our heart the different publications of them, or concerning them, which are constantly appearing through the hands of the two spirited Parisian booksellers, Silvestre and Techener. Since we last called the attention of our readers to the subject, few interesting volumes have appeared; but we are happy to be able to say, that a number of most important works have been in preparation and are now on the eve of publication, among which we may mention in particular the Chanson de Roland, by M. Francisque Michel, and the first volume of his edition of the Chronicle of Benoit, published by the Historical Commission of the Government. Our limited space and time, this month, hinder our dwelling at such length as we could have wished on the books whose titles are given below, but we will not delay giving at least a hasty account of their contents. In the first of these works, a very pretty volume, our old friend M. Francisque Michel has added three lays to those already known, which are of great importance both in illustrating the history of that curious class of poems, and also the superstitions of our country; the scene of two of them being laid in our isle, and one of them being a tale of faery. Its preface is interesting to the man of science, in presenting to him a song of, apparently, the thirteenth century, which contains an exact and rather detailed account of the mariner's compass, as having at that time been long in use among European sailors. It tells us how the sailor, when the clouds concealed the polar star, had recourse to a needle of iron, swimming in a vessel of water by means of a bit of cork, and touched with the loadstone, the point of which invariably indicated the place of the star. We have for some time been looking forward to M. Paris's Catalogue of the French Manuscripts of the Bibliothèque du Roi. The first volume has just reached us, and much exceeds our expectations. It is, as its author says, rather a History of the Manuscripts, than a Catalogue, and is full of curious and interesting information relating to the Manuscripts and to their subjects. The present volume contains the account of the Manuscripts in large folio, which are generally splendid in execution, but of no very great value in a literary point of view; they are, however, infinitely valuable for the admirable specimens of early art which are presented to us in their illuminations. In these great folios, which were generally made for kings and princes, are found, however, one important class of the early romances. We recommend strongly this work to every one interested in the literature of past ages, and we consider it as doing much credit to its author. The third volume in our list is a collection of French poems, written by an Italian, Alione of Asti, at the end of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth centuries, published from the only complete copy of his poems, which was formerly in the library of our countryman Mr. Heber, and is now in the possession of the editor, M. Brunet, the celebrated bibliographer. The book is elegantly printed in the beautiful imitation of the early Gothic types in which several books have been lately executed. The poems are chiefly political, with the exception of two curious farces in a mixture of French and Italian. The editor has prefixed a long and learned introduction. Some of these poems are valuable for the numerous early French proverbs which they contain. One of the most curious religious legends, in many points of view, is that of the fabulous voyage of St. Brandon to visit the wonders of the ocean. It is, perhaps, a legend of too old formation to be considered as a religious legend in its origin, and has its representatives in the East, in the famous story of Sindbad the Sailor; and in Greece at a much earlier period, in the wanderings of Ulysses. In the curious volume whose title we have given, M. Jubinal has published the original Latin prose legend, an early French prose translation, and another early version in French metre. A valuable companion to this book is now in the press, a volume of metrical legends on the adventures of our Saint, in Latin and Anglo-Norman of the twelfth century, in English probably of the thirteenth century, and in two Teutonic dialects of the fourteenth century, which will be edited by Messrs. Thomas Wright and Francisque Michel and Dr. Haupt of Vienna. It will be published by M. Silvestre of Paris. Techener has lately published another of the Cycle of the Carlovingian Romances, that of Parise la Duchesse, in a form to range with his editions of Berte and Garin. We intend, however, taking an early opportunity of giving a more detailed account of it. We will only add, that we have just received the first volume of Diez's Grammatik der Romanischen Sprachen (Grammar of the Romane Tongues), which is the most profound and learned work on the Neo-Latin languages that has ever been written, and is a right worthy companion to the celebrated grammar of the German tongues by Dr. James Grimm. We are glad to hear that the death of Raynouard, whose obituary we gave last month, will not stop the progress of any of his works, as they were all completely ready for the press. The venerable and lamented scholar has left behind him his autobiography, which will forthwith be put in the press. EXTRACTS FROM NUGE METRICE. BY LORD GRENVILLE. (1824.) LYCHNIA, Epistola ad Auctorem ab Amico suo Φιλομήρω, missa de illustranda Lucernis Gallicis bibliotheca, ADDISONI olim studiis celebrata; Quamque nunc pari Literarum amore, pari suavitate Morum commendat, ΓΡΕΝΒΙΛ ἀεὶ χαρίεις, πολλοῖσι δὲ χρήμασιν ἄλλων, Δεινὸν καὶ λιπαρὸν, θάμβος μ' ἔχει εἰσορόωντα. 1 Anglice. Of the Bank payments in cash.' 2 Anglice. Lewis, or Walther. * Αλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, καὶ σφοδρῶς ἐξικετεύω, Οσσα μὲν ἀλλοτριὴς περὶ λαμπάδος οἶσθα προειπεῖν, RESPONSUM AUCTORIS. Ω φίλε, λυχνιδίων περὶ τῶν Γαλατῶν τί μ' ἐρωτᾷς, *Αλλα δ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ἐστὶν ἐν αὐλῇς ἐμῶν ἔντοσθε θυράων Anglice. The Spectator. Cur vero ejus Edibus potissimum faveri dicatur Clio norunt omnes. Huc enim spectat celeberrimum illud Epigramma :' 'You brought your Clio to the Virgin's aid.' 4 Anglice. Hall of entrance. 5 Anglice. Billiard table. * Anglice. Jacobins. 7'Melange du Singe et du Tigre.'-Voltaire. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. A few Remarks on our Foreign Policy. Ridgway. 