René Le Bossu

Who was René Le Bossu?

René Le Bossu was a French critic.

He was born in Paris, studied at Nanterre, and in 1649 became one of the regular canons of Sainte-Geneviève. He wrote Parallèle des principes de la physique d'Aristote et de celle de René Descartes, and Traité du poème épique. The latter book on Epic poetry was highly praised by Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux. Its leading doctrine was 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.