Granted that popularity is nothing but a shadow, it is still far
from pleasant to be without that shadow."



BRIEF SKETCH OF CHAMISSO'S LIFE.



Louis Adelbert de Chamisso was born January 27, 1781, at Beaucourt,
in Champagne. At the Revolution, he left France with his parents,
and came to Berlin, where, in 1796, he was appointed page to the
King, and soon after had a commission given him in the army. He
applied himself with much ardour to acquire the German language, and
felt great interest in the study of its literature, particularly its
poetry and philosophy, and was most attracted by those writers whose
character presented the greatest contrast to that of his own
countrymen. By intercourse with the learned, and by the friendships
which he formed, he soon became thoroughly German, which he proved
by his poems, which were distinguished above the crowd of such
compositions by the originality of their style, and peculiar vigour.
From 1804 to 1806 he published the "Almanack of the Muses," in
conjunction with Varnhagen von Ense. At the peace of Tilsit he left
the army, and visited France, when his family obtained back part of
their possessions. At this time he held, for a short period, a
situation as Professor at the school of Napoleonville, but soon
returned to Germany, devoting himself wholly to a literary life, and
in particular to the study of natural history. During his visit to
France, he spent some time with Madame de Stael, whom he also
visited in Switzerland. In 1811 he returned to Berlin; and in 1813