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LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

increased liis difficulties ; he was generous and profuse,■even when what he gave or spent reduced him to abso-lute want.

1 785. On his return to France , he found the public mind-Eta;, engrossed by questions of political finance. Mirabeau en-36, tered on the discussion with his accustomed eagerness. Hepublished several pamphlets, which attracted generalattention and added to his notoriety. The minister Ca-lonne at first made use of his pen, but they afterwardsdisagreed. Under his patronage, Mirabeau endeavoured toget diplomatic employment in Germany . He visitedBerlin at the period of Frederic the Great’s death, andseveral times subsequently. His correspondence fromBerlin is not, however, worthy of his character or genius.It was not published at this time; he kept it back till1789, when, under the necessity of acquiring money tocarry on the expenses of his election in Provence , he hadno other resource except bringing out a book, sure to ac-quire notoriety from the scandalous anecdotes it contained,but not adapted to sustain the credit of the author. Hispamphlets on finance, which attacked that system ofgambling in the public funds, called, in France , agiotage,which, while it enriches individuals, is ruinous to thecountry, deserve the highest praise for their utility.They, however, attacked powerful interests ; and oneof them was suppressed by a decree of govern-1787. ment, and even his personal liberty was menaced. HeiEtat. saved himself by a timely retreat to Liege . He here38 - entered into a financial controversy with Necker, whichwas rendered the more conspicuous by the allusionsmade by Mirabeau to the necessity of assembling thestates-general and establishing a constitution. Theconvocation of notables, which occurred during thisyear, was a sort of commentary on his views. He ex-pected to be named secretary to the assembly, but thatplace was given to Dupont de Nemours ; and, whenhe returned to Paris in September, the notables werealready dismissed. Mirabeau, in his letters at thisperiod, displays that deep interest in politics which