De La Harpe, Henri, Dd

De la Harpe, Henri, D.D.

a distinguished Swiss theologian, was born at Bordeaux, France, in 1809. He pursued his studies in Edinburgh, and gained the first prize in natural philosophy in 1828. The year following he went to Geneva, and finally graduated from the theological seminary of Montauban. In 1832 and 1833 he studied in the seminary just founded by D'Aubigne and his compeers. In 1837 he was called to the chair of Old-Test. exegesis and criticism, which place he filled until the day of his death, in December, 1880, and never consented to receive any compensation for his valuable services. He succeeded D'Aubigne as president of the theological seminary. Professor La Harpe was a broad as well as a deep scholar. He was more or less master of twenty languages. A short time before his death he completed the translation of the Old Test. into French, a work on which he had been engaged twenty-five years. He was president of the Geographical Society of Geneva and the editor of its Journal. See N.Y. Observer, January 6, 1881. (W.P.S.)