MARIE JOSEPH DE, was the son of Louis Chenier, the author of *Recherches Historiques sur les Maures*, and *Rèvolutions de l'Empire Ottoman*. He was born in 1764 at Constantinople, where his father was French consul-general. At an early period of life he entered the army; but soon afterwards retired to Paris, and devoted himself to literary pursuits. His first production, a tragedy, was acted in 1786, but was unsuccessful. A few years afterwards, availing himself of the political feelings of the period, he produced the tragedies of *Charles IX*, *La Mort de Calas*, and the republican tragedies of *Gracchus* and *Timoleon*, which were received with great applause by the then dominant party, and procured him a seat in the National Convention. His last dramatic production, founded on the accession of Cyrus to the throne of the Medes, failed more completely even than his original piece, and led him to confine himself to translations and imitations from the Greek and German. His lyric productions, published in 1797, consist chiefly of odes imitated from Ossian. His other poems are devoted to the celebration of political events.

He was chosen deputy to the national convention, and afterwards president; was twice elected a member of the council of Five Hundred; and in 1799 was appointed a member of the tribunate. Under the régime of the first consul he had more ample leisure for literary pursuits, and at his suggestion to the Institute, wrote a historical and critical account of the most celebrated productions in French literature from 1788 to 1808, which was afterwards published under the title *Tableau Historique de l'Etat et des Progrès de la Littérature Française depuis 1789*. Chenier spent the rest of his life in retirement at Paris, where he died in 1811.