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Biography of Eminent Ptrsons. 



47 



What sootbs the woe-worn heart to rest, 

 'Tis lovely woman's smile. 



Praise not the drunlcard's midnight cup, 



It hath no charms for niP, 

 It cannot bear my spirits up, 



Nor set the fiend free, 

 Ah DO ! a sweeter balm has sway 



This lone heart to beguile, 

 'Tis that which smooths life rugged way, 



Dear woman's cheering smile. 



"DEAR IS THE BROW, WHERE TRES- 

 SES ARE WAVING." 



BY GEOIIGE HATHllONE. 



Dear is the brow where tresses are waving-, 

 Silljy and soft of the chesnut hue, 



Dear is the smile, lil<e magic enslaving, 

 But dearer the heart, that is open and true. 



Dear are thesallies of wit that flashes 



So keen from those oi^bs of the brightest 

 blue. 



And the feeling that lurks in the jetty lashes, 

 But dearer the heart that is open and true. 



Dear are those tints when the warm blood 

 gushes, 



Suffuses the cheek with a crimson hue, 

 Tin tlielovefrauajht eye is lit with blushes. 



But dearer the heart that is open and true. 

 Dearer to me than the warrior's laurel, 



Or the pomp of a palace, enjoyed by a few. 

 Is a kiss from those whitoiied lips of coral. 



And a throb from the heart that is opeu 

 and true. 



Liverpool, Jan. 1, 1821. 



BIOGRAPHY OF EMINENT PERSONS. 



Sotne ACCOUNT, &C. of ARISTIDB DE 



THOUARS, Naval Captain, who pe- 

 rished in the destruction of le ton- 



NANT, at the BATTLE of ABOUKIR. 



ARISTIDE DE PETIT THOUARS 

 was born ia tlie cliateau de Boii- 

 moirs, near Saiinnir, in Anjou, Aug. 31, 

 1760. His infancy was eliietly remarka- 

 ble for an nncoinmon vivacity. From a 

 private boardiucr school at La Fleclie, he 

 proceeded, at the age of 9, to enter the 

 college of the same place, as a pupil of 

 the military school; but the austere and 

 methodical regimen, so different from 

 that of the boarding school, seemed ill 

 suited to his humour. 



Frequent punishments occurring for 

 small faults, (the giddiness of youth' 

 that craved indulgence), at 13, Thouars 

 meditated his escape, with two of his 

 comrades. They had to cross a large 

 sheet of water that separated the house 

 from the park, and to scale very lofty 

 walls that served as an oufier fence. 

 AFith much trouble they contrived to 

 pass the canal, by means of a little boat, 

 and to ascend the wall, by the lielp of 

 an old statue of tlie Virgin fixed in a 

 niche. But scarcely had they alighted, 

 when they were overtaken, brought 

 back and punished with severity. 



What chiefly stimulated Thouars to 

 this bold feat was a volumeof Robinson 

 Crusoe, whicli he had met with and 

 doated on. His fancy, alterwards, was 

 ever at work, roving on voyages, navi- 

 gation, savages, desert islands to be 

 discovered, to people and to cultivate ; 

 in fine, he panted to give up the tireek 

 and Latin for adventures like those of 

 the solitai-y Robinson. 



Thouars was meditating another and 



bolder project to reach a sea-port and to 

 serve as cabin-boy in the first vessel he 

 could find. But litis attempt succeeded 

 no better, though In- made furtlier Avay ; 

 he \Vas brought back and condemned to 

 tliree months imprisonment. In pri- 

 son, he was visited by M. Dolomieu, a 

 commander of Malta, an officer in the 

 carabineers, and since distinguished by 

 his works on natural history. In pri- 

 son it was that Thouars laid the plan of 

 a romance, iutitled Barbogaste le he- 

 risse. His hero commences witli run- 

 ning away from college, enters on board 

 ship as a cal>in-boy, and from a sailor 

 becomes a commander. He is engaged 

 and victorious in many actions, but, at 

 length, gets shipwrecked in unknown 

 countries, and runs througli adventures 

 of every kind, love only excepted. 



Barbogaste had reached his 5th vo- 

 lume, when the work was found upon 

 him and taken to the principal. It was 

 about to be condemned to the flames, 

 when Dolomieu obtained leave to read 

 it. Astonished at the fertility of in- 

 vention which itdiscovered, he sent it to 

 the uncle of Thouars, who resided in 

 the castle ofSaumur. Soon after, the 

 term of the captivity of Thouars was 

 abridged. 



This detail of knowledge we would 

 recommend to the perusal of the young, 

 who have yet judgment sufficient, by 

 forming comparisons, to make a proper 

 use of it. AVe deem it our duty to allot 

 a space to it, as the subject, even should 

 it not claim attention from its intrin- 

 sic merit, may be intitlcd to considera- 

 tion, from the character of those whom, 

 in many instances, it may suit. This 

 is delivered as u particular observation, 



for 



