BOURRIENNE

Fauvrlet de, a French diplomatist, was bom at Sens on 9th July, 1769, and educated along with Bonaparte at the school of Brienne, where a dose intimacy sprang up between them. On their separation in 1785, when ^naparte set out to attend the Eoole Militaire in Paris, they vowed an eteftial friendship. At the age of nineteen he proceeded to one of the Grerman xmiversities, with the view of studying law and languages. He returned to Paris in 1792, and renewed his early friendship with Bonaparte, who did him good service subsequently in getting his name erased from the list of emigrants. He also employed Bourrienne in drawing up, along with General Clarke, the text of the Trea^ of Campo Formio. From this period Bourrienne's diplomatic career conunenced, acoompanying Bonaparte as his private secretary on his expedition to Egypt, and afterwards continuing in that capacity on his elevation to tiie consulate. In 1804 he was nominated bv the emperor his minister-plenipotentiary at Hambuiig. In the end of 1813 he returned to France, where he received the appointment of director of the posts, and in 1814 was made prefect of police. On the abdication of Napoleon he paid his court to Louis XVIII., who, on his restoration, nominated him a minister of state. Being elected on several occasions a member of the chamber of deputies, he occupied one of the seats on the right. The revolution of July, 1830, and the lo of his private fortxme, which took place at the same time, i^ected him so much that he lost his reason. He was removed to Normandy, and spent the last two years of his life in a lunatic asylum at Caen, where he died of a fit of apoplexy, on February 7, 1834. His M^moires sur Napol^n, le Directoire, le Consul at, TEmpire et la Restauration, edited by Villemarest, appeared in the years 1829-31, in ten volumes. Hiey contain many interesting particulars of the youth of Napoleon, and also of the history of the directory and consulate, although they are blamed for want of accuracy in many points of detail. BOURSAUI^T, Edme, was bom in 1638, at Mudt- TEvdque, in the province of Burgundy, grew up without education, and went, in 1651, to Paris, without understanding any language but lus own provincial patois. Here he learned to speak and write French, and improved so fast that the composition of a book for the instruction of the dauphin was committed to him. This work, La Veritable ^tade des Souverains, pleased the king so much, that he appointed Boursault a istant, instructor of his son. Boursault declined the office, and also refused to offer himself as a candidate for admi ion into the Academy, on account of his ignorance of Latin. In his youth he imdertook a poetical gazette, with which the king and court were so much pleased, that an iumuity of 2000 livres was granted him. But happening to satirize in this work a ludicrous adventure which had befallen a Capuchin, the confe or of the queen caused the journal to be suppre ed, and Bour- Hault himself escaped the Bastile only by the influence of the Prince of Cond^. Another journal of his was suppre ed soon after, on account of a satirical couplet on King William, with whom the French court tnen wished to negotiate. He was more fortunate in his writings for the stage, and many of his pieces met with permanent succe ; among others, Esope k la Ville, and ^Ssope k la Cour, wMch still continue on the stage. His two tragedies Idarie Stuart and Gkr- Voul. manic us are forgotten. Boursault had the misfortune to quarrel with Molibre^ and BoileaiL He wrote a severe criticism on the Ecole des Femmes, under the title of Le Portrait du Peintre. Moli^re chastised him in his Impromptu de Versailles. To revenge himself on Boileau, who had ridiculed him in his satires, he wrote a comedy called Satyre des Satyres; but Boileau prevented its performance. Boursault afterwards took a noble revenge. He heard that Boileau was at the baths of Bourbonne entirely destitute; he hastened to him and compelled him to accept a loan of 200 louis d'or. Touched by this generous conduct, Boileau stmck his name from his satires. Boursault died at Montlu9on, in 1701.