BOT.) 
He had only two daughters, and the 
fon of one of them algne remainstte: tut - 
ceed, Louis Lepelletier, a young man of 
the finet promife. 
GASPARD Taiew ah 
Colonel of the gth regiment of huffars, 
Was Out on a reconnoitering party ; and 
having difcovered a body of the enenty, 
he potted fome mark{men ina ravine in 
his rear, it being his intention to fly on 
their approach, in order to draw them 
Inco. an ambufcade. His troopers, ac- 
cordingly, in coniormity to orders, be- 
“gan to term the Auftrians, “ flaves of 
che tyrant; hafe mercenaries, fighting 
for amatter who kept them in chains !’ 
&c. Sc. They in their turn; ‘called 
their adverfaries « paper- eaters, bell- 
melters, and regicides:’’ but would not 
advance a ftep. On this. a privare be- 
longing to Vhievri’s regiment rode up 
to the Auftrian line ar full ¢ gallop, and le- 
velling his piftol with a deadly precifion, 
killed a horfeman immediately oppofite 
tohim. the veteran enemy, however, 
undifmayed by this aét of temerity, in- 
ftead of “puthing forward, oe to 
joke, exclaiming, ‘+ Bravo, ment ‘10n Q- 
norable, infertion, and billetin 1 
PEPRE. 
The preceding exhibits a remarkable in- 
ftance of hardihood in a private trooper; 
the prefent furnifhes an anecdote infi- 
nitely {uperior, of which a perfon of the 
fame rank is the hero. Petre, a huflar 
in Thievri’s regiment, was fent to a vil- 
lage of B Brabant, to prevent it from being 
plundered. Some freebooters belonging 
to the army, who were fearching after 
hidden treafuré, dug up a box, in which 
the inhabitants of the village had con- 
cae all their property. "The faithful 
guard, employed to proteét the peafants, 
lickily arrived at the very moment when 
they were about to break the box open, 
and drawing his fabre, by his firmnefs 
and bravery, he at length fucceeded in 
driving away the pillagers. After this, 
he initantly affembled the inhabitants, 
who, charmed with the braveryand gene. 
rofity of the exploit,” and pleafed (09, 
perhaps, at the idea of having their fu- 
ture fafety enfured, under the. Buaroien: 
fhip of fuch'a defender, offeced to make 
him a prefent of the coffer, which con- 
tained ninety thoufand livres. (worth 
3c001. to goool. Sterling); but the ge- 
nerous Petre, who abfotucely y refufed to 
accept a fingle ard, after thanking, ad - 
dreffed them as follows: “ in preferving 
your property, I only did my auty; you 
therefore owe me nothing. I exhort, 
you, however, tobe at more pains to 
Original Anecdotes. — Lbiewri. » Petre... Bulliard. 295 
conceal your riches.” Wuilit be believ- 
ed, that fome of the officers termed this 
unfoldrer-like~condut?, and shat it aciually 
ftop yped his preferment for fometime 3 > 
M. Butiarn, the Preach Botanift. 
Though M.BuLYARD did jiot live to 
acquire a ditinguiihed name among mo¥ 
dera botanilts, yet his aluduity in the 
ftudy of that {clence would doubtlefs 
have procured him extentive ceiebrity, 
had ‘his years been prolonged. At the 
commencement of his labours, he had 
namberlefs difficulties to furimount. From 
the contracted ftate of his finances, he 
was compelled to defiga, engrave, and 
print off, with hisowna hands, the plates 
that embellithed his fir& work. After 
he had acquired fome degree'of reputa- 
tion, he undertook the compilation of a 
botanic diétiona oy in which, by the ad- 
vice of his friends, the plants were claf- 
fified according to their 1 ufes, the poifon-. 
ous, medical, culinary, &c. Unfortu- 
nately, he commenced with the oe n= 
ousjand fufpeéted plants 5 as he deemed 
a warning concerning thefe, to be of the 
frit importance. IAS Toon ee ches work 
was edited, it was not only prohibited by 
the civil police. at Paris, buco the print- 
ed copies were feized. A miftaken con- 
ception in the officers of the police of 
the nature of the work, and of their 
own power, was the caufe of this abfurd 
and oppreifive conduct. At the begin- 
ning of the prefent century, the ming- 
ling and adminiftration of poifonous 
drugs. had arifen to a moft alarming 
height in the city of Paris : and it was 
deemed neceflary to citablifh a chamber, 
under the title of La Chambre ardente, 
which was authorifed to: prohibir all pub- 
lications that treated of poifons, or the 
mixture of poifonous drugs. This cham- 
ber immediately condemned the work 
of Buliard, without making any enquiry 
into its nature and defign. Several 
months had elapfed, and much applica- 
tion was made, before the interdict was 
taken of. But this indulgence, when 
obtained, proved of very little fervice,— 
The one had fallen into fuch negligent 
hands, that the greater part was deftroy- 
ed, and the reft fo effentially damaged, 
that fearcely ten copies remained, which 
were fit. for the public eye. The lofs 
was eftimated at 7000 livres, but he could 
obtain no indemnification. Inthe year 
1780, he changed his plan, and publithed 
the fame materials, under the title of 
L’ Flerb:er dela France. Wic. Buliard died 
at Paris of a confumption, in the year 
1793, and i in the 4ift year of his age. . 
ORIGINAT 










