534 Life of Count Rumford. 



of the parties said that what begun in friendship be- 

 tween them grew into such a strong affection that they 

 were really in love with each other, or at least fancied 

 themselves so for some time. Though the Count was 

 by no means destitute, yet the lady was so much richer 

 and so much in love that she settled upon him a large 

 sum in the marriage contract. This became a subject of' 

 controversy in their subsequent separation, but the 

 friends who arbitrated in the matter decided in his favor, 

 because he had expended considerable sums upon the 

 house and premises which were provided for himself 

 and his wife. 



The daughter urges that if her father " had shown him- 

 self mercenary or avaricious on this occasion, it would 

 have been for the first time. For, excepting a pension, 

 he left Germany a poor man, much to his credit, con- 

 sidering the honor and kindness that had been heaped 

 upon him. Such was his poverty, indeed, that he 

 would have had nothing to leave to her, had not the 

 Elector, in great kindness, settled the reversion of half 

 the pension on herself." This, she adds, was paid with 

 the utmost punctuality. The money which had been 

 settled upon him by Madame Lavoisier, or the re- 

 mainder of it, he left, by will, to different institutions. 

 The daughter, however, with the illustrative example 

 then fresh in her mind, feels bound to admit that 

 the Count, like Bonaparte, having reached conspicuous 

 eminence, had a downfall. With these prefatory re- 

 marks, the Countess proceeds to give extracts from, 

 or the substance of, "one hundred and four letters," 

 which she received from her father between 1800 and 

 1810. Of the first we seem to have the whole, as 

 follows : 



