2.18 
only beg you not to treat me with fo much 
ceremony, nor ever ufe the word Aumbly to 
me, who am no ways intitkd to tuch re- 
{pec&t. One private gentleman is not fupe- 
rior to another, in effentials ; I fear, the 
virtues of an untainted young heart, are 
preferable to thofe of an old man long 
Anecdotes of Eminent 
’ ogy 
(April. | 
converfant with the world: and in found- 
nefs of underitanding you ave fhown and 
will fhow a depth which has not fallen to: 
the lot of your fincere humble fervant, 
Hor. WaLPo_eg. 
P.S. I will call on you in a few days, and 
fay more on the particulars of your letter. 
# 
Charaéters. 
ae Ee 
ANECDOTES OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
INTERESTING AND ORIGINAL ANEC- 
DOTES OF THE FRENCH REVOLU- 
TION. 
BIRON. 
MONG the remarkable perfons, ard 
A efpecially among the generals, who 
perifhed by the revolutionary axe, were 
feveral, concerning whom the public has 
not yet pronounced an unanimous opinion. 
In thts number is the cz-devant duc De 
Biron. All the authentic information, 
however, that it has been poflible to ob- 
tain of his conduét and opinions, is 
highly honourable to the memory of this 
illuftrious victim. 
After the maffacre at Frankfort, m 
which the ci-devant regiment of Saintonge 
was cut to pieces, Biron, who then com- 
manded the divifion of the middle Rhine 
at Strafburg, marched with 10,000 men 
fo the affiftance of Cuftine’s army, 
which then occupied the country extend- 
ing from Caffel to F rankfort. Cuftine 
was attacked, and his army, after bemg 
forced to retire from the environs of the 
latter place, would have been cut off 
and entirely deftroyed, but for the pru- 
dent advice and military fkill of Biron, 
by whofe means the retreat upon Caffel 
was effected. His fang-freid and firm- 
nefs at that critical moment faved both 
his troops and Cuitine’s, whofe im- 
petuofity of temper had deprived him 
‘of the ufe of his judgment. _ 
Biron’s patrioti{m was inconteftible. 
He gave the moft convincing proof of it 
at Strafburg, at the time of his wile $ 
emigration ; fhe wrote him a letter, which 
he opened in the prefence of feveral of- 
ficers, and after reading it, expreffed 
himfelf in the following words: ‘*my 
wife is not fond of her country, and is 
determined to leave it. Let her go! As 
for me, I will never abandon France.”’ 
DUMOURIER. 
A month hefore Dumourier was ap- 
pointed *minifter for foreign affairs, he 
was at Niort, where he was forced to 
conceal himfelf in order to avoid th 
perfecution of his creditors. Delefiart, 
the minifter, knowing his intimate ac- 
fquaintance with Genlonné, conceived the 
idea of employing him in the diplomatic 
line, with the hope that he would in- 
terpofe his good ofices between him and 
that reprefentative of the pecple, who 
was a member of the diplomatic com- 
mittee, amd one of his moft implacable 
enemies. He therefore wrote a minif- 
terial letter to Dumourier, who had long 
been folicitmg an employ in the corps 
diplomatique, defiring him te repair with 
all convenient fpeed to Paris, where the 
king’s intentions would be made known 
to him. He fent him at the fame time 
fix thoufand livres, to pay any debts he 
might have contracted at Poitou. 
Dumourier haftened to Paris, expett- 
ing to be made minifter plenipotentiary 
at leatt; and immediately om his arrival 
waited upon Deleflart. The minifter 
told him that nothing was as yet deter-_ 
mined upon; but that a change in the 
diplomatic body would fpeedily take 
place, and that as it was his intention 
to propofe him to the kmg as a proper 
perfon to &ll-ome of the vacant places, 
he was glad of an opportunity of con- 
verfing with him previoutly, in order to 
judge in what iituation his talents might 
be made moft ufeful. He then {poke 
to him of the oppofition he met with from 
fome members of the aflembly. When 
he came to Genfcnné, Dumourier inter- 
rupted him: ‘*Oh! as to him, faid he 
eagerly, he is my intimate friend, and 
T undertake not only to put an end to his 
attacks upon you, but, if you chufe, 
to bring him here to-morrow to receive 
your orders.’ Delefiart acceded to the 
propofal, and the following day Du- 
mourier returned with Genfonné, whe 
expreffed his yegret at having given a 
wrong interpretation to the intentions of 
the minifter, and promifed to regulate 
his conduct differently in future. 
Deleflart enchanted with this interview, 
conceived the hope of turning it to great 
advantage ; thought that he had already 
the whole diplomatic committee at his 
orders 5 and congratulated himfelf upon 
his jending fer Dumourier to Paris. It 
was not long before the latter perceived 
what was pafling in the minifter’s mind ; 
nor did he fail to avail him‘elf of -it. with 
7 his 
