MERIMEE,. l'itosemt (1503-70). A French novelist, historian, dramatist, awl critic, born in Paris, September 25, 1503. II.' studied law, which he never practiced; he held various offices in the civil service, became, in ' 1531, inspector of archwological and historical monuments of France, an Acallemieian in 1514, and a Senator of the Empire in 1853. llis re ports of professional researches were the basis of four volumes: bans le midi de la France (1835) ; Dans l'Ouest (1830) ; En Auvergne et Limousin (1838) ; En Corse (1840). To this science he contributed also Monuments histo riques (1843) ; Pcintures de l'Eglise Saint-8arin (1844); and to history a monograph on Don Pedro de Castillc (1843), Lcs faux 11(.'»u:trius (1554), and a volume of miscellaneous Essaics (1855). Ile is best known, however, for his fiction, narrative and dramatic, Theatre de Clara Rues] (1825), a pretended translation from the Spanish and an ironical toying with Romanti cism; La Guth/ (1827), a pretended translation of Illyrian songs: La Jacqurric (1828), dramatic scenes from the Peasants' War of 1353; a similar but far finer historic study. La chronique du ri'gne de Charles IX. (1829), of which the massa cre of Saint Bartholomew's forms the central scene: ('o/omba (1840), his most popular novel, a story of Corsica ; Carmen (1847), a Spanish gypsy romance and subject of a popular opera by Bizet. and three volumes of short stories of
remarkable polish and artistic effect. but hard, ironical, and sometimes cynically pessimistic. IMerimee was, before Maupassant, an unap proached master of stylistic restraint and con cision. Ile chooses exotic scenes, a material and moral life alike foreign to his readers, but he never fails to produce the illusion of reality even when he crosses the border of the super natural. Although impassive in his writing, Aktrim(''!e was in private life characterized by tender and devoted friendships, of which his Lettrs it inconnue (1873), trans. in the Brae Series," ed. by Stoddard, vol. iii., .New York, 1874; the Lcttres 6 one mitre ineon nue (1875) : the 6 (1881) ; and Cue correspondanee inedite (1896), are most in teresting and beautiful monuments. They show gracious, affectionate, loyal, capable of even a romantic idealism. died at Cannes, September 23, 1870. Consult: Piton, .1/(:riito'c et scs antis (Paris, 1894) ; Haussonville, 116-imt'c (ib., 1888) ; Tourneux, Prosper Ilerimre, ses portraits, see dessins, etc. lib.. 1879) : and l'aguet, ..11_1(;me sickle (ib., 1594).