The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-06-17
From the New Hampshire Statesman.
LAMARTINE.

LAMARTINE.
The following incidents in the life of this
prominent Frenchman, are collected from
Memoir III the third volume ofthe His
tory of the Girondsts, Of which he is tho
author.
ALPHoNsE DE LAMARTINE was born at Ma
con on the 2lst of October, 1882 The FAM
Iy name was De Pratt bur he assumed that
of Lamarline, after Il internal uncle, from
whom he inherited considerable fortune.
Ills father was maj Of n regiment of caval4
ny under the unfortunate Louis the Sixteenth
and his mother was grand daughter of Mad
anne Des Roys, under overness to the Prin-
cess dOrleans. The father of Lnmurtine
was one oflhe uunumhered mu llitude who
in the Reign of Terror found themselves,
without cause, within the walls off dunge-
ou;but by some means escaped the fate which
overlook thousands, aud retired TO an obscure
retreat near Nlilly, where the early years of
young Lnmarline were passed. Here he
went through studies prepa rntory 10 leaving
the palernu roof for the College ut Belley.
Onleaving college, he passed some limo
ut Lyons-uncertan in regard to the course
he would take;und,at Il distance from the fam
lily residence and the wholesome restraints
which appear to have been imposed upon
him when under parental eyes, passed his
II
idleness which is too often only The intro
duction 10 il. During Ills stay in Lyons he
made brief visit TO Italy, whence he return
ed to!Paris in the mtter days ofNapoeon's Gu
reer, for whom Lainartine is said to have had
the deepest dislike. Indeed his family were
rOyulists, and on the Restoration of the Bour-
bons he offered his services to Louis XVIII,
and was allowed place in The royal guard.
Prior to this, however, Lamnrtiuc made
60 tn
and sunny skies are supposed to have uurtur-
cd and quickcned his taste for Eoetry-,har
| department Of literature in which he became
celebrated, and by tho cultivation of which
Iie acquired both reuowm and money. He a.
bandomcd his military position soon after the
Hundred Days, Qhe name applied to that pc
Rod IN the history of Napoleon embraced
between the return from Elha and his final
downtal) and for several years devoted his
time to the production ofvarious poetic wri-
tngs, which attracted attention through the
literary world. His brilliant success in this
department of letters seems 10 have been the
means of carr! ing him into diplomatic stu
alton, for his appointment MS dttdChe TO the
French legation AT Florence took place Just
at time when the name of Lunurtine had
been made known TO his couutrymen by the
applause with which one Of his poetic works
was received, and of which 5000 copies were
up Ills abode in Tuscany. In The year 1921,
he married at Naples Il young and opuleut
English lady. He afterwards resided in Lon
don III diplomatic capacity, but returned to
Florence us the French Charge d Affaires,
where hc cultivated with diligence his poetic
taste, and where one or more of Ills works
were issued from the press. In one of his
poems there is said 10 he Il splendid address
10 Italy, IN which were TWO lines which gave
offence to Ncapoltan genern-un offence
not personal, bur which, lalueniing rs the po-
EN- does the degraded condition Of that land
! of heroGs,was the occasion of II duel between
Lalunrlinc and the Neapolitan, in which The
poet was so dangerously wounded that his
life was long in donbt. So soon as lie suffi-
cieniIy recovered to use his pen, lie wrote TO
the Grand Duke of Tuscany, imploring him
not to punish the general from whom lie re-
ceivcd wound which came near being NOR
tal--a request which was granted, and which
procured admiration for Lamariiue in all the
circles of Florence.
He returned TO France in 1929. III 1880
lie WAS about being again sent abroad in the
public service, when the Resolution of July
broke out. Laniurtne paid his final adeus
10 The EX-t<ing Charles X, aud although
Louis Philippe offered him mission 10
Greece, he refused the offer, and bade udeu
10 diplomacy, as he believed forever. In 1S-
30 lie became Il candidate for deputy in the
French Assembly. But the electors of Tou-
lon 81 Duukjrk 10th r. jected him; soon after
which he put in execution Il long mediated
design ofvsitug oriental clnes, and pur.
chased, freightcd aud manned with IL crew
otsNtcen, vessel Of 259 IONS, and sailed
from Marseil!os in May, 1882. His travels
in tile Holy Land We're recorded and publish
ed-iorniugu work which attracted IL large
share of public attention, and essentially cn-
hanced the literary reputation of its author.
The wife of Lamnrtno accompanied him in
this expedition. While al Jerusalem he learn
ed of his election to the French Assembly
from the Department the North, and in 1S-
"a entered upon the course which, If it has
not conducted him TO the highest pinnacle
Of earthly fame, has carried him far enough
to crafty the ambition ofUny reasonable hu-
man being.
TRAVELLING.