up by his mother, a woman of deep piety and many accomplishments. In the time of Louis XVI. he held several offices in the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres. He retired into the country during the storm of the Revolution, and occupied himself with studies, the result of which he gave to the world in 1793 in his memoirs on several bas-reliefs, inscriptions, and medals belonging to the dynasty of the Sassanides, kings of Persia. When the French Institute was formed, he was nominated a member, but resigned before that body was inaugurated, because he would not take the oath of hatred to kings. Appointed professor of Arabic in the new school of oriental languages in 1795, he again refused to take the oath; but, as he could not easily be replaced, he was left to continue his lectures. Under the empire he was sent to Genoa in 1806 to search the archives of that city, and shortly after a professorship of Persian was established in his favour in the college of France. In 1814 he adhered to the party that overthrew Napoleon, and took an active share in the political discussions which followed. Created a baron in 1813, in February, 1815, he was appointed rector of the university of Paris; from that time he was at the head of every movement to promote the study of Sanscrit, Chinese, and Hindustani. Our limits do not allow us to give even the titles of his numerous writings. He died in a good old age, full of years and of honours.—T. J.
DESAGULIERS, John Theophilus, was born in France in 1683, but was educated and continued to reside in England till his death in 1749. He contributed some valuable papers in optics, mechanics, &c., to various scientific societies. He published a "Course of Experimental Philosophy," which was much esteemed in its day. The Transactions of the Royal Society contain interesting papers communicated by him.—W. L., M.
DESAIX DE VEYGOUX, Louis Charles Antoine, a French general of division, was born at St. Hilaire d'Ayat, near Riom, August 17, 1768, of an old noble family. Having been educated at the Effiat military school, at fifteen years of age he entered the army, and gained the surname of Sage by his regular habits and his love of study. In the revolutionary fury, an attempt was made by the convention to drive him from the service, but his soldiers assembled in tumult and the order was revoked. He had already been present in many combats, wounded at the battle of Lauterburg, and was general of division under Moreau, whom he assisted in his retreat from the Danube. At Platzburg and Toippstadt he manœuvred with great success. On September 2, 1794, he held the heights of Kaiserslautern against the troops of the prince of Hohenlohe. As one example among many of traits of character which endeared him to his comrades, it is said that when the soldiers were in great straits for provisions, the commissary sent him some dainties and bottles of excellent wine, which he immediately distributed among the sick. In consequence of the treaty of Campo Formio, he attended Bonaparte into Egypt, where he dispersed the Arabs and the irregular forces of Murad Bey and Elphi Bey. He was now nominated commander of Upper Egypt, where he gained the title of the Just Sultan. After the departure of Bonaparte he was chosen by Kleber to act as plenipotentiary in the negotiations with Sir Sydney Smith, with whom he concluded the convention of El Arisch, by which the French lost the country without any compensation. On March 3, 1800, he set sail in a merchant vessel for France, but was taken prisoner by Admiral Keith. On his release he wrote to the first consul, saying—"Order me to join you as general or soldier, it little matters, so that I may only fight by your side: a day spent without serving my country, is a day lost of my life." Shortly after, without visiting his family, he set out for the army of Italy. At Marengo the Austrian general, Melas, deemed the result secure, and had left the field, when Desaix arrived after a toilsome march of thirty miles with a fresh squadron, and decided that memorable battle. In the moment of victory a ball struck him on the breast. He expired in the arms of Colonel le Brun, faltering out—"Go and tell the first consul that I die with regret that I have not done enough to live in the memory of posterity." The same day, and at the same hour, Kleber was assassinated at Cairo, June 14, 1800. The body of Desaix was carried to Milan to be embalmed, and then deposited in the convent of Mont St. Bernard. He had in him something of the spirit of the old Romans. Passionately fond of the fine arts, he employed his leisure in meditating on the great works of antiquity. He was simple in his dress, frugal in his tastes, modest and disinterested. His love for his mother is not the least bright part in his character. We have not narrated a tithe of his exploits.—T. J.
