T, is among the ornaments of the chief room. Though Moysant was large
of stature, his lungs were feeble, and his constitution was delicate. At
the age of nineteen, he was appointed professor of grammar and rhetoric in
the college of Lisieux. He then went to Paris, and studied under Beau and
Batteux; when, applying himself more particularly to the profession of
physic, he returned to Caen, in his thirtieth year, and put on the cap of
Doctor of medicine; but he wanted either nerves or stamina for the
successful exercise of his profession. He had cured a patient, after
painful and laborious attention, of a very serious illness; but his patient
chose to take liberties too soon with his convalescent state. He was
imprudent: had a relapse; and was hurried to his grave. Moysant took it
seriously to heart, and gave up his business in precipitancy and disgust.
In fact, he was of too sanguine and irritable a temperament for the display
of that cool, cautious, and patient conduct, which it behoveth all young
physicians to adopt, ere they can possibly hope to attain the honours or
the wealth of the _Halfords_ and _Matons_ of the day! Our Moysant returned
to the study of his beloved belles-lettres. At that moment, luckily, the
Society of the Jesuits was suppressed; and he was called by the King, in
1763, to fill the chair of Rhetoric in one of the finest establishments of
that body at Caen. He afterwards successively became perpetual Secretary of
the Academy of Sciences, and Vice-President of the Society of Agriculture.
He was next dubbed by the University, Dean of the faculty of arts, and was
selected to pronounce the public oration upon the marriage of the
unfortunate Louis XVI. with Marie Antoinette. He was now a marked and
distinguished public character. The situation of PUBLIC LIBRARIAN was only
wanting to render his reputation complete, and _that_ he instantly obtained
upon the death of his predecessor. With these occupations, he united that
of instructing the English (who were always in the habit of visiting Caen,)
in the French language; and he obtained, in return, from some of his adult
pupils, a pretty good notion of the laws and liberties of Old England.

The Revolution now came on: when, like many of his respectable brethren, he
hailed it at first as the harbinger of national reformation and prosperity.
But he had soon reason to find that he had been deceived. However, in the
fervour of the moment, and upon the suppression