CHARACTERS. 
regard to these principles he 
considered as the only solid foun- 
dation of the most important 
blessings of social life, and as 
the peculiar cause of that distin- 
guished superiority, which our 
own country so happily enjoys 
among the nations of Europe. 
OF his moral qualities, it is 
scarcely possible to speak too high- 
ly. He described himself as na- 
turally passionate and _irascible, 
and as roused to indignation by 
any act of oppression or wanton 
exercise of power.. The latter 
feeling he always retained, and it 
formed a distinguished feature of 
his character.. Of his irritability, 
a few traces might occasionally be 
discovered; but they were only 
slight and momentary. His vir- 
tuous dispositions appeared on 
every occasion, and in every form, 
which the tranquil and retired ha- 
bits of his life would admit of.— 
He had a_ high sense of honour 
and duty; and was remarkable for 
benevolence and kindness, especi+ 
ally towards his inferiors and de- 
pendants. But his merits were 
most conspicuous in the intercourse 
of social life. His amiable tem- 
per, and unaffected desire of giv- 
ing pleasure, no less than his su- 
perior knowledge and talents, had 
rendered him highly acceptable to 
a numerous and distinguished cir- 
cle of society, by whom he was 
justly valued, and is now most 
sincerely lamented. But the real 
extent of his private worth, the 
genuine simplicity and virtuous 
independence of his character, and 
the sincerity, warmth, and con- 
stancy of his friendship, can only 
be felt and estimated by those, to 
whom he was long and intimately 
known, and to whom the recol- 
437 
lection of his talents and virtues 
must always remain a pleasing, 
though melancholy, bond of union. 
M. PARMENTIER,. 
From the Biographical Account by 
M. Cuvier. 
Antoine Augustin Parmentier 
was born at Mentdidier in 1737, 
ofa family established for many 
years in that city, the chief offices 
im the magistracy of which it had 
fulfilled. 
The premature death of his fa- 
ther, and the small fortune which 
he left to a widow and three young 
children, confined the first educa- 
tion of M. Parmentier to some 
notions of Latin, which his mo- 
ther gave him—a woman of abi- 
lities, and better infurmed than 
most of her rank. 
An honest ecclesiastic under- 
took to develope these first germs, 
on the supposition that this young 
man might become a precious sub- 
ject for religion ;_ but the necessi- 
ty of supporting his family oblig- 
ed him to choose a situation which 
would offer more speedy resources. 
He was therefore under the ne- 
cessity of interrupting his studies ; 
and his laborious life never allow- 
ed him to resume them again com- 
pletely. This is the reason why 
his works, so important for their 
utility, have not always that order 
and precision which learning and 
long practice alone can give toa 
writer. 
In 1755 he was bound appren- 
tice to an apothecary of Montdi-. 
dier, and next year came to con- 
tinue it with -one of his relations, 
who exercised the same profession 
in Paris. Having shown intelli- 
gence and industry, he was em- 
ployed 
