MANDAR, MICHEL PHILIPPE, better known under the name of Théophile, one of the most enthusiastic characters of the French revolution, was born at Marine in 1759, and studied at Juilly under his uncle J. F. Mandar, a priest of the Oratoire, author of several pleasing poems in Latin and French. Of an active disposition and an ardent imagination, young Mandar embraced the cause of the revolution with great warmth from the commencement, and was early distinguished as a revolutionary orator. When the Swiss regiments under Bezenval endeavoured to check the po-
Mandara. pulace of Paris in their attempt to seize the arms deposited at the Hôtel des Invalides, on the attack of the Bastille, Mandar, at the greatest personal risk, succeeded by a dexterous stroke in persuading the Swiss commander to withdraw his troops, which facilitated the capture of that celebrated prison. Mandar's name, moreover, deserves honourable mention for the mild humanity which he displayed amidst the unscrupulous violence of many of his compeers. On the 3d September 1792, and during the massacres of that memorable month, Mandar, at a meeting in Danton's house, where the chiefs of the revolution sat in council, proposed and boldly stood out for the creation of a dictator to prevent the further effusion of blood, but had the misfortune to see mutual jealousy defeat his humane suggestion. Robespierre exclaimed, "Garde-t'en bien, Brisson serait dictateur." Mandar survived the revolution, but refused office under the imperial government. He occupied his years of retirement with literature, and particularly with translations from the English. His works, political, historical, miscellaneous, and poetical, display great force of thought and energy of expression. He died at Paris in 1823.