times. He names France as the country of one who taught "how to hang in a more graceful fashion, Than e'er was known before to the dull English nation;" and he says, "In this great academy of mankind He had his birth and education, Where all men are so ingeniously inclined, Improve untaught, before they are aware, To all a deep and solid confidence; A virtue of that precious use, That he whom bounteous heaven endues But with a moderate share of it, Can want no worth, abilities, or wit." Shakspeare's lines, which the editor of this paper has put into the title-page of his Visit to Paris, are curious: "Now I would pray our Monsieurs To think an English courtier may be wise They hint the existence, then, of what has been since called a French mania in the breasts of English people, and which does not seem to be as yet quite cured. Osborne, who wrote letters of advice to his son, which were printed in the year 1673, cautions him against a vanity, found incident to England," of " esteeming no doublet well made that hath not passed the hands of a French tailor." In the very amusing collection of Letters, called Epistola Ho-Eliana, written by Howel, we find one dated from Rouen, August 6, 1619. He says, "I am but a fresh man yet in France, therefore I can send you no news, but that all here is quiet, and 'tis no ordinary news that the French should be quiet.' What we have printed in Italics is so printed in the original. Paris is exactly described, as it is now, in his account of it as he saw it on the 13th March, 1620: "the structures here are fair, though the streets generally foul all the four seasons of the year." He narrates the brutal outrages committed by "the lacquays and pages of Paris," on the dead body of the Marquis of Ancre: "They broke up his grave, tore his coffin to pieces, ripp'd the winding-sheet, and tied his body to an ass's tail, and so dragged him up and down the gutters of Paris, which are none of the sweetest. His wife was hereupon apprehended, imprisoned, and beheaded for a witch some few days after, upon a surmise that she had enchanted the queen to dote upon her husband. This was a right act of a French popular fury, which, like an angry torrent, is irresistible; nor can any bankes, boundaries, or-dikes, stop the impetuous rage of it." The French, according to Dryden, in one of his Prefaces, "Make a great pomp and ostentation of words on every trifle. This is certainly the talent of that nation, and ought not to be invaded by any other." In his Preface to Virgil's Pastorals, he puts the character of the French in a very lively manner before us, while he is criticising their poetry. Alluding to the inadequacy of the English and French languages, compared with the Greek and Latin,-he says, "The misfortune, indeed, is common to us both; but we deserve more compassion, because we are not vain of our barbarities." He quotes the famous academician, who most compassionately excused the ancients for not being so exact in their composition as the modern French, because they wanted a Dictionary, with which the French were about that time happily provided! "If Demosthenes and Cicero," says Dryden, "had been so lucky as to have had a Dictionary, and such a patron as Cardinal Richelieu, perhaps they might have aspired to the honours of Balzac's legacy of ten pounds, le prize de l'eloquence!" "Notwithstanding all the high encomiums and mutual gratulations they give one another,—after all those golden dreams at the Louvre that their pieces will be as much valued ten or twelve ages hence as the ancient Greek or Roman, I can no more get it into my head that they will last so long, than I could believe the learned Dr. Hk [of the Royal Society] if he should pretend to show me a butterfly, that had lived a thousand winters. The following passage has, in its latter part, a strong bearing on the events of these times : "Impartially speaking, the French are as much better critics than the English, as they are worse poets. Thus we generally allow, that they better understand the management of a war than our Islanders; but we know we are superior to them in a day of battle. They value themselves on their generals,—we on our soldiers." Dedication of the Æneis. He quarrels with them for transforming the Hippolitus of Euripides "into Monsieur Hippolite, who has a turn of gallantry, and is sent to travel from Athens to Paris.' "Their heroes are the most civil persons breathing; but their good breeding seldom extends to a word of sense; all their wit is in their ceremony; they want the genius that animates our stage, and therefore it is but necessary, when they cannot please, that they should take care not to offend." Preface to All for Love. "All Greece is one comedian," says Juvenal in his third Satire: the whole description of the Grecian character is wonderfully like that of the modern French. Fielding gives us the advertisement of a Frenchman, as it appeared in the Daily Advertiser, of Monday, the 29th June, 1752. Thus it runs :— "A Frenchman, a man of learning, is arrived at London from Paris, in order to teach the French language, fables, poetry, heraldry, French philosophy, and the Latin tongue; without exacting any study from his scholars, all study being an obstacle to his method. If there be any constitutions too weak to bear contradiction, any characters too lively to be capable of attention, any persons too far ad vanced in life to apply themselves to study, and who are willing to learn any of the above sciences, by a simple method, and one shorter as well as more solid than any which hath been hitherto practised, they are desired to inquire at Mr. Besancon's snuff-shop, in Little Earl-street, the Black Boy, by the Seven Dials." The author of Tom Jones speculates much on what may be meant by French philosophy. He seems at first inclined to think that la philosophie is no other than what the French likewise call la danse; but leans in the end to the opinion that by la philosophie Françoise is meant la bonne assurance ;- "that assurance, which the French alone call good, and which, it is very probable, they alone may call philosophy." He quotes the exquisite climax of the French Marquis de St. Evremont, who said that first he loved the war,-and after the war, he loved Madame de --and after Madame de he loved the religion,—and after the religion, he loved the philosophy, concluding,-"Now I have told you what I love, Morblieu!" There is a work, not long ago published, entitled, Travels in France during the Years 1814-15, the first volume of which contains some of the soundest observations on the French character that we have yet seen. It is understood to be chiefly from the pens of the Messrs. Allison, sons of the author of the book on Taste, and we congratulate their friends and themselves on a production discovering so many proofs of wellregulated taste, amiable disposition, and excellent understanding. Among other valuable things in the work, is a detailed criticism on the French modern drama and its present performers,-subjects that have been but slightly noticed in the many publications that have recently appeared on Paris and France. The country in question has so often been the theme of observation lately, that we are precluded from going at length into the performance of these conjoint authors,-but we gladly avail ourselves of an opportunity of expressing the satisfaction we derived from finding our own opinions on the social condition of the French so respectably supported. An extract from the book may be introduced here as falling within the plan of this article. They observe, as the most fundamental peculiarity of the character of the French, their love of mixed society: "Of the society of those for whom they have no regard, but whom they meet on the footing of common acquaintances. This is the favourite enjoyment of almost every Frenchman: to shine in such society, is the main object of his ambition; his whole life is regulated so as to gratify his desire. He is indifferent about comforts at home— he dislikes domestic society-he hates the retirement of the country; but he loves, and is taught to love, to figure in a large circle of acquaintance, for whom he has not the least heartfelt friendship, but with whom he is on the same terms as with perfect strangers, after the first half hour. If he has acquired a reputation in science, arts, or arms, so much the better,-his glory will be of much service to him; if not, he must make it up by his conversation. "When the main object of a man's life is distinction among his acquaintances, from his wit-his liveliness-his elegance of tastehis powers of conversation—or even by the fame he may have earned by his talents; he becomes careless about the love of those with whom he is on more intimate terms, and who do not value him exclusively, or even chiefly for such qualities. His domestic affections are weakened; he lives in himself, and enjoys the present moment without either reflection or foresight; with outward appearance of an open friendly disposition, he becomes, in reality, selfish and interested; he learns to value his moral feelings, as well as his intellectual powers, chiefly for the sake of the display which he can make of them in society. "Such appears to be the state of the minds of most Parisians. They have been so much accustomed to pride themselves on the outward appearance of their actions, that they have become regardless of their intrinsic merits; they have lived so long for effect, that they have forgotten that there is any other principle of action, by which their lives can be regulated." THE LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY. YE souls illustrious, who in days of yore |