BEAUMAHCHAIS 469 BEAUMONT himself at Wagram. His military talents were particularly evinced in the retreat from Moscow and in the following cam- paigns of 1813-1814. To Beauharnais may be mainly ascribed the victory of Liitzen. After the fall of Napoleon, he retired to Munich, was allowed, by the Treaty of Fontainebleau and the Con- gress of Vienna, to retain his extensive possessions in Italy, and took his place as Duke of Leuchtenberg among the Bavarian nobles. His children subse- quently ranked as members of the im- perial family of Russia. He died Feb. 21, 1824. BE AUMARCHAIS (bo-mar-sha' ) , PIERRE AXJGUSTIN, BARON DE, bom in Paris, Jan. 24, 1732. He was a man of singular versatility of talent, being by turns politician, aitist, dramatist, and merchant. His father was a watchmaker and brought up his son to the same pro- fession. His fame rests on his plays, and chiefly on the two, "Le Barbier de Se- ville" (1775), and "Le Marriage de Fi- garo" (1784). The character of Figaro ■was a happy invention, and the other principal characters, in both plays, are drawn with great skill. He wrote a third play, "La Mere Coupable," which may be considered as a sequel to the other two, but is inferior to them in many respects. At the beginning of the American War of Independence (1777), Beaumarchais entered into a speculation for supplying the colonies with arms, ammunition, etc. ; he lost several vessels, three of which were taken in one day by the English cruisers in coming out of the river at Bordeaux, but the greater number ar- rived in America, and inspired the col- onists with renewed hope. When the French Revolution broke out, Beaumar- chais showed himself favorable to the popular cause, and entered into specula- tions to supply corn, muskets, etc. But his activity in that critical period ex- posed him to suspicion and he fled to England and then to Germany. He re- turned to France after the fall of Robes- pierre, and then entered into a new speculation in salt, by which he lost a large sum. He died in Paris, May 18, 1799. BEAUMONT, FRANCIS, and FLET- CHER, JOHN, two eminent English dramatic writers, contemporaries of Shakespeare, and the most famous of literary partners, so closely associated that their names are rarely heard sep- arately. The former, son of a Common Pleas judge, was born at Grace-Dieu, in Leicestershire, in 1584. At the age of 16 he published a translation, in verse, of Ovid's fable of "Ralmacis and Her- maphroditus," and later he became the friend of Ben Jonson. With Fletcher also he was early on terms of friendship. He married Ursula, daughter of Henry Isley, of Sundridge, in Kent, by whom he left two daughters. He died March 6, 1616, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. John Fletcher was born at Rye, Sussex, in December, 1579. His father was -successively Dean of Peter- borough, Bishop of Bristol, Worcester, and London. The "Woman Hater," pro- duced in 1606-1607, is the earliest work known to exist in which he had a hand. It does not appear that he was ever mar- ried. He died in London in August, 1625, and was buried at St. Saviour's, Southwark. The friendship of Beaumont and Fletcher, like their literary partner- ship, was singularly close; they lived in the same house, and are said to have even had their clothes in common. The works that pass under their names con- sist of over 50 plays, a masque, and some minor poems. It is believed that all the minor poems except one were written by Beaumont. After the death of Beaumont, Fletcher continued to write plays alone or with other dramatists. It is now difficult, if not indeed impossible, to determine with certainty the respec- tive shares of the two poets in the plays passing under their names. "Four Plays in One," "Wit at Several Weapons," "Thierry and Theodoret," "Maid's Trag- edy," "Philaster," "King and No King," "Knight of the Burning Pestle," Cupid's Revenge," "Little French Lawyer," "Scornful Lady," "Coxcomb," and "Laws of Candy" have been assigned to Beau- mont and Fletcher conjointly. To Beau- mont alone "Th ? Masque of the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn." To Fletcher alone "The Faithful Shepherdess," "Woman Hater," "Loyal Subject," "Mad Lover," "Valentinian," "Double Mar- riage," "Humorous Lieutenant," "Island Princess." "Pilgrims," "Wild Goose Chase," "Spanish Curate," "Beggar's Bush," "Rule a Wife and Have a Wife," "Fair Maid of the Inn." To Fletcher and Rowlev "Queen of Corinth," "Maid of the Mill," and "Bloody Brother." To Fletcher and Massinger "False One." and "Very Woman." To Fletcher and Shirley "Noble Gentleman," "Night Walker," and "Love's Pilgrimage." 'To Fletcher and Shakespeare "Two Noble Kinsmen." BEAUMONT, city and county-seat of Jefferson co., Tex.; on the Neches river andl several railroads; 80 miles N. E. of Houston. It is an important shipping point; is at the head of tidewater navi- gation ; and has a variety of important manufactures. It has become the center of the large petroleum fields of Texas,
