, marquis of St. Philippe, was born in Sardinia, of an ancient family,
, marquis of
St. Philippe, was born in Sardinia, of an ancient family,
originally Spanish, and rendered his name known, not only
by his learning, but by his important employments under
Charles II. and Philip V. After the death of Charles II.
he served under the dukeof Anjou his successor, and during the revolt in Sardinia conducted himself with wisdom
and loyalty. Philip V. rewarded his services by creating
him a marquis. He died at Madrid in 1726, much esteemed.
His learned “History of the Monarchy of the Hebrews
”
was translated into French, and published in 2 vols. 4to,
and 4 vols. 8vo. He wrote also “Memoirs of the history
of Philip V. from 1699 to 1725,
” which abound rather too
much in military relations, but the whole is said to be scrupulously exact in point of fact.
led, “The History of Emily Montagu,” 1769, 4 vols. 12mo. The next year she published “Memoirs of the Marquis of St. Forlaix,” in 4 vols. 12mo. On her return to England accident
In 1763 she published a novel, entitled, “The History
of Lady Julia Mandeville,
” concerning the plan of which
there were various opinions, though of the execution there
seems to have been but one. It was read with much
avidity and general approbation. It has been often, however, wished that the catastrophe had been less melancholy; and of the propriety of this opinion the authoress
herself is said to have been satisfied, but did not choose to
make the alteration. In the same year she published
“Letters from Juliet lady Catesby to her friend lady Henrietta Campley,
” translated from the French, 12mo. She
soon afterwards went to Canada with her husband, who
was chaplain to the garrison at Quebec; and there saw
those romantic scenes so admirably painted in her next
work, entitled, “The History of Emily Montagu,
” Memoirs of
the Marquis of St. Forlaix,
” in 4 vols. 12mo. On her return to England accident brought her acquainted with Mrs.
Yates, and an intimacy was formed between them which
lasted as long as that lady lived; and when she died, Mrs.
Brooke did honour to her memory by a eulogium printed
in the Gentleman’s Magazine. If we are not mistaken,
Mrs. Brooke had with Mrs. Yates fora time some share in
the opera-house. She certainly had some share of the
libellous abuse which the management of that theatre during the above period gave birth to. We have already
seen that her first play had been refused by Mr. Garrick.
After the lapse of several years she was willing once -more
to try her fortune at the theatre, and probably relying on
the influence of Mrs. Yates to obtain its representation,
produced a tragedy which had not the good fortune to
please the manager. He therefore rejected it; and by
that means excited the resentment of the authoress so
much that she took a severe revenge on him in a novel
published in 1777, entitled the “Excursion,
” in 2 vols.
12mo. It is not certainly known whether this rejected
tragedy is or is not the same as was afterwards acted at
Covent-garden. If it was, it will furnish no impeachment
of Mr. Garrick’s judgment. It ought, however, <to be
added, that our authoress, as is said, thought her invective too severe; lamented and retracted it. In 1771 she
translated “Elements of the History of England, from
the invasion of the Romans to the reign of George II.
from the abbe Millot,
” in 4 vols. 12mo. In January 1781,
the “Siege of Sinope,
” a tragedy, was acted at Coventgarden. This piece added but little to her reputation,
though the principal characters were well supported by
Mr. Henderson and Mrs. Yates. It went nine nights, but
never became popular; it wanted energy, and had not
much originality; there was little to disapprove, but nothing to admire. Her next and most popular performance
was “Rosina,
” acted at Covent-garden in December Marian,
” acted
, marquis of St. Aubin, a French author, born in 1687, was first counsellor
, marquis of St. Aubin, a French author, born in 1687, was first counsellor in
the parliament of Paris, afterwards master of requests, and
died in 1746. He wrote, I. “A Treatise on Opinion,
”
Antiquities of the
Royal Family of France;
” a work in which he displays a
system of his own on the origin of the dynasties of that
country, but not with sufficient success to subvert the
opinions of others.