DESARGUES, Gaspard, an eminent French mathematician, was born at Lyons in 1593, and at first sought a military career. He served at the siege of Rochelle where he formed a friendship with Descartes, at that time a brother-soldier. After the peace Desargues quitted the army, and taking up his residence in Paris, devoted himself to mathematics, and enjoyed the friendship of Descartes, Fermat, Pascal, and other distinguished men. The mathematical achievements of Desargues have to be gathered from the notices and praises of his great associates, since his works themselves have with one exception been lost. Their titles appear to have been as follow—"Méthode universelle de mettre en perspective les objects donnés reéllement ou en devis, avec leurs proportions, mesures, éloignement, sans employer aucun point qui soit hors du champ de l'ouvrage," par G. D., Paris, 1636; "Brouillon-projet d'une atteinte aux événements des rencontres du cône avec son plan," 1639; "Brouillon-projet de la coupe des pierres," 1640; "Brouillon-projet des Coniques;" a MS. copy of the latter, made seventeen years after the death of the author, was discovered by M. Chasles in 1845. Descartes frequently alludes to Desargues, and praises him for the philosophical generality of his conceptions, and his profound perception of the metaphysics of geometry. Pascal confessed large obligations to him, and cites from the "Brouillon-projet des Coniques," a proposition which he terms marvellous. Desargues gave great attention to perspective, and elaborated a scale by which every imaginary sketch could be put into a geometrical form and analyzed in all its relationships. He even applied the same method to colouring, and developed a connection between the geometry of form and the geometry of colour, representing mathematically the intensity of different hues. The views of Desargues were accepted by Abraham Bosse, professor of perspective at the Royal Academy of Painting, whose works constitute our chief source of information respecting them. Desargues' method of perspective was taught by Bosse in his academical course; but it provoked great discussion, and was ultimately forbidden at the academy. Desargues quitted Paris in disgust and retired to his native city, where he lived in obscurity, giving gratuitous lessons to the work-people with kindly zeal. He died at Lyons in 1662, and his name was long forgotten until, in the present century, M. de Montabert and M. Poncelet drew attention to his works and fame.—L. L. P.
DESAUGIERS, Marc-Antoine Madeleine, born at Fréjus, 1772; died at Paris, 1827. His education was conducted at first with a view to his becoming an ecclesiastic, but he showed such talent for literature that his father, an eminent musician, encouraged him in adopting it as a profession. His first work was a comedy, produced at the age of seventeen, which had a considerable run. The political distractions of France led the young Desaugiers to leave his country. He for a while resided with a married sister in St. Domingo. The revolt of the blacks now took place; he was made prisoner, but contrived to escape to America, and supported himself by giving lessons on the piano. In 1797 he returned to France, and produced at the Theatre des Variétés numberless comedies, operas, vaudevilles—all successful. But more than all, his songs were admired; they were of all kinds and classes, satirical—but the satire was without gall—bacchanalian, and amorous. In private society his singing of his own songs was felt to be a rich treat. Desaugiers also excelled in parody. It was in the character of president of the "Caveau moderne" that he produced his best and wittiest songs. In 1815 Barré resigned the management of the Vaudeville to Desaugiers, and for five years nothing could be greater than his success; but the caprice of public favour deserted the Vaudeville and patronized other amusements. Desaugiers shrank from any struggle, and gave up the management, which, however, he was in 1825 prevailed upon to resume. His health now broke down, and after undergoing a painful operation for the stone, he sank in his fifty-sixth year. In 1818 he was given the cross of the legion of honour, and a pension on the cassette of the king. His theatrical pieces are very numerous, but his songs form his true claim to distinction. There are several editions; Ladvocat's in three volumes, 1827, is probably the best.—J. A., D.
DESAULT, Pierre-Joseph, a French surgeon, born at Magny-Vernais, a village of Franche-Comté, in 1744, and died at Paris on June 1, 1795. Born of a poor family, and designed at
