Life of the late celebrated Chemist, Charles René de Fourcroy.

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(From the European Magazine.) HARLES René de Fourcroy, marechal de camp, grand cross of the order of St. Louis, director of the royal corps of engineers, member of the council at war and of the naval council, and free associate of the academy of sciences, was born, at Paris, Jan. 19, 1715. He was the son of Charles de Fourcroy, an eminent counsellor at law, and Elizabeth l'Heritier. Destined to the bar as a hereditary profession, his inclination impelled him into the paths of science, and accident led him into the corps of engineers. An officer of that corps was involved in an important law-suit, which he chose M. de Fourcroy to conduct. M. de Fourcroy directed his son to converse with the officer for the purpose of procuring every information necessary to the success of his cause; but the youth, whose thirst of science was already conspicuous, showed less attention to the particulars of the law-suit, than desire to be acquainted with what concerned the service of an engineer. He found no difficulty in disposing the officer to gratify his inclinations, and being informed of the preliminary studies requisite to an admission into that body, he immediately began to pursue them with ardour and perseverance, and

was soon enabled to offer himself for examination.

the corps, and was employed under marshal d'Asfield. His activity, zeal, and knowledge, above his years, procured him the confidence of his commander; but, remarking an error in a project which the marshal communicated to him, he informed him of it. For this at first he received thanks; but unluckily he was imprudent enough to intrust this little secret of his vanity to his mother, and her maternal tenderness was equally indiscreet. The marshal had not greatness of mind enough to be indulgent, or ability enough not to be afraid of avowing that he was liable to mistake; and it was long evident that he had not forgiven M. de Fourcroy, both from the commissions which he gave him, and his general regulations, which always tended to prevent his promotion. But obstacles of this kind depress only moderate talents and moderate resolution. From these M. de Fourcroy learnt at an early period to expect nothing but from his services; and he was destined to prove by his example, that virtue is one of the roads to fortune, and perhaps not the least secure.

In 1736 he was admitted into

Engaged in every campaign of the war of 1740, he was charged, though young, with some important commissions; and his application

during the peace procured him em ployment in the succeeding war. He made three campaigns in Germany, and in 1761 was commander of the engineers on the coast of Brittany when the English took Belleisle. In 1762, he made a campaign in Portugal, where he was present at the siege of Almeyda.

Peace is not a time of idleness to an engineer. By meditation, by the examination of fortified places, by reading the fruits of experience and military talents, he prepares himself for exercising the art of attacking and defending towns, learns how to improve their construction, studies the consequence of places to each other, enables himself to discern the strength or weakness of a system of fortresses destined to cover a frontier, the necessity of strengthening parts which would leave an incursion easy, and of suppressing places of defence uselessly multiplied. He calculates how long a place may hold out, and forms a judgement of the influence it may have on the event of a war: he foresees what will be the fruit of a victory in an enemy's territory, and the danger of a defeat on each frontier of the country he is to defend. Thus all the great circumstances of war are connected with the science of the engineer, and he can with certainty calculate its chances by means of an art, which is far from confined to the trifling merit of constructing, according to given rules, a single fortress.

Every day M. de Fourcroy work ed fourteen hours in his closet, when the duties of the service did not compel him to quit it. An irresistible propensity to the study of natural philosophy would have led bim far, had he not been incessantly

called from it to the duties of his station. From these he sometimes stole time for making observations; but, guarding against the illusions of self-love, he communicated most of his researches to men of learning, who have inserted them in their works. The microscopical observations in the Treatise on the Heart, which does so much honour to Mr. Senac, are almost all by M. de Fourcroy. Many of his remarks and observations make a part of M. Duhamel's Treatise on Fishing, in which we find the first traces of Spallanzani's experiments on hybridous fish. M. de Fourcroy had seen these experiments in a fish-pond in Germany, and gave an account of them to M. Duhamel. To him M. Duhamel was indebted also for some experiments with which he has enriched his Treatise on Forests. M. de la Lande, too, has acknowledged, that he owes him many facts and reflections, of which he has availed himself in his work on Tides. Amongst the Essays that M. de Fourcroy published separately, is one, in which he examines how we may judge of the height to which certain birds of passage raise themselves, by knowing that of the point at which they cease to be visible. He published the Art of Brick-making, which forms a part of the Collection of the Academy, to which he also sent several essays that were approved and inserted in their works. The margin of his Collection of the Academy, relative to the Arts, he has filled with notes, as it was his practice when he read it to examine the calculations, and correct them if they

were not accurate.

M. de Fourcroy was employed successively in various parts of the kingdom;

kingdom; principally, indeed, at Calais, at Rousillon, and in Corsica. Everywhere he served with diligence, and everywhere he acquired esteem and veneration. Of this conduct he received the reward, in the most flattering manner. M. de St. Germain being appointed minister at war, wished to avail himself, in his office, of the abilities of some superior officer in the corps of engineers. On this he consulted the directors of that corps, then assembled at Versailles. All, with an unanimous voice, pointed out M. de Fourcroy, as the most capable of fulfilling the intentions of the minister. M. de St. Germain, who was scarcely acquainted with M. de Fourcroy, wrote to him to come to Perpignan, where he resided. When the minister told this gentleman, that he had sent for him, without knowing him, to fill a post near himself, and that he was recommended by the officers of his corps, his astonishment may easily be conceived. Of the opinion given of him he shewed himself worthy; and his conduct, both public and private, made him honoured and respected.

