PIDANSAT DE MAIROBERT, Mathieu Francois, French author, born in Chaouree, Champagne, 20 February, 1727; died in Paris, 29 March, 1779. He was brought up in the house of Madame Doublet de Persan, was afterward one of the members of the literary society that held meetings there, and contributed to the manuscript journal of the society, which was utilized afterward in the preparation of the " Memoires secrets" (1770). Pidansat became in 1760 royal censor for new publications, and was elected an associate member of the Academy of Caen, but, having been involved in the noted trial of Marquis de Brunoy, he fell into melancholy and shot himself. He published many works, which enjoyed a great reputation in their time. Those that relate to this country are the most curious, as the author had access to secret documents that were afterward lost during the French revolution. They include "Lettres sur les vdritables limites des possessions Anglaises et Frangaises dans l'Amerique" (Bale, 1755)" " Reponse aux ecrits des Anglais sur les limites de l'Amerique Anglaise" (Paris, 1755) ; " Memoire sur l'etat de la Compagnie des Indes Occidentales" (Bale, 1756) ; "Principes sur la marine" (Paris, 1775); " Discussions sommaires sur les anciennes limites de l'Arcadie" (Bale, 1776) ; " Anedoetes sur Madame la Comtesse de Barry" (London, 1776) ; "L'Observateur Anglais" (4 vols., Amsterdam, 1778-'9), which was continued after his death, and several times reprinted under the title "L'Espion Anglais," and many memoirs on the administration and commerce of the French colonies in both Americas.