BELJAME

beljame, alexandre (1842-1906), french writer, was born at villiers-le-bel, seine-et-oise, on the 26th of november 1842. he spent part of his childhood in england and was a frequent visitor in london. his lectures on english literature at the sorbonne, where a chair was created expressly for him, did much to promote the study of english in france. in 1905-1906 he was clark lecturer on english literature at trinity college, cambridge. he died at domont (seine-et-oise) on the 19th of september 1906. his best known book was a masterly study of the conditions of literary life in england in the 18th century illustrated by the lives of dryden, addison and pope. this book, _le public et les hommes de lettres en angleterre au xviii^e siecle_ (1881), was crowned by the french academy on the appearance of the second edition in 1897. he was a good shakespearian scholar, and his editions of macbeth, othello and julius caesar also received an academic prize in 1902.