EON DE BEAUMONT, CILARLES GENEVikV• LOUIS AUGUSTE ANDRE TDIOTHiE D', known as the Chevalier d'Eon, was b. at Tonnerre, in Burgundy, in 1728, studied law, and became an advocate. He attracted the notice of the prince of Conti by some politi cal writings; and in 1755 was introduced by the latter to Louis XV., who employed him in diplomatic missions to Russia and Austria. After serving a short time in the army, not without distinction, he was sent to London in 1761 as secretary of embassy, and shortly after was made minister-plenipotentiary. Becoming the victim of a court cabal, however, which deprived him of his office, he took his revenge by publishing his secret correspondence with the French court, which contained, among other things, libels on various persons. For one of these, he was prosecuted in London; and to avoid judgment, fled to the continent. He, however, returned to England again ; but, on the death of Louis XV., the French ministry deemed it prudent to recall him, as they were afraid he might betray their secrets to the English government, which made him brilliant offers. The pretext laid hold of for this purpose, was the scandal excited in London by his having assumed the garb of a woman, which he had done at the request of Louis, the better, it may be presumed, to hide his designs as a "secret agent." On his return to France, however, Eon was very favorably receiv.id; and Louis XVI. even ordered him to make use of the feminine garb in future. In 1783, he again proceeded to London, not, however, in any visible officihl capacity; and, though dressed as a woman, gave lessons in fencing, of which art he was a complete master. On the outbreak of the French revolution, he hastened home, and offered his services to the nation; but as nothing came of his offer, he finally returned to London, where he sank into the greatest misery, and d. 21st May, 1810. An examination of Eon's remains by Mr. J. Copeland, a surgeon, settled the question of his sex, and put an end to the curiosity of the English public. His writings appeared at Amsterdam 1775. under the title of Lotsirs du Chevalier d'Eon. The Memoires which bear his name are not genuine.
or MIDDLEBURG, one of the Friendly or Tonga islands, is 30 m. in circuit, and contains 300 inhabitants. It is in lat. 18° 19' s., and long. 175° 37' west. The surface, which is rocky and barren, rises 600 ft. above the sea. The group, as a whole, was discovered by Tasman in 1643.
EOS. See AURORA, ante.
EoTViiS, JozsEF, a highly distinguished Hungarian author, wash. 3d Sept., 1813, at
Buda; educated at home by a tutor of republican sentiments, and studied philosophy and jurisprudence at the university of Pesth during the years 1825-31. He became an advocate in 1833, but soon resolved to devote himself exclusively to literature, in which field he bad already won a great reputation by his comedies Kritikusok (The Critics) and Hcizasula (The Weddings), and also by his tragedy Boszti (Revenge). After his return from a journey through Germany, France, England, Switzerland, and the Nether lands, he published his Prison Reform (Gefa ngnissreform, Pesth, 1838), which was instrumental in bringing about many wholesome improvements in regard to prisons. This was followed (1838-41) by his novel entitled The Carthusian, which excited great interest, and was pronounced to be one of the best productions of Hungarian literature. E. now began to distinguish himself in politics. When the liberal party split, in 1844, into municipalists and centralists, he became one of the most eloquent advocates of the policy of the latter party, and wrote numerous articles in favor of it in the Pesti Ilirlap, which are marked by varied learning, fullness of thought, and elegance of expression. They were issued in a collected form at Leipsic in 1846, under the title of Reform. The Village Notary (A' Falu' JegyzE•je, 3 vols., Pesti', 1814 46; English by Otto Wenckstern, 1850; German by Mailath) is a work of the highest order of merit. For variety of incident, easy vigor of style, humor, liveliness, and freshness of descriptive power, it has been pronounced equal to the best of the Waverley Novels. It was followed in 1847 48 by his lfagyarorszag 1514—ben (Hungary in 1514), which describes the insurrection of the peasants that happened in that year in a masterly style. When the revolution of 1848 broke out, E. was appointed minister of public instruction, but soon became aware of his own incapacity for the work of a practical statesman, and abandoning his country, which he deemed it impossible for him to serve, retired for some time to Munich, where he employed himself exclusively in literary pursuits. The most impor tant fruit of his residence here was Der Einfluss der Ideen des 19 Jahrh. auf Staat and Gesellschaft. In 1851, E. returned to Hungary. In 1859, he published anonymously his Garantien der Macht and Einheit CEsterreichs. In 1867, he was appointed minister of worship and education, and in that capacity engaged actively in the work of reform. He d. at Pesth on the 3d of Feb., 1871.