The origin of this great soldier is mean. He was born March 29th, 1769, at St. Aurans, in the department of Tarn. In his sixteenth year he entered the service, and after spending some time in the royal regiment of artillery, became sub-lieutenant of grenadiers. Under Hoche, and then under Jourdan, he distinguished himself by a bravery always subservient to a sound discretion. Nor were his talents more strikingly exhibited on any of these early occasions, than at the battle of Fleurus. Soult was chief of the staff to General Lefebre, who headed the advanced guard of the army of the Moselle. When the right wing under Marecau was routed, and that general himself forced to fall back on Lefebre's division, he entreated, in an agony of despair, a succour of four battalions, that he might make an effort to recover his lost position. "Give them to me," said he to Lefebre, "or I will blow out my brains!" Lefebre consulted Colonel Soult, who observed, in a loud voice, that such a step would endanger the safety of the division. Marceau knew nothing of Soult, and was equally surprised and indignant that an obscure aide-de-camp should presume to decide on such a subject. "Who are you?" cried Marceau. "Whatever I am," answered Soult, "you perceive I am calm, which 1 am sorry to say you are not." The indignation of the General was increased by this cool superiority of Soult, whom he threatened to fight the day following. "Very well," answered the latter; "I shall never fear to speak the truth either to you or any other man; but at the same time, I have no wish to treat you with disrespect. Do not kill yourself, general, but lead on your men to the charge, and you shall have the four battalions as soon as we can spare them." The result proved the wisdom of Soult's advice. The division of Lefebre was almost instantly assailed by the Prince of Coburg; and a bloody conflict ensued, in the midst of which both Soult and Marceau fought like lions. Towards evening this obstinately contested battle appeared to Lefebre to be so much to the disadvantage of the French, that he was inclined to make a retrograde movement; but the design was opposed by Soult. "If I am not mistaken," said the latter, "from what I can judge of the enemy's second line, the Austrians themselves are preparing to retreat." An order from Jourdan to charge confirmed the eagle glance of this soldier: Coburg was retreating, though in very good order. After the battle, Marceau, whose anger had given way to admiration, observed to Lefebre: "The chief of your staff is a meritorious officer: he will soon be noticed." He held out his hand to Soult: "Colonel, forgive the past. Though my rank authorizes me to give you instructions, you have this day given me a lesson which I shall never forget. It is you, in fact, who have gained the battle." The two officers embraced, and, to the honour of both be it said, thenceforth they were steadfast friends.

From this time to the peace of Amiens the reputation of Soult daily increased. In 1794 he was made general of brigade; and in 1798, of division.

The First Consul knew Soult by report, and one day inquired of Massena whether he deserved his high reputation. "Both for judgment and courage," replied the veteran, "I can recommend him as one who, in my opinion, has scarcely a superior." The consequence of this honest praise was, that he was entrusted with the command of the Chasseurs of the Consular Guard, and thenceforth honoured with the personal esteem of Buonaparte. From the same date may be reckoned the enmity of Berthier, who, destitute of military talent himself, could never behold without jealousy the homage which the First Consul paid to such qualities in others.

When the invasion of England was resolved on, Soult was placed over the army encamped from Boulogne to Calais. The discipline which he established was severer than had ever been known to exist among the French troops: from day-break to night-fall he was on horseback inspecting their various evolutions, or superintending on feet their labours in the entrenchments. Many of them complained, and one day even the First Consul expressed an apprehension, that they would in the end sink under it. The general replied: "Such as cannot withstand the fatigue which I support myself, will remain in the depots; but such as do stand it, will be fit to undertake the conquest of the world." Soult well knew the vast designs which occupied the mind of the First Consul; and he, on his side, perceived that such a man as Soult would be one of his firmest supports, -- the ready and able instrument of his most unprincipled designs. Of the eighteen generals who were invested May 19th, 1804, with the marshal's truncheon, none was judged more deserving of it than General Soult.

