“ In 1806 and 1807 he delivered a course of lectures at the Athénée on the language and literature of France from the earliest years; and in 1808 at the emperor’s request, he prepared his Tableau historique de l’état et du progrès de la littérature française depuis 1789 jusqu’à 1808, a book containing some good criticism, though marred by the violent prejudices of its author. ”

“ CHENIER, MARIE-JOSEPH BLAISE DE (1764–1811) , French poet, dramatist and politician, younger brother of André de Chénier, was born at Constantinople on the 11th of February 1764. [1] He was brought up at Carcassonne, and educated in Paris at the Collège de Navarre. Entering the army at seventeen, he left it two years afterwards; and at nineteen he produced Azémire, a two-act drama (acted in 1786) , and Edgar, ou le page supposé, a comedy (acted in 1785) , which were failures. His Charles IX was kept back for nearly two years by the censor. ”

“ This piece was played after the fall of the Terror, but the fratricide of Timoléon became the text for insinuations to the effect that by his silence Joseph de Chénier had connived at the judicial murder of André, whom Joseph’s enemies alluded to as Abel. There is absolutely nothing to support the calumny, which has often been repeated since. ”