year

M. de Grimm, it is true, was a foreigner by birth, and may be accused of entertaining some native prejudices against the poetry of his adopted country; yet the tendency of Madame de Staël's criticisms on the respective characters of the French and German drama undoubtedly goes to confirm the judgment here recorded. On another point, of still greater importance, her opinions, and those of the Baron tend to strengthen each other; the character and composition of Parisian society, the principles of which are, we imagine, very much the same at this day as they were in the 1764. In the theatrical season of that year, a comedy was produced, entitled 'Le Cercle, ou la Soirée à la mode,' which the Baron calls Un tableau assez vrai du désœuvrement, de l'ennui, de la frivolité des gens du monde et de la plupart des cercles de Paris.' After giving a pretty full account of this piece, the production of a M. Poinsinet (otherwise distinguished as the individual in whose person originated the practice since so fashionable in the best company of Paris, under the title of mystification,hoaxing,*) M. de Grimm introduces the following observations:

Supposé que, suivant les désirs de M. Poinsinet, sa petite comédie aille à la postérité, qu'elle soit en état de l'entendre parfaitement, ce qui n'est pas aisé lorsque le sel et la finesse consistent dans le ton, on peut croire qu'elle s'enquérer avec quelque curiosité, si ces mœurs ont été réellement les mœurs d'une grande et illustre nation, puisque enfin toutes les comédies du tems l'ont ainsi représentée; si les femmes, en général, aux intrigues et à la galanterie près, passaient leur vie dans ce désœuvrement, dans cet abandon de tout sentiment quelconque, comme Araminte, Cidalise, et Ismène; si enfin la jeunesse distinguée parla la naissance et par les autres avantages de la fortune, ressemblait, par son oisiveté, son ignorance et sa dégradation, à ce jeune marquis, ou à ce Lisidor empesé et pédant dont l'auteur à compté faire l'homme estimable de sa pièce ou enfin à cet abbé mignon de M. Poinsinet. Il faut espérer que les curieux d'alors pourront se répondre que ces mœurs ont été en effet celles d'une génération aussi courte que frivole, dont les traverse ont été réparés par des siècles de vertus; car, si de telles mœurs eussent duré plusieurs générations de suite, l'histoire apprendrait sans doute en même tems aux curieux des siècles à venir les funestes influences que leur durée aurait eues sur la gloire et la splendeur d'une telle nation.

The prophetic tone of the last sentence is not a little remarkable; and the whole passage recalls forcibly what we have advanced on former occasions, and are more than ever inclined to

This unfortunate gentleman was persuaded by some of his friends that the King of Prussia wished to commit to his care the education of the Prince Royal, only requiring his previous change of faith. This innocent pleasantry took full effect. Poinsinet actually pronounced an abjuration of the Catholic religion before one of the confederates who acted the part of a Lutheran pastor, and it was several months be fore they suffered him to be undeceived.

maintain respecting the general frivolity and heartlessness of Parisian society. We know that all such assertions expose those who make them to the common imputations of ignorance and prejudice; and we are fully aware that the fashionable society of all great capitals do, and necessarily must partake, in a greater or less degree, of the vices attributed to those of the French metropolis. But we are at the same time firmly convinced that nowhere else is society so deeply and generally impregnated with these corruptions, and that, in London particularly, their contamination is confined to a narrow and exclusive circle. It is, further, a fixed and rooted article of our faith, that, as the degradation of manners tends irresistibly, and with a most accelerated progress, to the destruction of national glory and consequence, (an event which we have just seen, was predicted, and has been fatally accomplished in the French nation,) so the blind admiration which a few (and, we are happy to believe, only a few) individuals among ourselves profess to entertain for the modes and customs of Parisian society is, of all sentiments, the most unworthy of an Englishman, the most repugnant to all who have the welfare and happiness of their country truly at heart. To have imbibed the fanaticism of the Revolution, to have watched with pleasure and exultation the progress of the republican armies, to have fallen at the feet of the Corsican, and acknowledged the invincibility of God's Vicegerent, nothing of all this argues, to our minds, a more complete absence of all sound principles of patriotism, than to court and extol the showy refinements and intrinsic worthlessness of the Parisian fashionable character.

