Louise Colet, a French poetess, born at Aix, Aug. 25, 1808, died in Nice in 1871. Her maiden name was Revoil, and she married in 1835 Hippolyte Colet of Nimes, a musical composer. Soon after her marriage she accompanied her husband to Paris, where he became professor in the conservatory. In 1837 she published a volume of poems, Fleurs du rnidi, which was criticised by Alphonse Karr with so much severity in Les Guepes, that the author attempted to stab him with a knife, and was subjected to some ridicule in consequence. She did not, however, abandon literature, but published various novels in the Revue de Paris, one of which, Silvio Pellico, attracted much attention. She obtained the prize for poetry from the French institute in 1839 (also in 1843, 1852, and 1854), and was granted a pension by the government. In 1842 she became one of the circle frequenting the salon of Mme. Recamier, upon whose death her own salon became a resort of the literati of Paris. Her husband died in 1851, and she went to England, whence she returned in the following year. In 1859 she went to Italy, where she wrote Madeleine. George Sand having published a representation of her relations with Alfred de Musset in a book entitled Elle et lui, Paul de Musset, his brother, answered it with Lui et elle.

To this Mme. Colet while in Italy wrote a reply in a romance entitled Lui, of which several editions were published. In 1864 she went again to Italy, where a strong prejudice was excited against her on account of the supposed irreligious tendencies of her writings, and her house at Ischia was surrounded by a mob who threatened her life. Among her volumes of poetry are Le marabout de Sidi Brahim, Reveil de la Po-logne, and Le po'eme de la femme; and among her romances and prose works are La jeunesse de Mirabeau, Histoire d'un soldat, Folles et saintes, Deux femmes celebres (1846, republished in 1854 under the title of Mme. Du-chatelet), Deux mois dans les Pyrenees, and L'ltalie des Italiens (4 vols., 1862-'4). She also published dramas entitled La jeunesse de Goethe, Charlotte Corday, and Madame Roland, and various translations. Among her latest works are Les derniers marquis, Cour-tisanes de Capri, Journee d'une femme du monde, Satires du siele, and Les derniers abbes (1869).