[253] Jacques Delille (1738-1813) translated the Georgics, the Æneid, and Paradise Lost into French verse. He had a facile talent for versification, and was admitted to the French Academy in 1774. He appears to have been in orders, and undoubtedly for some time held the abbey of Saint-Séverin, but he never followed an ecclesiastical career, and he married after the Revolution.—T.
[254] Claude Carloman de Rulhière (1735-1791) was elected to the Academy in 1787. He commenced life as aide-de-camp to the Marshal de Richelieu in Guyenne. He then became secretary to the Baron de Breteuil, whom he accompanied on his embassy to Russia in 1760. In 1765, having meantime enjoyed a pension of 6000 francs for that purpose, he completed his Histoire de la révolution de Russie en 1762. This work, however, could not be published during the lifetime of Catherine II., and it eventually saw the light in 1797, six years after the death of the author. He published some poetry, in addition to the above and other historical works.—T.
[255] The Comtesse d'Egmont was the daughter of the Maréchal de Richelieu, and it was she who urged Rulhière to adopt a literary career.—B.
[256] Charles Palissot de Montenoy (1730-1814), author of a number of more or less polemical comedies, poems, and historical works.—T.
[257] Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (1732-1799), author of the Barbier de Séville, the Folle Journée, ou le Manage do Figaro, Tarare, &c.—T.
[258] Jean François Marmontel (1723-1799), author of the Contes moraux and a large number of miscellaneous and voluminous works.—T.
[259] Marie Joseph de Chénier (1764-1811), the poet, brother of André de Chénier. Chateaubriand succeeded to his chair at the Institute.—T.
[260] Urquhart and Motteux' RABELAIS, Book II. chap. 6: How Pantagruel met with a Limosin, who affected to speak in learned phrase.—T.
[261] Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585), the leading French poet of his day, but also noted for a pedantic affectation of erudition and a barbarous neologism which made Boileau say of him:
Que sa muse en français parla grec et latin.