But while Lamartine was accomplishing his poetical work he was taking an active part in the administration and politics of his country. He entered the diplomatic service, and in 1823 be came secretary of embassy at Naples. In that year he married an Englishwoman of some fortune, Marianne Birch. The years 1824-29 were spent at Florence, and in 1829 he went on a mis sion to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. He declined any appoint ment under the July monarchy, and travelled in the Near East between 1832 and 1834. Elected during his absence to the Cham ber of Deputies, he spoke more and more frequently, and gradu ally moved to the Left in politics. His Histoire des Girondins, published in instalments, was printed as a whole in 1847. At the February Revolution of 1848 he declared for a provisional gov ernment, and was chosen as one of the five members of the execu tive committee. But he had neither the decision nor the force required for the occasion, though his eloquence served more than once to pacify the Parisians. After the fighting in June, his influ ence disappeared before that of Cavaignac, and when he was nominated for the presidency in Jan. 1849 he received a handful of votes. He was not elected to the Legislative Assembly.
His term of office left him a poor man, and he now wrote con tinuously for a living. He published a series of "Confidences" in La Presse, wrote many historical and biographical works, and in 1860 began to edit his works in 41 volumes. His wife died in 1863. At length, in 1867, the Government of the Empire came to his assistance with a vote of £20,000, which he accepted in spite of the reproaches of his more intransigeant friends. He died on Feb. 28, 1869.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.—The best lives of Lamartine are by C. de Pomairoles (189o) ; E. Rod (1893) ; E. Deschanel (1893) ; R. Doumic (1912) ; H. R. Whitehouse (1918). See also E. Zymorski, Lamartine, poete lyrique (1897) ; L. Barthou, Lamartine, orateur (1916) ; L. Seche, Lamartine des 1816 a (19o5), the preface to Emile Legonis, Clarendon Press edition of Jocelyn (1906) ; P. Bert, Lamartine "homme social"; son action départementale (1924) ; C. Latreille, Les dernieres annies de Lamartine, 1852-1869 (1925).
After Lamartine's death his Memoires inedits were published and two volumes of letters. See also C. B. Jussieu de Senevier, En marge de la vie de Lamartine. Lettres (1925) .