FEVAL, fa-viil, Paul Henri Corentin, French novelist: b. Rennes, 28 Nov. 1817; d. Paris, 8 March 1887. He first studied law and was admitted to the bar of his native city, but soon went to Paris unable to resist his desire to write. His first story, 'Club des phogues> (1841), and others, having given him some note, he was offered a large sum to write, under the pseudonym °Sin FRANCIS (as though an Englishman), a sensational story 'The Mysteries of London,> after the manner of Sue's 'Mysteries of Paris.> It was done in 11 volumes (Paris 1844), was immensely suc cessful, widely translated and put on the stage. He remained a very fertile, spirited and popu lar writer, often dramatized, with long runs and left more than 200 volumes from his pen. Especially successful were 'Le Loup Blanc' (Paris 1843, London 1847) ; 'Les Amours de Paris' (Paris 1845, London 11356) ; 'La Quit tance de Minuit' (Paris 1846) ' • (Le Fils du Diable' (Paris 1847) ; 'Histoire des Tribunaux Secrets' (8 vols., Paris 1851) • 'Compagnous
du Silence> (Paris 1857) ; 'Mme. Gil Blas' (Paris 1857) ; Bossu, on le Petit Parisien) (Paris 1857, London and New York 1863); 'Jean le Diable> (Paris 1868); 'Les Merveilles du Mont Saint Michel> (Paris 1880). During most of his life a freethinker, fie was later con verted and became an ardent Catholic. As a result he revised his works and issued a col lection of them in 44 volumes (Paris 1877-83). After his death a new edition of his collected works was brought out (38 vols., Paris 1895). In spite of his many successes and the big editions through which many of his books went, he spent the latter years of his life in comparative poverty, having twice lost, through unwise investments, a large fortune. Consult Buet, C., 'Paul Fival, Souvenirs d'un (Paris 1887) ; Delaigue, A., 'Un Homme de Letters, Paul FivaP (Paris 1890) ;• Mirecourt, E. de, 'Paul FivaP (in 'Les Contemporains,' Paris 1857).