Illustrated biography; or, Memoirs of the great and the good of all nations and all times; comprising sketches of eminent statesmen, philosophers, heroes, artists, reformers, philanthropists, mechanics, navigators, authors, poets, divines, soldiers, savans, etc . hich France was then divided ; and in this responsible situation,his administration was productive of benefits which procured for him the grati-tude and respect of all classes, and particularly of the poor. He was removedfrom this sphere of usefulness to make way for the favorite of a minister. In1789, before the revolution, without c
Illustrated biography; or, Memoirs of the great and the good of all nations and all times; comprising sketches of eminent statesmen, philosophers, heroes, artists, reformers, philanthropists, mechanics, navigators, authors, poets, divines, soldiers, savans, etc . hich France was then divided ; and in this responsible situation,his administration was productive of benefits which procured for him the grati-tude and respect of all classes, and particularly of the poor. He was removedfrom this sphere of usefulness to make way for the favorite of a minister. In1789, before the revolution, without coining forward publicly, he gave a prizeto the writer of the most useful work on manners. During the stormy periodwhich succeeded, he lived an exile in England, dividing his income with hisunfortunate countrymen without distinction. On his return to France he insti-tuted several prizes, the perpetual maintenance of which he provided for byliberal endowments. During the last years of his life he devoted annuallybetween three and four thousand dollars, to withdrawing from the pawnbrokingestablishments of the capital all articles on which sums under five francs hadbeen advanced. It may be doubted whether this was altogether a useful direc- 332 M. DK MONTYON,. -3•o § ao s g 03 i- fct aa o|»o oen O M. DE MONTYON. 333 tion for his benevolence, but it shows the kindness of his heart. M. de Mont-yon died at Paris, December 29, 1820. By his will he left seven hundredand fifty thousand dollars to public hospitals, and two hundred and fifty thousanddollars for the annual maintenance of the prizes which he had the most judicious of all his endowments was that for the benefit ofconvalescent patients, who, when discharged from the hospitals, are still inca-pable of earning their livelihood. He left to the mayor of each of the twelvemunicipal division of Paris the care of distributing his bounty to this class ofdistressed persons, the sum allowed to be in proportion to
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbiography, bookyear18
