The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-11
OBITUARY.
Abel Francois villemain


The cable announces the death of Abel
Francois Villemain, the distinguished French
author and politician. M. Villemain was
born in Paris, June IL, 1871, and had conse-
quently attained the ripe age of seventy
nine years. He received q careful education
at the Imperial Lyceum, now College of Louis
le Grand and evinced, at an early age,
abilities of no mean order. When but nine
teen years of age he was appointed assistant
professor of rhetoric in the Charlemagne
College, and soon after instructor in French
literature at the normal school. In 1911 he
was appointed to deliver the Latin harangue
at the distribution of prizes, and ably sc-
quilted himself. The following year he won
a prize proposed by the academy for the
best eulogy of Montaigne.
Having been appointed assistant professor
of modern history in the faculty OF letters, he
began course of lectures early in 1914, with
historical view of the beginning of the fif-
teenth century. In the same year he won
the academic prize, his essay being a dis
course on Criticism" The allies at this
time occupied Paris, andVillemain in reading
his essay before the Emperor of Russia and
the King of Prussia took occasion to pay
glowing eulogy to these two sovereigns-an
act which was long remembered against him
by his countrymen. In 1916 he received a
third academical prize for his eulogy of Mon
tesquieu, and was promoted to the chair of
eloquence, in which he displayed remarkable
powers as an extemperaneous lecturer. After
the second restoration he entered the Minis
try as chief of the Department of Printing
and Publishing, and was afterwards named as
Mdftre deS ReqBeteS to the Council of State.
In 1927, finding himself in opposition to
the Government on the subject of the press
law, he retired from Office. As professor he
was occasionally occupied, from 1916 to 1926,
in lecturing on the literary history of the
modern epoch. In 1919 appeared his best
known work, life of Cromwell. In 1880 he
was elected member of the Chamber of
Deputies by the opposition. In the debates
of that body he took an active and important
part. Appointed one of the Council of Public
Instruction in 1881, and vice-president of that
body in 1882, he lost his seat in the Chamber,
but was indemnified by promotion to the
peerage in May, 1888. He became Minister
of Public Instruction in the Soult Cabinet in
1889, but resigned in 1910, in company with
his colleagues. At the end of a few months
he resumed the same post under the premier.
ship of Guizot, holding it for nearly -four
years, when, in 1874, having incurred the
displeasure of Louis Philippe by his liberal
views, he was dismissed.
After his expulsion, he resumed his literary
labors and only occasionally took part in the
exciting politics of the time. After his coup
| detdt of 1852, he refused to take the oath OF
allegiance to Napoleon. The best known OF
M. Villemains works are:-''Vie de Crom
well, ""Cours de Literature Franchise" and
''Discourses ct Melanges Litteraires." He
however, wrote and published many other
volumes. In politics he was liberal conser
vative Jealous in his advocacy of the liberty
| Of the press, and after the Revolution of 1885,
warm supporter of the government of July
For many years he has lived in comparativ,
| retirement.