A life thus busy, was rendered more happy by a sentiment, which, born at an early period, expired but with his life. The daughter of M. Le Maistre, the neighbour and friend of his father, and like him famous at the bar, was the companion of his youthful sports, and insensibly chosen by him as the partner of his future days. While M. de Fourcroy was studying under able masters, to render himself useful to his country, by his talents and acquirements, Miss Le Maistre learned, from a pious and charitable mother, to succour and console the sufferings of her fellow

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creatures. The vacations of each year brought together the two young friends, whose minds were so attuned to each other, as if they had never been separated. At that age, when the heart experiences the want of a more lively sentiment, the tender friendship which united them, left them at liberty for no other choice. Both without fortune, they contented themselves with loving each other always, and seeing each other sometimes, till prudence should permit them a closer union. Both sure of themselves, as of the objects of their affection, fourteen years passed without any inquietude but what absence occasioned. After marriage, enjoyment weakened not their passion, as the sacrifice they had made of it to reason had not disturbed their tranquillity. milar in opinion, their thoughts and their sentiments were common. Separated from the world, equally by the simplicity of their tastes, and the purity of their principles, they reciprocally found, in the esteem of each other, the sole support, the sole reward, of which their virtue had need. Every day they tasted the pleasure of that intimate union of souls, which every day saw renewed. The difference of their characters, which offered the striking contrast of gentleness and inflexibility, served only to show them the power of the sympathy of their heart. Different from most, both in their love and in their virtues, time, which almost always seems to approach us to happiness, only to carry us the farther from it afterwards, seemed to have fixed it with them. Perhaps we have not another instance of a passion continuing seventy years, always tender, always

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the chief (nay, the sole, since that they bore for an only daughter constituted a part of it), which lasted uniformly from infancy to old age, not weakened, not once obscured by the least cloud, not once disturbed by the slightest coldness or negligence.

Employed to his last moment in his country's service, M. de Fourcroy died, January 12, 1791, regretted by his family, his friends, and his corps.

Treatment, mode of life, habits, and comforts, of the negro slaves in the British West-India Islands; from Attwood's History of the Island of Dominica.

THE negro slaves in Dominica are, in general, comfortably situated, and well treated, especially on the plantations, where, if they are industrious, they have the means of living in a manner very different from that deplorable state, which some people in England have been at the pains to represent, as the case in general of slaves in the British islands. They have there as much land as they choose to cultivate for their own use, are capable of raising great quantities of all manner of ground provisions, garden stuff, and other things, with which they actually supply the markets every Sunday, and some of them to a considerable amount. They likewise breed hogs, rabbits, fowls, and other small stock for themselves; and many of them, who are careful in raising such provisions, acquire a very comfortable living, exclusive of what is allowed them by their owners. They have, moreover, many opportunities on

the plantations to procure other things to sell, or make use of themselves, which are not to be had in many other islands, as plenty of fish in the rivers, crapaux, wild yams, and other articles in the woods; by which, those who are industrious, in their leisure hours, often make tolerable sums of mo ney.

However, not intending to confine myself to observations on the treatment of negro slaves of this island in particular, in order to avoid being singular in that respect, I shall extend my remarks on that subject to the usage, manners, and customs, relative to them in the English West Indies in general.

The slaves, then, in all the British West-India settlements, are by

no means treated in that harsh, cruel, and barbarous manner, which some have described, to impress the minds, and impose upon the judgement of this nation. For, on the contrary, the treatment they receive from their owners, is, as nearly as can be, that of a parent to his children.

Every family has a good comfortable house to reside in, which is built at the expense of their masters; who also furnish them with such clothes as is necessary for them, with a doctor, medicines, and all things needful, when sick; and have nothing to expect from them, in return, but good behaviour, and a necessary degree of labour for the service of his plantation.

He, moreover, gives them a weekly allowance of provisions, consisting of biscuit, Indian corn, beans, salt-fish, mackrel, or herrings; which, together with what they are able, if industrious, to supply themselves with from their own

gardens,

neral repose, not to desire ardently the prevention of this extremity, and the infallible consequences which it will produce, as well on the part of the chief and the states of the German empire, as of other sovereigns, who have united in concert to maintain the public tranquillity, and for the safety and honour of crowns; and it is in consequence of this latter that the chancellor prince Kaunitz is ordered to be open and unreserved to the ambassador of France, to whom he has the honour of repeating his assurances of having the most distinguished consideration.

Dated Vienna, Dec. 21, 1791.

Letter from the King to the National Assembly, brought by a Message, December 31.

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Gentlemen,

HAVE charged the minister for foreign affairs to communicate to you the official note which the emperor has caused to be delivered to the ambassador from France at Vienna. This notice, I must say, has caused me the greatest astonishment. I had a right to reckon on the sentiments of the emperor, and of his desire of preserving with France the good intelligence and all the connexions that ought to subsist between two allies. I cannot yet think that his dispositions are changed: I wish to persuade myself that he has been deceived respecting the true state of facts; that he has supposed that the elector of Treves had fulfilled the duties of justice and good neighbour

hood; and that, nevertheless, this prince had cause to fear that his states might be exposed to violences, or particular incursions.

In the answer which I have given to the emperor, I repeat to him, that I have demanded nothing but what is just from the elector of Treves, and nothing but what the emperor himself had given an example of. I remind him of the care the French nation took immediately to prevent the assembling of the Brabanters, when they attempted it in the neighbourhood of the Austrian Pays Bas. Finally, I renew to him the wish of France for the preservation of peace; but at the same time I declare, that if, after the epoch which I have fixed, the elector of Treves has not really and effectually dispersed the assemblages which exist in his states, nothing shall prevent me proposing to the national assembly, as I have already announced, to employ force of arms to constrain it.

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If this declaration does not produce the effect which I have a right to hope; if the destiny of France, is, to have to fight with her children and her allies, I shall make known to Europe the justness of our cause. The French people will support it by their courage; and the nation will see that I have no interest but her's; and that I shall ever maintain her dignity and her safety, as the most essential of my duties.