French writer and naturalist, Jacques Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre prepared to be an engineer, but his irritability and eccentricity made it difficult for him to hold a position. He bombarded the government with proposals for putting Utopian schemes of his devising into effect before he finally turned to writing.
Background
Jacques Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre was born Jan. 19, 1737, at Le Havre. He visited Germany, Malta, Russia, Poland, and ÎleIle de France (Mauritius) in search of employment before he finally turned to writing.
Bernardin became superintendent of the Jardin des Plantes (1792), lecturer on morals at the ÉcoleEcole Normale (1795), and member of the French Academy (1803). He died Jan. 21, 1814, at Eragny-sur-Oise (Seine-et-Oise).
Career
He visited Germany, Malta, Russia, Poland, and ÎleIle de France (Mauritius) in search of employment, and he bombarded the government with proposals for putting Utopian schemes of his devising into effect before he finally turned to writing.