the unthinking and joyous spirit which coloured the religion, the policy, the triumphs of the olden time-which entered into the church, the palace, and the camp-brightening, corrupting, enlivening-making things worse, and rendering them more tolerable,-much of this must yet remain; nor until you can make their skies and their soil, their climate and their clouds alike, need you believe that the same laws will produce the same effects upon our own race, vowed to labour, repudiating recreation, fanatical in business, politics, and religion—and upon the careless, incredulous, gallant, active, intelligent, philosophic, and joyous people-whom I am contemplating as I guide my pen along this paper.

Procrustes had a bed of iron, on which he was so obliging as to fit all travellers whom he caught, by dislocating the limbs of those who were two short, and chopping off the members of those who had the misfortune to be too tall; in this manner he arranged every one according to his model. I am not of the philosophy of Procrustes; I am for giving intelligence to all--it is the soil of liberty-the soil from which the tree should spring--but I am not for torturing its growth or twisting its branches into any fantastic symmetry of my own. Let it grow from

the habits, the manners, the customs amidst which it rises-let it freely take its form! I do not expect that form to be without defects: I am satisfied if these defects are not great ones. I do not wish one nation to be austere, because I find austerity coupled with virtue in another; nor do I look with contempt upon the frivolities which I see accompanied by a certain enthusiasm and a certain grandeur. The wisest legislators, instead of endeavouring to eradicate what is bad from the character of a people, devote themselves to the improvement of what is good.

"If there be a nation in the world," says the French philosopher," which possesses a social humour, and open heart, a disposition tuned to joy, a correct taste, a facility in expressing its ideas-if there be a nation lively, agreeable, jovial, sometimes imprudent, often indiscreet, and which withal-has courage, generosity, frankness, honour-beware how you attempt to set a bridle upon its manners, lest you also subdue its virtues. If in general the character be good, what signify a few defects? It would not be difficult to restrain the women, to make laws to correct their morals, and to moderate their luxury, but who knows if we should not thereby dry up the source of the riches, and

destroy the charm, of the nation. The legis lator should follow the spirit of the people: we do nothing so well as that which we do hardily and freely. If you give an air of pedantry to a nation naturally gay, the state will gain nothing.* "Ni pour le dedans, ni pour le dehors -Laissez lui faire les choses frivoles sérieusement, et gaîment les choses sérieuses!" The maxims of Montesquieu, almost imcompatible

* "S'il y avait dans le monde une nation qui eût une humeur sociale, une ouverture de cœur, une joie dans la vie, un goût, une facilité à communiquer ses pensées; qui fût vive, agréable, enjouée, quelque fois imprudente, souvent indiscrète, et qui eût avec cela du courage, de la générosité, de la franchise, un certain point d'honneur, il ne faudrait point chercher à gêner ses manières, pour ne point gêner ses vertus: si en général le caractère est bon, qu'importe de quelques défauts qui s'y trouvent? On y pourrait contenir les femmes, faire des lois pour corriger leurs mœurs et borner leur luxe; mais qui sait si on n'y perdrait pas un certain goût qui serait la source des richesses de la nation? C'est au législateur à suivre l'esprit de la nation lorsqu'il n'est pas contraire au principe du gouvernement; car nous ne fesons rien de mieux que ce que nous fesons librement, et en suivant notre génie naturel. Qu'on donne un esprit de pédanterie à une nation naturellement gaie, l'état n'y gagnera rien, ni pour le dedans ni pour le dehors."

with change, are erroneous in one extreme; the philosophy of Bentham, with set and universal forms for every change, is equally erroneous in the other.

169

CRIME.

Let us look for the character we have remarked in the pleasures of the French in their crimes-Write to advance no dogma-M. Guerry's work-Table of crimes in each of the five districts into which he has divided France-The most singular calculation that ever yet appeared-What law, what chance, what instruction has to do with it- What influences are visible upon crime-The climate and the seasons - Influence of age, of sexMotives for crime-Natural children-SuicidesWritings of persons having committed suicideWhat M. Guerry's tables teach, always taughtReturn to investigation set out with-How far is the gallantry, the vanity, and frivolity of the French connected with their crimes?-Having spoken of the character, proceed to speak of the history of the French.

I AM arrived at a place where I would wish to cast my eye back over the chapters I have just concluded. The French, it appears, are gay, gallant, witty, vain. We have seen them in their amusements-we have followed them to the ball-room, and the guinguette, and the theatre;

VOL. I.

I