1836. THIS is the production of a person of knowledge and observation; and is well worthy of the statesman's attention. The main point of consideration in our Foreign Policy, is the alliance we have formed with France; and the chief object of our present and future attention, is the growing ambition and the increasing power of Russia. The author questions, and we think most justly, whether our new alliance with France is such as would faithfully adhere to us in the hour of danger, and assist us in repressing the Muscovite, when his daring views were opened, and his designs sufficiently completed, to enable him to throw off the mask which now covers his skilful and intriguing diplomacy. We agree with the author in considering our alliance with France as by no means a natural one, and therefore not to be considered safe or permanent. It is simply a political alliance, and that pro tempore. Nothing, that we know of, has arisen to change the relative situation of the two hitherto rival nations. As far as history extends, they have always regarded each other with a jealous eye, and met each other with a most hostile hand. The same motives exist-the same interests-the same antipathies. There is no commercial dealing between them; there is no alliance shown in the supply of their mutual wants: the columns of England's commercial ledger, and the books of the Custom-house, with France are but thinly filled; that of France with England is a blank. It is an alliance on paper; an alliance of diplomatists, gazettes, public meetings frothed up in the reeking vapour of declamations for liberty. But there is no reciprocity of regard among the people; our habits, our feelings are as remote as ever; it is a forced and unnatural marriage between the Briton and the Gaul. But the author, in common with persons of sagacity and statesmanlike knowledge, looks with suspicion and distrust on the designs of Russia, and easts his eyes around Europe in order GENT. MAG. VOL. VII. to discover in such a crisis, as an attack on England by that power, where we should look for Allies who would be bound to us by the only strong and real tie-a community of interest. Besides Portugal, Spain, and Holland, he regards the Germanic States as our friends; and this leads him to a very interesting discussion on the situation and feelings of the inhabitants of Hungary; who, he considers, form our frontier garrison against that gigantic enemy. We have before had occasion to express our opinion on this subject. Whatever may really be the designs Russia, and whatever her ability to put these plans of aggrandisement in execution, we think the greatest obstacle to her progress, will be found in the growing liberties and intelligence of Europe, in which the subjects of her own empire must partake. It is absurd to speculate on the chances of military combinations, when one half of Europe shall be arrayed against the other; but, before Russia is rich enough to collect, combine, and pour forth her destroying legions over the civilized world, much time must still elapse, and every year, we think, is the united family of Europe, a strongraising, in the growing intelligence of compacted mound against her mighty billows. Civil power is every day rising over military; opinion is overcoming force; and the interest of the people is stronger than the will of the ruler. line, should have also not forgotten to hint the necessity of paying them; for while our ambassadors have had salaries of useless splendour and extent, the junior attendants and aspirants have been so much neglected, that it proverbially is considered the most unprofitable line for a young man of education to pursue. Perhaps if the situation of our consuls was so improved, as to induce men of high intelligence and education to accept the situations, little else would be wanted. Our author has not, in his consideration of our foreign policy, taken our relations with America into his view, though hardly to be overlooked; and connecting themselves more every day with the interests of Europe. Nor has he considered how far the circumstances connected with our insular situation are altered or affected by the light and airy bridge which steam-navigation has thrown across the Channel. We are also hardly inclined to agree with him in his observations that, while the conquests of Russia have been formed on a regular system of acquisition, our's have had no basis or plan to rest upon. It may appear so at first sight; but is it true? The territorial additions of Russia have been necessarily continental and nearer home; our's, of equal necessity, more distant and separated, but not of necessity less useful or less judiciously made. We must consider our foreign possessions as a chain of commercial stations:-Gibraltar, Malta, the Ionian Islands, protect us in the Mediterranean; St. Helena, the Cape, the Mauritius, secure our navigation to India? In our connection with America, the Canadas are of great importance; and who will deny the necessity of preserving our West India islands? or the future advantage we may derive from our Polynesian possessions? So that we really cannot acknowledge the justice of this observation. We consider them of far more use than a frontier extending to the Wall of China, or the Aleutian islands, and the frozen wilds of Siberia. We strongly recommend this pamphlet to the attention of our readers; we are totally ignorant of the author's name; but this work is recommended by its sterling sense and its sound reasoning. To attempt to abridge it, THERE are evils and abuses in the social fabric, which possess a kind of self-correcting power, and which are set right either by the general feeling of society, or by their coming, as it were, naturally to an end; what is right and good so far preponderating, that the evil at length gives way and ceases to exist. But though it be true, to its fullest extent, that crime will be its own punishment, that evil will come to an end, and error be in time rectified; yet the misery that may be endured in the interim, may be so great and so pernicious, as to call for some interference either to accelerate the return of good, or at once to put a stop to the mischief. With this feeling, the voice of the country at once relieved the poor exiles of Africa from the yoke of their task-masters; in this way, as a learned Bishop says in one of his charges, the Legislature interfered to raise poor Curates' salaries at once, when it would have taken perhaps centuries of years, and folios of eontroversial pamphlets, before their Rectors would have felt the justice of such a bold and novel proceeding. In this way, a humane and Christian Legislature has made a law to punish cruelty exercised by brutish and bestial tyrants, on the gentle and half-reasoning animals, who toil for them without murmuring, and suffer without retaliation. There are cases undoubtedly which find Time too slow, and Opinion too weak: men must be urged, provoked, stimulated to feelings of justice and acts of virtue; the film must be removed from their eyes, and they must be told, that the love of gain and the hastening to be rich, that the lust of the flesh, and the desire of the eye, have blinded them to all the finer sense of duty, and to the kind and thoughtful charities of life; and that the happiness of his fellow-creatures is not safe, in the hands of one who considers his own to be linked to the augmentation of that wealth, which their labours are to create. |