GUIZOT, FRANgOIS PIERRE GUILLAUME (1787 1874). A distinguished French historian and statesman, born at Nimes, October 4, 1787, of Protestant parents. His father was an advo cate of liberal views,,was guillotined during the Reign of Terror (April 8, 1794), and his mother soon afterwards went with her two sons to Gene va, where young Guizot received his education. In 1805 he went to Paris to study law, but in stead devoted himself to literature. His first work, the Nouveau dictionnaire universel des synonymes de la longue francaise, appeared in 1809, and was quickly followed by an essay on the fine arts and a translation of Gibbon. In 1812 he married Mlle. de Meulan, who was the editor of Le Publiciste, and fourteen years his senior. In the same year he became a professor of history at the Sorbonne. After the Restora tion he became general secretary in the Ministry of the Interior, and subsequently secretary in the Ministry of Justice. Guizot contributed to the dissolution of the Chambre Introuvable (q,v.) by a memorial which was placed in the hands of Louis XVIII. by Decazes. The latter committed to him the general direction of the administration of the communes and departments (1819). At this time he attached himself to the Constitu tional Party, whose leaders were subsequently known as doctrinaires (q.v.), expounding its principles in his essay, Des moyens de gouverne meet et d'opposition dans Petat actuel de la France (1821). In 1821-22 he published his His toire des origines du gouvernement representatif, containing his lectures at the Sorbonne. Owing to his attacks on the Villele Ministry, Guizot lost his official position, and for a number of years devoted himself to literary work. His Histoire de la revolution d'Angleterre appeared in 1827, and he edited the Encyclopedic Progressive and the Revue Francaise, which he established in 1828. His first wife having died (1827), he mar ried her niece. In 1829 the Martignac Ministry granted him permission to resume his lectures on history. They were attended by large and enthusiastic audiences, and gave rise to several historical works of great value, published under the collective titles of Cours d'histoire moderne (1828-30), which included the Histoire de la civilisation en France, and the Histoire generale de la civilisation en Europe. In January, 1830, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies from Lisieux, and sided with the opposition, vigor ously attacking the Polignac Ministry. After acting as Minister of Education in the Provi sional Government which succeeded the over throw of the Bourbons, he was made 'Minister of the Interior (August 11, 1830). but resigned in November. He was Minister of Public Instruc tion in the Cabinet formed by Soult in 1832, and held that position, with a brief interval, until 1837. In this capacity he (lid much for the im provement of educational institutions, particu larly for the primary schools. During the Ori ental crisis of 1840 arising from the ambitions of Mehemet Ali (q.v.) of Egypt, Guizot was sent as Ambassador to London. where he met with
cordial reception, and returned to France in October of the same year. on the resignation of the Thiers Ministry, to become Minister of For eign Affairs and the chief of Louis Philippe's supporters, as the virtual head of the Soult Min istry. After Soult's retirement, in September, 1847, he became the official head of the Cabinet, which, however, although Guizot by his conduct, both in home and foreign affairs, had done all that was possible to make constitutional govern ment a success in France, could not much longer retain its hold upon the people. The policy of peace at any price and the suppression of the republican spirit caused its final overthrow and the fall of the July Monarchy, February 23-24, 1848. As a statesman Guizot proved him self stiff and obdurate; from these qualities, as well as from his cold and austere man ner, he was always unpopular with the masses. Guizot escaped from Paris to London. In April, 1849, he published a circular in which he offered his services to the electors of France. He re turned to France in November, 1849, but was de feated as a candidate for the Chamber. The coup d'etat of December 2, 1851, put an end to his political career. The rest of his life was passed in retirement, and was devoted to his torical and literary work. He lived to see many changes in France, and died, at the age of eighty seven, at his villa in Val-Richer, September 13, 1874. By founding the Comites historiques, by bringing about the publication of important his torical documents, and by his ova writings and lectures, Guizot did much for historical study in France. A work on Washington, published under the title Vie, correspondanee et emits de Washington. (Paris, 1839-40), procured him the honor of having his portrait placed in the Cham ber of Representatives at Washington. Of Gui zot's numerous works the most important, in addition to those already mentioned, are: De hi democratic en France (1849) ; Etudes biogra phigues sur la revolution d'Angleterre (1851) ; Etudes sur les beaux-arts (1851) ; Corneillo et son temps (1852); Shakespeare et son temps (1852) ; Histoire de la republique d'Angle terre et d'Oliver Cromwell (1854) ; L'amour dans le mariage (1855) ; Histoire parlementaire do France (1803) ; Meditations sur la religion ehretienne dans ses rapports avec Petat actuel des soeietes (1865-68); Melanges biographiques et litteraires (1808) ; Melanges polltiques et historiques (1809). For the life of Guizot, the most valuable materials are his own 3femoires pour servir d l'histoire de mon temps (Paris, 1858-05; Eng. trans. London. 1858-02) ; Madame de Witt (Guizot's daughter), Monsieur Guizot dans sa famille et avec ses amis (Paris, 1880; Eng. trans. London, 1880) ; Simon, Thiers. Guizot, Remusat (Paris, 18S5) • Bardoux, "Guizot," in Les Brands eerivains .francais (Paris, 1894) ; Crozals, "Guizot," in Classiques populaires (Paris, 1891) ; Wilson, "M. Guizot and His Mem oirs," in Studies in Modern Mind and Character (London, 1881).