(John Baptist), a famous French comedian, whose true name was Poquelin, which for some reason or other he took for that of Molière. He was the son of a valet de chambre, and was born at Paris about the year 1620. He went through the study of the classics under the Jesuits in the college of Clermont, and was designed for the bar; but at his quitting the law-schools, he made choice of the actor's profession. From the prodigious fondness he had for the drama, his whole study and application being directed to the stage, he continued till his death to exhibit plays, which were greatly applauded. It is said the first motive of his going upon the stage was to enjoy the company of an actress for whom he had contracted a violent fondness. His comedies are highly esteemed. And it is no wonder he so justly represented domestic feuds, and the torments of jealous husbands, or of those who have reason to be so, it being asserted that no man ever experienced all this more than Molière, who was very unhappy in his wife. His last comedy was La Malade imaginaire, which was brought on the stage in 1673; and Molière died on the fourth night of its representation; some say acting the very part of the pretended dead man, which gave some exercise for the wits of the time; but according to others he died in his bed that night, from the bursting of a vein in his lungs by coughing. The king, as a last mark of his favour, prevailed with the archbishop of Paris to suffer him to be buried in consecrated ground; though he had irritated the clergy by his Tartuffe. The most esteemed editions of his works are that of Amsterdam, 5 vols 12mo, 1699; and that of Paris, 6 vols 4to, 1734.