When the marshals surrounded Napoleon to receive his instructions at Austerlitz, all that he said to Soult was: "To you, Marshal, I have only to observe, Act as you always do!" In the heat of this battle, an aide-de-camp arrived with an order that he should instantly gain the heights of Pratzen. "I will obey the Emperor's commands as soon as I can," answered the Marshal, "but this is not the proper time." This kindled the rage of the Emperor, who despatched another aide-de-camp with a more peremptory mandate. He arrived just as Soult was putting his column in motion. The manœuvre had been delayed only because the Russians were extending their line to the left, and so weakening their centre which was in possession of the heights. Complete success attended the Marshal's attack. Buonaparte, from his eminence, perceived at once the reason of the delay and the brilliancy of the movement. He rode up to Soult, and in presence of the whole staff, who the moment before had heard him violently exclaiming against his disobedience, said, "Marshal, I account you the ablest tactician in my empire!" "I believe it, Sire," replied the other, who knew how to flatter, "since your Majesty has the goodness to tell me so!" At another time, still in the heat of the battle, the Emperor said, "Marshal, you have covered yourself with glory to-day: you have exceeded my expectations from you!" And soon afterwards, when some of his generals demanded fresh instructions, he replied: "Go and receive them from Marshal Soult! He it is who directs the action!"

At Eylau. the French army was in a critical situation. Augereau had been routed, the march of Davoust had been impeded, Ney and Bernadotte were at a distance; and the Emperor was so much discouraged at the heavy loss he had sustained, that he wished to fall back, to effect a junction with his other corps. "Beware of doing so, Sire!" exclaimed Soult with vivacity. "Let us remain the last on the field, and we shall have the honour of the day. From what I have seen, I suspect the enemy will retreat during the night." The emperor complied with his Marshal's suggestion, the wisdom of which was fully justified by the event, and he was soon rewarded with the ducal fief of Dalmatia.

But the Marshal was now called to a scene where his triumphs were to be short lived, and where disgrace was generally to attend his ablest measures. In 1808 be entered Spain. His first duty was to pursue Sir John Moore, whose retreat he harassed, but whom he dared not openly attack until the English reached Coruña. Under the walls of that city, he furiously assailed Sir John, in the view of preventing the embarkation of our troops ; but after a very smart action, in which the English General fell, he was completely repulsed. His next step was to invade Portugal; and that he might obey the instructions he received with the more alacrity, he is understood to have been promised a portion of the kingdom in sovereignty. For some time he met nothing like a combined opposition: Oporto was taken and pillaged, and many other towns suffered from the rapacity of his troops. But to subdue the country was beyond his power. The very peasantry, ill armed and undisciplined as they were, arrested his progress, and at last the British, under Sir Arthur Wellesley, advanced against him. Our General marched with such celerity that the Marshal was surprised at the passage of the Douro, and was near being made prisoner in Oporto. Forced to abandon his artillery and baggage, he commenced a most embarrassing retreat through mountainous tracts until be reached Lugo, the siege of which he compelled the Spaniards to raise.

After the disaster of Talavera, Soult hastened to effect a junction with Ney and Mortier, and in his turn pursued Wellington, who could not make a stand against the combined strength of the three; but the pursuit was not continued beyond the confines of Spain.

On his return from this fruitless expedition, the Duke of Dalmatia overran Andalusia. He took Seville, but he failed before Cadiz. His behaviour to the conquered inhabitants was harsh, rapacious, and even cruel; but on the other band he is allowed to have restrained his soldiers from unnecessary violence. When Massena entered Portugal, destined to meet with as little success as he had met before, Soult reduced Badajoz, the key of the Guadiana, where he left a garrison and returned into Andalusia. That fortress, however, being soon invested by the allies, he advanced to its relief; and on the 16th of May, 1811, gave battle to Sir William Beresford, who headed a few thousands of the allied forces. Unfortunately for him, as for all his brother marshals, Frenchmen never crossed bayonets with the British without losing the day. So it was on the present occasion, and Soult's mortification was the greater that Wellington was not his victor. But he was soon joined by Marmont, and both united were too strong for the allies, who once more retired into Portugal.

During the next two years Soult remained in the fertile provinces of southern Spain. Here his army revelled in abundance: he levied heavy contributions, and in many other respects acted with great severity towards the inhabitants. After the loss of the battle of Salamanca by Marmont, all the French troops in Spain, except the corps of Suchet, were concentrated at Burgos, to oppose Wellington, but that cautious general again retired into Portugal, where the enemy was in no hurry to follow him.

