C.D. Warner, et al., comp.
The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. 1917.
Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (1804–1869)
Sainte-Beuve, Charles Augustin (sa
t-bėv’). A great French literary critic; born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dec. 23, 1804; died at Paris, Oct. 13, 1869. His first work, ‘Picture of French Poetry in the Sixteenth Century’ (1828), made him famous. Then followed, anonymously, a volume of ‘Poems’ and two other volumes of verse, ‘Consolations’ (1829) and ‘Meditations in August’ (1837): in these are seen the influence of Goethe’s ‘Werther’ and Chateaubriand’s ‘René.’ His work in the field of the history of literature was resumed in 1837; and in 1840 began to appear his great work, ‘History of Port-Royal’ (6 vols., 1840–48). His celebrated ‘Monday Talks’ on books and authors were commenced in 1849, and were continued with brief intermissions till his death: they were reprinted in two series, ‘Mondays’ (15 vols., 1862) and ‘New Mondays’ (13 vols.). He wrote also: ‘Literary Critiques and Portraits’ (5 vols., 1832–39); ‘Literary Portraits’ (2 vols., 1844; 3 vols., 1864); ‘Contemporary Portraits’ (2 vols., 1846; 5 vols., 1871). His autobiography, ‘Recollections and Indiscretions,’ was published in 1872, and 4 volumes of his ‘Correspondence’ in 1877–80. (See Critical and Biographical Introduction).