. Crecy or Cresst en Ponthieu ; a town in France, in Somme ; 10 miles N. of Abbeville, and 100 N. of Paris ; popu- lation, 1G50. It is celebrated on accovmt of a battle fought here Aug. 26, 1346, be- tween the English and French. Edward HI and his son, the Black Prince, were both engaged, and the French were de- feated with great slaughter, 30,000 foot and 1200 horse being left dead in the field ; among whom were the king of Bo- hemia, the count of Alen^on, Louis count of Flanders, with many others of tlie French nobility. Credit, in economy, is the postpone- ment agreed on by the parties of the pay- ment of a debt to a future day. It im- pUes confidence of the ci'editor in the debtor; and a credit system is one of gen- eral confidence of people in each other's honesty, solvency and resources. Credit is not confined to civilized countries; JMr. Park mentions instances of it among the Africans; but it Avill not jnevail exten- sively where the laws do not protect prop- erty, and enforce the fulfilment of prom- ises. Public credit is founded upon a confidence in the resources, good fiiith and stability of the goveniment; and it does not always flourish or decline at the same time and rate as private credit; for the people may have either greater or less confidence in the government than in each other: still there is some sympathy and con-espondence between the two ; for a general individual confidence can rarely, if ever, take place in the midst of distrust of the government; and, vice versa, a firm reliance upon the government promotes a coiTesponding individual confidence among the citizens. The histoiy of eveiy industrious and commercial community, under a stable government, will ])resent successive alternate periods of credit and distnist, following each other with a good deal of regularity. A general feeling of prosperity produces extension and facili- ties of credit. The mere opinion or im- agination of a prevailing success has, of its ovpn force, a most powerful influence$

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