Philarète Chasles | |
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 Photograph of Philarète Chasles, hold in the Bibliothèque Mazarine | |
| Born | Philarète Euphémon Chasles  6 October 1798 |
| Died | 18 July 1873 (aged 74) |
| Resting place | Saint Chéron Cemetery |
| Occupation | Journalist,professor,librarian (1837–1873),writer |
| Children | Émile Chasles |
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Philarète Euphemon Chasles (6 October 1798 – 18 July 1873) was a widely-known Frenchcritic[1] andman of letters.
He was born atMainvilliers, Eure-et-Loir. His father,Pierre Jacques Michel Chasles (1754–1826), was a member of theConvention, and was one of those who voted the death ofLouis XVI. He brought up his son according to the principles ofRousseau'sEmile, and the boy, after a regime of outdoor life, followed by some years classical study, was apprenticed to aprinter, 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.[2]
On his release he was sent to London, where he worked for the printerAbraham 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.[1]
He was one of the true origins of the discipline of comparative literature.[3] He was also one of the earliest to draw attention in France to Scandinavian and Russian literature. He contributed to theRevue des deux mondes, until he had a violent quarrel, terminating in a lawsuit, withFrançois Buloz, who won his case.[2]
He was especially interested in national literatures and their influence on other nations.[1] He became librarian of theBibliothèque Mazarine, and from 1841 was professor ofcomparative literature at theCollège de France. 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 atVenice in 1873.[2]
His son,Émile Chasles (1827–1908), was a philologist of some reputation.[2]
Among his best critical works isDix-huitime siècle en Angleterre (1846), one of a series of 20 vols. ofEtudes de littérature comparée (1846–1875), which he called laterTrente ans de critique. An account of his strenuous boyhood is given in hisMaison de mon pré. HisMemoires (1876–1877) did not fulfil the expectations based on his brilliant talk.[2]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Chasles, Victor Euphémien Philarète".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 957.
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