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"The emperor first made a long pause. It [bellious hearts, and overcame the most preju was easily seen that he was absorbed by the diced. It may be truly said, that he conquered workings of his mind. In spite of himself, his with the word as with the sword.

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head fell upon his bosom, and he instinctively "In his genius there was oriental pomp cut with his penknife pens, papers, and table-combined with mathematic precision. cover. At length, starting as from a dream, His eloquence, which to him was not a he exclaimed: studied accomplishment, but a means of com"The Bavarians! the Bavarians! I rode mand, could adapt itself to all times and cirover them; I have killed Wrede. * Invasion is cumstances. To the soldiers, men of the peogaining ground, and there is not a moment to lose. Well, gentlemen! what do you intend to do? what have you to say to me?'

"Sire,' replied Regnault de Saint-Jean d'Augely, you may rely upon the valour of the Dutch.'

"The Dutch! do you really think I place any dependence upon them? It is not blood, but coloured water that runs in their veins.'

"But addresses, Sire, are coming from all parts of the empire, and all the public bodies attest their fidelity and devotion to your Majesty.'

ple, he spoke the language of the people, ever fond of amplification, of recollections, and of emotions. To the learned he spoke of science; and he corrected with the clerks, in the public offices, statistical tables loaded with figures. At the council he drew up laws with Treilhard, Merlin, Beranger, and Portalis.

"He was fond of exciting discussion among the counsellors. He stimulated them to argument, either because this was the image of his favourite science, war, or because he would elicit the sparks of truth from the concussion of debate. He himself sometimes skirmished "What are you saying, Monsieur Regnault? with Treilhard, an obstinate and formidable Do you think I don't know how such addresses dialectician, who stuck closely to his imperial are got up, and what they are worth? Do I antagonist. The emperor used to say that a give credence to them? I want men and victory over Treilhard cost him more trouble money, and not fine sentences. You, gentle- than winning a battle. men, are eminent citizens, fathers of families, and fathers of the state. It is, therefore, your place to command the public opinion by the eloquence of your exhortations; it is for you to prevent the shame and misery of an invasion, which threatens the empire.'

"But these words came too late. The empire was tottering to its very foundations, and when epochs are marked out by Providence, governments and people, in spite of their genius, must follow their destiny and sink into the tomb; for this is no more than the logical conclusion of their errors.

"His style of argumentation was quick, precipitate, and overpowering; without connexion or method, but natural, and full of genius. He threw forth clouds of flame and smoke. Al though he had not studied law, he guessed it; and lawyers were wonder-struck at the depth of his reasoning, and the ingenious sagacity of his interpretations.

"Endowed by nature with an incredible power of attention, he could, without the least effort, pass from a discussion of civil and poli tical jurisprudence, to the minute details of an equipment order for the navy, or a regulation "If Napoleon perished so completely, it is for the army contractors for bread. Neither because he constituted in himself his renown, time nor matter could satiate the devouring ac his dynasty, and his empire. Who would not tivity of his genius. On leaving a council of have bowed their heads before his superiority? ministers, he would proceed to the council of and who did not feel, on approaching him, the state, and attend afterwards the Committee of Public Works. Whilst the counsellors of charm of his all-powerful fascination? There was no servility in this obedience to him, be-state, tired and overcome, could not resist the cause it was voluntary; it was irresistible, powers of sleep, it seemed to him an excellent and amounted sometimes even to passion. You joke to prolong the sitting of the council till were never tired of looking upon that broad night. He felt neither hunger nor fatigue; and pensive forehead, which enclosed the des- his indomitable will seemed to govern his constitution as it did every thing else. tiny of nations; but you could not encounter his irresistible eye, which searched into the secrets of your innermost soul. All other menemperors, kings, generals, ministers-in his presence, appeared beings of an inferior and EXTREMES of every kind border on esch vulgar species. There was command in the other; and as the devotion of the Knights of very sound of his voice, and yet a sweetness, Chivalry degenerated into superstition, the nay, a tenderness-a sort of Italian persuasive- Platonic refinements and subtilties of amorous ness, which set your nerves vibrating. It was passion which they professed were sometimes by this inconceivable mixture of grace and compatible with very coarse and gross debauch****** The romance of Tirante strength, of simplicity and splendour, of single-ery. heartedness and superiority, of exquisite tact the White, praised by Cervantes as a faithful and abruptness, that he subjugated the most re-picture of the knights and ladies of his age, seems to have been written in an actual brothel, and, contrasted with others, may lead us to sus

*He believed this to be the case.

