‘892 
production of M. Gaillard’s, and combines 
the judicious criticism, the love of truth, 
the philanthropic sentiments, and the 
rich and easy style, which characterize: 
his other historical compositions. The 
Same qualities are also to be found in 
the dissertations and notes, subjoined 
by him to the new edition of Debelloy’s 
Works, published in 1782, as well as in 
the Life prefixed to them. The reader 
3s surprised at the great quantity of 
French and Latin quotations, in prose 
and verse, with which he has interspersed 
them: he there shews himself, just as he 
was in conversation, delighting in quo- 
tation, which caused M. de, Lacretelle, 
senior, to observe with reason, that the 
rich and fertile mind of M. Gaillard, 
seemed sometimes unwilling to gain credit 
for its own excellencies. 
Introduced while very young into the 
world, by M. Trudaine, Bishop of Senlis, 
MM. Gaillard formed friendships less nu- 
merous than select, which he always 
kept up, Endowed with a mild dispo- 
sition, and a tender heart, constant and ~ 
attebiive in friendship, indulgent from 
character and psinciple, exciting and 
feeling no envy, never wounding the 
self-love of any, doing justice to his 
rivals, and frankly applauding their suc. 
cess; his life was not disturbed, either 
by his own pagsions, or those of others. 
He enjoyed a felicity, which nothing but 
death seemed capable of destroying; 
when the revolution put an end to it, 
‘by sacrificing or dispersing his dearest 
friends, and obliging him to withdraw 
trom them, tosecure himself, as much as 
possible, from the fury of the storm. He 
_yeured to Saint Firmin, near Chantilly, 
to a simple, but commodious habitation, 
urchased with the fruits’ of his industry, 
ancreased by prudent economy, from the 
‘ dictates of which he never deviated ; 
and which had even procured him such 
“ competence, that he might be said to 
have attained both fortune and glory, 
in a career, where many, after long ex- 
ertions, meet with neither the one, nor 
the other. — 
In this retreat, where he made _pro- 
tectors and friends of his rustic neigh- 
Lours, he found in the most calamitous 
limes, the security and repose necessary 
for continuing his cheering pursuits, and 
distracting his mind by study, from the 
afflicting contemplation of the miseries 
ef his aiintry: Every morning at day- 
break, whenever the weather and season 
Of the. year permitted, and even some- 
Memoirs of M. Gaillard, the French Historian. [Nov. 1, 
Volumes, is likewise a highly esteemed 
times in the midst of winter, he buried 
himself in the recesses of the forest, 
where he remained till night, without 
taking any food, .except a little bread 
and fruit, with which he provided him- 
self before his departure. It was in this 
profound solitude, that, sometimes stroll- 
ing about, at others seated on a rock, 
or at the foot-of a tree, he composed and. 
wrote the greater part of the History of 
the Rivalship of France and Spain ; and 
of the Historical Dictionary of the Me- 
thodical Encyclopedia, almost without 
books; a circumstance that will scarcely 
be believed, except by those who were 
acquainted with the prodigions extent, 
and fidelity of his memory. Though he 
retained it to his death, it seemed for a 
time to be somewhat impaired by an 
apoplexy, which attacked him in 1603, 
but which affected none of his other in- 
tellectual faculties. He soon recovered 
his memory, but not the use of his left 
arm and leg, of which he was deprived 
~ for ever, . 
To this infirm state he was reduced, 
when he attempted to compose, in @ 
great measure from recollection, an 
Eulogy on M. de Malesherbes, whose 
friendship he had enjoyed from his 
youth. In this performance, which M, 
Gaillard published in 1805, at the age of 
~nearly eighty years, may be perceived 
the sensibility of soul, and the talents of 
the author of the eloquent Eulogies, on 
several of the great men who have done 
honour to France ; and of the Life of the 
first president De Lamoignon, which 
appeared in 1782, annexed to the His- 
tory of Charlemagne. M. Gaillard in- 
tended to terminate his literary career, 
_with this homage to the memory of the 
best. of mea, an epithet which he consi- 
dered the niost worthy of M. de Males- 
herbes, anid he asked of heaven only 
sufficient time to pay this debt of affec- 
tion. - His wishes were granted; and he 
even had enough to superintend the 
_printing of a collection of his miscella- 
neous pieces, published in 1806, in four - 
octavo volumes, with the title of, Me- 
langes academiques, poetiques, litteraires, 
philologiques, critiques, et historiques. 
Ilis habits of industry were such, that 
they could only be relinquished with - 
life. 
years and infirmities, he was incessantly 
engaged in revising and arranging the 
numerous observations whieh he had~ 
made in the course of his studies, on the- 
History of France, by Velly, Villaret, - 
and Garnier; and he was just going to 
se send. 
_ 
Notwithstanding the pressure of ~~ 
~~ 
