GASTON BOISSIER

(1823-)

Marie Louis Gaston Boissier is known in Paris as one of the most prominent professors of the College de France, and to the outside world as the author of a number of scholarly books of essays, most of them on Roman subjects.  Born at Nimes in 1823, his life has been devoted entirely to literature.  Soon after his graduation from the Ecole Normale he was made professor of rhetoric at Angouleme, and later held the same position at Nimes.  He has received the degree of Doctor, and occupied a number of high positions, culminating in that of professor of Latin poetry in the College de France, which he still holds.  His works have a high value in the world of scholars, and have won him the red ribbon of the Legion of Honor, as well as a seat in the Academie Francaise, which he entered in 1876.  His best known works, ‘Cicero et ses Amis’ (Cicero and His Friends), was crowned by the Academie; and ’Promenades Archeologiques, Rome et Naples,’ written in 1880, has been translated into English, as has also his life of Madame de Sevigne, which contains many charming bits of comment on the seventeenth century.  As a biographer, and also as a historian, he is quiet and accurate—­never dry.  He has great charm of style, and writes with elegance, correctness, clearness, and originality.  He contributes largely, also, to the Revue des Deux Mondes and to scientific publications.

[Illustration:  GASTON BOISSIER]

MADAME DE SEVIGNE AS A LETTER-WRITER

From the ‘Life of Madame de Sevigne’

The passages just cited appear so simple, and utter so naturally what we all experience, that they are read the first time without surprise.  There seems nothing remarkable about them except this very simplicity and naturalness.  Now, these are not the qualities which attract attention.  It is difficult to appreciate them in works where they occur, and it is only by reading works where they are lacking that we realize all their importance.  But here, as soon as we reflect, we are astonished to perceive that this great emotion is expressed in language strong, confident, and correct, with no hesitation and no bungling.  The lively sequence of these complaints implies that they were poured forth all at once, in a single outburst; and yet the perfection of the style seems impossible of attainment without some study and some retouching.  It is sometimes said that a strong passion at once creates the language to express it.  I greatly doubt this.  On the contrary, it seems to me that when the soul is violently agitated, the words by which we try to express our feelings always appear dull and cold; we are tempted to make use of exaggerated and far-fetched expressions in order to rise to the level of our sorrow or joy.  Hence come sometimes excessive terms, discordant metaphors.  We might be inclined to regard these as thought out at leisure