National Gazette

Portrait of DUMOURIER,
By M. De Villette,
A French officer who served several years with him.

If the character of this man is extraordinary, his person is not destitute of originality. Genius seems to animate his features, which, on the whole, are neither regular nor agreeable. His body is small, and even diminutive. His eye is lively, and full of fire; his hair was brown; it is now becoming grey. When he speaks, his head and his arms are agitated; and he often raises his body on the point of his foot. His gait is precipitate and irregular; he changes his physiognomy at pleasure. He has a small hand, and wants a finger; but this does not prevent him from grasping at a large object. When I was acquainted with him, he breakfasted the moment he arose, and always dined with good appetite. It was remarked, however that he was very dainty in the choice of his viands. After drinking coffee, he generally fell asleep, muttering an epigram or a couplet. On awaking, he loved to make a party at tric-trac. If he had plenty of money, he went constantly to the comedy. When there, I always beheld him behind the scenes, disputing precedence with the mock monarchs of the theatre, and rumpling the handkerchiefs of the goddesses.