SIR WALTER SCOTT ON CHIVALRY

GENIUS OF AN AUCTIONEER.

pect that their purity is that of romance, its profligacy that of reality. This license was greatly increased by the crusades, from which at Horncastle, the portrait of Archibald, Duke Ar the sale of paintings on the 10th instant, the survivors of these wild expeditions brought of Argyle, by Ramsay, was offered, and in anback the corrupted morals of the East to avenge swer to an inquiry how a small injury to the the injuries they had inflicted on its inhabitants. canvass had happened, the auctioneer related ****** Indeed, the gross license which the following anecdote:-The portrait had been was practised during the middle ages may be hung in a bedroom, which was on one occawell estimated by the vulgar and obscene lan-sion occupied by a female domestic; the girl, guage that was currently used in tales and fic-fancying that the Duke of Argyle eyed her too tions addressed to the young and noble of both closely whilst she was dressing, became indigsexes. In the romance of the Round Table, as nant, and seizing a poker ained a blow with Ascham sternly states, little was to be learned the intent of putting the Duke's eye out; the bat examples of homicide and adultery, although poker missed the eye, but perforated the canhe had himself seen it admitted to the anti-vass close to the face.-Stamford News. chamber of princes, when it was held a crime but to be possessed of the word of God. In the romance of Amadis de Gaul, and many others, the heroines, without censure or imputation, Miss Martineau, punctual as the day, graces confer on their lovers the rights of a husband, the first of the month with the History of the before the ceremony of the church gave them firm of Vanderput and Snoek, merchants of a title to the name. These are serious narra- Amsterdam. The object of this month's Illustions, in which decorum, at least, is rarely vio-tration is the History of a Bill of Exchange. lated; but the comic tales are of a grosser cast. The "exchange," that most mysterious of all The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer contain mercantile processes, is expounded with Miss many narratives, of which not only the diction Martineau's usual clearness. Had Miss Marbut the whole turn of the narrative is extremely tineau written nothing better than this, we gross. Yet it does not seem to have occurred to the author, a man of rank and fashion, that they were improper to be recited, either in the presence of the prioress and her votaries, or in that of the noble knight, who

From the Spectator.

should have been loud in its praise: as it is, we shall only say, that the History and the Illustration play well into each other's hands, and that neither throws the other into the shade, as occurs in some others of her very admirable works.

of his port was meek, as is a maid, And never yet no villany he said. To the Tales of the Covenanters, by Robert Pollok, the author of the Course of Time, we And he makes but a light apology for including turned with some expectations, founded on the the disasters of the Miller of Trompington, or reputation of its lamented author. The Tales of Absalom the Gentle Clerk, in the same series of the Covenanters are in point of fact a volume of narrations with the Knight's Tale. Many of sermons, written in exposition of a view of of Bandella's most profligate novels are ex-religion which prevails in Scotland, but which pressly dedicated to females of rank and con- we think required no aid from fiction, and will sideration; and, to conclude, the Fabliaux, pub- scarcely be thankful for illustration derived lished by Barbazan and Le Grand, are frequently from such a source. Occasionally, however, as revolting, from their naked grossness, as in- the poet and the lover of nature shine through. teresting from the lively pictnres they present of life and manners. Yet these were the choMemoirs of Dr. Priestley, the Centenary sen literary pastimes of the fair and the gay interesting little autobiography, as continued edition, is a reprint of the philosopher's most during the times of chivalry, listened to, we cannot but suppose, with an interest consider- by his son Joseph Priestley, formerly of Philaably superior to that exhibited by the yawning delphia, now resident in England.

audience who heard the theses attacked and The American Criticisms on Mrs. Trolsupported in logical form and with metaphysi- lope's Domestic Manners of the Americans cal subtilty. Should the manners of the times have been republished here, in a collected appear inconsistent in these respects which we form. They are very little creditable to the have noticed, we must remember that we are style, ability, or good sense of our Transatlanourselves variable and inconsistent animals, and tic brethren. The Review answering to our that, perhaps, the surest mode of introducing Quarterly takes Mrs. TROLLOPE as a repreand encouraging any particular vice, is to rank sentative of her countrymen; and, because she the corresponding virtue at a pitch unnatural abuses or ridicules America, he tries to do the in itself, and beyond the ordinary attainment same for England,--and most clumsy is his atof humanity. The vows of celibacy introduced tempt. He observes, that Cincinnati may be profligacy among the catholic clergy, as the a very good place, though it has "no places high-flown and overstrained Platonism of the like Almack's, of easy lounge, unblushing professors of chivalry favoured the increase of lust, and fearless larceny." The North Amerilicense and debauchery.-From the Encyclo- can, pretty much in the same spirit, does not pædia Britannia. jeer or sneer at England itself, but plays off

