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EDOUARD CHAVANNES. 



Sinology lias suffered a great loss hy the death of Edouard 

 Chavannes. Our society, of which he was an honorary member for so 

 many years, has keenly felt this bereavement and mourn him together 

 with those who know to appreciate the very considerable work which 

 Chavannes has accomplished with regard to the development of sinolo- 

 gical studies during the last thirty years. 



The ordinary reader is rather ignorant as regards this point and 

 this is hardly to be wondered at considering the fact that even the 

 most remarkable specialists rarely get into touch with the general 

 public. It is, on the other hand, to be regretted, that a far too large 

 proportion of those who write on things Chinese do not know all the 

 claims which Chavannes has on their gratitude. His modesty, his 

 horror of everything which resembled publicity and advertising have 

 certainly something to do with this, but is it not necessary also to 

 incriminate the indifference of some of those who make it a profession 

 to take an interest in things Chinese? 



As regards the Sinologues they at least know what to think of 

 Chavannes. One of them, a worthy descendant of the Jesuit mission- 

 aries who in the 18th century laid the foundations of the sinological 

 science, has said : "Chavannes is at the very pinnacle of sinology." 

 Shortly before the war a German orientalist announced that "Chavannes 

 had made sinology a French science." It is furthermore known that 

 the famous explorer Sir Aurel Stein has chosen Chavannes, amongst all 

 sinologues, to translate the wood slates which he had excavated from 

 the sandy wastes of Turkestan — precious documents which date back 

 to the beginning of the Christian era. 



Chavannes could have gloried in these, and so many other proofs 

 of admiration which he received in the course of a brilliant career. 



Born in 1865 he entered when still quite young the "Ecole 

 Normale" so as to prepare himself for his examination for the fellow- 

 ship of philosophy. He had hardly left the school before he set out 

 for China. 



Let us now give the word of one of those who have lived near him 

 and who have known him well — undoubtedly a pupil, certainly an 

 enlightened friend, who has published in the "Temps" the following 



lines : 



"His first works, published in 1890, announced the coming of a 

 master. He returned from Peking at the age of 28 (in 1893) to 

 occupy at the College de France the chair of Abel Remusat and 



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