BELLOY, PIERRE LAURENT BEIRETTE, one of the first French dramatists who ven tured to introduce on the stage native, instead of Greek, Boman, or other outlandish heroes. lie was b. at St. Flour, iu Auvergne. 17th Nov., 1727, and d. 5th Mar., 1775. His father having died while B. was young, his uncle took him under his protection, and edu"ated him for the law; but the seductions of the drama proved irresistible, and the oppo-itt whirl' he encountered in the cultivation of his theatrical talent ultimately determined him to leave his adopted home. Under the name of Dormont de B., he performed on various northern boards, and was much esteemed for his private worth. For some vea•s he resided at St. Petersburg, where the empress Elizabeth interested Herself in film. In 1758, he returned to France, to superintend the "bringing out" of his tragedy Tdaa, trusting that its success would reconcile his family to him. In ibis,
however, lie was disappointed, for the piece proved it failure, being only a feeble imita tion of ifetaltn,io, and he returned to St. Petersburg. After the death of his uncle, lie again visited France, and obtained a decided success by his tragedy of Zebnire. In 1765 appeared Le Si;fie de Calais, which was immensely popular, and is eveu yet held in estimation; and in 1771, Gaston, and Bayard, which secured for him an entrance to the French academy. But of all his Vroductions. the one which has longest retained a place in the repertoire of the stage, though it was far from popular at first, is Pierre Is Cruel. B.'s dramas arc not by any means wanting in theatrical effectiveness, but are marred by great incorrectness They have been colleetedand edited by Gaillard (G vols., Par., 1770).