Mignet

Mignet, Francois Auguste (1796-1884), a great French historian, was a native of Aix, in Provence, where he studied law with Thiers, and was called to the bar at the same time. Three years later he came to Paris, where he lectured at the Athemee, and wrote for the Courrier Francais, and afterwards for the National. In 1824 was published his brilliant short History of the French

Revolution, which exerted great effect upon the public mind, and won for its author after the Revolution of July, 1830, the post of keeper of the archives at the Foreign Office. He retained the position till 1848, when he was deposed by Lamartine, and retired into private life. In 1833 Mignet visited Madrid on a secret mission, and the result of his inspection of the Simancas archives was Negociations relatives a la Succession d'Espagne sous Louis XIV., Charles Quint, La Rivalitc de Francois I" et de Charles Quint, and other valuable works. In 1851 he published his Histoire de Marie Stuart. He was elected to the Academie Francaise in 1836.