Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Masson, George Joseph Gustave

by Thomas Seccombe (1866-1923)

MASSON, GEORGE JOSEPH GUSTAVE (1819–1888), educational writer, was born in London on 9 March 1819. His father had served under Napoleon I, and survived the retreat from Moscow; his mother was of English origin. Gustave (he invariably dropped his first two names) was educated at Tours, was exempted from military service as eldest son of a widow, and was awarded the diploma of 'Bachelier ès Lettres' by the Université de France on 8 Aug. 1837. After some ten years of literary struggle in Paris, he came to England as tutor to the two sons of Captain Trotter of the Woodlands, Harrow, and was in 1855 appointed by Dr. Vaughan, headmaster of Harrow School, French master there. He proved himself a good organiser, and took a prominent part in the life of the school. He was from 1869 Vaughan librarian and published a catalogue (1st edit. 1877, 2nd edit. 1887).

Masson was an author and translator on a large scale, writing many books on French literature and history, and editing with much success numerous French classics for English students. He was at the same time a frequent contributor to the 'Athenæum,' and supplied the notes on French literature to the 'Saturday Review' from soon after its foundation until 1880. He gave up his Harrow mastership in the autumn of 1888, and died a few weeks later (29 Aug.) at Ewhurst, Surrey, while on a visit to Sir Henry Doulton; he was buried in Harrow churchyard. By his wife, whose maiden name was Janet Clarke, and whom he married in 1843, he left two sons and two daughters.

Masson's chief works are:

1. 'Introduction to the History of French Literature,' Edinburgh, 1860.
2. 'La Lyre Française,' London, 1867, an excellent French anthology, forming a volume of the 'Golden Treasury' series.
3. 'Early Chronicles of Europe: France '[1879].
4. 'The Huguenots: a Sketch of their History from the beginning of the Reformation to the Death of Louis XIV' [1881].
5. 'Richelieu' [1884].
6. 'Mazarin' [1886], based on Cheruel's great work on the 'History of France during the Minority of Louis XIV,' and forming, with Nos. 3, 5, and 7, volumes in the 'Home Library' of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
7. 'The Dawn of European Literature French Literature,' 1888.
8. 'Mediæval France from the Reign of Hugues Capet to the beginning of the Sixteenth Century,' 1888; an inadequate compilation, not free from serious blunders.

His translations include, from the English:

1. Sir W. Baker's 'Discovery of Albert Nyanza,' 1868.
2. 'New Voyage to the Sources of the Nile,' 1869. And from the French:
3. P. Janet's 'Matérialisme,' 1865.
4. Caro's 'George Sand,' Sorel's 'Montesquieu,' Say's 'Turgot,' and Simon's 'Victor Cousin,' in the series of 'Grands Écrivains Français.'
5. George Sand's 'François le Champi,' 1879.

Among his educational works are:

1. 'A Chronological and Historical Atlas of the Middle Ages,' 1849, fol.
2. . 'Class Book of French Literature,' Edinburgh, 1861.
3. 'A Compendious Dictionary of the French Language,' 1874.
4. Various adaptations of A. Brachet's 'Public School French Grammar,' 1876, &c.
5. 'Choice Readings from French History,' with notes, 1880.

Masson also edited seven volumes of 'French Classics' for the Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1866; many single plays by Mohere, Racine, Corneille, Musset, Piron, Lemercier, Collin d'Harleville, Villemain, Melesville et Duveyrier, and Victor Hugo; Voltaire's 'Siècle de Louis XIV,' 1875; Thierry's 'Lettres sur l'Histoire de France,' 1885, and 'Recits des Temps Merovingiens,' 1887; Xavier de Maistre's 'Voyage autour de ma Chambre,' and various works by Madame de Staël.

[Times, 31 Aug. and 1 Sept. 1888; Athenæum, 2 Sept, 1888; Saturday Review, 9 Sept. 1888; Annual Register, 1888, p. 169; Harrovian, 4 Oct. 1888; Brit. Mus. Cat.; materials kindly supplied by Masson's daughter, Mrs. Horley, and by Mr. B. P. Lascelles, present librarian at Harrow.]

T. S.