7S6 FERDINAND BRUNETIERE. 



believes that the highest task of the intellect is not to reject what has 

 been unreasonably accepted, but rather to give true reasons for sound 

 conclusions hitherto accepted chiefly as a matter of instinct. This 

 seems on the whole to ha\"e been the purpose of Brunetiere from begin- 

 ning to end. There has hardly ever been work more faithfully true 

 than his to an ideal once stated in this country as the aim and end of 

 all education — the illumination of the commonplace. 



III. 



We are fortunate in having among us now a French scholar and 

 man of letters who was a pupil of Brunetiere at the Ecole Xormale. 

 Without his friendly aid, this memoir must have stayed secondary. 

 He has kindly consented to make it more memorable. So instead of 

 proceeding with my own fragmentary memories of Brunetiere when 

 he was hereabouts in 1897, and when I saw him at Paris in 1905, 1 have 

 been so bold as to ask Professor Louis Allard, of Harvard University, 

 to send the Academy some account of his personal memories of the 

 master, and of the master's teaching. And, remembering that 

 "translation is at best like the back of an embroidery" I have asked 

 him to send it in his own French words. Whoever reads them will 

 surely share my gratitude for his kindness. 



Barrett Wendell. 



IV. 



M"". le Professeur Barrett Wendell m'a fait I'honneur de me de- 

 mander d'ajouter quelques notes personnelles a I'article substantiel 

 qu'il a ecrit sur Ferdinand Brunetiere. 



Je le remercie de I'occasion qui me permet de rendre hommage a la 

 memoire d'un maitre que j'ai beaucoup admire et aime. Ce n'est 

 done pas que je me propose ici de donner de son oeuvre une analyse 

 critique. Ou pent la trouver dans les livres que IVP. Wendell a 

 signales, et surtout dans "Les Maitres de I'heure" de M''. Victor 

 Giraud, qui me parait avoir dit sur le sujet le mot definitif. Brune- 

 tiere, d'ailleurs, avait desire un jour qu'il fiit son biographe; et je ne 

 doute pas qu'il n'eut ete content d'un portrait dessine par le disciple 

 avec amour et fidehte. Mon but est plus modeste. Sur I'invitation 

 de ]SP. Wendell, je retracerai de memoire quelques traits de I'homme 

 et du professeur, qui pourront peut-etre rendre un peu de relief et de 



