CI1ENIER, ANDRA-MARIE DE, was born at Constantinople, Oct. 22, 1763, whore his father was consulgencral of France. The family having returned to Franco in 1773, Andr6 was placed at the Col 16ge de Navarre in Paris, and went through a long course of study with signal recces:. In Greek particularly he excelled ; and ho became pas sionately fond of ancient literature. His studies having injured his health, he was advised to travel. First he visited Switzerland, in 1785; then England, in 1786, as attach6 to the embassy of M. do la Luzerne.
Finally, in 1788, he returned to Paris, and devoted his fine talents to poetry for the rest of his life. His first essays were eclogues; they were very beautiful, and, though less known, are quite equal to those of Delille. "His projected labours," says Rabbe, "were vast, and he had laid the plans of numerous poems. Admiring the majesty of the Bible as much as he did the simple strength of the Greek, he had chosen his subjects as well from the sacred writings as from the mythological themes of Heeiod; so conscious was he of his own powers, that he wanted to embrace the poetry of every age, and the whole circle of nature's beauties." When the revolution broke out, Andre Ch6nier took a middle course, as far removed from anarchy as from despotism. He did not conceal his sentiments, and was soon suspected by the Jacobins. During the preparations for the king's trial, he wrote to the venerable Malesherbes, and offered to share the responsibility of his defence. He then became a marked man, and had to conceal himself. He was soon after arrested, was forgotten, and might have escaped; but his father's anxiety to save him recalled attention to his name, and he was brought before the Revolutionary Tribunal. Even in prison, and after his sentence, he composed passages
of true poetry. He was guillotined on the 7th Thermidor (July 26) 1794, two days before Robespierre and St. Jest. Although the poems of Andre Ch6nier are not generally read, they have certainly served to form the present school : Chateaubriand, Barth616my, Casimir Delavigne, Victor Hugo, and Lamartine, owe much of their early inspiration to him.
Man= JosErn CnkNien, brother of Andre, was born at Constanti nople, on the 28th of August 1764. He became famous as a member of the Convention, and as the author of several tragedies, written in conformity with the spirit of the times. Among these, his 'Charles IX.,' which still keeps the stage, was the most successful. It appeared November 4, 1789. He also produced Tibere,"Henri VIII.,' and Caine Gracchus; ' the last in 1792. In 1794 he had the courage to paint the character of a true patriot in Timoleon,' his finest tragedy; but the Committee of Public Safety stopped the performance, and ordered the manuscript to be burnt. Marie Joseph was an elegant prose writer, and a tolerable satirist. He likewise produced several lyrical poems. Being a good speaker, and possessing much eelf command, he was elected a member of every legislative assembly from 1792 to 1802. He was also a member of several learned insti tutions. The report which was spread after the execution of his elder brother, Andre, that Marie Joseph had contributed to his fall, was the reverse of the truth; but the charge preyed upon his mind, and caused him bitter anguish for the rest of his life. He died January 10, 18 1 1. (Biog. Univers. ; Rabbo ; Lamartine, Girondists.)