Page:Men of the Time, eleventh edition.djvu/955

 EOCHEFORI".

Chester. Mr. Roby has published " Grammar of the Latin Language, from Plautus to Suetonius," part i., 1871, part ii., 1874. He assisted the Schools Inquiry Commissioners in preparing their Report (issued in March, 1868), and in compiling and editing the twenty volumes appended thereto.

ROCHEPORT (CoMTE), Victor Henri de Rochefort-Lu9AY, com- monly known as Henri Rochefort, is a son of the Marquis Claude Louis Marie de Rochefort-Lucjay, and was born in Paris, Jan. 30, 1830. Brought up under the care of a Legitimist father, and of a Republi- can mother, he studied in the col- lege of St. Louis, where he evinced a decided taste for poetry. After attempting to study medicine, and to gain a livelihood by teaching Latin, he was, on Jan. 1, 1851, ap- pointed a copying-clerk in the H6tel de Ville. Paying more at- tention to literature than to this humble employment, he contributed to the second edition of the " Dic- tionnaire de la Conversation," wrote dramatic criticisms for the news- papers, and became one of the editors of the Charivari. His articles in the latter journal led to his appointment as sub-inspector of the Pine Arts at Paris, which post he resigned in 1861. He was suc- cessively connected with various newspapers, and in 1868 became one of the principal writers in the Figaro, with a salary of about 12,000 francs. He also wrote, be- tween 1856 and 1866, a large num- ber of vaudevilles, nearly aU of them in collaboration with other authors; and, under the name of Eugene de Mirecourt, an historical romance, entitled *' La Marquise de CourceUes," 1859. His satirical comments on passing events in the columns of the Fvgaro, and his caustic criticisms of the men and measures of the Second Empire, made the name of Henri Rochefort peculiarly obnoxious to the autho- rities. The sale of the paper in the

public streets was prohibited, and it was subjected to several judicial condemnations. M. Bochefort's articles were republished in a col- lected form in three volumes, en- titled respectively "Lea Pran^ais de la Decadence," 1866 ; " L* Grande Boh^me," 1867 ; and " Les Signes du Temps," 1868. His ser- vices having been dispensed with by the proprietors of the Figaro^ M. Rochefort brought out a series of weekly pamphlets under the title of " La Lanteme," the first of which appeared at Paris, June 1, 1868. In this publication he as- sailed the Imperial regime with greater bitterness than ever. The eleventh number was seized by the police, its author being condemned to a year's imprisonment, to pay a fine of 10,000 francs, and to be de- prived for twelve months of his civil and political rights. Prom this period "La Laaiteme" ap- peared at Brussels, and was only in- troduced clandestinely into France. In the midst of the excitement caused by this publication, M. Rochefort and his friends were smartly attacked in some pam- phlets bearing the signatures of MM. Stamir and Miffchal. The satirist could not endure being beaten with the weapons he had so ruthlessly employed against others, and besides seetang redress in the law courts, he sought satisfaction from the publisher of the pamph- lets, and on its being refused, violently assaulted him. For this M. Rochefort was sentenced to four months' additional imprisonment. To escape from the consequences of these judicial proceedings, M. Rochefort fled to Belgium, where, in Sept., he fought his fourth journalistic duel with M. Ernest Boroche, whom he wounded. He had previously been engaged m affairs of honour with a Spanish officer, with Prince Achille Murat, and with M. Paul de Caasagiiac. At the elections of 1869 the " irre- concilable " Democrats brought Jf.