BERNARD

bernard, charles de, whose full name was pierre marie charles de bernard du grail de la villette (1804-1850), french writer, was born at besancon on the 25th of february 1804. after studying for the law, and then taking to journalism, he was encouraged by balzac (whose _peau de chagrin_ he had reviewed) to settle in paris and devote himself to authorship; and the result was a series of volumes of fiction, remarkable for their picture of provincial society and the parisian _bourgeoisie_. the best of these are _le noeud gordien_ (1838), containing among other short stories _une aventure de magistrat_, from which sardou drew his comedy of the _pommes du voisin; gerfaut_ (1838), considered his masterpiece; _les ailes d'icare_ (1840), _la peau du lion_ (1841) and _le gentilhomme campagnard_ (1847). his _oeuvres completes_ (12 vols.), which appeared after his death on the 6th of march 1850, include also his poetry and two comedies written in collaboration with "leonce" (c.h.l. laurencot, 1805-1862). a flattering appreciation by armand de pontmartin is prefixed to _un beau-pere_ in this collection. in w.m. thackeray's _paris sketch-book_ ("on some fashionable french novels") there is an admirable criticism of bernard. see also an essay by henry james in _french poets and novelists_ (1884).