accordingly received a sort of peripatetic education at Nantes, Poitiers, Paris, and Rennes. He entered on the study of the law, but gave himself up to literature. His first work was a volume of fugitive pieces, bearing the title of Amours Françaises. Having come to Paris, he now became foreman to an upholsterer, and wrought hard during his leisure hours at poetry and the drama. His Romeo and Juliette, after much tossing about from theatre to theatre, at last was got acted in 1828, and met with considerable success. Soulè continued to labour for the theatres and for periodicals till 1833, when his Clotilde having gained great success, he was engaged on various newspapers as a feuilletonist. He produced upwards of thirty fictions in this capacity, of which his Mémoires du Diable in 1842 was by far the most popular. The great demand for this novel unquestionably gave rise to Suc's Mystères de Paris. Soulè bought an estate at Bièvre, where he died September 22, 1847.Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu, Maréchal, Duc de Dalmatie, was born, like nearly all Napoleon's generals, of humble parents, on the 29th of March 1769, the same year in which Wellington first saw the light. He was sent daily to school in his native place St Amand du Tarn, but the future marshal displayed no love for books. He betrayed a liking for military enterprise, and he was allowed to enlist as a private soldier in 1785. He rose successively to be corporal in 1787; sergeant in 1791; adjutant-major in 1792; captain in 1793; chef-de-bataillon, and chef and general of brigade in 1794. During this rapid rise into notoriety, he displayed great firmness, self-possession, and tact in the management of men, whether individually or in masses. He gave a signal instance of his bravery at the retreat of the French army at Herborn. He was hemmed in by a body of Austrians nearly ten times his number; yet, after sustaining seven distinct charges, he drew off his troops without the loss of a single soldier. During the Revolution Soult was as diligent among the civilians as he was vigorous among his soldiers. He frequented the clubs, flattered the men in power, and was loud in his denunciations of the old regime. He was made general of division in 1799, and fought successively under Jourdain, Massena, and Napoleon. He became lieutenant-general of the army in Italy in 1800, of the army of the south in 1801, and he was created a marshal of France in 1804. When a general of division on the heights of Boulogne, his labours were prodigious. From early dawn till late at night he was never off his horse, riding through the ranks, and investigating into every detail of military discipline with so much rigour and minuteness that the men and officers requested the interference of the First Consul. Soult answered Napoleon, "Sire, such as cannot withstand the fatigue which I support myself, ought to remain in the dépôts. Such as do stand it will be fit for the conquest of England and of the world." At the battle of Austerlitz Napoleon thanked him publicly on the battle-field for his skill. "Marshal," said the conqueror, "you are the ablest tactician in the army." Soult was created Duc de Dalmatie in 1807, and received the chief command under Napoleon. He was despatched immediately to Spain, where he was destined to receive such a series of checks from the "nation of shop-keepers," as was likely to make him speak more cautiously of conquests of England and of the world ever after.

For this portion of Soult's career the reader is referred to the articles BRITAIN, FRANCE, and SPAIN.

On the retirement of Napoleon to Elba, Soult at once attached himself to the restored monarch, and as minister of war, charged the army "to rally round their legitimate and well-beloved sovereign, and resist the adventurer, who wanted to seize again that usurped power of which he had made so pernicious a use." The warlike Duc, however, saw "the adventurer" on the 25th of March 1815, and accepted a generalship at his hands for the coming campaign. Waterloo was fought and lost, and Maréchal Soult was banished from France. He was permitted to return, however, in 1819; his baton was restored to him; he was received with favour by Charles X., who made him a peer of France in 1827. He rose to be prime minister under Louis Philippe, and was present as ambassador-extraordinary at the coronation of Queen Victoria. Louis Philippe permitted him to retire with the ancient dignity of maréchal-general of France in 1847. Soult survived till November 26, 1851, when he died at Soult-Berg, near his native town of St Amand-du-Tarn. After his death the splendid gallery of pictures which he had plundered during his residence in Spain were sold by auction, and realized a very large sum. The first part of the Mémoires of Soult were published in 3 volumes by his son in 1854.