FRANCE. The now flourishing Gazette de France (daily) is the oldest of all French news papers. As the Gazette it was established at Paris in 1631 under the patronage of Richelieu by Theophraste Renaudot (1584-1653). It first appeared weekly with a monthly supplement. and afterwards as a semi-weekly. Being thus a continuous record (except for a slight suspen sion) of foreign and domestic events for toward three centuries, it possesses very great historical value. In its arrangement of foreign news first and home news last, it also set an example which has generally prevailed in French journalism. "Before the close of the seventeenth century it began to give space to commerce, theatrical an nouncements. and advertisements. The Gaz, lir Burlesque (1650-65), the first journal of the kind, aimed to be the chronigue srandalruse of Paris. The two types thus established were continued in the Mcreurc GabIlli (1672), which, tinder different names, commonly the Mcreure dc France, was continued, with short interrup tions, (limn to 1853. The rather insipid Journal de Paris (1777-1819) is said to have been the first Parisian daily. During the Revolution jour nals sprang tip rapidly :is organs of the various parties. hut they soon expired. however, have lived till the present time: the Journal des Ikbats (1789) and the ibmiteur rnirersel (1789), the official organ under the first Napo leon. The Constitutionncl, in which Sainte Bettye began the Causcries flu landi, dates from 1813. In 1836 were established twe) cheaper papers. the Prcsse and the `•ieefe, now popular dailies. '1'he Figaro, the modern journal dr seandale, established in 1851, became a daily in 1866. It has had considerable influence on the lighter newspaper in England and elsewhere. The ('harirari (1S33), a journal satirique, has like wise been imitated in many countries. The Patric, political. commercial, and literary, was a daily from the first (1841). Of all Parisian newspapers, perhaps the T, nips (a daily. ISGI ) ha, the most solid reputation abroad. The Pa risian political press is further represented by the Soir (1870), the Matin (1884), and many others. The Petit Journal (18(i3), the first French paper selling at five centimes (half the usual price), at once gaMed a eircidation of 100,00i;. After arrangements were made whereby
it could be furnished throughout France at the same price, its daily issue rapidly increased till it reached a million. French newspaper, contain less news than the English or the American. Space is thus found for the feuilleton, a literary essay, sketch, or short story, an indispensable feature of the French journal. Pails is famous for her weeklies devoted to art, fashion, litera ture, and the professions. Outside of Paris, the larger towns support several dailies.
BELcir lvf. Antwerp has already been men tioned as one of the places from which were issued the news-letters of the sixteenth century. They were succeeded by the Yieulee Tijdinghcn of Antwerp (1(103?), on which were founded the Posttijilingen (1(i37-44) and the Gazette ran Ant werpen (down to 1827). To the period 1640-50 belong the Nieuwe 'Pi/dim/hen of Bruges. the BNISSlbschr Gazette, and Le Courier 1Yritable des Pags-Bas( Brussels), which, as the official Gazette de Bruxelles and the Gazelle des Pays-Has, eon tinned till 1791. At. that time the most outspoken political journal was the Annales Politiques of Linguet (often suppressed). The Belgian press, held in firm restraint during the Spanish. Aus trian, and French rule, became practically free on the independence of Belgium (1830). Antwerp with it, seven dailies has been far outstripped by Brussels, which has now about twenty dailies. The chief are the Beige. the Etoile Beige, and the Journal de Bruxelles. At Antwerp and at Ghent dailies are published in Flemish.
llom...vxn. The papers of Holland were long noted for the accuracy of their commercial news. Since 1830 they have given more attention to politics. At present the principal Dutch dailies are the Angelo( ene Hand( lab/au and .Vicuirs ram den Dag, both of Amsterdam ; the .1msterdanisclm Courant; the dournat la Ilaye; the Ilaayschr Courant : and the Mauls Courant—published at The Hague. Other places of active journalism are and Rotterdam. Weeklies, several of which are illustrated, are also common.