CHENIER, Marie Joseph de, was the son of Louis Chenier, well known as the author of Recherches Historiques sur les Maitres, and Révolutions de l’Empire Othmam. He was born in the year 1764, at Constantinople, where his father at that time acted as consul-general of France. At a very early period of life he entered into the French army; but he soon relinquished the military profession, and settled at Paris, where he devoted much of his time to literary pursuits. He commenced his dramatic career by a tragedy, which was acted in 1786, and was completely unsuccessful. A few years afterwards, availing himself of the political feelings of the period, he produced the tragedy of Charles IX., which was received with vast applause by the party which predominated at the time. This was followed by Lα Mort de Calas, and the republican tragedies of Gracchus and Timoleon. These dramas in a great measure owed their popularity to existing circumstances, and the author’s talent of addressing himself to the prevailing feelings of the multitude. Plis performances, however, were instrumental in procuring him a seat in the National Convention, and obtained him the highest theatrical reputation, till he unfortunately brought forward a tragedy founded on the accession of Cyrus to the throne of the Medes, a subject which, as it gave less scope to political allusion than his former productions, and had been previously treated with greater ability by other writers, failed more completely even than the piece in which he first laid claim to the favour of the public. After this failure Chenier appears to have distrusted his dramatic genius, and chiefly employed himself in translating or imitating the most celebrated productions of the Greek and German stage.

Chenier, however, did not confine himself to dramatic compositions, but cultivated almost every species of poetry with tolerable success. His productions arc chiefly satirical, lyric, and political. Being engaged in a variety of literary as well as political quarrels, and being naturally of a haughty, irritable temper, he was insensibly led to employ his talents for poetry and satire on all who had provoked his enmity. His works of this description, accordingly, are often misapplied, but are distinguished by considerable gaiety and energy of composition. His lyric productions, of which he published a collection in 1797, consist partly of odes imitated from the Poems of Ossian. Most of his other poems, as his Poeme sur l’ Assemblée des Notables and Dithyrambe sur l’ Assemblée Nationale, allude entirely, as their name imports, to-the political events of the day.

Chenier also distinguished himself as a prose writer by his productions in the Mercure de France, and the discourses which he prepared for the different academies of which he was a member, which discourses chiefly turn on subjects connected with the progress of knowledge in Europe, and the literary history of his own country. In consequence of a task assigned by Bonaparte to the Institute, of which Chenier was a member,.he undertook to give a historical and critical account of the most celebrated production^, both in prose and verse, which had enriched French literature from the years 1788 to 1808. This sketch was originally read at one of the sittings of the Institute, and was afterwards published under the title Tableau Historique de l’ Etat et des Progrès de la Littérature Française depuis 1789. This work comprehends a notice of all the best works which had appeared during that period, from the light class of romances to the most important treatises on morals, politics, and legislation; and in poetry it embraces a review from the highest epic to burlesque and mock heroic.

Many of the orations and discourses pronounced by Chenier in the different political assemblies which were formed during the existence of the French republic, and of almost all which he was a member, related to similar topics,—proposals for legislative measures with regard to literary works, and the encouragement of arts and systems of public instruction. Those orations which were truly political breathed all the violent spirit of the time, and of the assemblies in which they were delivered. As he took an active part in the distracted politics of his country, and was engaged on one side or other in most of the revolutions by which she was at that time agitated, his character was frequently the object of the blackest calumnies, his property of confiscation, and his person of proscription. All this was little favourable to literary improvement. But when France at length settled under the absolute dominion of one ruler, by being precluded from political intrigue and discussion, he had ample leisure left for study and composition. He continued thus usefully employed, in a state of comparative tranquillity,, till his death, which happened at Paris on the 10th January 1811.

The character and writings of Chenier partook strongly of the spirit of the times in which he lived. The former was marked by turbulence, restlessness, and ambition; and although some of his poems, as well as his more recent prose compositions, show that his taste was not naturally that of the school of the French revolution, yet many of his tragedies and literary discourses are disfigured by that exaggeration of sentiments and ideas, as [7:6:507]well as that declamatory and inflated style, which the tone and feelings of the period had introduced or propagated. (q.)