hee!
But wherefore such pride
In your swift airy ride?
You're but splints of the ashen tree.
When once on earth lying,
There's an end of your flying!
Lullaby! lullaby! lullaby!
But we freshly will wing you
And back again swing you,
And teach you to wend
To your Moorish friend.

Sir Bolt, you have oft been here;
And Sir Arrow, you've often flown near;
But still from pure haste
All your courage would waste
On the earth and the streamlet clear.
What! over all leaping,
In shame are you sleeping?
Lullaby! lullaby! lullaby!
Or if you smote one,
'Twas but darklingly done,
As the grain that winds fling
To the bird on the wing.

ANATOLE FRANCE

(1844-)

[Illustration: ANATOLE FRANCE]

Anatole France, whose real name of Thibault is sunk in his literary
signature, was born in Paris, April 16th, 1844. His father, a wealthy
bookseller, seems to have been a thoughtful, meditative man, and his
mother a woman of great refinement and tenderness. Their son shows the
result of the double influence. Always fond of books, he early devoted
himself to literary work, and made his debut as writer in 1868 in a
biographical study of Alfred de Vigny. This was shortly followed by
two volumes of poetry: 'Les Poemes Dores' (Golden Verses) and 'Les
Noces Corintheennes' (Corinthian Revels). Since this work of his youth
he has published at least twelve novels and romances, of which the
most familiar are: 'Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard' (The Crime of
Sylvestre Bonnard), 'Le Livre de Mon Ami' (My Friend's Book), 'Le Lys
Rouge' (The Red Lily), and 'Les Desirs de Jean Servieu' (Jean
Servieu's Wishes). Several volumes of essays, critical introductions
to splendid editions of Racine, Moliere, La Fontaine, and Le Sage, of
'Manon Lescaut' and 'Paul and Virginia,' numberless studies of men and
books for the reviews and journals,--these measure the tireless
industry of an incessant worker. In 1876 M. France became an attache
of the Library of the Senate. In December 1896 he was received as
member of the French Academy, succeeding to the chair of Ferdinand de
Lesseps, whose eulogy he pronounced with exquisite taste and grace.

Like Renan, whose disciple he is, this fine artist was formed in the
clerical schools. His perfection of style, clear, distinguished,
scintillating with wit and fancy, furnishes, as a distinguished French
critic remarks, a strong co