130C.3 



( 37 ) 



liiSTOniCAL NOTICE rcfpiriini; the mfe 

 and wjUTiN'cs o/'if. di: i.a hakpe. 



JEAN' rniiicois de hillnrpo was born 

 at Paris on the 20th of November, 

 17^)9. His father was captain of artil- 

 lery, and was defceiided from ;ui ancient 

 and noble Svvifs family, lie loUhis father 

 v.hilc he was \cry young ; and, as is too 

 ufuul witli ciiildi-en of officers of no higlier 

 rank, was left in a (late of e:.treiue po- 

 verty. What had been young La Harpe's 

 education is not particularly known ; 

 but it is probable the father had given 

 him the elcineirts of learning, from a cir- 

 cumllancc related by M. DcfoliVirts. By 

 fome accident he was introduced to M. 

 Alf 'Jni, principal of tlie Colicife of Har- 

 court, who, hearing him recite fomc 

 French vcifes with an clenance and tafte 

 fuperior to his years, conceived an alTcc- 

 tion for him, and received liim amongft 

 Jiis pupils, and Ihortly after obtained a 

 penfion for liim. The patronage of his 

 benevolent friend was happily bellowed ; 

 and, whether the early indications of ta- 

 lent in La Ilarpe had excited the pecu- 

 liar regard of his other fupeiiors, or they 

 confidered merely the intcrcfts of their 

 houfe in the attention they paid to a 

 young man who gained all the higher 

 prizes, no care was omitted in the com- 

 pletion of his ftudies. 



Lp. Harpc difpiayed a very early turn 

 for poetry ; and this led to a circum- 

 Ihmce that Iiad nearly clofcd his already 

 brilliant career. A profclVor in the col- 

 lege, of a ridiculous character, was the 

 conftant object of the pleafantries of the 

 pupils, fome of whoin had written an oc- 

 cational fatire againlt him. It was com- 

 municated to La Harpe, who was regard- 

 ed as the oracle of the college. The 

 young poet, cultivated in his talte, and 

 prompted by the palTion of iharpcning 

 tiie edge of the fatire, almolt made the 

 poem his own by his numerous altera- 

 tions. Some time after appeared a fati- 

 ricnl poem on ?J. AH'elin, his benefa6tor, 

 which, as he had the reputation of the 

 former, was attributed to him. In vain 

 lie protelled his innocence, and his vene- 

 ration for his earlieib friend. His emi- 

 nent fuccefs had excited cn\y ; and the 

 epigram, which ought never to have been 

 carried beyond the fhade of the college, 

 was laid bcl'ne the adminiltration of po- 

 lice. M. de Sartinc unhappily viewed 

 ^m uffiiii' with the uiitrolcopic tjc yf his 



olfice, and laid the heavy hand of power 

 on a youth, at his very entrance into the 

 world. La ILirpe was confined teveral 

 months in an ordinary houfe of correc- 

 tion. This injuftice, for it afterwards ap- 

 peared that he had no hand in tlie fatiie, 

 embittered his early years, and planted a, 

 deep fting in his botbm. His foul was 

 filled with ideas of refentment and re- 

 venge againft opprcfTujn. In the choice 

 of iubjects for his pen, he imperceptibly 

 gave the preference to fuch as difplayed 

 indignation coming to tlie fuccour of in- 

 nocence and helpielVnefs, and reijJaciny 

 injured humanity in all her rights. Nor 

 can it be queltioned that the circum- 

 llance influenced his future character, 

 and helped to fomi the principle of that 

 biting eloquence which often animated 

 liis (tyle, and made him fo redoubtable 

 in controverfy. 



La Harpe commenced his public ca- 

 reer in letters by poems called Heruicfcs, 

 which were then much in vogue. The 

 Epiltle of Eloife to Abelard, by Color- 

 deau ; of Baniavelt to Traman his friend, 

 by Dorat ; and that of a Monk of La 

 Trappe to the Abbe de Ranee, by La 

 Ilarpe, v.crc \ cry popular. The futliages 

 were at firit divided between La Harpe 

 and Dorat. The world gave the palm to 

 the latter, pleafed with the tinfel of his 

 llyle ; but men of taile to the former, 

 who was loon the acknowledged conque- 

 ror. 



Thcfe trifles were but the prelude to a 

 nobler fuccefs. To a young man who 

 had deltined himfelf to a literary life, two 

 enviable paths were open,' — the honours 

 of tlie Academy, and thofe of the The- 

 atre. A prize obtained at the French 

 Academy, or a fuccelsful drama, \AOuld 

 remove the lirll difficulties, admit him 

 into the higher circles, and procure him 

 elevated protectors. La Harpe prefent- 

 ed himfelf with cotirage, aiwl almoft in 

 the fame moment, in both, and his firll 

 eftbi ts in each were fuccefsful. The firft 

 topic of eloquence he ellayed was his Eu- 

 logy on Charles V. King of France. It 

 prefented a celebrated epoch in tlic hif- 

 tory of France. The orator had to deli- 

 neate a young priAce taking upon him- 

 felf, during the captivity of his father, the 

 burthen of a itatc rent by fattions and 

 invaded by enemies ; prefei-ving it by his 

 finmiefs and prudence ; difplaying on 

 the tluqutt the ^irtut■8 admired in his 

 icgency ; 



