ant
idea.

"You must study law," said she, with great firmness. And--in spite of
the fact that little Renee begged and pleaded--he was forced to give
up his idea of seafaring life for the dry drudgery and routine of a
clerk at law. He was now about sixteen years of age.

"The law is dry and my spirits are high," youthful Renee is said to
have carolled as he spent his first few hours at a lecture, "and
whatever may be I'm going to sea."

At any rate, he soon got into trouble and engaged in three duels in
his sixteenth year, in one of which his assailant gave him a serious
wound. This was too much for even his stern mother to bear, so,
summoning a family council, she gave forth the following opinion:

"Renee has failed as a student of Divinity. Renee has failed as a
student of law. Renee has entirely too high spirits. Renee shall,
therefore, be placed in one of the family ships and sent to sea."

And to this decree Renee is said to have cried: "At last! Hurray!" for
he longed for action.

In a very short time little Renee had a taste of that war and
adventure which he craved, for a historian writes that:

"During the first three months of this cruise his courage was tried by
a violent tempest, an imminent shipwreck, the boarding of an English
ship, and the threatened destruction of his own vessel by fire. The
following year, still as a volunteer, he displayed the greatest
personal courage and won much fame in an engagement which his ship had
with five merchant vessels."

"Ah ha," said little Renee, "this is indeed life. I am having a good
time."

So well did those higher in command feel towards the youthful sailor,
that, at the age of eighteen, he was actually put in charge of the
ship _Danycan_ of fourteen guns,--for France was at war with England,
Holland, and Spain, and to him who could strike a quick and well-aimed
blow there were "nice pickings" to be had. And the reckless young
sea-dog found some "nice pickings" in Ireland, for, he landed an armed
party upon the coast of County Clare, where he pillaged a village,
burned two ships at anchor, and escaped to his own vessel with
considerable booty and family heirlooms of the peasants, who said,
"Och, Begorra! We'll be afther that wild bhoy before many suns, and
spank him for his unseemly whork."

But the French cried "Voila! Here, indeed, is a brave young
Bourgeois," and promptly raised him to the command of the _Coetquen_
of eighteen guns, in which he soo