A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Bonmere, (Mademoiselle)
BONMERE, (MADEMOISELLE.)
This lady's father and mother, having been guilty of some state crime, were imprisoned for life, but indulged with possessing one another's company. Mademoiselle Bonmere, born under this durance, lived till the 35th year of her age, and could scarce have been said to have seen day-light. The death of her very learned and ingenious parents, which happened within a few days of each other, gave her liberty, but deprived her of the only two friends, or even acquaintances, she had in the world, excepting those hard beings who are entrusted with the care of prisoners. Thus turned into the world, without money, friends or practical knowledge, though excellently instructed in the theory, she determined to avail herself of rather a masculine form, and hard features, and appeared in man's apparel, in which she entered as a private soldier in a regiment of foot, and gave so many instances of personal bravery, as well as integrity, that she obtained the employment of adjutant and paymaster of the corps.
She wrote memoirs of her own times, which we believe were never printed; but Mrs. Thicknesse, who had seen them in MSS. speaks of them in the highest stile of encomium.