Complex sentence: He began to practice as a lawyer at the "parlement" of Toulouse in 1770, and soon earned a reputation as an orator, while his fame as an essayist led to his election as a member of the Academy of Floral Games of Toulouse in 1788.
Split into simpler sentences: He began to practice as a lawyer at the "parlement" of Toulouse in 1770, and soon earned a reputation as an orator. However, his fame as an essayist is what led to his election as a member of the Academy of Floral Games of Toulouse in 1788.