MADAME DELPHINE DE GIRARDIN, the wife of Emile Girardin,'and daughter of Sophie Gay, a literary rady of considerable talents, was born in 1805, at Aix-la-Chapelle. She was what is called a precocious genius, and at the age of fourteen was noted for her remarkable beauty. In 1822 a poetical eulogy of hers, containing all the illustrious names of the day, was honourably mentioned by the French Academy. On the 26th of April 1827, she was received with great pomp in the Capitol of Rome by the Academie du Tibre, as one of their members. She received a more flattering ovation in Paris, on her return. The artist Legros, who had recently completed the new frescoes of the Pantheon, conducted Madlle. Delphine Gay to a place of honour beneath the dome, whence she recited some of her own poems in the presence of a brilliant assembly. As soon as she finished a shower of wreaths and bouquets were thrown at her feet. King Charles X. awarded her a pension of 1500 francs from his privy purse. Shortly after she met with M. Emile de Girardin, to whom she was married in 1831.
Immediately after this union Madame de Girardin engaged in a variety of literary undertakings, producing novels, romances, and fugitive poems for the booksellers; tragedies, comedies, and vaudevilles for the theatres; and feuilletons for the newspapers. Her charming
'Lettrea Parisiennes ' appeared in the journal ' La Presse,' under the name of Vicomte C. de Launay. The small hotel she occupied with her husband at Chaillot was the resort of all the celebrites in art and lite rature, as well as of the elite of the Beau Monde. Every intelligent foreigner desirous of seeing the eminent and distinguished persons, whom he already knew by name, hastened to this house, built on the model of the Greek temples.
This clever authoress died on the 29th of June 1855, and on the 2nd of July she was followed to the grave by an immense crowd. The chief funeral oration was delivered by Jules Janin.
The catalogue of her works is very long ; but the following are her moat esteemed productions La Pelerine,' published in 1823 ; Le Lorgnon,' a romance, 1832; 'Qu'on est heureux d'etre Cure,' a pastoral, 1833 ; 'Contes dune Vieille Mlle,' 1834 ; ' La Canna de 3L de Balzac,' 1836; f LEcole des Jorirnalistee; a five-act comedy, 1840 •, 'Judith,' a tragedy, 1843; 'Cleopatra,' a tragedy, 1847; 'Lady Tartuffe,' a comedy which produced much sensation, 1852 ; and ' La Joie fait Peur,'1854.