Philarète Euphemon Chasles (6 October 179818 July 1873) was a widely-known French critic, and man of letters.

Life and work

He was born at Mainvilliers, Eure-et-Loir. His father, Pierre Jacques Michel Chasles (1754–1826), was a member of the Convention, and was one of those who voted the death of

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

. He brought up his son according to the principles of

Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

's '' Emile'', and the boy, after a regime of outdoor life, followed by some years classical study, was apprenticed to a

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, so that he might make acquaintance with manual labor. His master was involved in one of the plots of 1815, and Philarète suffered two months imprisonment. On his release he was sent to London, where he worked for the printer Abraham John Valpy on editions of classical authors. He wrote articles for the English reviews, and on his return to France did much to popularize the study of English authors. He introduced a number of foreign writers to France including Gozzi, Richter, and Melville. He was one of the true origins of the discipline of comparative literature. He was also one of the earliest to draw attention in France to Scandinavian and Russian literature. He contributed to the '' Revue des deux mondes'', until he had a violent quarrel, terminating in a lawsuit, with François Buloz, who won his case. He was especially interested in national literatures and their influence on other nations. He became librarian of the

Bibliothèque Mazarine The Bibliothèque Mazarine, or Mazarin Library, is located within the Palais de l'institut de France, or the Palace of the Institute of France (previously the Collège des Quatre-Nations of the University of Paris), at 23 quai de Conti in the 6 ...

, and from 1841 was professor of

comparative literature Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the study of literature and cultural expression across linguistic, national, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries. Comparative literature "performs a role similar to that of the study ...

at the

Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment ('' grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris n ...

. During his active life he produced some fifty volumes of literary history and criticism, and of social history, much of which is extremely valuable. He died at

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in 1873. His son, Émile Chasles (1827–1908), was a philologist of some reputation. Among his best critical works is ''Dix-huitime siècle en Angleterre'' (1846), one of a series of 20 vols. of ''Etudes de littérature comparée'' (1846–1875), which he called later ''Trente ans de critique''. An account of his strenuous boyhood is given in his ''Maison de mon pré''. His ''Memoires'' (1876–1877) did not fulfil the expectations based on his brilliant talk. Philarète Chasles, professeur au collège de France CIPA0659.jpg, alt=Mr Philarète Chasles, professor at Collège de France (German and English literature), before 1844., "Mr Philarète Chasles, professor at

(German and English literature)", before 1844. Philarète Chasles.jpg, Portrait of Philarète Chasles in ''Philarète Chasles'' by Eugène de Mirecourt, 1857.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chasles, Philarete French literary critics 1798 births People from Eure-et-Loir 1873 deaths Academic staff of the Collège de France French male non-fiction writers