The grand quarrel of Jean Jaques ('cet éloquent et bilieux adversaire des sciences') with the French academy of music gives rise to some amusing speculations, and the apprehensions entertained by the citoyen of being banished for the freedom of his expressions on this momentous subject, do not appear to be considered by our journalist as altogether extravagant or unreasonable. "Il auroit été plaisant devoir le citoyen de Genève, l'ennemi des arts, prendre son bâton et sortir de Paris en secouant la poussière de ses pieds, pour avoir prêché l'évangile de la musique italienne.' After summing up the outrages on common sense committed by this strange being in his famous Discours on the Arts and Sciences, all this, he adds, would have been forgotten or forgiven.

'Mais il a combattu la musique française, et avec des raisons trop bonnes, trop fortes, et qui paraissent sans répliqué. Voilà un tort qui ne sera jamais oublié. Il a pensé avoir une lettre de cachet il a été brûlé en effigie par les musiciens de l'orchestre de l'Opéra. Jamais on n'a vu tant de chaleur et tant d'emportement pour si peu de chose. M. Marmontel a fait ces quatre vers à ce sujet :

A Rousseau qui répondra?
Le public par des murmures,
Les polissons par des injures,
Et Rameau par un opéra.'

Poor Fréron, who is represented as being at the head of the conspirators against Rousseau on this occasion, comes in for the share of abuse he is sure to receive from all the adherents of the philosophical school. C'est le roi de ces insectes importuns dont parle M. Diderot dans l'interprétation de la nature, qui passent les instans de leur existence éphémère à troubler l'homme dans ses travaux et dans son repos.'

On the subject of the famous quarrel between Voltaire and Beaumelle, our journalist writes with a great deal of proper warmth and feeling. If by the sacrifice of ten years of my life I could efface the very remembrance of the scandalous quarrels of men of letters, and especially of this man whose talents entitle him to the bighest rank among them, I should think that I had not lived in vain for the glory and happiness of human nature.'

Among the theatrical bons mots, or rather those of the parterre, we stumble on one that is not amiss. An extremely ugly actor happened to play the part of Varus on the first representation of Voltaire's Hérode et Mariamne. When his confident says to him,

'Vous vous troublez, seigneur, et changez de visage.

one of the pit critics cried out 'Laissez-le faire.'

Le Kain played the part of Herod, and the resemblance of name to that of the performer who has of late occupied the public attention in our own country, added perhaps to the feeling of curiosity with which we turned to the criticisms on this prince of French tragedians. Cet acteur supplée par un talent supérieur tout ce qui lui manque du côté de la figure et de la voix; il entraîne toujours : son grand défaut, et dont il paraît contracter l'habitude de jour en jour davantage, est de trop raisonner son rôle, d'en vouloir faire sentir tous les vers, tous les mots même.' But, from later passages in the Correspondence, one or two of which have been cited already, it will appear that the unfavourable part of this opinion did not always maintain its ground, and there is assuredly no reason that the most minute attention to particular modes of expression and action should be at all inconsistent with a grand general conception of the character to be represented.

The number for February, 1757, contains an account of the death of the celebrated Fontenelle, and some particulars of his life and character, of which we can select only a few slight sketches. Born, as we are assured, without genius, he is nevertheless represented as having possessed a remarkable influence on the character of the age, principally as the first promoter of that philosophical

spirit so widely extended and generally diffused at the period of his death, and also as the father of that brilliant, ingenious, and flowery style' which met many execrable copyists in his own time, and has infected almost all the French writers since his death. As a philosopher, he was among the most eminent of the disciples of Descartes; and if any thing, says our author, can save him from the oblivion into which the apostles of every temporary faith must sooner or later fall, it is the real merit of having been the first to render philosophy popular among his countrymen. This he is said to have accomplished by his Plurality of Worlds and History of Oracles, works in which les gens du monde alors si ignorans et si bornés, les femmes même dont les goûts et les occupations ont une si grande influence dans ce qui concerne l'esprit et les mœurs des français, ont puisé les principes d'une philosophie saine et éclairée.' As for his style, it is observed that if his opinions and those of M. de la Mothe had prevailed over the better feelings of nature,

'C'en était fait de notre goût, nous aurions vu renaître le siècle des Voiture et d'autres écrivains plus minces encore. Nous aurions bientot ressemblé à ces enfans qui troqueraient volentiers l'Hercule Farnèse ou la Venus de Médicis contre une poupée de nos boutiques de la rue Saint Honoré.'-' Heureusement,' adds the journalist, 'la philosophie facile et populaire de M. de Voltaire, son style simple, naturel, et original à la fois, le charme inexprimable de son coloris, nos ont bientôt fait mépriser tous ces tours épigrammatiques, cette précision louche et ces beautés mesquines auxquels des copistes sans goût avaient procuré une vogue passagère.'

