Maupassant nor Ferdinand Fabre, has been among the forty immortals. The non-election, after a long life of distinction, of the scholar Fustel de Coulanges, is less easy to account for. Verlaine, although a man of great genius, was an example of the kind of person no academy can ever be expected to recognize. Of the degree in which the French Academy represented the highest literary ability during the last quarter of the 19th century, an examination of the following facts will offer evidence. Of the forty members who composed its body at the close of 1875 only three were still alive in the summer of 1901. These were M. Ernest Legouvé, who was elected so long ago as 1855; M. Emile Ollivier, elected on the 7th of April 1870, but, in consequence of the intractability of his political opinions, never formally received; and M. Mezieres, elected in 1874. The first death to occur in the Academy was that of Patin; he was succeeded in June 1876 by the distinguished Latinist, M. Gaston Boissier. To succeed the poet Autran, M. Victorien Sardou was elected on the 7th of June 1877; his success was hotly contested by the duke of Audiffret Pasquier, and one vote transferred would have annulled the election. In 1878, at the death of Thiers, his seat was taken by Henri Martin, that of Bernard by Ernest Renan, and that of Loménie by Taine. In December of that year, at the death of Dupanloup, no opposition was offered to the duke of Audiffret-Pasquier, although he was in the unique position of having never published anything of a literary character. For two years there was no change in the composition of the French Academy, but in 1880 several new names were added; Maxime du Camp succeeded to Saint-René Taillandier, Labiche to Sacy, and M. Rousse to Jules Favre. In 1881 the absence of the younger poets from the Academy, which had been much commented on, was reformed by the election of M. Sully Prudhomme in the place of Duvergier de Hauranne. In the same year Pasteur followed Littré, and Cherbuliez Dufaure. At the death of the poet Barbier, Perraud, bishop of Autun, was unanimously elected in 1882; later on in the same year Pailleron replaced Charles Blanc and Mazade Champagny. At the death of Sandeau, the popular writer, Edmond About, was elected to take his place, but died (January 1885) too soon to be received. The elections in the latter part of 1884 were more numerous than they had been, in a similar period, within the memory of man. M. Coppée had been admitted in February to take the place of the poet Laprade. The winter elections of 1884 included Lesseps in the room of Martin, Duruy in that of Mignet, Bertrand in that of J. B. Dumas, and M. Halévy in that of the count of Haussonville. After this extraordinary influx the Academy was for some time at rest, but in 1886 four fauteuils had to be filled; that of About was taken by Léon Say; that of Victor Hugo (at his expressed wish) by Leconte de Lisle; that of the duke of Noailles by Edouard Hervé; and that of the count of Falloux by M. Greard. The philosopher Caro having died (July 1887), he was replaced by the historian, Count Othenin of Haussonville in 1888. The most aged member of the Academy, Viel-Castel, who had been born in 1800, died 4th Oct. 1887, and was succeeded by Admiral Jurien de la Gravière; Labiche (d. Jan. 1888) was succeeded by Meilhac; and Désiré Nisard (d. 25th March 1888) by the Viscount Melchior de Vogüé, all these in 1888. Augier, the playwright, dying on 25th October 1889, his fauteuil was filled by M. de Freycinet, after a prolonged struggle (11th December 1890). Octave Feuillet dying (28th December 1890), three novelists contended for his seat—Emile Zola, Ferdinand Fabre, and.Pierre Loti. At the first voting M. Zola stood at the top of the poll, at the sixth scrutiny Pierre Loti was declared elected. M. Ernest Lavisse, the historian, succeeded Admiral de la Graviere in 1892. In 1893, after the death of Xavier Marmier, Viscount Henri de Bornier, the poet, who had been a constant applicant for several years, was at length elected by a large majority. M. Thureau-Dangin on the same day succeeded Rousset; in March Challemel-Lacour followed Renan (died October 1892); and in June M. Brunetiere the critic, the journalist John Lemoinne. It proved impossible for the Academy to come to any understanding about the fauteuil of Taine (who died March 1893), and the election was therefore postponed. In the meantime Mazade died, and was replaced by the poet Heredia, in February 1894. Finally, after what seemed an endless struggle, the historian, M. Albert Sorel, secured in May 1894 the vacant fauteuil of Taine; and M. Paul Bourget was elected on the same day to succeed Du Camp. Later elections to the French Academy have been as follows: in 1894, M. Henry Houssaye; in 1895, M. Jules Lemaitre; in 1896, MM. Anatole France, the Marquis Costa de Beauregard, Gaston Paris, Andre Theuriet, and Albert Vandal; in 1897, the count de Mun and M. Gabriel Hanotaux; in 1898, the sculptor M. Eugene Guillaume, and the farce-writer M. Henri Lavedan; in 1899, the politician M. Paul Deschanel; in 1900, the novelist M. Paul Hervieu and the critic M. Emile Faguet, both elected on the 15th of February, and on the 28th of June, M. Berthelot; in 1901, the Marquis de Vogue, the archœlogist, and M. Edmond Rostand, the poet and dramatist, both on 30th May.
Academy, Royal.—The Royal Academy of Arts in London, to give it the original title in full, was founded in 1768, “for the purpose of cultivating and improving the arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture.” Many attempts had previously been made in England to form a society which should have for its object the advancement of the fine arts. Sir James Thornhill, his son-in-law Hogarth, the Dilettanti Society, made efforts in this direction, but their schemes were wrecked by want of means. Accident solved the problem. The crowds that attended an exhibition of pictures held in 1758 at the Foundling Hospital for the benefit of that charity, suggested a way of making money hitherto unsuspected. Two societies were quickly formed, one calling itself the “ Society of Artists,” and the other the “ Free Society of Artists.” The latter ceased to exist in 1774. The former flourished, and in 1765 was granted a royal charter under the title of the “Incorporated Society of Artists of Great Britain.” But though prosperous it was not united. A number of the members, including the most eminent artists of the day, resigned in 1768, and headed by William Chambers, the architect, and Benjamin West, presented on 28th November in that year to George III., who had already shown his interest in the fine arts, a memorial soliciting his “gracious assistance, patronage and protection,” in “establishing a society for promoting the arts of design.” The memorialists stated that the two principal objects they had in view were the establishing of “a well-regulated school or academy of design for the use of students in the arts, and an annual exhibition open to all artists of distinguished merit; the profit arising from the last of these institutions” would, they thought, “ fully answer all the expenses of the first,” and, indeed, leave something over to be distributed “ in useful charities.” The king expressed his agreement with the proposal, but asked for further particulars. These were furnished to him on 7th December and approved, and on 10th December they were submitted in form, and the document embodying them received his signature, with
