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which hallows what is gone by; and among the marvels of modern France is a religion which ranks an agreeable smile and a graceful bow as essential virtues of its creed.

Nor does the Père Enfantin stand alone. There is something touching in the language of the old 'seigneur,' who, placed as it were between two epochs, looking backwards and forwards to the graces of past times and the virtues of new, thus expresses himself:

"Les progrès de la lumière et de la liberté ont certainement fait faire de grands pas à la raison humaine; mais aussi dans sa route, n'a-telle rien perdu? Moi qui ne suis pas un de ces opiniâtres prôneurs de ce bon vieux tems qui n'est plus, je ne puis m'empêcher de regretter ce bon goût, cette grâce, cette fleur d'enjouement et d'urbanité qui chassait de la société tout ennui en permettant au bon sens de sourire et à la sagesse de se parer. Aujourd'hui beaucoup de gens ressemblent à un propriétaire morose, qui ne songeant qu'à l'utile, bannirait de son jardin les fleurs et ne voudrait y voir que du blé des foins et des fruits."

GALLANTRY.

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The small piece called " Pourquoi -The French are not to expect at the same time in their wives chastity and good-temper-What is to be said for England-In France there is not even a shocking or humiliating idea attached to sexual improprieties— Mademoiselle de l'Enclos' observation-There is nothing of passion in French love-A poet irresistible on the Banks of the Rhine-A lord on the Banks of the Thames-The Italian women, the English women, the French women-A courtship in France a series of 'bons-mots'-Fate of unmarried ladies-Marriages de St. Jacques'-Number of illegitimate births in Paris-More libertinage in France than elsewhere, and leads less, perhaps, than elsewhere to other depravity-The gallantry and licentiousness of the French not sprung from the revolution--Saying of the mother of the great Condé. -The love which you find in France made for society-Gallantry national in France-The French cherish the memory, not only of their great men, but of their great men's mistresses.

THERE is a small piece now acting at one of the minor theatres called "Pourquoi." It is

very popular; every body goes to see it, and says, "it is so true." What tale lies hid under this mysterious title?

There are two married friends living together. The wife of one is charming, always ready to obey and to oblige; her husband's will is her law. Nothing puts her out of humour. This couple live on the best of terms, and the husband is as happy as husband can desire to be.-Now for the other pair! Here is continual wrangling and dispute. The wife will have her own way in the merest trifles as on the gravest matters-storms when contradicted, still tosses her head when humoured. In short, nothing can be so disagreeable as this good lady is to her grumbling but submissive helpmate. Happiness and misery were never to all appearances brought more fairly face to face than in these two domestic establishments. 66 Why" is one wife such a pattern of good nature and submission? "Why" is the other such a detestable shrew? This is the pourquoi.

The spouse whom you shrink from in such justifiable terror is as faithful as woman can be. The spouse whom you cling to as such a pillow of comfort, is an intriguing hussey.

Hear, oh! ye French husbands! you must not expect your wives to have at the same time

chastity and good temper: the qualities are incompatible. Your eyes must be picked out, or horns on your heads must grow. This is the farce which is so popular. This is the picture of manners which people call so true.' Miserable man, if the lips you press to yours are chaste to such endearments! Miserable man, if the wife of your bosom should be so singular as to be faithful! There is this to be said for England-if the poor-houses of the country swarm with children without a fatherif the streets of the metropolis are almost turbulently infested with ladies of a most improper character-if Grosvenor Square and St. James's Square, and Hill Street, and Charles Street, are witnesses to some mysterious and unconjugal indecorums,--the crime of unchastity is still spoken of and considered as deadly and damnatory as any to be found on the Newgate Calendar. It was but the other day that a poor woman charged, I think a chimney sweep, with grossly ill-treating, i. e. beating her. What says the chimney sweep? Does he refute the charge? No: but he asks the plaintiff at once whether she is not guilty of a criminal intercourse with a certain cobbler of her acquaintance; and when this unhappy fact is established-turning round triumphantly to the

magistrate-"Now, your honour, vot does your honour say after that?" says the chimney

sweeper.

In France there is not even a shocking, or humiliating idea attached to these sexual improprieties. The woman, says la Bruyère, who has only one lover says she is not a coquette. The woman who has more than one lover says she is only a coquette. To have a lover is the natural and simple thing-nor is it necessary that you should have a violent passion to excuse the frailty. Mademoiselle de Lenclos, whose opinions have descended in all their force and simplicity to the present generation says, "What attaches you to your lover is not always love-a conformity of ideas, of tastes, the habit of seeing him, the desire to escape yourself-la nécessité d'avoir quelque galanterie. " Gallantry"-that is the word which, in spite of all our social refinement, we have hardly yet a right understanding of. I remember in some novel of Crebillon a scene in which the lady gently repulses the addresses of a gentleman who is laying what we should call violent hands on her, by the remark, that she did not love him-" Nay," but says the gentleman nothing abashed, "if you only give what I ask to love, what do you keep for friendship?"

VOL. I.

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