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THIEF 353 THIERS distinction was made as we now draw between a robber and a thief. The word is also used as a term of reproach, and applied especially to a person guilty of cunning, deceitful, or secret actions. THIERRY, AMIIDEE SIMON DOM- INIQUE, a French historian; born in Blois, France, Aug. 2, 1797; was made a member of the Institute, 1841, and sena- tor, 1860. He assisted his brother Au- gustin in several of the great works produced by the latter, and himself wrote "History of the Gauls" (1828) ; "History of Gaul under the Normans" (1840) ; "Stories and Tales of Roman History" (1860) ; "History of Attila and his Suc- cessors"; etc. He died in Paris March 27, 1873. THIERRY, JACQUES NICOLAS AU- GUSTIN, a French historian; born in Blois, France, May 10, 1795, He was for some time associated as secretary and coadjutor with St. Simon, whose socialistic views he embraced. In 1816 he published a treatise entitled "The Nations and Their Mutual Relations." His celebrated work on the Norman con- quest of Ilngland was published at Paris in 1825, and attained great success both in France and in England. "Letters on French History" appeared in 1827, and "Ten Years of Study" (essays) in 1834. He was summoned by Guizot, then minis- ter of public instruction, to Paris, and intrusted with the editing of the "Ac- count of the Unedited Historical Works on the Third Estate," for the collection of documents relative to the history of France. In 1840 he published "Account of the Times of the Merovingians." He died in Paris May 22, 1856. THIERS, JEAN BAPTISTE (te-ar'), a French theological writer; born in Chartres, France, in 1636. His treatises on theological and ecclesiastical subjects are very numerous; but he owes what- ever celebrity he has to his "History of Wigs, wherein is Shown their Origin, their Use, their Form, the Abuse and Irregularity of Ecclesiastics' Wigs" (1690). He died in Vibraye, France, in 1703. THIERS (te-ar'), LOUIS ADOLPHE, a French statesman; born in Marseilles, France, April 16, 1797. He studied law and at the age of 22 was admitted advo- cate. He soon relinquished law, however, for literature and politics (1821). After a long struggle with poverty in Paris, he won a high reputation as a political writer for the "Constitutionalist" and other journals. He took part with Armand Carrel and Migrnet in the foun- dation of the "National" (1830) which aided in the downfall of the Bourbons; and during the July revolution of 1830, the office of the "National" was the head- quarters of the revolutionary party. In the government of Louis Philippe, Thiers held several offices, till (1840) he found himself at the head of the ministry for a few months, and then retired into private life. After the revolution of 1848 he was elected deputy to the Assembly, and voted for the presidency of Louis Napoleon, but was ever after one of his fiercest opponents; and at the coup d'etat (Dec. LOUIS ADOLPHE THIERS 2, 1851) he was arrested and banished. Returning to France in the following year, he remained in comparative retire- ment till 1863, when he was elected one of the deputies for Paris, During the terrible crisis of 1870-1871 he came to the front as the one supreme man in France. After the fall of Paris he was returned to the National Assem- bly, and on Feb. 17, 1871, he was declared chief of the executive power. The first duty imposed on him as such was to assist in drawing up the treaty of peace, whereby France lost Alsace and Lorraine and agreed to pay an enormous in- demnity; his second was to suppress the Communist insurrection. This done, his next task was to free the soil of the invaders by the payment of the ransom, which was effected in an incredibly short snace of time. The Assembly in August, 1871, prolonged his tenure of office and changed his title to that of President. In November, 1872, Thiers declared him-