Florent Carton Dancoijrt, a French comedian and dramatist, born at Fontainebleau, Nov. 1, 1661, died in Berry, Dec. 6, 1725. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar at the age of 17. But his legal career was soon broken up by a clandestine marriage with the daughter of a comedian, and he became an actor, making his debut at the Comedie Francaise in 1685; and in June of the same year he brought out his first comedy, Le notairc olligeant. This was well received, and another play the following year was even more successful, while his Chevalier a la mode (October, 1687) established his reputation as a writer of comedy. For 33 years he made the theatre successful, and held an unbounded popularity with the public. He finally left the stage in 1718, at the age of 57, and afterward wrote some versifications of the psalms and a sacred tragedy which is not extant. There are several editions of his plays (best, 12 vols., 1760; select works, 5 vols., 1810.) The greater number of them are farces, mostly of low life. He is said to have had many assistants in their composition.