FRENCH LITerature. A new periodical paper, devoted to literary and political discussions, has been spoken of for some time past; and what is very extraordinary to those who know the profound indifference with which publications of this kind are regarded, the one above mentioned was a general subject of conversation even before it made its appearance. The names of the conductors were mentioned. Among them are several members of the French Academy, and various young writers who nobly follow their footsteps in literature and public affairs. The first number has just appeared under the title of the Political and Literary Spectator. At the head we observe the names of MM. Auger, Lacratelle and Campenon of the French Academy; Deprez, Droz, Loyson, Pariset, Lourdoueix, &c. The Spectator will not be periodical in the strict sense of the word, but in course of the year fifty two numbers will be published at intervals nearly equal. It is evident that the public have nothing to lose by this arrangement, and that the proprietors have every thing to gain. The first article, which serves as an introduction to the Spectator, is happily selected. It is a sort of dedication to France, an homage to the country, which has the more claims to the respect and love of her children because she is unfortunate. M Lacratelle has undertaken to repel the outrages of Lord Stanhope; in the mouth of an Englishman, a member of the English House of Peers, he places the apology of a nation, which daily proves that she can endure any thing except contempt. This first article is entitled, A Speech which might have been delivered in the British House of Peers, in reply to Lord Stanhope's Speech. M. Lacratelle says, that the sentiments of a Frenchman are frequently observable in this Speech; but he adds, he does not fear being reproached with having yielded too much to this feeling. We can assure him that wherever this Speech might be delivered, it would enjoy over that of his opponent the advantages which reason and true elevation of sentiment maintain in every VOL. XI. country over the malignant ideas and unjust prejudices of a mind blinded by passion. The literary portion of the Spectator is not less ably written than the political articles. It comprises a review on the Memoirs and Correspondence of Madame d' Epinay, by M. Auger, which is without contradiction one of the best that ever issued from the pen of that justly celebrated critic.-French paper. RUSSIAN LITERATURE. Mr. Stanislave Siestrencewitz deBoheisz, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bohilew, bas published a work in French, under the title of Recherches Historiques sur l'origine des Sarmates, des Esclavons, et des Slaves, under the periods of the conversion of these people to Christianity. It is in 4 vols. 8vo. and has three maps and a portrait of the author. Though written in French, and published at St. Petersburgh about four years ago it is hardly known, we believe, to the rest of Europe, which induces us to give some account of it. The author fixes in the year 2143 before the vulgar era, the emigration of two Scythian Bactrian Princes, and their arrival in Cappadocia: in 1514 the passage of the Scythians into Europe, and their settlement near the Borysthenes. In 1475 (still before Christ) the Scythians are attacked in Tauris by Sesostris, and repulse him. Twenty years after, a colony of Medes (Enetes or Slaves) settle on the shores of the Black Sea. The Enetes arrive in Thrace in 1209; in Italy, in 1183. In 380 the Sarmatians pass into Europe, and Scythia takes the name of Sarmatia. From the commencement of the Christian era, the facts and the details become too numerous to be pointed out here. The author introduces them in his first three volumes without either proving or discussing them. The quotations contained in the fourth volume, do not consist of transcriptions or illustrations of texts, but merely in references to the author's books and chapters, where we are to find the authorities in support of the narratives or results in the three treatises, on the Sarmatians, the Esclavons, and the Slaves. The Esclavons must not be confounded with the Slaves. They were neither pure Slaves nor pure Sarmatians: their nation, formed by the Yazyk Sarmatians, included many Illyrians, who were Slaves by origin. The Greeks 67 translated the name of Slaves (praisworthy) by that of Enetes (celebrated,) &c. The method followed in this work is not perhaps very strict, but it displays much research, and contains curious data. Lit. Gaz. LUTHER'S MARRIAGE. There has just appeared in Germany a work entitled, A Description of all the Curiosities relative to Martin Luther; the author is M. Berger, Director of the Hospital of Eisleben. He appears highly indignant at an assertion made by a Catholic of distinction, who contends that Luther was in reality never married. M. Berger has taken infinite pains to collect authentic documents, in which the following facts are incontestably proved. The author regards them as highly important to posterity: On the 13th of June 1523, whilst Dr. Pommer, the painter Cranach, and the advocate Apell, were discoursing with Martin Luther, the latter requested that they would accompany him to call on the notary Reichenbach. Catharine Bora, a reformed nun, lodged in Reichenbach's house, leading a life of modesty and piety. Luther asked her whether she was willing to become his wife? At first she did not know whether he was joking or in earnest, and she returned no answer. Luther however declared that he was serious, and Catharine at length gave him her hand. The marriage ceremony was performed on the 27th of June. In order that it might be joyfully celebrated, the magistrates delivered to the guests four bottles of Malmsey wine, an equal portion of Rhenish wine, and six quarts of Franconian wine. The council of the city moreover presented Martin Luther with a tun of Eimbrick beer. Finally, as an additional proof of their admiration for the Reformer, the magistracy pledged themselves, in the name of the citizens, to pay for all the wine he might consume for the space of a year. The whole of these donations amounted to the sum of three thalers, four groschens, and two pfennings. This is certainly not the way in which Plutarch wrote the lives of his illustrious men. Lit. Gaz. LITHOGRAPHY. The art of Lithography continues to make most rapid progress in France, from the rival