654 



DESPARD DESULTORES. 



ten days after Desmouliiis' death. During her trial, 

 she evinced a wonderful tranquillity, and died with 

 much greater firmness than her husband. 



DESPARD, EDWARD MARCPS, an officer in the 

 English army, was an Irishman by birth, and, in Un- 

 American war, served in the troops of the line. In 

 1779, he went to Jamaica, where he acted as an 

 n^ineer. He afterwards assisted in the capture of 

 the Spanish establishments on the Mosquito shore, of 

 which lie was subsequently appointed superintendent. 

 In 1780, some disputes arose in the colony, and he 

 was suspended from his functions. He arrived in 

 Kurope in 1790, bringing with him the most honour- 

 able testimonies to his conduct. His applications to 

 government for redress, and for the payment of sums 

 M!I ich he claimed as due to him, were unavailing ; 

 nnd the disappointment probably soured his mind. In 

 November, 1802, he was arrested, as the head of a 

 conspiracy to kill the king and overthrow the go- 

 vernment. All the conspirators, except Despard, 

 were persons of the lowest classes, and many of them 

 common soldiers. Their leader and seven of his ac- 

 complices were executed. The scheme of Despard 

 was so absurdly arranged, and his means so utterly 

 inadequate to the success of the plot, that some sup- 

 posed him to be deranged ; while others absurdly as- 

 cribed the affair to the machinations of Bonaparte, 

 who shortly after declared war against England. 



DESPOT (from the Greek Si<ra-Tj); originally, a 

 master, a lord ; at a later period, it became an hono- 

 rary title, which the Greek emperors gave to their 

 sons and sons-in-law, when governors of provinces. 

 Alexis III., surnarned Angelus, towards the end of 

 the twelfth century, is said to liave first introduced 

 this title, and to have made it the first in rank after 

 that of emperor. Thus there was a despot of the 

 Morea, of Servia, &c. The Turkish designation of 

 the princes of Moldavia and Walachia (hospodar) is a 

 remnant of this title. At present, despot means an 

 absolute ruler, as the emperor of Russia ; but, in a 

 narrower sense, it conveys the idea of tyranny, as, in 

 fact, the possession of absolute power and the abuse 

 of it are two thing's bordering very closely on each 

 other. 



DESSALINES, JEAN JACQUES, emperor of Hayti, 

 was a slave in 1791, when the insurrection of the 

 Murks occurred in that island. His master was a 

 shingler of houses, and Jean Jacques was bred to the 

 same trade. His talents for war, his enterprise, 

 courage, and unscrupulous conduct, raised him to 

 command among the insurgent negroes ; and, when 

 Le Clerc invaded the island, in 1802, Dessalines and 

 Christophe stood next in reputation and rank to 

 Toussaint-Louverture. (See Toussaint.) After the 

 deportation of the latter, Dessalines, Christophe, and 

 Clervaux took the command, and maintained a des- 

 perate and sanguinary warfare against the French, 

 until the latter evacuated the island. This happened 

 in November, 1803. The black chiefs immediately 

 proceeded to proclaim the island independent, restor- 

 ing its Indian name of Hayti, and nominated Dessa- 

 lines governor-general for life, with absolute power. 

 Dessalines now gave full scope to his savage charac- 

 ter. He began by ordering a general massacre of 

 the white French, without distinction of age or sex, 

 stimulating the negroes to glut their vengeance for 

 the wrongs they had undergone. In October, 

 1804, he assumed the title and state of emperor 

 of Hayti and, in May ensuing, he promulgated a 

 new constitution, containing provision for perma- 

 nently organizing the imperial government. His 

 reign, however, was brief; for the people, aided by 

 the troops, sick of his atrocities, and wearied out by 

 his suspicious and vindictive conduct, conspired 

 ngainst his life, and he was killed by one of his sol- 



diers, October 17, 1806, who thus ended a despotism 

 stained by every barbarous enormity. (Malo's Hist, 

 d' Hayti, published in 1825, pp. 270304; Frank 

 lin'x Iliiyti, ch. 6 and 7.) 



DESSAU, ANHALT ; one of the three priiicipali 

 ties of the German house of Anhalt. It contains 

 360 square miles, and 56,000 inhabitants. The re- 

 venue is estimated at 510,000 gilders. Since 1807, 

 the princes have borne the title of duke. The capi- 

 tal is Dessau, on the Mulda, with 9400 inhabitants, 

 fine parks, &c. Four miles and a half from this city 

 is Worlitz, distinguished by its beautiful park, be- 

 longing to the duke. See Anhalt. 



DESTOUCHES, PHILIPPE NERICAULT, one of the 

 best French comic poets, was born at Tours, in 1680. 

 According to the general opinion, he left his father's 

 house when young, and joined a company of strolling 

 players, among whom he distinguished himself by the 

 propriety of his conduct. Having delivered a ha- 

 rangue at the head of his troop, before M. de Puysi- 

 eux, then ambassador in Switzerland, this statesman 

 was struck with the talent which he displayed, took 

 him into his service, and formed him for diplomacy. 

 According to the account given by the relations of 

 Destouches, who considered the profession of a player 

 dishonourable, he studied with success at Paris, where 

 he devoted himself to poetry ; and, at the age of 

 twenty, entered the army as a volunteer, ana was 

 present in several engagements. Having written 

 the comedy called Curieux Impertinent, while in win- 

 ter quarters, and read it in several societies, M. 

 Puysieux was struck with it, and persuaded the 

 author to turn his talents to diplomacy. In Switzer- 

 land, he wrote several plays, which met with great 

 applause. By his knowledge of diplomacy, he like- 

 wise gained the favour of the regent, who sent him 

 to England, in 1717, as an assistant to the abbe 

 Dubois. When Dubois returned to France, Des- 

 touches remained in England, where he married. 

 He acquitted himself so well in the business intrust- 

 ed him, that the regent promised to give him a proof 

 of his satisfaction which would surprise all France ; 

 but upon the death of this prince, he lost his protec- 

 tor and his expectations. He retired to his country 

 seat at Fort-Oiseau, near Melun, and endeavoured 

 to forget the caprice of fortune in the study of phi- 

 losophy and devotion to the muses. Cardinal Fleury 

 wished to send him to St Petersburg as ambassador, 

 but he declined the offer. He died in 1754, leaving 

 a son, who, by order of Louis XV., superintended the 

 publication of his works. After Moliere and Reg- 

 nard, Destouches is considered the best French writer 

 in the department of comedy. His comedies Le 

 Glorieux and Le Philosophe marie, are considered 

 among the best French works of their class. But, 

 as he made the comic effect subordinate to the moral, 

 his productions have something of the character of 

 sentimental comedy (la comedia larmoyante). He 

 excels most in the drawing of character, and exhibits 

 a fertile imagination, pleasing wit, elegance, vivacity, 

 and decorum. His numerous epigrams are poor. 

 An elegant edition of his works appeared, in 1750. 

 in 4 vols. 4to. 



DESULTORES (from derilio, I vault) ; the Latin 

 name for vaulters or leapers, who jumped from one 

 horse to another. The Scythian, Indian, and Numi- 

 dian cavalry were very expert desultores, and each 

 man carried at least two horses to the field. When 

 one was weary, he jumped with great agility upon 

 another, which he led by his hand. The Greeks and 

 Romans introduced the same practice in their games, 

 races, and funeral solemnities, but never, as fur as 

 we know, in war. Homer describes a vaulter of this 

 sort, who performed his teats on four horses at once 

 (Iliad, xv. 673.); and Livy (xxiii. 29) describes a 





