The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-03-06
HISTORIAN TAME.
Death of Frances Famous
Litterateur.
THE END CAME IN PARIS.
Review of the Life of the Celebrated
Scholar, Author and
Academician.
THE END CAME IN PARIS.
Special to THE Monx1se CALL
PARIS, March 5. - Rippolyte AdolDhe
Taine is dead.

PARIS, March 5. = Rippolyte AdolDhe
Taine is dead.
Hippolyte Adolphe Taine was born April
q, 1923. at Vouziers (Ardennes) He at
tended the College Bourbon. and early in
his career won for himself especial notice as
rhetorician, gaining the prize of honor
for rh etorc at the general competition of
the students OF French colleges and uniYer-
sites in 1S47, and year later entered the
Normal School (secton of literature) at the
head of the list.
He left the university in 1853, and at once
devoted himself to literature. His first pub
lished works, written in a brilliant style,
were dramatically opposed to the teachings
and traditions of his alma mater, and in
consequence produced great sensation.
His earlier works, however, were received
with great favor, and he continued writing
in the same vein, sharply crticizing the re-
ligious writer's of his time.
In 1868 Taine was appointed examiner in
literature at the military school of st. Cyr,
and in 1864 was made professor of history of
art and esthetcs at the Ecole des Beaux
Arts. In the year 1873 he tried for seat
in the French Academy. made vacant by
the death of NJ. Theirs, but was defeated :;
y
second and successful attempt to gain
place among the forty" lie was received
into the academy In 1880, and since that
time has been recognized as one Of its most
brilliant members.
Taine married in 1878, his wife being the
daughter of rich merchant of Paris, with
whom he lived happily. and when great
wealth and fame came to him as the re-
suit of his work, he purchased the large
estate known as Borenge-a- Mention S.
Bernard on the borders of-G->ke d'Annecy,
where he lived most OF the time.
Taine had the reputation of being one Of
the most reserved and inaccessible of all the
great men of modern times. He saw but
few people at any time. and for weeks and
months at a time would deny himself to
even his most intimate friends. He is de-
scribed as having been man with a head
somewhat narrow and elongated, crowned
by the we'll developed forehead of the
thinker, light eyes behind immovable
glasses, short beard slightly tapering
and cUuntenance dry and hard that was
wonderfully softeued by his smile.
Tame was known in the literary world as
the inventor of scientific criticism and the
coiner of adjectives at once the most extra
ordinary and expressive in the world of
letters. He was a recognized authority
upon literature, art. philosophy and politics.
and in Europe ranked "the greatest man in
the world of letters Of our time, with
Renau."
Taine had two children. son and daugh-
ter, who, with his widow, survive him, and
it is said Of him that his children have never
known disappointment. During his whole
life Taine was hard worker and contrib
uted many works to the literature Of the
world. His principal works, and those by
which he Is best known by the English
speaking people. are his Historic de la
Literature Anglaise. published in 1861; LIE
Gouvernement Revolutionnaire, published
in 1885, and his volumes of lectures on art
aud philosophy. delivered at various times
before the French ACADEMY.