Obituary.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 606, 15 September 1883, Page 13

Obituary.

Our cable news announces the death of Henri Con- cience, a Belgian novelist, whose works are well-known among Englishmen. He was born at Antwerp, December 3, 1812. His father, who was of French origin, was long employed in the French marine, and became a buyer and seller of ships. ; The son, to gratify, as far as he could, his avidity for reading, became a private teacher, and being thus engaged when the Belgian revolution of 1830 broke out, he entered the army, serving six ■years as a volunteer. An active military life had a wholesome effect on his dreamy disposition, and he became the poet of the army. His French songs, full of point and spirit, were very popular amongst his comrades. He was dischaiged in ‘IBB6, after having attained the rrank of sergeant-major, but through some misunderstanding he quarrelled with his family. He was by turns a working gardener, an employd in the archives of Antwerp, and clerk to an Academy of Arts. After quitting the military service, he allied himself to a party .-which had in view the establishment of a Flemish literature, in opposition to the French literature of the 18th century. To this task he devoted all ‘his powers, and his first work, “ The Year of Miracles,” published in 1837, contains a series of brilliant dramatic pictures of the Spanish rule in Flanders. It was received by the public with great favor. The success of this publication excited the resentment of his father, who renounced him completely ; but by the kinduess of a friend, the painter Wappers, he obtained a small pension from Leopold 1., which saved him from destitution, and enabled him to publish in 1837 another volume, “ Phantasia,” a collection of Flemish poetry and legends ; “ Leeuw van Vlandern,” the Lion of Flanders, a truly original work, which will sustain his reputation as a national romance writer, appeared in 1838. In 1845 he obtained the appointment of Assistant Professor in the University of Ghent, where he had to instruct the Royal children in the Flemish language and literature. Henri .Conscience has produced a variety of interesting sketches, illustrative.of Flemish manners • such as“ Evening Hours, - ” “The Executioner’s Child,” •** The New Niobe,” “The Confcripr,” “ The Poor Gentleman,’’ “ Qnintin Metzy: ” “ Pages from the Book of Nature,” “ Jacob van Artevelde,” “ Blind Rosa,” and several other works which have been translated into English, German, Danish, and Italian. He published fcis memoirs fin the Revue Contemporaine in 1858. In 18 7Q he once more gained the prize of literature, given every fifth year, by his romance “ Bavo en Lieveken,” which may be classed among bis best works. In this work, as in .all his writings, M. Conscience contrives to insinuate the gravest, and beat advice under the most amusing forms, and, according to his wont, be pleads the cause of virtue, by proving that, after all, it is the best policy. One of his latest works is "De Kerels van VlandereD,” an historical romance, 1871. The following tales by M. Conscience have been translated into English J— 1 “ The Progress of a Painter,” 1852 ; “ The Good Mother,’’ Dublin, 1852; “ The Lion of Flanders, or the Battle of the Golden Spurs,” 1855 ; “The Curse of the Village;” and “The Happiness- of being Rich,’ 1 Lond., 1855 ; “The Miser,” Lond., 1855 ; “Tales of Old Flanders, Count Hugo of Craenhove and Wooden Clara,” 1855 ; “Veva, or the War of the Peasants and “The Conscript,” Baltimore, 1856 ; “The Demon of Gold,” Lond., 1857 ; “The Poor Gentleman,” Baltimore, 1867 ; “ Ricketicketack, and Wooden Clara,” Baltimore, 1867 ; “ The Conscript and Blind Rosa,” 1867 ; “The Village Innkeeper,” 1867.