Paul und Virginie

Paul und Virginie Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint Pierre - Auf diese Art brachte sie mehrere Jahre zu, bald Atheistin, bald abergläubische Frömmlerin, und fürchtete den Tod eben so sehr, wie das Leben. Was aber das Ende dieses beklagenswerten Daseyns herbeiführte, war derselbe Grund, dem sie die Gefühle der Natur geopfert hatte. Sie hatte den Verdruß, sehen zu müssen, daß ihr Vermögen nach ihrem Tode Verwandten anheim fallen sollte, welche sie haßte."

Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre was a French writer and botanist. He is best known for his 1788 novel Paul et Virginie, now largely forgotten, but in the 19th century a very popular children's book.At the age of twelve he had read Robinson Crusoe and went with his uncle, a skipper, to the West-Indies. After returning from this trip he was educated as an engineer at the École des Ponts. Then he joined the French Army and was involved in the Seven Years' War against Prussia and England. In 1768 he traveled to Mauritius where he served as engineer and studied plants.[1] In 1771 he became friendly with and a pupil of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Together they studied the plants in and around Paris.