Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

establish it under the title of Lettres sur quelques ecrits de ce temps. After having published twelve volumes and two numbers of this periodical work, Frérou brought it forward in 1754, under the title of Année Literaire, and continued it until 1776, when he died. His rancour against what were then called the philosophers gave a currency to his writings, and the tragedies of Marmontel were the first works which he abused without reserve, and even with fury. He next attacked the most celebrated names, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Buffon, Voltaire, &c. this latter more particularly was the constant object of his satire, he represented him as a skilful plagiary, as an incorrect historian, and as the tyrant of literature. It must be owned, that in some particular criticisms Fréron might be in the right; but he had the great fault of fixing only on slight errors, and passing over in silence the inimitable beauties which will hand the works of this great man down to posterity. Voltaire appeared at first not to notice the abuse of Fréron; but at last, his patience being worn out, he determined to take a revenge by so much the more terrible as the public took a part in it. The piece called the Ecossaise appeared, was applauded, and from that moment the laugh was on the side of the great poet, and the journalist was forsaken; people then began to perceive his injustice and partiality. Voltaire, in stinging pamphlets, harassed Fréron every day, who by degrees lost a great number of his subscribers. His paper, which, in the beginning, produced him about 20,000 livres per annum, did not produce above 7 or 8,000, on which he was obliged to grant an annuity of 4,000 livres. His health and fortune declined, the one by excesses of every kind, the other by his prodigality. The gout hindered him from applying himself to business; he had been for some days attacked by it,when, as he was getting

[blocks in formation]

up from table, the suspension of his privilege and sale of his paper was announced to him by order of the keeper of the seals. This unexpected news occasioned a fit of apoplexy,which carried him off in a few moments, on the 10th of March, 1776.

It is not always that in the immense collection of the Année Literaire we can judge of Fréron as a writer: most of the articles in this paper are not written by him. It is certain that the Abbé de Laporte, the Abbé de Verteuil, the Abbé de Fontenai, Mazarin, Fontenelle, Sautereau, and twenty others, contributed to it for a length of time, and that Freron confined himself exclusively to pamphlets and the analyzing of theatrical pieces. In the extracts which belong to him it must be confessed what his fellow labourers were deficient in, a close and spirited reasoning, pungent strokes, taste, the art of ridiculing wittily, a remarkable attachment to good principles, and a love for the good authors of antiquity. If Fréron had carried on his journal without borrowing the aid of a crowd of mercenary writers, there would have been less often found in it of the style of a member of a college, and the pleasantries of coffee-house wits. 1 do not here speak of that passion which seemed almost always to govern this fiery journalist; it is known that he was indebted to it for his worst pages, those in which he shews himself the enemy of celebrated talents, and the echo of jealousy and malignity. His style is less pure in his latter writings than in his earlier ones; in these he is simple, elegant, and easy; his poems possess some of these qualities. His Ode, Sur la Bataille de Fontenoi, indisputably his master-piece, is full of images, bold expressions, and noble thoughts well delivered; his Opuscules, in 3 vols. 12mo.

Les Amours de Vénus et d'Adonis, translated from the Italian, form the other works of Fréron, to whom also we are indebted for a revised edition of the Commentaire de la Henriade, by la Beaumelle, and some articles in the Journal Etranger.

[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« AnteriorContinuar »