Rene Le, born at Paris on the 16th March 1631, studied at Nauterre, and then entered among the regular canons of Sainte-Geneviève in 1649. After hav- Bossuet. ing professed the humanities in different religious houses for twelve years, he withdrew into retirement, and died on the 14th March 1680. His first publication was *Parallèle des Principes de la Physique d'Aristote et de celle de René Descartes*, which appeared in 1674. He attempted, says Voltaire, to reconcile Aristotle and Descartes; he was not aware that it had become necessary to abandon both. His next work, entitled *Traité du Poème Épique*, was published in 1675, and often reprinted afterwards. The leading doctrine of this treatise is, that the subject should be chosen before the characters, and that the action should be arranged without reference to the personages who are to figure in the scene; a doctrine which led Voltaire to observe that every epic poet who followed the rule of Bossu would be sure of never being read, but that happily it is wholly impossible to follow it. Nevertheless, Boileau, in his *Third Reflection on Longinus*, pronounces the work of Le Bossu "l'un des meilleurs livres de poétique qui, du consentement de tous les habiles gens, aient été faits en notre langue." In abatement of this commendation, however, it may be stated, on the authority of Le Courayer, that Le Bossu had stepped forward as the champion of Boileau against Saint-Sorlin, by whom he had been attacked; that Boileau expressed himself exceedingly grateful for this service; and that a sense of obligation, as much, perhaps, as a sense of justice, may have dictated the commendation bestowed on the work in question.