A love-story soon presents itself; and the journal improves (as Charles very rightly conjectured it would) with the melancholy history of the beautiful Susette; who is dismissed from her father's protection for a fault perhaps unpardonable, but certainly not so unnatural as the conduct of her parent who, in consequence of her frailty, abandons for ever his only child. We must not, however, give too much attention (partial as we are to beauty) to this picture. Le Vaut-rien is another equally interesting; the mournful incidents of his life, it seems, were derived from his parents conceiving an aversion to him because he was born with red hair; and Le Vaut-rien (the good for nothing) owed this disgraceful name, with ten thousand calamities, to the fatal influence of these ruddy locks. The character of the artful Julia is the best sketch of the painter; in which the triumph of vice over virtue, and of virtue over vice, with the struggles between ambition and love, are touches of an animated and ingenious pencil. In the picture of the school, we are amused by the master's whimsical method of classing his scholars according to the impression which his ideas receive from their infantine physiognomy; and we smile at the conceit of aquiline noses being characteristics of distinguished birth, seldom to be found among the vulgar. In taking leave of this journalist, we must acknowlege that we have been much amused with many parts of his narrative: but we cannot close our remaks without a hint of congratu lation to our fair countrywomen, that they have not German despots for parents. If the national character of the German father be accurately portrayed in the features of Le grand Bailli, and in those of my Uncle (who is a very bad copy of Uncle Toby), our English wives and daughters may bless those kind stars which were the ascendants at their birth, and commanded it to be on this side of the Northern Ocean. Mrs Mo-y. ART. XVII. Mémoires Historiques, &c. i. e. Historical Memoirs of THE racter which belonged to the first circles, and which for some time enjoyed the highest favour of the late Queen of France, during the most brilliant period of the court of Ver sailles. The last two are chiefly occupied in repeating the wearisome tale of the revolution; and here its gloomy aspects M m 3 and and forbidding traits are alone exhibited: it is represented as an event originating in private hatred and malice; and as carried on by fraud, usurpation, and every unworthy art, for the most detestable purpose, that of dethroning a virtuous Prince, in order to substitute in his place an odious monster. Had not d'Orléans been the most cowardly of men, (or, as Mirabeau, after his secession from him, expressed it, lâche comme un laquais,) the supreme power would have been early lodged in his hands, and the good Monarch would sooner have been dethroned, or have fallen a victim to violence. If, as a politician, this fair biographer of Madame de Lamballe be partial, she appears everywhere amiable; if her sensibility be rouzed by fallen greatness, her heart sympathizes with the distresses of the poor; if the fall and captivity of the descendant of a long race of monarchs affect her, she describes with heartfelt glow the charitable acts of her heroine, and the beneficient deeds of the good Duc de Penthièvre; and if she censures the public conduct of the leaders of the revolu tion, she is not reluctant in doing justice to the talents of some, and to the virtues of others. She admits the great abilities of Mirabeau, and vindicates Necker and La Fayette from several calumnies; and though she laments many of their measures, she will not pronounce on their motives, but leaves them to be judged by posterity. She regrets that Bailly was drawn into the transactions of the time, does justice to his high scientific and literary merits, and weeps over his fate. When speaking of d'Orléans, however, language seems inadequate to the expression of her detestation: had it not been for him, she thinks, the King and the Assembly would at length have understood one another; unparalleled horrors would never have happened; streams of blood, which have polluted and hardened the age, would never have flown; the world would have been spared a million of calamities; and France would have become a free and happy country. The work commences with an account of the connection between the House of Savoy and the reigning family of France, and with a lively sketch of the character of the first Charles Emanuel.The father of the unfortunate heroine of these pages, the Prince de Carignan, held at the court of Turin the same rank which the Duke of Orleans held in France. The beauty and vivacity of Mademoiselle de Carignan induced her parents to destine her for the French court; and her Sovereign, also, hoping As no intimation is given to the contrary, we suppose that the memoirs are written by Mme. GuĖNARD, who avows herself to be the publisher. that that by her means his daughters might be married to the younger grandsons of Louis the XV. acceded to the plan, and instructed his ambassadors to promote it. The Duke de Penthievre, consulting the King respecting a proper wife for his son, the Prince de Lamballe, his Majesty recommended Mlle. de Carignan; the proposal was approved, the proper steps were taken, and the match was concluded accordingly. The state of the French court, and the characters of those who made the principal figure in it at the period of the Princess de Lamballe's arrival in France, are well described. The Princess for a short time deemed her new connection a happy one, as her husband was of a good disposition, appeared fond of her, and treated her kindly. Unfortunately, however, he had been connected with the Duc de Chartres, afterward d'Orléans, and had shared in all his excesses; and he had not been many months under the ties of wedlock, before his old habits recurred with additional force: he now became inseparable from his former profligate associate, and neglectedhis wife; while a disease, the consequence of his vices, arrested his career, and baffled medical skill; and this unhappy Prince, the heir of vast domains, now a prey to remorse and to excruciating pain, was forced to look to death as the only end of his sufferings. The behaviour of the Princess is described as most tender and affectionate.