3 
1801. | 
where to be found a milder landlord, 
and, perhaps, indeed, he carried this pro- 
penfity to indulge them to almoft blame- 
able excefs,) is a fufficient proof that his 
thoughts were not bent with any degree 
of anxiety on the acquifition of wealth. 
Yet he was tenacious of his property 
when it had once come into his hands ; 
and he made a joke himfelf of his fond- . 
nefs for a new guinea; but this may be 
accounted for from: his idea of the nature 
of paper credit, and the firmnefs of our 
bank; and the quantity of money found 
in his houfe at his death was the natural 
refult of thefe opinions. He was an ex- 
cellent mafter, and a good neighbour; 
juft in all his dealings, of ftrict honour, 
firmly attached to the liberty of his coun- 
try, of a moft enlarged mind, a true free- 
thinker, and, with all the fingularities in 
his drefs and manners, he united to his 
Jove of nature and independence all the 
good qualities which conftitute a perfect 
gentleman. 
—ae 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH of GENERAL 
DESAIX. Killed in the BATTLE of MA- 
RENGO. 
EN. Desaix was born in Auguft 
1768, in the department of Puy- 
de-Dome, at a {mall diftance from _the 
town of Riom. His family were of no- 
ble origin, and had, during feveral fuc- 
cefllive generations, been devoted to the 
military profeflion. From his very cradle, 
therefore, he was furrounded by all thofe - 
hereditary prejudices, thofe fond ideas of 
fuperiority, with which pride and flattery 
were heretofore wont to intoxicate the 
youthful mind of every individual born 
within the pale of the privileged claffes of 
fociety. But his own happy difpolition, 
aided by the efforts of reafon, afterwards 
elevated him above the feductions of va- 
nity. While yet a pupil in the military 
{chool at Efiat, where he received his 
education, he won the affections of his 
{choolmafter, as well by every amiable 
quality characteriftic of a good heart, as 
by the pleafing familiarity which indifcri- 
minately marked his intercourfe with 
them all. They were all unanimous in 
beftowing on him this eulogy, which, 
however iimple, is very expreilive in the 
language of youth—* He is a good fel- 
low,” —as, in the fequel of his life, his 
foldiers, in fpeaking of him, were accuf- 
tomed to fay with rapture, “ He is an 
honeft fellow.” He pofflefled too great 
elevation of foul to purfue the ordinary 
track in that fphere where fortune had 
placed him. Promoted by that inftin¢tive 
impulfe, as it were, which gives to genius 
the neceflary activity to’ develope itfelf, 
Memoirs of General Defaixe 
531 
he felt an eager defire for inftrndction, 
even before he was capable of appreciating 
its advantages. He therefore amply pro- 
fited by the leffons of his teachers, and 
cultivated the happy talents of his mind, 
at a time when {cience was almoft equally 
rare as it was ufelefs among men of his 
clafs; becaufe, while fome of their num- 
ber found in birth and riches a fubftitute 
for every thing elfe, the others were con- 
demned to wafte their years in the ob- 
fcure rank of fubaltern officers, or to ve- 
getate on their petty eftates, where they 
became the tyrants of their vaffals. Al- 
though he applied with great induftry to 
every branch of ftudy which might ena- 
ble him to diftinguifh himfelf in the mi- 
litary career for which he was deftined, 
there was not any one which had fuch 
powerful attractions for him as the hif= 
tory of the Greek and Roman republics. 
His mind was fired by the recitals of the 
noble achievements and the traits of vir- 
tue which had thed luftre on fo many 
great men who had been the ornaments 
of thofe republics. Equally penetrated 
with admiration for the conqueror of 
Hannibal, and for the chief who de- 
feated the Perfians on the plain of Mara- 
thon, he filently conceived the with rather 
than harboured the hope of being himfelf 
one day capable of treading in the fteps 
of thofe heroes. Such was the difpofition, 
fuch the fentiments of Defatx,_a fub-lieu- 
tenant of infantry in the regiment de Bre- 
tagne, at the moment when Liberty firft 
reared her banner in France, and threw 
open the paths of glory to all Frenchmen 
indifcriminately, by opening before thera 
the avenues to thofe employments to 
which their talents and virtues gave them 
a right to afpire. That revolution pre- 
fented to him the means of realifing the 
liberal ideas which his mind had long en- 
tertained: he therefore naturally took a. 
part in it; and, in obedience to the wife 
dictates of his enlightened philofophic’ 
judgment, adopted it in its fulle{ latitude. 
Accordingly he withftood the various 
feductions and menaces, and even taunt- 
ing railleries, by which the enemies to 
the regeneration of France {trove to pre- 
vail on him to defert his country’s caufe, 
His fole object in combating was to exalt 
the glory of the Gallic name. He was 
unacquainted even with the very appella- 
tions of thofe too multiplied epochs of 
the revolution, in which different parties 
fucceflively. prided themfelves; but on 
the other hand, he was perfectly well ace 
quainted with every Geld of battle, every 
grand manceuvre, every act of heroifm, 
which illuftrated the firft years of the 
republic. He took the field with his re- 
giment in 1799, His zeal and activity 
3X2 foga, 
