THE LATE M. GUIZOT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4233, 14 October 1874, Page 3

THE LATE M. GUIZOT.

Onr telegraphic intelligence announces tlie death of M. Guizot, the French statesman, and we abridge the following history from “ Men of the Time” ;

“ Guizot, Francois Pierro-Guillanme, historian and statesman, born 4th October, 1787, is the son of an advocate of Ninies, who perished on tlie scaffold during the Revolution. Guizot was educated at Geneva, and at the age of twelve made himself master of the learned languages, German having become to him a second mother tongue, and English and Italian completely familiar. Ho left Geneva in 1805, and after a short sojourn in' Languedoc, proceeded to Paris with the view of being called to the bar—an intention which lio does not seem to have earnestly prosecuted. About this time lie met, in literary society, Mademoiselle Paulinedo Moulnn, who was editing a magazine called the Publicist, which enjoyed a considerable reputation, and who, through gratitude for the discreet assistance she had received, during a long' illness, from an unknown contributor —no other than Francois Guizot—consented, in 1812, in spite of the difference in their ages, to become his wife. She was fourteen years liia senior, and her relations wi tli the chiefs of the Royalist party were soon destined to open apolitical career for her husband. In 1809, M. Guizot published his first regular work, an edition of Gerard’s 1 French Synonyms,’ with a dissertation on the language. His ‘ Lives of the French Poets,’ n translation of Gibbon’s ‘ Decline and Fall,’ ‘The State of the' Fine Arts in France,’ ‘ Annals of Education,’ and smaller works followed. In 1812, ho obtained the chair of Modern History in the Sorbonne. After the fall of Napoleon, the exalted idea of the talents of Guizot which prevailed among the old aristocracy of France made it easy for him to obtain important posts under the twofold restoration of the. Bourbons. He . was successively Secretary-General of tlie Ministry of

the Interior and of that of and Di-rector-General of the Administration for settling claims of indemnity. He belonged to the Liberal School under the Restoration, and lost power noth his colleagues, M. Decazes, M. Royer-Collard, and M. Camille de Jourdan, when the assassination of the Due de Berri, in 1819, turned the scale in favor of the counterrevolutionary party. The severe measures of M. Yillele's administration called forth' vigorous pi’otests in the form-of political pamphlets from Guizot, which created a great sensation at the time, and their author was suspended in 1825 from his lectureship. In his retirement he renewed his studies, and wrote “ Memoirs relative to the English Revolution,’ followed by a ‘History of the English Revolution,’ ‘Memoirs relative to the History of Prance,’ and ‘ Critical Notes .and Essays upon Shakespeare,’ and at the same time contributed to the Rente Fraueaise end the Globe. At this period his house in the Hue St. Dominique was the resort of the most distinguished men of the day, in both jiolitics and literature, and in 1827 he had the misforturue to lose his wife, who under her married name had written many tales bearing upon education and domestic life. In 1828 the interdict on his lectures was removed by the Martignac Ministry, and he delivered the series published since as a ‘ Course of Modern History,’ and ‘ The History of Civilisation in Europe.’ At the age of forty-two, M. Guizot was elected a member of the Chamber of Deputies, and took his seat iu that assembly in the eventful session of 1830, on which occasion he joined in the celebrated address that provoked Charles X. to issue the famous ordonnances of 25th July. Upon the accession of Louis Phillippe, M. Guizot was named Minister of the Interior, then the most important post in the Government. The first Ministry formed by Louis Phillippe lasted only three months. In the Cabinet of October, 1832, presided, over by Marshal Soult, M. Guizot was Minister of Public Instruction, and from that period, except when filling the London embassy, he was a leading member of every Administration to the end of the reign of Louis Philippe. It is, however-, as a member of tire Ministry of 20th October, 1840 —after he had retired from the London embassy — that lie became best known to Englishmen. On obtaining power in 1840 bis task was exceedingly difficult. England and France were startled by the projects and ambition of M. Thiers, and it was no easy matter to calm the excited feelings .of the French, and to dissipate the suspicions of the English, But the device of ‘ peace at any price’ in a great degree succeeded, till the affairs of Tahiti interrupted the friendly relations of the two countries, and the vexed question of the Spanish marriages excited considerable alarm and distrust. His rule came to an end in the revolution of‘February, 1848, after he had held tire portfolio of Foreign Affairs for more than six years, and he withdrew from active political life. It is only a matter of justice to add, that whatever may be thought of M. Guizot as a politician, he has earned a distinction as an author which must long secure eminence to his name; Nor is he less entitled to praise as the originator of an extensive improvement in the literature of his country. Since his retirement he lias written two more volumes of his admirable ‘ History of the English Revolution,’ embracing the history of the Commonwealth; as well as ‘Richard Cromwell and the Dawn of the Restoration,’ and many other works of high import and of classic character.”