Complex sentence: In 1897 he succeeded Jules Simon as a member of the French Academy, owing to the quality and eloquence of his speeches, which, with a few pamphlets, form the bulk of his published work.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1897 he succeeded Jules Simon as a member of the French Academy. This honor he owed to the purity of style and remarkable eloquence of his speeches, which, with a few pamphlets, form the bulk of his published work.