INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. The official name for a group of learned societies in France organized at different times, but having for their object the fostering of some special branch in literature. art, the sciences, or philosophy. At present the Institute comprises five distinct bod ies known as (1) Academie Francaise; (2) Academie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres; (3) Academie des Sciences; (4) Academie des Beaux Arts; (5) Academie des Sciences Alorales et Politiques. The first three academies, dating as separate institutions fro::: the seventeenth cen tury, were abolished by the Convention on August S, 1793. Two years later, under the title of Institut National des Sciences el des Arts. there was established by the Directory an association for the promotion of arts and sciences, which was divided into the three following classes: ( I) Phy sical sciences and mathematics; (2) moral and political sciences; (3) literature and fine arts. In 1803 Napoleon I. reorganized the body, divid ing it into four classes—mathematical and natu ral sciences. French language and literature, classical languages and literatures, and fine arts —and giving it subsequently the name of Impe rial Institute of France. After the Restoration it was again reorganized (1810 into four acade mies. comprising the first four bodies enumerated above, to which was added in 1S32 the fifth acad emy, the name of the whole being changed at the same time to Institut de France.
Each academy in the Institute has its inde pen(l•nt government, and the free disposition of the funds allotted to it, while an agency and secretaries, the library, and the valuable collec tions of the Institute are common to the tive. 1 ho general fund is managed by a committee of ten members, two from each academy. under the presidency of the Minister of Public Instruction. The members, of whom there are in addition to the regular members, honorary members, corre sponding members, and foreign associates. are all elected by ballot, and the election is by the public authorities. Each member receives an annual salary of 1500 francs, and the per petual secretaries are given 6000 francs. An an nual meeting is held on October 25th. when public announcements are made of the award of impor tant prizes.
( I) The Acrol6mir Francaise was founded by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635. It bad its origin in a small group of literary men, who, as early ns 1630, were accustomed to meet at each other's homes for the purpose of exchanging their views on various topics in literature, art, and science.
Richelieu, on becoming aware of the existence of this informal society. offered them the royal pro tection if they would hold their meetings in public, and the society was thereupon constituted as the AcadCnnie Franeaise (1635). The special function assigned to the organization was the im provement and conservation of the French lan guage. For this purpose work was begun on a dic tionary of the French language, which, however, did not see the light till 1694. Within two years from the date of its formal authorization, the membership of the academy had risen to forty, at which number it has since remained. From 1793 to 1816 the Academie Fran:nisc, as such, did not exist (see above I. The original purpose of the academy has not been forgotten; at the present day its chief business is still the revision of the Dietionnai•e de r.teade