Illustrated biography; or, Memoirs of the great and the good of all nations and all times; comprising sketches of eminent statesmen, philosophers, heroes, artists, reformers, philanthropists, mechanics, navigators, authors, poets, divines, soldiers, savans, etc . throughout extremely commonplace and unrefined. But in what may be calledthe art. of criticism, the detection of conventional beauties and defects, and thedelineation of the merely literary character of a writers productions, he is agreat master. His style is undoubtedly a bad one in the main ; for, to saynothing of its being more Lat
Illustrated biography; or, Memoirs of the great and the good of all nations and all times; comprising sketches of eminent statesmen, philosophers, heroes, artists, reformers, philanthropists, mechanics, navigators, authors, poets, divines, soldiers, savans, etc . throughout extremely commonplace and unrefined. But in what may be calledthe art. of criticism, the detection of conventional beauties and defects, and thedelineation of the merely literary character of a writers productions, he is agreat master. His style is undoubtedly a bad one in the main ; for, to saynothing of its being more Latin than English, and so studiously regulated onthe principle of mere sonorousness that it almost entirely wants picturesque-ness and the other higher qualities which contribute 10 effective expression, itis suited at the best to only one kind of writing, the grave didactic. Still, withall its faults, even this style has great qualities. Its dignity is often very im-posing, and its inventor is certainly entitled to the praise of having set theexample of a grammatical accuracy and general finish of composition not to befcund in the works of the best writers in our language before his time, butwhich have since been copied by all. CHARLES MICHEL DE LEPEE. 267. CHARLES MICHEL DE LEPEE. CHARLES MICHEL DE LEPEE was born at Versailles in 1712. His father,who was the kings architect, was a clever and a good man, and brought up hisfamily as all good men wished to do. Young De 1Epee was therefore fitlytrained up. No scenes of domestic misery, arising from the indulgence of evilhabits, passed before his eyes—his parents taught him the theory and showedhim the practice of the fear of God and the love of his neighbor. He waseducated for the church. Conscientious scruples stood in the way of hisobtaining holy orders : being a Jansenist, he refused to sign a formulary offaith according to the established practice of the diocese of Paris, and he couldnot get past the rank of deacon. He theref
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbiography, bookyear18
