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XLVI. Biographical Sketch of the late Sir Benjamin 

 Thoaipson, Count of Rumford, 



OiR Benjamin Thompson, Count of Rumford, one of the ten 

 foreign Associates of the Academy of Sciences of Paris, \ ice 

 President of I he Royal Society of London, member of many other 

 scientific societies, &c., was born at Rumford, near Boston 

 in America. He attracted tlie notice of a professor of natural 

 philosophy in the university of Cambridge near Boston, who 

 having remarked in him a great degree of curiosity and in- 

 telligence, took charge of his education. He married a lady 

 possessed of property in that country, by whom he had a daugh- 

 ter who still lives in the city of Boston. In the war which ter- 

 minated by the separation of the North American States from 

 the British dominion, he attached himself to the British interest, 

 and raised a regim.ent. He was patronized by Lord George Ger- 

 maine, who held a higli situation at that time. After the war he 

 came to London, and received the honour of knighthood from 

 the King. He was for some time one of the under Secretaries of 

 State. He went to travel in Germany, and at Munich was no- 

 ticed by the present King of Bavaria, into whose service he en- 

 tered, and there attained an eminent situation ; and to his death 

 he enjoyed the munificence of that prince. Whilst employed by 

 the Elector of Bavaria, he formed a system of j^rotective police 

 for the city of Munich, and reformed the establishments for the 

 maintenance of the poor. The public garden at Munich in the 

 rural style was laid out at his suggestion, as were the plea- 

 sure grounds on the space formerly occupied by tlie ramparts at 

 Manheim. flaviug returned to London, he was active in esta- 

 blishing soup kitchens for the poor, and travelled hito different 

 parts of the British empire, with the intention of disseminating 

 liis contrivances for the distribution of heat. He .suggested the 

 plan, and ardently assisted in the first formation, of the Royal 

 Institution in Albemarle-street. He gave to the Royal Society of 

 London a thousand pounds, of which the interest is to be an- 

 nually presented to the author of the best Treatise or Experi- 

 ment on the Subject of Heat. Since the peace of Amiens^ he 

 lived in Paris : he there married the accomplislied Madame La- 

 voisier, widow of the celel>rated chemist : this union lasted for 

 a short time, and was terminated by a separation. He resided 

 from that time to the day of his death at Auteuil, in the house 

 formerly possessed by Helvetius. This house and garden are 

 agreeably situated on the l)ank of the valley through which the 

 Seine flows; it enjoys a view of the woods round Meudon. On 

 the opposite bank of the valley he amused himself in decorating 

 this habitation, and modelling it according to his fancV; as he 

 T 3 wa« 



