LA MOTTE

la motte, antoine houdar de (1672-1731), french author, was born in paris on the 18th of january 1672. in 1693 his comedy _les originaux_ proved a complete failure, which so depressed the author that he contemplated joining the trappists, but four years later he again began writing operas and ballets, e.g. _l'europe galante_ (1697), and tragedies, one of which, _ines de castro_ (1723), was produced with immense success at the theatre francais. he was a champion of the moderns in the revived controversy of the ancients and moderns. madame dacier had published (1699) a translation of the _iliad_, and la motte, who knew no greek, made a translation (1714) in verse founded on her work. the nature of his work may be judged from his own expression: "i have taken the liberty to change what i thought disagreeable in it." he defended the moderns in the _discours sur homere_ prefixed to his translation, and in his _reflexions sur la critique_ (1716). apart from the merits of the controversy, it was conducted on la motte's side with a wit and politeness which compared very favourably with his opponent's methods. he was elected to the academy in 1710, and soon after became blind. la motte carried on a correspondence with the duchesse du maine, and was the friend of fontenelle. he had the same freedom from prejudice, the same inquiring mind as the latter, and it is on the excellent prose in which his views are expressed that his reputation rests. he died in paris on the 26th of december 1731. his _oeuvres du theatre_ (2 vols.) appeared in 1730, and his _oeuvres_ (10 vols.) in 1754. see a. h. rigault, _histoire de la querelle des anciens et des modernes_ (1859).