Severity is allowable where gentleness has no effect.

Corneille’s father secured two magisterial posts for him with the Rouen department of Forests and Rivers. He began to focus on an influential verse translation of the Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis which he completed in 1656. Later plays
Even though Corneille was prolific after his return to the stage writing one play a year for the 14 years after 1659 his plays did not have the same success as those of his earlier career.

He has been called “the founder of French tragedy” and produced plays for nearly forty years. Pierre Corneille (French: [pjɛːʁ kɔʁ.