Marc Girardin, or, as he signed himself, Saint-Marc, a French journalist, born in Paris in February, 1801, died there, April 11, 1873. After completing his classical studies at the college of Henry IV., in 1823 he competed for a professorship in the university, and won the title of agrege, but, on account of his liberal opinions, was not appointed to a chair till 1827. In the latter year the French academy awarded a prize to his Eloge de Bossuet, and he became one of the political contributors to the Journal des Debats. His connection with this journal continued till 1859, when he joined the staff of the Orleanist Journal de Paris, and published Souvenirs et reflexions politiques d' un journalists. In 1828 his Tableau de la litterature francaise au 16e siecle, which confirmed his reputation as an elegant, witty, and forcible writer, was rewarded with another academical prize. In 1830 he travelled through northern Germany, and on his return was appointed to succeed M. Guizot as professor of history in the faculty of letters, and named master of requests to the council of state.

In 1833 he visited southern Germany as far as Vienna; and in 1834 he published, under the title of Notices, the results of his two journeys beyond the Rhine. He was then appointed professor of French poetry at the Sorbonne, and elected to the chamber of deputies. His report on the organization of secondary instruction, presented in 1837, was highly valued. He entered at the same time the council of state and the council of public instruction; as a member of the latter board he greatly contributed to the extension and improvement of the system of historical teaching in the French colleges. In 1844 he was elected to the French academy. In 1848 he was designated minister of public instruction, in the last cabinet attempted under the monarchy, and under the republic and the empire held his position at the council of public instruction and at the Sorbonne. In 1863 he resigned his professorship at the latter institution. He was a frequent contributor to the Revue des Deux Mondes, and in 1869 he succeeded Sainte-Beuve as conductor of the Journal des Savants. In February, 1871, he was returned to the national assembly for the department of Haute-Vienne. Among his principal works are: Cours de litterature drama-tique, ou de l'usage des passions dans le drame, an improved reproduction of his lectures; Es-sais de litterature et de morale; and Souvenirs et voyages, comprising the notices upon Germany before mentioned.