which was confirmed by a jury of matrons, she had the good fortune to be respited, and afterwards pardoned.

FITZGERALD, ROBERT. See POWER,

Јони.

FLOOD, MATTHEW. See OAKY, RICH

ARD.

FOLLARD, JOHN. See WILD, JONATHAN. FONTAINE, Capt. PETER DE LA, (FELON,) was a Frenchman by birth, and nobly descended, who received a military education, and served at the siege of Phillipsburgh under the duke of Berwick. The campaign being ended, he went to Paris, where a gentleman invited him to spend some time at his country seat, when he fell in love with his daughter, who wished to marry him; but the father interposing, she eloped with her lover, and they lived a considerable time as married people at Rouen. On their return to Paris, the young lady lodged in a convent; but de la Fontaine ap pearing in public, some officers of justice, seeing him in a coffee-house, told him they had the king's warrant for apprehending him on which he wounded two of them with his sword; notwithstanding which, he was seized and lodged in pri

son.

ur

On this he wrote to the young lady, telling her he was obliged to go into the country on gent business, but would soon return; and, having made interest with the daughter of the keeper

of

therefore, in some respects, condemns a person; but when the evidence is clear, the character of a prisoner, though ever so good, is unavailing, except recommending the culprit to royal mercy. See DESPARD, &c. EDITOR.

:

of the prison, she let him out occasionally to visit his mistress. Being brought to trial for running away with an heiress, he would have been capitally convicted, agreeable to the then laws of France, but that the young lady voluntarily swore that she went off with him by her own consent; however, soon after his acquittal, she was seized with the pains of labour, and died in child-bed hereupon de la Fontaine went again into the army, and behaved so bravely at the battle near Kale, that the duke of Berwick rewarded his courage with the commission of lieutenant of grenadiers. A young lady of Strasburgh, who had fallen in love with him at Paris, before his former connexion, now obtained a pass from the marshal de Belleisle, and being introduced to the duke of Berwick, told him she wished to see de la Fontaine; and the duke, judging of the cause, ordered her to be conducted to him. On the following day she went to the duke, dressed in men's clothes, and entered as a volunteer in the same regiment with de la Fontaine. She went through the regular duties of a soldier, and reposed in the same tent with her paramour: but in the winter following the campaign she died of the small-pox, leaving a part of her fortune to her lover. The duke of Berwick having been killed at the siege of Phillipsburgh, de la Fontaine made the tour of Europe; but returning to Paris, he fought a duel with an officer, who being dangerously wounded, Fontaine repaired to Brest, and embarked as lieutenant of marines on board a vessel bound for Martinico: but the ship having been taken by a Turkish corsair, and carried to Constantinople, he was there confined in a dungeon, and had only bread and water for his sustenance. While in this situation he was visited

by

by another prisoner, who had more liberty than himself, and who advised him, as the French consul was then absent, to apply to a Scotch nobleman in the city, who was distinguished for his humane and generous feelings. De la Fontaine having procured pen, ink, and paper, with a tinder-box to strike a light, (all by the friendship of his fel. low-prisoner) sent a letter to the Nobleman, who had no sooner read it, than he hurried to the cell, to visit the unfortunate prisoner. Having promised his interest to procure his enlargement, he went to the Grand Vizier, and pleaded his cause so effectu ally, that de la Fontaine was released, and went immediately to thank the Vizier, who wished him happy, and presented him with a sum of money. Hence our adventurer sailed to Amsterdam, where having a criminal connexion with a lady, who hecame pregnant, he embarked for the Dutch settlement of Curassoe; but finding the place unhealthy, he obtained the Governor's permission to go to Surinam, and continued above five years on that island.

The

-While in this place the governor invited him to a ball, where one of the company was a widow lady of rank, of whom he determined, if possible, to make a conquest; nor did he long fail of an opportunity, for, dining with her at the governor's house, they soon became very intimately acquainted. consequence of their sociability was a residence as husband and wife; and four children were the fruits of the connexion, three of whom died, but the other, a boy, was educated by the governor of the island. Other officers having addressed the same lady, de la Fontaine was occasionally involved in difficulties on her account. One of these officers having traduced him in his absence, Fontaine, on

meeting him, bade him draw his sword, but the other refused; on which he struck him with his cane, and cut off one of his ears. On this he was seized, tried by a court-martial, but acquitted; and the officer degraded, on account of the provocation he had given: from this time de la Fontaine was treated with unusual marks of civility. He still lived on the best terms with the lady, and their affection appeared to be reciprocal. The governor bestowed on him a considerable tract of land, which he cultivated to great advantage; but the malice of his enemies was so restless, that they prevailed on one of his negro servants to mix poison in his food. Unsuspecting any villainy, he swallowed the poison, the consequence of which was, that he languished several months; and the lady, affected by his situation, gave way to melancholy, which brought on a consumption, that deprived her of life. After her death, de la Fontaine obtained the governor's permission to return to Europe; and lived for some time in a splendid manner at Amsterdam; but at length determined to embark for England. On his arrival in London, he took elegant lodgings, lived in the stile of a gentleman, and made several gay connexions. Among his acquaintance was Zannier, a Venetian, who had been obliged to quit his own country on account of his irregularities. This man possessed such an artful address, that de la Fontaine made him at all times welcome to his table, and admitted him to a considerable share of his confidence. Zannier soon improved this advantage; for, contriving a scheme with an attorney and bailiff, he pretended to have been arrested for 3ool. and prevailed on his new friend to bail him, on the assurance that he had a good estate in Tre

land,

land, and would pay the money before the return of the writ; but when the term arrived, de la Fontaine was compelled to discharge the debt, as Zannier did not appear. At this time there having been a grand procession of free-masons, he dressed himself in a superb taste, and his chariot being the most elegant of any in the procession, he was particularly noticed by the spectators. Among the rest, the daughter of an alderman had her curiosity so much excited, that she caused enquiry to be made who he was, and on the following day sent him a letter, intimating that she should be at a ball at Richmond, where he might have an opportunity of dancing with her. De la Fontaine did not hesitate to comply; and when the ball was ended he received an invitation to dine with the young lady on the ensuing day, at her father's house. He attended accordingly; but the father having learnt his character, insisted that he should decline his visits, which put an end to all his hopes from that quarter. His circumstances being now greatly reduced, he resolved, if possible, to repair them by marriage, and was soon afterwards wedded to a widow of considerable fortune; but his taste for extravagance rendered this fortune unequal to his support; nor was his conduct to his wife by any means generous. Soon after this union he was at the Lord Mayor's ball, where he made an acquaintance with the wife of a tradesman, which ended in a criminal connexion. The parties frequently met at taverns and bagnios; and de la Fontaine having written to the lady, appointing her to meet him at a tavern, the letter fell into the hands of her husband, who communicated the contents to her brother; whereupon the letter was sealed up, and delivered

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