From this diversified scene Soult was now recalled to support the tottering throne of his master in another region. He was present at the battle of Bautzen, and every day the emperor treated him with greater confidence. While at Dresden news arrived of the defeat of the French at Vittoria, and threw Napoleon into considerable embarrassment. He saw that southern France was uncovered, and that there was need of an able leader to oppose the triumphant career of Wellington. There were but two marshals whom he could entrust with so important a charge, -- Ney and Soult, (for Massena, was in disgrace.) Ney was superior in personal daring, and more beloved by the army, but in coolness of judgment he was inferior to the other. -- Soult, therefore, was ordered to depart, as the emperor's lieutenant, on this arduous mission. The destination was not very agreeable to himself, and was hateful to his lady. With all his strength of character, he was what the vulgar would call a henpecked husband. She wished him to refuse the trust, and when she could not prevail on him to do so, she herself resolved to try what effect her representations might have on the emperor. She sought and obtained an interview, in which she pleaded her husband's shattered frame, his need of repose, and complained of the injustice of sending him back to a country where blows only were to be found. "Madam," replied Napoleon, "recollect I am not your husband; but if I were, you would not dare to treat me thus." He ordered her to assist, not to thwart, her husband in his duty, and begone. There was no remedy, and Soult was constrained to obey.

The first attempt of the duke was to relieve Pampeluna, but he was twice repulsed there; and perceived that he could neither avert the invasion of France, nor even materially retard the advance of the allies. If Wellington made a less rapid progress than he might otherwise have done, he checked the impatience of his troops only because he knew the fate of France was not to be mainly decided in the south, and was unwilling to spill more blood than was necessary. Still be advanced, cautiously but surely, in the expectation that he might be required to communicate with the allies of the north. To do Soult justice, he did all he could to fulfil the tenor of his instructions. For two successive days he obstinately defended his entrenched camp of Bayonne; but when the English manœuvred to turn his position, he continued his retreat. February 27th, (1814) he again assailed the allies, and was again defeated at Orthez. Having published a furious proclamation in behalf of Napoleon, he made mother stand under the walls of Toulouse, but with no better success. Though Soult perceived clearly that the imperial cause was lost, and the restoration of the Bourbons inevitable, he was one of the last to submit to the necessity of the times.

Nevertheless the Duke of Dalmatia was immediately confirmed, by Louis XVIII., in his tank and dignities, and entrusted with the government of the Thirteenth Military Division (of Brittany); and in December the same year he received the portfolio of the ministry at war. From this time every thing confirms the suspicion that, though a confidential minister of the king, he was not ignorant of the plot for the return of Napoleon. So general was this suspicion at the time Of the conspiracy in the north conducted by Drouet and Lefevre Desnouettes, that he was obliged to resign his place, in which he was succeeded by the notorious Clarke. All doubts as to his treachery seemed to be banished, when he accepted from Buonaparte the dignity of peer and the functions of Major-General. -- He fought at Fleurus and Waterloo, but with much less distinction than might have been expected from his former fame; and his name deservedly figured in the list of July 24th.

In February, 1816, he retired to the duchy of Berg, the native country of his lady, where he remained three years, his time being chiefly passed in the composition of his memoirs, which the world may one day hope to see. On the 28th of May, 1819, he received the royal permission to return to France, and in July, 1821, his marshal's staff was restored to him.

Soult will ever be ranked among the ablest of Buonaparte's captains. His was a life of incessant activity from the first breaking out of the revolution to the second return of the Bourbons; and throughout that long period few generals have been equally successful. His, in fact, was an uniformly brilliant career, until he measured his sword with one who was destined successively to humble not only the greatest of the French marshals, but their far greater master. We are sorry to have observed the association of inhumanity and rapine with qualities so splendid. Something should be allowed for the difficulties of his situation. He received almost no supplies of provisions or money from France, during the whole of the blackest part of his history -- the war in the Peninsula. But there is an atrocity which can never be palliated -- that Edict which he published in 1809, rebuking some of his officers for leniency towards the inhabitants of that unfortunate country, and proclaiming that none were fit for serving in such a war but men "of impassible character."

At St. Helena, Napoleon is reported to have said:

Soult is a good minister of war, or major-general, but not fit to command in chief;" but, though no one will say that he had the military talents of a Massena or Bernadotte, this dictum appears to be as unjust as ungrateful.

To the Duke of Dalmatia war has been no less profitable than to the other marshals. Like them he has purchased valuable estates, and is in possession of an income sufficient to confer additional splendour on his high rank in the army and the peerage.