the Anti-British and satirical portions of Prince | fortune. The best thing for the moment, cerPUCKLER MUSKAU against the allegations of tainly, would be for a well-supplied ship to the TROLLOPE School upon Yankee-land. The heave in sight, and administer to all their prewrath of these personages almost exalts the sent wants; and this is, perhaps, all that an gossip of Mother TROLLOPE and the washer-ignorant person would think of: were he also women of Cincinnati into importance. conceited, he might ridicule the coldness of

We formerly mentioned that the Poetry of science, that will not instantly clothe the naked or feed the hungry. Sir Walter Scott was about to be published in twelve volumes, uniform with the Waverley Why is Political Economy called cold? Novels. The first is before us. The series would it be any better if it were hot. The commences with the Ancient Ballads, Sir science of public wealth is yet but very imWalter's earliest considerable publication in perfectly understood: the subject matter is verse; and which, in point of fact, contained vastly complicated; and the truth is, the calcuthe germ of all he wrote subsequently. Until lations applied to it have not hitherto been cold a late period, Sir Walter kept an interleaved enough.—Spectator. copy of his Border Minstrelsy, and inserted such anecdotes and illustrations as occurred to him. From this copy the present edition is published. The editor, Mr. Lockhart, has added other notes, chiefly extracted from the private correspondence of Sir Walter, now in

Mr. Lockhart's hands.

THE COLDNESS OF POLITICAL

ECONOMY.

IRISH ASSIGNMENT.

An Irish milkman was brought up to take the benefit of the Lord's Act. He was suspected of concealing his property, having given no schedule, though he was known at a not very distant period to have possessed some. He was asked by the counsel who opposed him, whether he had not some property, which he had omitted to insert in his schedule! "The devil a bit of property," says he, "have "It was only a year ago, that the House I at all at all." "Why, what's become of heard that thousands of the people of Ireland your furniture and your cows? Cows you were obliged to go on the sea-shore, and pick were known to have, as you sold milk.” “Yes, up the sea-weed for food. Were those suf- I had," says he; "but I have none now." fering beings, who could scarcely stand up in Why, what have you done with them ?" "I the attitude of human beings, to be driven to have sign'd away every thing I had." appeal to the cold calculations of political have you assigned them?" 66 I have made my economy?"-Mr. D. W. Harvey's Speech on will, and given them all away.” "What, are Mr. Richards's proposal of Poor-Laws for you dead, man?" said the judge. "No, please your honour," says Pat; "but I soon will, if you take away every thing I have to live on from me." He refused to make any assignment or schedule, and was remanded.

Ireland.

A CONSCIENTIOUS JUDGE.

"How

A defectin education occurring in the case of an ingenious and in other respects able man, in some circumstances becomes in the highest degree mischievous. If such persons would be ignorant and silent at the same time, there would be no harm done; but, unfortunately, conceit is too frequently the companion of After his death, the following anecdote was partial ability; and envy also, of those who circulated of Mr. Justice Lawrence. A cause excel in the department they fail in, is too often had been tried before him at York, in which found in the same society. he had summed up to the jury to find a verdict Mr. Harvey speaks with contempt of the for the defendant, which they accordingly did. "cold calculations of Political Economy," be- On further consideration, it appeared to him cause this science will not fill the stomachs of that he had mistaken the law. A verdict hava hungry population with a miraculous supply ing been recorded against the plaintiff, he had of loaves and fishes. Suppose a vessel at sea, no redress; but it was said that Mr. Justice tossed about the ocean without compass, or the Lawrence left him by his will a sum sufficient means of making an observation; the naviga- to indemnify him for his loss. This I give tors consequently ignorant where they were, merely as a report, and give it willingly, as or where to steer, with death by famine and honourable to the memory of one of the most shipwreck staring the unhappy crew in the able, most independent, and most dignified of face: what would be said of a passenger who the judges who filled a judicial seat in my should begin to sneer at the cold calculations day.

of astronomy? True, lunar observations will not fill the belly or replenish the water-casks; but, in the first place, had these cold calculations been properly made, they would have prevented the occurrence of distress; and, secondly, they are the best means of obviating the recurrence or the continuation of the mis

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