')<3 MEMOIR OF 



aLu skill, and when the first fruits were just begin 

 ning to give promise of a most glorious harvest, he 

 was himself cut down in early spring, as is feelingly 

 expressed in our interesting portrait, which, with 

 its motto, may prove a homfiy to every heart : II 

 s'est desseche comme un arbre charge des plus 

 beaux fruits qui succombe a 1'exces de sa fecondite. 



FRANCOIS PERON was born at Cerilly, in August 

 1775. From his earliest years his intelligence ex- 

 hibited itself by his extreme curiosity, and an insa- 

 tiable desire for information. Scarcely had he 

 learnt to spell, when his passion for reading became 

 feo strong, that, to gratify it, he had recourse to all 

 ffiose little arts to which children usually resort to 

 procure their play. The death of his father having 

 deprived him of all resources, his relatives wished 

 to engage him in some lucrative trade. Almost in 

 despair at the thoughts of being torn from his fa- 

 vourite delights, he prevailed on his mother to send 

 him to the College of Cerilly, where the Principal, 

 delighted with the tastes of his scholar, became 

 much attached to him, and spared no pains on his 

 Jmprovement. His elementary studies being fi- 

 nished, he advised him to become an ecclesiastic, 

 and the curate of the town consented to take him 

 under his roof, and superintend his professional 

 pursuits. 



Up to this period, Peron, absorbed in his studies, 

 was quite ignorant of the extraordinary events 

 A-hich were then agitating the world. He .eard of 



