MISTRAL, FnEntnic (1830—). A French poet. the leader of the modern Provencal revival in Southern France. He was born at Slaillane, Bouches-du-Rhone, September 8, 1830, and went to school in Avignon. Here he came under the influence of Joseph Ronmanille (q.v.), who had already conceived the idea of raising the native speech to higher uses. Roumanille's Provencal poem Li Marnarideto fired the youth's enthu siasm, and when he returned to Mail lane, at the end of his school days. he wrote a poem in four cantos, Li Meissoun, the best parts of which he has preserved by insertion into his riper works. His father, seeing his intellectual superiority, had !dui study law at Aix. Mistral, however, did not practice law. but gave himself up heart and soul to the work of creating, a literature in Pro vençal. With six friends he founded the society of the Fillibres in 1854, and contributed to their annual organ. L'Armana Pronreneau. The publi cation in 1859 of Mireio is the most important event in Slistral's life and in the history of the movement. It was a revelation to the Fffiffires, and through the enthusiastic praise of Lamartine it obtained a national success. .1/ireio is a narra tive pastoral poem in twelve cantos, a wonder ful expression of what is most characteristic and best in the rural life of Provence. The language is the dialect of Saint-Remy, raised to the dig nity of a literary language by a process of puri fication and enrichment strictly in accord with its genius. At this time also Mistral published some of his best lyrical poems. notably one called
The Countess, a vigorous protest against the cen tralization prevailing in France. In 1867 he published a second long poem. Calendan (French, Our/(lai) : it treats of mediaeval legends and traditions, and abounds in symbolism. In 1875 appeared his only volume of lyrics, Li.e Tsrlo In 1876 the Fidibrige was formally organized into a great association with Mistral as Ca or chief. Ile next published Nerto. a fantastical tale in verse. the scene of which is laid at Avignon, in the clays of the popes. Later he brought out his monumental dictionary of all the dialects of the Longue (roe, Lou tresor POibrige. In 1890 appeared La llr'ino Juno (Queen Joanna). which he calls a Provencal tragedy. It is brilliant in language, but of little dramatic power. In the same year he founded the quarterly in 1897 appeared a third long narrative poem, Lou pouemo don rose. his best work after .1/ire'io. it is a singularly felicitous combination of fanciful legends and realism. Consult : (Easton Paris, Peaseurs ct pates (Paris, 18)6); Welter, Frederic Mistral, der Diehter oler Prorenee (Marburg, 1899); Dow ner, Fre'dc'ric Nish-al (New York, 1901). The best English translation of is that of Har riet Preston ( Boston, 1872). There are prose translations in French by of all his works, and these translations accompany the original text in all editions. See FELIBRIGE.