CHARACTERS: 
ed with regret to the college of the 
Jesuits: there ‘he fell into bad 
hands, and was therefore happily 
induced to form a plan of study for 
himself, independent of the pro- 
fessors of the college, and devoted 
himself to the study of the ancient 
languages, the Greek, Hebrew, 
Syriac, and Chaldean, with so great 
ardour, that it nearly cost him his 
life ; nor did he recover his health 
till the period of his entering the 
seminaay in which he received the 
tonsure. There he became inti- 
mately acquainted with a young 
Maronite, who had been educated 
at Rome, and now resided with 
his uncle, a Turkish merchant, at 
Marseilles, from whom he acquired 
a fundamental knowledge of the 
Arabic language, and learned to 
speak it with facility, By the re- 
‘commendation of this young man, 
he got by heart several Arabic ser- 
mons, which he preached to a con- 
‘gregatiou of Arabian and Arme- 
-nian Catholics, who did not un- 
derstand the French language. 
After he had finished his academic 
studies, Barthelemy retired to Au- 
bagne, where he resided some time, 
often paying visits at Marseilles to 
those learned academicians with 
whom a similarity of literary pur-. 
‘suits had naturally conne¢ted him ; a- 
mong the rest with M. Cary, agreat 
colleétor of medals, and with Pére 
‘Sigaloux, of the convent of Minims, 
with whom he studied astronomy. 
In 1744, he went to Paris with 
a letter of recommendation to M. 
de Boze, keeper of the cabinet of 
medals, and secretary of the acade- 
my of Inscriptions and Belles Let- 
tres ; by whom he was very kindly 
received, and introduced to the most 
distinguished members of the aca- 
demy. The age and infirmities of 
M. de Boze calling for some assist. 
[355 
ance in his laborious occupation, 
he pitched upon Barthelemy for an 
associate in the care and arrange- 
ment of the cabinet; and his ap- 
pointment was confirmed by M. 
de Maurepas, minister of that de- 
partment. Barthelemy jost no time 
in arranging in perfect order the 
large and valuable collection of 
M. D’Etrées and the Abbé de Ro. 
thelin; which lay in contused heaps 
in boxes. These he separated, 
compared, and described in a sup- 
plementary catalogue. While he 
was thus occupied in a manner 
so congenial to his taste and his 
talents, he was . apprehensive 
he should be drawn off from 
‘these pursuits to enter on a very 
different career. His friend and 
countryman, M. de Bausset, had 
engaged to promote him in tho 
church; and, being now bishop of 
Beziers, invited him to accept the 
office of his vicar-general. Barthes 
lemy, having promised to foliow the 
-fortunes of his friend, had no inten- 
tion of retracting his engagement ; 
bur, wishing to be released frora 
it, and to be left at liberty to fol. 
low his favourite studies, he sub- 
mitted himself entirely to the de- 
cision of the worthy prelate, who 
had too much good sense, and too 
warm an affection for his iriend, 
not to comply with his wishes. 
In 1747,°0n the death of M. 
Burette, he was elected associate of 
the academy of inscriptions, M. le 
Beau having very handsomely’ de- 
clined in his favour: and when M. 
de Bougainville resigned the office 
of secretary, and recommended 
Barthelemy to M. D’Argenson as 
his successor, Barthelemy, with 
equal generosity, yielded to M. le 
Beau, to whom he afterwards suc- 
ceeded ; and his annual labours in 
that office were in no degree check- 
Aaz ed 
