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motion of Polignac, excluded the author from his seat, Fon- 
tenelle alone giving a vote in his favour. The Regent 
would not suffer his place to be occupied by another, but 
his exclusion continued for life a signal example of the de¬ 
gradation sustained by letters from subserviency to a court! 
The Abbe also gave offence by writing against the celibacy 
of the clergy ; but as he had established a character for free 
speaking, no particular notice was taken of this deviation 
from orthodoxy. He was highly respectable in private life; 
modest, unassuming, thoroughly upright and philanthro- 
pical in the truest sense. He even introduced into the French 
language the word bienfaisance, and his life was spent in 
practising its duties. He adopted several orphans, whom 
he educated to useful trades, not dependant on fashion ; as 
he was of opinion, that in the progressive amelioration of 
mankind (in which he was a believer), every thing which 
had not utility for its basis would be obliterated. Being 
free from vanity, he was not mortified with the neglect and 
criticism his works experienced, as he hoped that his ideas 
would in the end make an impression, and effect was all he 
looked to. He did not shine in society, yet occasionally he 
said things that were remembered. His works, which amount 
to from 25 to 30 volumes, were little read when new, and 
are now so much forgotten, that it is not worth while to tran¬ 
scribe their titles. They contain (says D’Alembert,) ideas 
sometimes singular, sometimes impracticable, sometimes tri¬ 
fling ; and truths which, though not common at the time he 
wrote, are now become trite. One of the most important 
of his writings was a “ Memorial on the Establishment of 
a proportional Taille,” which greatly contributed to alleviate 
the tyranny of arbitrary taxation in France. 
This truly worthy man died "with perfect tranquillity in 
1743, at the age of 85, esteemed by all the. liberal, but still 
the object of courtly and ecclesiastical rancour. The bishop 
of Mirepoix, preceptor to the royal childreu, obtained a pro¬ 
hibition to his successor in the academy, from paying the 
usual tribute of praise to a deceased member; but such a 
slight can only injure the memory of him who offered it. 
Moreri. D'Alembert Eloges, Acaclem. 
SAINT-REAL (Caesar Vichard de), a miscellaneous 
French writer, who flourished in the seventeenth century, 
was the son of a counsellor of the senate at Chamberry. He 
came at an early age to Paris, where he was well received. 
He lived for a time with the historian Varillas, who accused 
him of secreting some of his papers. In 1675, he went 
again to Chamberry, where he attached himself to the 
duchess of Mazarin, whom he accompanied to England. 
Upon his return to his own country, he went to Paris, and 
passed many years as a man of letters, under the character of 
an abbe, without any particular title or benefice. He died 
at Chamberry, in 1692. His works involved him in many 
literary disputes; he was extremely sensible to criticism, and 
was violent in controversy. But in other respects he was an 
estimable character. As a writer, the Abbe Saint-Real had 
a lively imagination, and a variety of knowledge. The best 
known of his works are his “ Histories of the Conspiracies of 
Venice, and of Don Carlos, Son of Phillip II.,’’ both of them 
interesting pieces. The first has been made the ground 
work of Otway’s “ Venice Preserved.” The best edition of 
the works of Saint-Real is that of the Abbe Perau, in 8 vols. 
12mo. 1757. 
SAINT-SIMON (Louis de Rovroi, Duke of), a French 
nobleman, the son of a duke of the same title, was born in 
1675. He entered the army while'he was very young, and 
saw a good deal of service between 1692 and 1697, but he 
was better adapted to civil employment, and was appointed, 
in 1721, ambassador extraordinary to the court of Spain, 
for the purpose of soliciting the Infanta in marriage for 
Louis XV. He was confidential adviser to the regent duke 
of Orleans, who is said to have benefited very much by his 
counsels, when he had resolution to follow them. Wearied, 
probably, with the routine of a court, he retired to his estate, 
where he maintained the character of an austere religionist; 
and so completely did he separate himself from the world, 
that he was almost forgotten before he died. Having seen 
much of the society and manners of a court during the reign 
of Louis XIV. and the regency, he had imbibed a very bad 
opinion of mankind. He was, however, a man of strict 
honour and integrity, and, when in active life, never failed 
to speak his mind freely. He composed “ Memoirs of the 
Reign of Louis XIV. and the Regency,” which have been 
published since his death. They are said to consist of a 
variety of anecdotes, interspersed with portraits drawn with 
a strong but dark pencil, and to make a valuable addition to 
the secret history and biography of those times. His style 
possesses much energy, but it is incorrect, and often obscure. 
