LECTURES BY DR. MERLANT

During the week of May 1 a series of six lectures in French was delivered in Dartmouth Hall by Dr. Joachim Merlant under the auspices of the Cercle FranÇais. Two of these lectures dealt with the present war. The subjects of the remaining four were as follows: "Les poètes d'amour à l'epoque romantique"; "Les idées directrices des historiens franÇais du 19me siècle"; "L'heroisme dans la littérature française; Le gout public en France pendant ces dernières années".

Dr. Merlant is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, and received the degree of Agrege des Lettres in 1905. He was first appointed Professeur de Rhétorique in the Lycée at Lorient, and later held a similar position at Brest. Since 1909 he has been teaching French literature at the Faculté des Lettres in the University of Montpellier. He is the author of many books and reviews. Although now 41 years of age, Professor Merlant had to answer the call of mobilization and so took part in the campaign of 1914-1915 as a lieutenant in the Third Regiment of Infantry, then as captain in the 173d Regiment. He was wounded during the fighting at Bois Bauchot near Les Eparges on February 21, 1915, and was later mentioned in the official report. In reward for gallantry in action he was made Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.