EMILE SOUVESTRE
No one succeeds in obtaining a promi pla literature, or insurrounding himself with a faithful and steady circle of admirers drawnfrom the fickle masses of the publiless he possesses inality,stant variety, and a distinct personality. It is quite possible togain for a moment a few readers by imitating some inal feature inanother; but these soon vanish and the writer remains alone andfotten. Others, again, without belonging to any distinct group ofauthors, having found their standard in themselves, moralists andeducators at the same time, have obtained undying reition.
Of the latter class, though little known outside of France, is EmileSouvestre, who was born in Morlaix, April 15, 1806, and died at ParisJuly 5, 1854. He was the son of a civil engineer, was educated at thecollege of Pontivy, and inteo follow his fathers career byentering the Polyteic School. His father, however, died in 1823, andSouvestre matriculated as a law-student at Rennes. But the young studentsooed himself eo literature. His first essay, a tragedy,Le Siege de Missolonghi (1828), ronounced failure. Disheartenedand disgusted he left Paris aablished himself first as a lawyer inMorlaix. Then he became proprietor of a neer, and was afterointed a professor i and in Mulhouse. In 1836 he tributedto the Revue des Deux Mondes some sketches of life in Brittany, whichobtained a brilliant success. Souvestre was soon made editor of La Revuede Paris, and in sequence early found a publisher for his first novel,LEchelle de Femmes, which, as was the case with his sed work,Riche et Pauvre, met with a very favorable reception. His reputationwas now made, aween this period and his death he gave to Franceabout sixty volumes--tales, novels, essays, history, and drama.
A double purpose was always very spicuous in his books: he aspired tothe role of a moralist and educator, and was likewise a most impressivepainter of the life, character, and morals of the inhabitants ofBrittany.
The most signifit of his books are perhaps Les Derniers Bretons(1835-1837, 4 vols.), Pierre Landais (1843, 2 vols.), Le Foyer Breton(1844, 2 vols.), Un Philosophe sooits, ed by the Academy(1850), fessions dun Ouvrier (1851), Recits et Souvenirs (1853),Souvenirs dun Vieillard (1854); also La Bretagtoresque (1845),and, finally, Causeries Historiques et Litteraires (1854, 2 vols.). Hisedies deserve honorable mention: Henri Hamelin, LOncle Baptiste(1842), La Parisienne, Le Mousse, et 1848, Souvestre ointedprofessor of the newly created school of administration, mostly devotedto popular lectures. He held this post till 1853, lecturing partly inParis, partly in Switzerland.
His death, when paratively young, left a distinct gap ieraryworld. A life like his could not be extinguished without general sorrow.
Although he was unduly modest, and never aspired to the role of a bea-light in literature, always seeking to remain in obscurity, the works ofEmile Souvestre must be placed in the first rank by their morality and bytheir instructive character. They will always and the entire resped applause of mankind. And thus it happens that, like many others, hewas only fully appreciated after his death.
Even those of his freres who did not seem to esteem him, when alive,suddenly found out that they had experienced a great loss in his demise.
They expressed it iional panegyrcs; poraneous literaturediscovered that virtue had flown from its bosom, and the French Academy,