41803. 
pearance, as he had been ftruck with his 
plans and drawings. He addrefled him 
with tne greateft kindne(s, and after con- 
veifino familiarly withshim for the fpace 
of an hour, he appeared fo well fatisfied 
with the anfwers he had received to his — 
different queftions, that he engaged him to 
relinquifi the fchool, and take up his 
abode with him, promifing, to take him 
under his protection, and procure bim an 
eftablithment. 
Kleber; after thefe afflurances on the 
part of the Prince, made no hefitation in 
accepting his offers. His relations having 
refufed him the money neceflary to bear 
his expences to Vienna, he applied to an 
old Baronefs, whom he -had frequently 
had occafions of feeing at Strafburg, for 
the loan of four Louis-d’or, and with this 
fum he ‘t out for the Prince’s country- 
houfe in the neighbourhood of Vienna, the 
Neti which had been marked out for him. . 
ut it unfortunately happened that Kle- 
ber, on his arrival, found neither the 
Prince nor the pei fon who had been com. 
miffioned to receive him. ‘This was the 
moft onlucky accident that could. befal 
our young adventurer, who was now al- 
moft deftitute of money. He was not, 
however, totally difconcerted; he went 
to aneighbouring inn, from which he 
wrote a letter to the Prince, to inform 
him of his arrival, and that he waited for 
his orders. Three days after he was fent 
for by a fpecial meffenger, and conducted 
to the Prince’s houfe, where he was treat. 
ed ‘with every poffible kindnefs. The 
matter of the dwelling was not long in 
making his appearance there ; he receiv- 
ed his new cueft with great cordiality, 
and after frequent and familiar conver- 
fations with him, found additional caufe 
for his efeem. He employed him in 
making feveral alterations in his houfe and 
gardens, and was thoroughly fitisfied with 
the manner in which they were executed. 
He fent him on many occafions to Vienna, 
and cendudted him in perfon to a review, 
where the Emperor Jofeph If. was pre- 
fent. nis Monarch, tiruck with the ap- 
pearance «f voung Kleber, applied to the 
Prince for information as to the object of 
his remark ; and the manner in which 
the latrer anfwered the inquiry, was unu- 
fually gratifymg to the perfon whom he 
had thus patronized. 
Prince Kunitz, having difcovered that 
‘Kleber was poffeffed of thofe talents 
which every good foldier fhould have, 
gave him a lieutenancy in his own regi- 
_ ment, without obliging him to ferve pre- 
vioufly as an enfign, according to the ufual 
Ow 
Biographical Account of General Kleber. 
practice in the Auftrian army... He was 
equipt at the expence of the Prince, and 
{cnt to the regiment, where his quality of 
ftranger, and his promotion to a lieute- | 
nancy without having ferved in an infes 
rior capacity, procured him fome ene- 
mies, who neverthelefs foon became his 
friends, as he neglected no poilible means 
of acquiring the good will of his officers 
and comrades. 
Soon after his arrival at the regiment, 
war was declared again the Turks, and 
they received orders to join the army in — 
Hungary.* Kleber was to have ferved 
during the campaign as one of the offi- 
cers belonging to the Prince’s ftaff. But 
the peace which took place fhortly after, 
much to the mortification of Kleber, who | 
was eager to fignalize himfelf, fent the 
army into quariers. The regiment was 
ordered to Luxemburg, where Kleber re- 
mained during his continuance in the 
Auftrian fervice. But he was {peedily 
under the neceflity of applying for leave 
of abfence, that he might go to Straf- 
burg, for the purpofe of raifing. a fuff- 
cient fum of money to aniwer the debts 
which he had contraéted in quarters.— 
Economy was by no means among the 
number of his virtues: he had already 
confumed his patrimony, and a longer 
{tay at Luxemburg would moft probably 
have been attended with difagreeable con- 
fequences. In purfuance of the advice of | 
his family and friends, he fent in his refig- 
nation, and thus gave up \a fituation 
which he had occupied for the laft eight 
years. te 
Kleber, being now under the neceflity 
of relying on his talents for fupport, was 
prefented to M. de la Galaifigre, Intend- 
ant of Alface, who teitified the moft lively 
intereft in his welfare, and nominated 
him Infpector of public buildings in Up- 
per Alface. Béfort was the place fix- 
ed upon for his refidence, whither Kleber 
went with fo much the more pleafure, as 
his brother-in-law had the care of the for- 
tifications of that town, and was in high 
elteem among the inhabitants. 
Although this-eftablifnhment was by 
no means of importance to 2 man who was 
far from being an economilt, and who 
had befides lived in a certain degree of 
opulence, and in familiar intercourle with 
the great, he was obliged to be fatisfied 
with it.. He endeavoured to make the 
moft of his critical fituation ; and, during 
the fix years he paffed at Béfort, he lived 
* This was the period when Jofeph, II. 
wifhed to unite with,Catharine of Rufiia, in 
an attack upon the Ottoman Empire. 
tolevably 
