Let us now examine each of the five Acade mies.
I. The Acadetnie Francium (such was the original name), was founded by Cardinal de Richelieu, Minister of Louis XIII, in 1635. A few years before, the poet Antoine Godeau and his cousin Conrart, secretary to the King, used to meet every week at the latter's house which was situated at the corner of Rue Saint Martin and Rue des Vieilles-Etuves, with a few dis tinguished friends of literary taste. When Richelieu, in 1635, inquired of these gentlemen whether "they would not like to be formed into a company under the authority of the state,° they could not but accept such direct invitation. Richelieu pnderstood from the beginning the important part which the new-born Academy could play in the development, unification and purification of the French language; and his ambition, among others, was that French should acquire the same perfection, importance and power of domination as Latin and Greek. As early as 1634, that is to say one year before it was officially constituted the Academy decided to prepare a Wictionnaire de la Langue Fran caise' ; the first edition of which was published only in 1694. Since that time seven revised editions have been published; the second in 1718, the third in 1740, the fourth in 1762; the fifth, under the convention which had first sup pressed it; the sixth and the seventh in 1835 and 1877. The Academy is now preparing the eighth edition. When Richelieu died in 1642, the Academy chose, as patron, Chancelier Si guier, who invited the members to hold their weekly meetings in his own private hotel. But, when Seguier died, the Academy did not seek a patron among state ministers, or great per sonages who might perhaps become an obstacle to its independence; it applied directly to the king himself, believing, which was right enough, that the king as a patron would remain a stranger to all coteries and petty intrigues Whiek were more or less favored by ministers. In fact under the protection of Louis XIV, during 42 years, the Academy enjoyed great freedom, independence and even privileges such as a right to two invitations at all official fes tivities at the court, the right of appeal direct to the king without the medium of his state ministers Besides, it was invited by Louis XIV to make its permanent abode in the Louvre, the king's own palace, from which it was removed only in 1793 by the convention. The rooms occupied by the Academy were sit uated on the ground-floor and are at present part of the French Sculpture Gallery, (Salles du Puget and Salle des Coustou). Toward 1693, when La Bruyere was elected, the Academie Francaise was composed of a most brilliant Pleiad of writers who greatly co operated in making the reign of Louis XIV one of the most glorious and in giving to the history of French literature an unparalleled splendor; if indeed Corneille and Colbert were dead there were still Bossuet, Flechier, Fine Ion, Racine, La Fontaine, Boileau, Perrault, Fontenelle. The next generation of Academi cians was not so brilliant: the "Grande Seig neurs,° great dignitaries and other personages of high station, finally considered that certain seats in the Academy belbnged to them or their caste as a sort of birthday right: three dukes de Coislin, for instance, were Academicians; even to-day the "parti des ducs° still exists under the "Coupole; it means that the old aristocracy is always represented in that ancient institution, but it is right to say that members of the nobility are elected as much on account of their literary achievements as of their aristo cratic origin. During the 18th century, how
ever, men of great literary fame belonged to the Academy; among them we must mention d'Alembert who wrote the celebrated preface to the 'Encyclopedic' ; he was one of the most appreciated men in Europe. Frederick II, King of Prussia, wanted him to live in Berlin and, for that purpose, offered him the presi dent y of his own academy; Catherine, Empress of Russia, wanted him to educate her son; fortunately he refused these kingly and imperial offers in order to devote himself to the great cause of emancipation which was more or less outlined in the and which was to triumph in 1789 and the following revolu tions. Voltaire, Duclos, Condorcet were also members of the Academy. During the second half of the 18th century the whole of Europe turned its attentioon to that Institution ;.all the monarchs and princes who came to Paris (the King of Denmark, the King of Sweden, the King of Prussia, the Imperial Russian Crown Prince, etc.), made a point to attend at least one of its meetings. On 28 June 1917, at the reception of M. Alfred Capus, General Per shing was solemnly entertained at the Palais de l'Institut. Although the great French Rev olution had been prepared by some of the most distinguished members of the Academy,. the latter was finally considered by the convention as a reactionary institution smacking too much of the ancien regime and ancient prerogatives. It was suppressed in 1793. It revived when the Institut de France was created in 1795, under another name as the Classe de Langue et Lit terature Francaises. In 1816, however, Louis XVIII restored it to its former name of Academie Frantaise which has been retained ever since. About the same time (1819), Baron de Montyon left by testament to the Academy an annuity of 37,000 francs which is distributed every year in the form of two prizes (prix Montyon destine aux ouvrages les plue utiles aux morays; and prix de vertu, fondation Montyon). Since that time many prizes have been instituted by the Academy, thanks to the numerous gifts, donations and legacies which have steadily increased its financial power. The following list of prizes, although incomplete, distributed by the Academy, will give an idea of its social and literary importance: if not his literary works; in a harmless, humorous and half innocent manner, he un loads upon the newcomer a number of appro priate remarks in which the audience takes a great delight. Perhaps one of the most in teresting udircours acadimigue0 in that respect, was the one delivered by M. Ernest Lavisse at the reception of Monsieur Raymond Poin care, the President of the French Republic (in 1909).