ARMAND DE GONTAULT, LORD OF, marshal of France, and a celebrated general in the sixteenth century, who signalized himself by his valour and conduct in several sieges and battles. He was made grand-master of the artillery in 1569; and so much was he respected, or rather feared, on account of his well-known bravery, that nobody dared to assault him at the massacre of St Bartholomew. He was the first who declared for Henry IV., brought a part of Normandy under his subjection, and dissuaded him from retiring to England or Rochelle. He was killed by a cannon-ball, at the siege of Epernay, on the 26th of July 1592. Biron was a sort of universal scholar; and used to carry a pocket-book, in which he wrote down every thing that appeared remarkable. This gave rise to a proverb very much used at court: when a person happened to say anything uncommon, they told him, "You have found that in Biron's pocket-book."