-The author insinuates that the Duke de Chartres, intending to marry Mademoiselle de Penthièvre, (which he afterward accomplished,) led her only brother into fatal excesses, with the design of succeeding, in right of his wife, to the immense possessions of her house. It seems, however, that this surmise was never made till subsequent events had developed the character of that monster. We apply this harsh name to a man whose actions seem to have obtained it from het by general consent; yet that he was not always— "Monstrum nullâ virtute redemptum A vitiis," is proved by two traits recorded by the present biographer, and which the love of justice even to the worst of characters induces us to copy: The Prince, one day, finding his carriage interrupted by a crowd in a narrow street, inquired into the cause of the ass blage, and was thus addressed by a venerable aged person: "An honest tradesman has given credit to several persons who have neglected to pay him, and he therefore is unable to take up a bill drawn upon him. His creditor has seized every thing, notwithstanding that his wife has been only two days delivered of her sixth child; and the crowd only amuse themselves with gazing at the sight, without being dis posed to lend the sufferer any relief." The Duke, on hearing this, leaped out of his carriage, and forced his way through the crowd till M m 4 he for him ; he reached the officer of justice, who did not know him. He ordered him to proceed no farther:-" On what ground?" said the evil genius, my authority is legal, and nothing can hinder me from acting on it."-" I will hinder you effectually."-" Will you? we shall see. No violence, or I will inform against you." "I don't believe it but let us finish, and away with you."—" You joke, I fancy."" No, I am in earnest; give me some paper."" For what purpose?"-" You shall see," said the Prince; and he drew a bill for six hundred francs on his treasurer, and gave it to the officer, who became confounded at the signature; while the Duke mounted his carriage, and drove from the spot at full speed.' Another time, as he was going to his seat at Mousseau, he saw a man standing at the threshold of his little hut, and weeping; he went up to him, and asked what was the matter with him?" Alas! Sir, my wife is just brought to bed, and we are so poor that no one will be god-father to my child."" Is that all replied the Prince, "I will." He then desired the father to shew the way, entered the house, and beheld a woman lying on a wretched bed, surrounded by four or five little children, who looked as wan as herself, with the new born infant at her breast, and a poor old woman, her mother, attending upon her ;-" Come, my good woman, (said the Duke,) let us take the little infant, and let us go and give it a name." The old woman, astonished that so fine a gentleman should become the godfather of her grandchild, took it up in her arms, and crossed the court with her son-in-law and the Duke, who left the hut last, and who laid on the chimney piece 25 louis; he then called a hackney coach, drove to the church with the husband and the grandmother, whispered in a low tone his name and quality to the clergyman, named the infant, signed the register, and quitted the church before the poor persons had time to learn from the signature, that it was the Duke de Chartres who had held the poor infant to the font, and who afterward continued his kindness to his godson.' A curious account is given of the intrigues, which at this time were carried on by different courtiers, in order to get into their hands the management of the indolent monarch Louis the XVth. The Noailles family placed Madame de Lamballe in his Majesty's way, in the hope that her charms would raise her to the throne; and the scheme would in all probability have succeeded, had it not been defeated by counterplots :-the minister Choiseul made Louis enamoured with the plan of a marriage between the Dauphin and an Archduchess of Austria, as leading to a perpetual peace, the favourite object the king while the Duke de Richelieu threw a mistress in his way, Mademoiselle l'Ange, afterward Countess Dubarry, and defeated both the scheme of the Noailles and the object (though not the plan) of Choiseul; for, though the Archduchess became Dauphine, Dubarry reigned, and the minister was disgraced. The marriage of the Duke de Chartres to Mademoiselle Penthiture, 7 thilure, that of the Dauphin, the behaviour of the Dauphine, the elevation of the mistress, and the fall of the minister, occupy the remainder of the first volume. The second volume commences with the marriage of Monsieur with the eldest Princess of Savoy; and a very amusing account is given of her journey from the frontiers to Paris. This match was soon afterward followed by that of the Comte d'Artois with her younger sister; and characters of the parties are drawn in the same happy manner which distinguishes all the portraits given in these pages.-The Princess Louisa, a daughter of Louis XVth, shut herself up in the convent of St. Denis, and abandoned herself to all the austerities of a monastic life, from which no persuasion could induce her to desist, in the pious hope of prevailing on heaven to work the conversion of her father. The tale is finely wrought, and, though true, it has all the air of romance, Versailles, it is said, at this time resembled Olympus: Bacchus and the licentious pleasures inhabited the apartments of the King: Venus and the Graces adorned those of the Dauphine; and Minerva and the Sciences were the inmates of Monsieur and Madame de Provence: while, on the other hand, with the daughters of the Monarch, the Christian religion and its ministers were in full authority. About the beginning of the summer in 1774, the King was seized with the small-pox. It was proposed to him to employ our countryman, Doctor Sutton: but the Monarch, who had overturned the established laws of his kingdom, would not employ the only man who could save his life, because he was not of the faculty. When every hope was relinquished, however, they sent for Dr. S., who said, without hesitation, that all was over. After this arrêt, the royal patient ordered Madame Dubarry to be led away, and employed himself in preparing for his salvation: the viaticum was administered on the next day; and the grand almoner, at the request of the King, (he being too weak himself,) pronounced these words:-"Though his Majesty is not obliged to account for his conduct but to God alone, he repents his having caused scandal to his subjects, and declares that, in future, he will live only for religion and the good of his subjects:"-a resolution which, if sincere, the writer thinks, though it came too late for this world, would obtain grace from God.-A trait of his successor, which shews the weakness of conduct that always distinguished him, here occurs on his accession, he broke open the sealed casket which his father had left for him, and there found pointed out to him the persons whom he should employ as ministers; and the appointments were accordingly made out, no regard being paid |