[12] Facultés, Government establishments for superior studies; there are in France Faculties of Theology, of Law, of Medicine, of Sciences and of Letters, distributed among the larger provincial towns as well as in Paris. The administrator of a faculty is styled doyen (dean) and is chosen among the professors. [Trans.]
[13] Agrégation. An annual competition for recruiting professors for faculties and secondary schools or lycées. A candidate for the lycées agrégation must have passed his licence examination, and a candidate for the superior agrégation must be in possession of his doctorate. [Trans.]
[14] This celebrated poet took a large share in the Revolution of 1848, when his popularity became enormous. His political talents, however, apart from his wonderful eloquence, were less than mediocre, and he retired into private life within three years.
His “Meditations,” “Jocelyn,” “Recueillements,” etc., etc., are beautiful examples of lyrical poetry, and may be considered as forming part of the literature of the world. [Trans.]
[15] Garde Nationale. A city militia, intended to preserve order and to maintain municipal liberties; it was improvised in 1789, and its first Colonel was General Lafayette, of American Independence fame. Its cockade united the King’s white to the Paris colours, blue and red, and thus was inaugurated the celebrated Tricolour.
The National Guard was preserved by the Restoration, but Charles X disbanded it as being dangerously Liberal in its tendencies. It re-formed itself of its own accord in 1830, and helped to overthrow the elder branch of Bourbon. It proved a source of disorder in 1848 and was reorganized under the second Empire, but, having played an active and disastrous part in the Commune (1871), it was disarmed and finally suppressed. [Trans.]
[16] February days. The Republicans had organized a banquet in Paris for February 22, 1848. The Government prohibited it, with the result that an insurrection took place. Barricades were erected and some fighting ensued; on the 24th, the insurgents were masters of the situation. Louis Philippe abdicated (vainly) in favour of his grandson, the Comte de Paris, and fled to England. [Trans.]
[17] Collège de France. An establishment of superior studies founded in Paris by Francis I in 1530, and where public lectures are given on languages, literature, history, mathematics, physical science, etc. It was formerly independent, but is now under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Instruction. [Trans.]
[18] Polytechnician. A student of the Ecole Polytechnique, a military and engineering school under the jurisdiction of the Minister of War, founded in 1794. Candidates for admission must be older than sixteen and younger than twenty, but the limit of age is raised to twenty-five in the case of private soldiers and non-commissioned officers. They must also have passed their baccalauréat ès lettres or ès sciences—preferably the latter. After two years’ residence (compulsory) students pass a leaving examination, and are entered according to their list number as engineers of the Navy, Mines, or Civil Works, or as officers in the military Engineers or in the Artillery; the two last then have to go through one of the military training schools (Ecoles d’Application). [Trans.]
[19] Université. The celebrated body known as Université de Paris, and instituted by Philippe Auguste in 1200, possessed great privileges from its earliest times. It had the monopoly of teaching and a jurisdiction of its own. It took a share in public affairs on several occasions, and had long struggles to maintain against several religious orders. The Université was suppressed by the Convention, but re-organized by Napoleon I in 1808. It is now subdivided into sixteen Académies Universitaires, each of which is administered by a Rector. The title of Grand Master of the Université always accompanies that of Minister of Public Instruction. [Trans.]