The most complete edition was printed at Strasburg, in 13 
vols. 8vo. 1791. 
ST. THOME, a town of the south of India, province of the 
Carnatic. It is situated close to the sea side, which here 
forms a bay and stands in a fine plain, abounding with cocoa- 
nut trees. Except the church, it is nearly a heap of ruins, 
inhabited chiefly by Indian, Portuguese, and a few Hindoo 
weavers. This town arose on the ruins of an ancient Hin¬ 
doo city called Maliapurum, which the Portuguese took pos¬ 
session of at an early period of their conquests, sometime 
about the year 1545, and made it the capital of their settlements 
on the Coromandel coast. It was fortified with a brick 
wall, and bastions at the angels, and had seven gates. It 
had several churches, the principal of which now standing 
was dedicated to St. Thomas, the apostle, whose tomb is 
said to be on a hill called St. Thomas’s Mount, at a few miles 
distance. It was taken by the French, in 1672, and given 
up by them two years afterwards to the Dutch, but in 1749 
was taken by the British : as it is only four miles south of 
Madras, all the principal inhabitants have emigrated to that 
place. Lat. 13. l.N. long. 80.22. E. 
ST. THOME MOUNT, a hill situated 9 miles from 
Madras, at which there is a handsome cantonment for several 
regiments; and it is connected with Madras by a fine road, 
on each side of which are a number of handsome country 
houses. This place was of great consequence during the war 
with Hyder Aly. 
SA1NTBURY, a parish of England, in Gloucestershire ; 
2 j miles west of Chipping Camden. 
SAINTE MARTHE (Gaucher de, or Scevole), was bom 
in 1536, at Poitou, of a family distinguished for its talents, 
a considerable share of which he inherited. From early 
youth, he cultivated literature with great success; became a 
perfect master of the learned languages, and exercised himself 
in poetry and oratory. He soon shewed that he was not less 
qualified for business than for study, and was occupied in 
several important duties and high offices under Henry III. 
and Henry IV.; which have been thus enumerated: his 
courage and loyalty were conspicuous at the assembly of the 
States, at Blois, in 1588: he was intendant of the finances 
in the army of Brittany, in 1593 ; and in 1594, he brought 
Poitou to submit to the authority of Henry IV., whose in¬ 
terests he also defended with vigour in the assembly of the 
Notables at Rouen, in 1597. He was president and trea¬ 
surer of France in the generality of Poitou; and alter a life 
honourably spent in the service of his country and of letters, 
he died in 1623, at the great age of 87, having obtained 
the epithet of “ father of his native city,” which he had 
saved from ruin in the civil wars. As an author, the chief 
works of Scevole de Sainte Marthe, are a collection of eulo¬ 
gies, entitled “ Gallorum doctrina illustrium qui sua patrum- 
que memoria florure, Elogia:” and Latin poems, consisting 
of “ Pcedotrophia, seu de Puerorum Educatione,” a didactic 
poem in three books, lyrics, elegies, epigrams, &c. He had 
a son, Abel, who was also a Latin poet, and his composi¬ 
tions are joined to those of his father in a collection printed 
at Paris, in 4to., in 1632. He had likewise two other sons, 
twins, named Gaucher, and Louis de, who were remarkable 
for their great resemblance to one another in body, mind, 
and studies. Both were king’s counsellors, and royal histo¬ 
riographers ; and they wrote in concert, works which have 
rendered their names worthy a place in the annals of litera¬ 
ture. These are “ L’Histoire Genealogique de la Maison de 
France,” 2 vols. fol. 1628 and 1647 : “ Gallia Christiana,” 
being 
