BARTHELEMY, AUGUSTE-MARSEILLE, a French poet and politician of some emi nence, was b. at Marseilles in 1796. Whilst still very young, he was sent to the college of Juilly; and he had scarcely completed his studies when lie began to acquire reputa tion in 11.3 native town as a poet of distinct promise. Ile was naturally attracted to Paris, where, at first, his verses, published without his name, did not attract munch atten tion. Gradually, however, lie became known; and in 1825, in conjunction with his fellow-townsman, M. Mery, he issued a collection of satirical epistles, under the title Les Sidiennes; and the year after, a mock-heroic poem, La Videliade, ou la Prise du Chateau de Biroli. This vigorous political squib had a great success: in the course of the year, it ran through fifteen editions, and is said to have put into the pocket of the young authors some 24,000 francs. Continuing to work together in opposition to the government of Charles X., and in the interest of Napoleonic ideas, they put forth upwards of 20 pieces of a like satirical cast before 1830. The revolution of July of that year found B. in prison, for an offense done to the government in one of his later publications. His liberation, of course, was immediate; and along with his friend _Very, lie celebrated the victory of the people in a poem dedicated to the Parisians, and entitled L' Insurrection, which is characterized by the great critic, M. de Sainte-Beuve, as one of
the happiest productions of the writers. A pension of 1200 francs, bestowed on him by Louis Philippe, did not deter B. from attacking his ministers with the same asperity lie had exercised towards those of the dethroned monarch; and in consequence, it was within a year or two withdrawn. During all the changes which followed, B. was inde fatigable as a versifier on the political events of the day; but, except for readers inti mately versed in the detail of these, the mere list of his numerous productions could have only the very faintest significance. The force and brilliancy of his satire is on all hands admitted; and though, in his later years, his popularity somewhat declined, his writings throughout exercised considerable influence in determining opinion among the lively population of Paris. He was, from the first, a warm supporter of the second Napo leonic regime. His death took place Aug., 1867, at Marseilles, of which city he was librarian.