MONTGAILLARD, JEAN GABRIEL MAURICE ROQUES, COMTE DE (1761-1841), French political agent, was born at Montgaillard, near Villefranche (Haute Garonne), on Nov. 16, 1761. He was educated at the military school of Soreze, where he attracted the notice of the comte de Provence (after wards Louis XVIII.). In 1789 he was in Paris as a secret diplo matic agent, and though he emigrated to England after Aug. 1o, 1792, he returned six weeks later to Paris, where his security was probably purchased by services to the revolutionary Government. He was again serving the Bourbon princes when he met Francis II. of Austria at Ypres in 1794 and in the same year saw Pitt in London, where he published his Etat de la France an mois de mai 1794, predicting the fall of Robespierre. He was employed by Louis XVIII. to secure Austrian intervention on behalf of Ma dame Royale (afterwards duchess of Angouleme), still a prisoner in the Temple, and he drew up the proposition made by the prince to Charles Pichegru, the details of which appear in his "Memoire sur la trahison de Pichegru" (Moniteur, April 18, 1804). He is thought to have indicated the possession by the comte d'Antrai gues, agent of the princes, of documents compromising Pichegru. In April 1798 he surrendered to Claude Roberjot, the Hamburg minister of the Directory, further papers relating to the matter.
He followed Roberjot to Holland, and there wrote a memoran dum urging the immediate return of Bonaparte from Egypt and his assumption of the supreme power. This note reached Alexan
dria by way of Berlin and Constantinople. But when he ventured to return to Paris he was imprisoned, and on his release he was kept under police supervision. Napoleon, who appreciated his real insight into European politics, attached him to his secret cabinet in spite of his intriguing and mendacious character. The Bourbon restoration made no change in his position; he was maintained as confidential adviser on foreign and home politics, and gave shrewd advice to the new Government. His career ended with the old monarchy, and he died in obscurity at Chaillot on Feb. 8, 1841.
His Souvenirs, which must be read with the utmost caution, were edited by Clement de Lacroix (3rd ed., 1895) ; his Memoires diplo matiques (1805-19) were published by the same editor in 1896. His Etat de la France was translated into English by Edmund Burke. His other writings include Ma conduite pendant le cows de lei revolution francaise (London, 1795) ; Histoire secrete de Coblentz dans la revolu tion des francais (London 1795) ; De La France et de l'Europe sous le gouvernement de Bonaparte (Lyons, 1804) ; Situation de l'Angleterre en (I8ii); De la restauration de la monarchie des Bourbons et du retour a l'ordre (1814) ; and Histoire de France depuis 1825 jusqu'a 1830 (1839).