COUNT XAVIER DE MAISTRE
\kˈa͡ʊnt zˈe͡ɪvɪə də mˈe͡ɪstə], \kˈaʊnt zˈeɪvɪə də mˈeɪstə], \k_ˈaʊ_n_t z_ˈeɪ_v_ɪ__ə d_ə m_ˈeɪ_s_t_ə]\
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A noted French soldier, essayist, and novelist, brother of Joseph Marie; born at Chambery, October, 1763; died at St. Petersburg, June 12, 1852. After serving in Piedmont and Italy (1798-99), going to Russia he rose to the rank of major-general. His masterpiece was the much-admired "Journey Round my Room" (1794) in Sterne's style, written while under arrest for fighting a duel. He wrote besides: "The Siberian Girl" (1815); "Prisoners of the Caucasus" (1815); etc. The charm of his work is its dainty style, its power of narration, and its revelations of the author's personality.
By Charles Dudley Warner
Word of the day
Snake's-head
- Guinea-hen flower; -- so called in England because its spotted petals resemble the scales of a snake's head.