Note 27 — Chapter V
Reading edition
Beaumarchais was the son of a watchmaker born at Paris 1732. His talent for music led to his giving lessons to Mesdames de France. He made a fortune by his financial talents, and was famous as an author. He wrote “The Marriage of Figaro,” “The Barber of Seville,” &c., was a freethinker, revolutionist, and at first member of the Commune of Paris; but he fell out of favour, was ruined, imprisoned in the Abbaye during the Terror, narrowly escaped with his life, and died some years afterwards.