820
DASENT— DAXTDET.
DASENT, Sib Gbobgb Wbbbb, D.C.L.j is son of Mr. John Boche Dasent, Attorney - General of the Island of St. Vincent^ West Indies, by Charlotte Martha, daughter of Mr. Alexander Burrou^hes Irwin, of Union Estate, St. Vincent, and Kells, CO. Tipperary. He was born at St. Vincent in 1820, and educated at King's College, London, and Magdalen Hall, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. in 1840. He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1852. His translation of "The Prose or younger Edda," from the Norse, appeared in 1842 ; that of " Theophilus Eutychianus, from the original Greek, in Ice- landic, Low German, and other Languages," in 1845; of "The Norsemen in Iceland," in 1866 ; of "Popular Tales from the Norse with an Introductory Essay," in 1859; and of "Tales from the Fjeld," from the Norse of Asbj5m- sen, in 1873. He published "The Saga of Burnt Nial;" has translated much from the German, the Norse, and the Icelandic languages, and written "Annals of an Eventful Life," a novel, 8 vols., 1871, and "Three to One; or. Some Passages out of the Life of AmiciaLady Sweet- apple," 3 vols., 1872. In 1874 his name was associated with "An Ice- landic-English Dictionary, based on the MS. collections of the late Bichard Cleasby, enlarged and completed by Gudbrand Vigfusson; M.A." In point of fact, however. Sir G. W. Dasent has no claim nor title whatever to be called either editor or author of the work in question, which was wholly written and edited by Mr. Vigfiisson. Dr. Dasent acted for some years as one of the assistant editors of the Times, and he is married to a daughter of the late Mr. W. F. A. Delane. He he has frequently been employed as an examiner in English and modern foreign languages, in con- nection with the Civil Service ap- pointments. On Feb. 6, 1870, he was appointed by the Government
to the post of Civil Service Com- missioner. He was knighted June 27, 1876.
DAUDET, Alphonsb, a French novelist, brother of Ernest Daudet, was born at Ntmes, of poor parents^ May 13, 1840. After studying in the lyceum at Lyons, he became an usher in a school at Alais, and did the drudgery of that humble calling for a couple of years. In 1857 he went to Paris with his brother Ernest, in order to try to gain a livelihood by literary pursuit. He first brought out a volume of poetry, entitled "Les Amoureuses," 1858, which immediately gained for him a reputation, and led to his employ- ment on several newspai)ers. The Figaro opened its columns to a description of " Les Gueux de Pro- vince," in which he depicted with extreme earnestness and fidelity the miseries and sufferings of the ushers in provincial schools. He next pub- lished " La Double Conversion," a poem, 1861, which was followed in 1863 by " Le Eoman du Chaperon Rouge, a collection of articles which had appeared originally in the Figaro. He also wrote for the stage with success, composing, in conjunction with M. Ernest Lupine, two little pieces, "La DernJ^re Idole " (Od6on theatre, 1862), and "L'CEilletblanc" (ComMie Fran- 9aise, 1865). Since then he has written for the theatre three pieces which were decided fail- ures, viz., " Le Sacrifice " (Vaude- ville) ; " L'Arl^sienne " (same theatre), 1872; and "Lise Taver- nier" (Ambigu), 1872. For five years he was private secretary to the Due de Momy, President of the Corps L^gislatif (1861-65). M. Alphonse Daudet has contributed extensively to a large number of newspapers, particularly to the Monde Illustri and to the Figaro, in which his rhymed chronicles, signed " Jean Froissart," and his " Lettres de mon Moulin," signed " Gaston- Marie," deserve special mention. Subsequently he became one of the
