Literary critic and playwright, born Vennecy, France, 1853; died Paris, 1914. After teaching for a few years he devoted himself eptirely to literature, and became editor of the "Revue Bleue" and dramatic critic of the "Journal des Debats." His "Contemporains" and "Impressions de Theatre" constitute a captivating literary history of France in his day. He wrote several successful plays, as "Revoltes," "Le Depute Leveau," "Marriage Blanc," and is recognized as one of the masters of lucid, witty French.