Cercle Francais Lecturer.

M. Gaston Deschamps has been engaged by the Cercle Francais to give the fourth annual series of lectures at Harvard this coming year. M. Deschamps is a well-known literary critic, and is at present on the staff of the Paris "Temps." He is a graduate of the Ecole Normale in Paris, and also studied a few years at the French School in Athens. For some time following he was actively engaged in exploring in Greece and Asia. He then returned to Paris, and has since given himself up to journalism. Although not more than forty-five years old, M. Deschamps has acquired some reputation both as a lecturer and as a critic.

M. Deschamps has written a number of books. Two are upon his eastern explorations--"Sur les routes d' Asie" (Colin et cie., 1894), and "La Grece d' aujourd' hui" (Colin et cie., 1892). "Marivaux" (Hachette et cie., 1897) is a critical literary essay, while "Le malaise de la democratie" (Colin et cie., 1899) is a recent political essay. His most ambitious work is a series of treatises in five volumes, entitled "La vie et les livres" (Colin et cie., 1894-97). M. Deschamps has also written a novel "Champfleury."

In is interesting to note, in connection with M. Deschamps, that he is a member of the Dreyfus party, while all the preceding lecturers of the Cercle Francais have been anti Dreyfusites. M. Deschamps will sail for America early in February, and on the twentieth of that month will commence at Harvard a series of eight lectures on "Le Theatre Contemporain."