We wish that this remark could be correctly applied to the French writers of the present day. But the false, flowery, epigrammatic style is, we believe, too congenial to the French disposition to be parted with so easily; and the influence even of such powers as Voltaire's will cease to be felt, while le grand Corneille' will never want hosts of admirers like Fontenelle, who will make the radical faults of his genius the objects of their imitation, perhaps even unknown to themselves.

Of the pesonal character of Fontenelle little advantageous is said. The extraordinary placidity of temper which must be considered as the principal constitutional cause of his very long life and the preservation of his faculties to its close, was too nearly allied to utter insensibility, not to be the subject of contempt and aversion rather than admiration.* They said of him, and said truly, that he never either laughed or cried.'

* We do not know whether an inquiry has ever been instituted into the causes of the extraordinary longevity of Parisian beaux-esprits and men of letters, which appears to

'Il ne connaissait point le tumulte des passions, les émotions violentes, ni tous ces mouvemens impétueux dont les plus grands hommes sont souvent maîtrisés; mais aussi son cœur froid et stérile n'avait jamais senti le pouvoir enchanteur de la beauté, les impressions vives et délicates de la vertu, ni le charme et la douceur de l'amitié. Quand avec ces dispositions on observe religieusement les lois de la société, de l'honneur et de la bienséance publique, on est exempt de reproche, mais on ne'en est pas moins digne de pitié. Milord Hyde, homme de beaucoup de mérite, qui de son cabinet de Paris a dirigé quelque temps la Chambre Basse de Londres, et qui est mort ici d'une chute de cheval à un age peu avancé. disait, à propos de la longue carrière de M. de Fontenelle, que pour lui il vivait ses cent ans dans un quart d'heure. Beau mot, qui prouve si bien les avantages d'une ame sensible sur un cœur qui ne sent rien. Il est difficile de vivre beaucoup de temps dans unquart d'heure quand en n'aime que l'épigramme.'

He was never affected by painting, music, or any of the illusions of art.

M. Diderot l'ayant vu, il y a deux ou trois ans, pour la première fois de sa vie, ne put s'empêcher de verser quelques larmes sur la vanité de la gloire littéraire et des choses humaines. M. de Fontenelle s'en apperçut et lui demanda compte de ses pleurs. J'éprouve, lui répondit M. Diderot, un sentiment singulier. Au mot de sentiment, M. de Fontenelle l'arrêta et lui dit en souriant; Monsieur, il y a quatrevingt ans que j'ai relégué le sentiment dans l'églogué. Réponse trèspropre à sécher les larmes que l'amour de l'humanité et la tendresse d'un cœur sensible faisaient couler !'

A bon mot of Madame de Geoffrin's is recorded, descriptive of the passive temperament of this philosopher, who used to boast that he never willingly asked a favour of any man, and of whom it may be added that he never spontaneously did a kindness to any. This lady said that there was but one way to make him perform an act of friendship or benevolence, and that was to order him to do it. He had never any answer to give to il faut.

Fontenelle was excessively fond of asparagus, particularly when dressed with oil. His friend the Abbé Terrasson liked it better with butter. One day the Abbé asked his friend to dine with him, which the other accepted upon a special agreement that half the dish of asparagus should be prepared according to his own system us, from the obituary contained in these volumes, to be a fact established beyond controversy. Besides Fontenelle, who told a complete century from his birth, the names of Crébillon, Moncrif, Astruc, Henoult, Olivet, Mirabaud, and others of less notoriety, occur within the space of four or five years, each measuring a space of about ninety years on the average. The water drinkers will ascribe it to temperance, and doubtless this may have its effect, though mental qualities are also, we suspect, entitled to come in for their share; and there are no better guardians of life and health than an imperturbable self-complacency and a succession of occupation which amuses, without any wear and tear of the passions.