Victor Hugo, so far as I know, only names Wordsworth once, in _L’Âne_-- …Young le pleureur des nuits, Wordsworth l’esprit des lacs … M. Sully Prudhomme when he wrote _A l’Hirondelle_ (stanzas, la vie intérieure) appears to have borne in mind _To a Skylark_, “Ethereal minstrel,” etc. M. Coppée has often been called a French Wordsworth, owing to his poetical collection called _Les Humbles_, wherein he shows the same partiality as the English Poet does for humble themes and characters, together with a bold attempt to naturalise trivial or ludicrous details in serious poetry; but there is no proof, as far as I know, of Wordsworth’s influence having been strong upon him. If we except two or three disciples of Wordsworth, neither he, nor the lake-poets taken as a whole, seem to have been much thought of, or even read, by our contemporary verse-writers. The word _Lakist_ has generally been used as a synonym for “weak and doleful mysticism.” Ex.:-- (_a_) _Revue Encyclopédique._ 1831. Article de Pierre Leroux, sur la “Poésie de notre Époque.” “L’Angleterre a entendu autour de ses lacs bourdonner comme des ombres plaintives un essaim de poètes abîmés dans une mystique contemplation.” (_b_) _Journal d’un Poète_, par Alfred de Vigny. (Ed. Michel Lévy. 1867. p. 80.) “Barbier vient de publier _Il Pianto_. Les délices de Capone ont amolli son caractère de poésie et Brizeux a déteint sur lui ses douces couleurs virgiliennes et laquistes (_sic_) dérivant de Sainte-Beuve.” (_c_) THÉOPHILE GAUTIER (_Portraits Contemporains_, p. 174) almost seems to derive the word _Lakiste_ from Lamartine’s poem called _Le Lac_. He has just mentioned the poem and goes on: “Il ne faut pas croire que Lamartine, parce qu’il y a toujours chez lui une vibration et une résonnance de harpe éolienne, ne soit qu’un mélodieux _lakiste_ et ne sache que soupirer mollement la mélancolie et l’amour. S’il a le soupir, il a la parole et le cri …” (_Journal Officiel_, 8 Mars 1869.) I now come to the man who, first and foremost among our poets and critics, paid due homage to Wordsworth, _i.e._ Sainte-Beuve. I have already enumerated his several translations in verse from Wordsworth. Strange to say, the voluminous critic has no single article with Wordsworth for its main subject; but, whoever will go through his many volumes will find many judicious and admiring references to the poet. Moreover, as a poet, Sainte-Beuve has endeavoured to naturalise in France the poetic style that has been associated with the name of Wordsworth. He expressly claims Wordsworth as one of his masters in his _Consolations_ xviii. “A Antony Deschamps.” Among his bosom-poets he reckons--