CORNEILLE (Peter), a celebrated French poet, was born at Rouen in the year 1606. He was brought up to the bar, which he attended for some little time; but formed with a genius too elevated for such a profession, and having no turn for business, he soon deserted it. An affair of gallantry occasioned his writing his first piece, intitled Melites; which had prodigious success. Encouraged by the applause of the public, he wrote the Cid, and the other tragedies that have immortalized his name. In his dramatic works he discovers a majesty, a strength and elevation of genius, scarce to be found in any other of the French poets; and, like our immortal Shakespeare, seems better acquainted with nature than with the rules of critics. Corneille was received into the French academy.
Cornelle demy in 1647, and died dean of that academy in 1684, aged 78. Besides his dramatic pieces, he wrote a translation, in French verse, of the "Imitation of Jesus Christ," &c. The best edition of his works is that of 1682, in 4 vols 12mo.