EDWARD CHRISTIAN DE, a celebrated German poet, and a soldier of distinguished bravery, was born at Zeblin, in Pomerania, in 1715. At nine years of age he was sent to pursue his studies at Cron in Poland; and he afterwards studied at Danzig and Koningsberg. Having finished his studies, he went to visit his relations in Denmark, who invited him to settle there; and having in vain endeavoured to obtain preferment in the law, at 21 years of age accepted a post in the Danish army. He then applied himself to the study of all the sciences that have a relation to military affairs, with the same fidelity as he had before studied civil law. In 1740, at the beginning of the reign of Frederic king of Prussia, Mr de Kleist went to Berlin, and was presented to his majesty, who made him lieutenant of his brother Prince Henry's regiment; and he was in all the campaigns which distinguished the first five years of the king of Prussia's reign. In 1749 he obtained the post of captain; and in that year published his excellent poem on the Spring. Before the breaking out of the last war, the king chose him, with some other officers at Potsdam, companion to the young Prince Frederic William of Prussia, and to eat at his table. In the first campaign, in 1756, he was nominated major of Haufen's regiment; which being in garrison at Leipzig, he had time to finish several new poems. After the battle of Roßbach, the king gave him, by an order in his own handwriting, the inspection of the great hospital established at Leipzig. And on this occasion his humanity was celebrated by the sick and wounded of both parties, and his disinterestedness was equally admired by all the inhabitants of that city. In 1758, Prince Henry coming to Leipzig, Mr Kleist desired to serve in his army with the regiment of Haufen, which was readily granted. Opportunities of distinguishing himself could not be wanting under that great officer, and he always communicated his courage to the battalion under his command. He also served that prince at the beginning of the campaign of 1759, when he was with him in Franconia, and in all the expeditions of that army, till he was detached with the troops under General de Fink to join the king's army. On the 12th of August was fought the bloody battle of Kunnersdorf, in which he fell. He attacked the flank of the Russians, and assisted in gaining three batteries. In these bloody attacks he received twelve contusions; and the two first fingers of his right hand being wounded, he was forced to hold his sword in the left. His post of major obliged him to remain behind the ranks; but he no sooner perceived the commander of the battalion wounded and carried away, than he instantly put himself at the head of his troop. He led his battalion in the midst of the terrible fire of the enemy's artillery, against the fourth battery. He called up the colours of the regiment; and, taking an ensign by the arm, led him on. Here he received a ball in his left arm; when, being no longer able to hold his sword in his left hand, he took it again in the right, and held it with the two last fingers and his thumb. He still pushed forward, and was within thirty steps of the battery, when his right leg was shattered by the wounding of one of the great Kleist guns; and he fell from his horse, crying to his men, "My boys, don't abandon your king." By the assistance of those who surrounded him, he endeavoured twice to remount his horse; but his strength forsook him, and he fainted. He was then carried behind the line; where a surgeon, attempting to dress his wounds, was shot dead. The Cossacks arriving soon after, stripped Mr Kleist naked, and threw him into a miry place; where some Russian hussars found him in the night, and laid him upon some straw near the fire of the grand guard, covered him with a cloak, put a hat on his head, and gave him some bread and water. In the morning one of them offered him a piece of silver, which he refused; on which he toiled it upon the cloak that covered him, and then departed with his companions. Soon after the Cossacks returned, and took all that the generous hussars had given him. Thus he again lay naked on the earth; and in that cruel situation continued till noon, when he was known by a Russian officer, who caused him to be conveyed in a wagon to Frankfort on the Oder; where he arrived in the evening, in a very weak state, and was instantly put into the hands of the surgeons. But the fractured bones separating, broke an artery, and he died by the loss of blood. The city of Frankfort being then in the hands of the enemy, they buried this Prussian hero with all military honours: the governor, a great number of the Russian officers, the magistrates of the city, with the professors and the students, formed the procession, preceded by the funeral music. Mr Kleist's poems, which are greatly admired, are elegantly printed in the German tongue, in two volumes 8vo.