exertions of Count LASTEYRIE and M. ENGLEMANN; their spirited emulation has done for it what a monopoly would not have accomplished in a century. Under Count Lasteyrie's care, it rivals copper in almost every line of engraving; and possesses, besides, advantages peculiar to itself. A series of Lithographic prints, by Count Lasteyrie, is now publishing at Paris; the second number of which, containing six plates, has just appeared; the sixth plate is written music, or, as the Lithographers denote it, autographed music. The method by which this plate is executed displays one of the most important advantages of Lithography: a person writes a letter, composes music, or makes a drawing on paper in the ordinary way, excepting that he uses a peculiar ink; this is transferred to the stone by simply passing it through the press, and the stone, without further preparation, is ready to print off thousands of proofs, all equally perfect. It is this quality of Lithography that has secured its admission into all the French public offices; by its means 60,000 or 70,000 proclamations, in the autograph of the minister, may be taken off and dispatched before the plate even could be engraved. Gent. Mag. Maternal Tenderness.-The superiority to all selfish considerations which characterizes maternal tenderness, hath often elevated the conduct of women in low life, and perhaps never appeared more admirably than in the wife of a soldier of the 55th regiment, serving in America during the campaign, 1777. Sitting in a tent with her husband at breakfast, a bomb entered, and fell betweenthem and a bed where their infant lay asleep. The mother begged her round the bomb before spouse would go it exploded, and take away the baby, as his dress would allow him to pass the narrow space between the dreadful messenger of destruction and the bed. He refused, and left the tent calling to his wife to hasten away, as in less than a minute the fuse would communicate to the great mass of combustibles. The poor woman, absorbing all care in anxiety to save her child, tucked up her petticoats to guard against touching the bomb, snatched the unconscious innocent, and was hardly out of reach, when all the murderous materials were scattered around. Major C of the 55th regiment hearing of this action, distinguished the heroine with every mark of favour. She survived many years to lament his fate at fort Montgomery, in the following month of October. La Belle Assemblee. Mrs. Hayley.-The extensive intellectual endowments of this lady, entitles her to a place among the illustrious, and her being the sister of the celebrated John Wilkes, will, at least, class her amongst the distinguished. Her first husband was an opulent merchant, on whose demise she gave her hand to Mr. Hayley, his clerk. He was a mere man of business, absorbed in commercial pursuits, while his lady was exceedingly well informed, had read a great deal, was possessed of fine taste and literary judgment. She therefore sought out with avidity, the society of those who were distinguished by their talents and writings; but those she thus preferred were male writers only; for she always evinced the utmost contempt for her own sex, and it was no uncommon sight to see her surrounded at table with ten or twelve eminent men, with out a single female. She attended all the most remarkable trials at the Old Bailey, where she regularly had a certain place reserved for her. Every summer she made an excursion to such parts of the kingdom as she had not before visited, always accompanied by a single male friend. After her husband's death, she had a house at Bromley, the measured distance of which, from her town residence, in Great Ayliffe-street, Goodman's fields, was ten miles. Her carriage was drawn by four beautiful black horses, and on stepping into it, she took her watch in her hand, allowing her coachman exactly one hour in going or coming. She was extravagantly fond of the drama, had a box at each of the theatres, and generally went from one house to the other. She allowed her coachman only half an hour to drive from Goodman's fields to either of the theatres. Her carriage was always built after the nicest rules of fashion, and elegantly finished. When on the verge of seventy, Mrs. Haley bestowed her hand and fortune on a young man not thirty, with whom she departed for America. In a very short interval, a separation was judged expedient. She had confided every thing to the generosity of her husband, and with such an allowance as he thought proper to make her, she soon re-crossed the Atlantic; and after a short residence in London, fixed herself at Bath, where, to use the words of the learned Mr. Beloe, from whom we have partly gleaned this anecdote, she passed "An old age of cards." ART. V.-Poetry. La Belle Assemblee. From a new book called "The Fudge family in Paris, by the author of the Two Penny Post Bag," who is generally supposed to be Anacreon Moore, we extract the following, not as the best, but the shortest pieces. In our next we hope to give an account of this amusing little work which though full of political and local allusions, some of which are unintelligible on this side of the Atlantic, is still replete with humour and entertainment. We particularly admire the edifying epistles of Mr. Bob Fudge, one of that species of beings called in the fashionable slang "Dandies," who are thus described by Miss Biddy Fudge. A thing, you know, whisker'd, great-coated, and lac'd, That seats like our music stools soon must be found them, To twirl, when the creatures may wish to look round them! The race it seems flourishes on both sides of the Atlantic. At the end of the book we find the beautiful monody on Sheridan, published in a recent number of the Magazine, (p. 186 of the present volume) which of itself is sufficient to indentify the author, and the following LINES ON THE DEATH OF MR. P-RC-V-L. In the dirge we sung o'er him no censure was heard, Oh, proud was the meed his integrity won And gen'rous indeed were the tears that were shed, When, in grief, we forgot all the ill he had done, And, though wrong'd by him living, bewail'd him, when dead. 'Tis to wish he had chosen some lowlier state, Had known what he was-and, content to be good, His children might still have been bless'd with his love, FROM TOM CRIB TO BIG BEN. CONCERNING SOME FOUL PLAY IN A LATE TRANSACTION.* What! BEN, my old hero, is this your renown? CHARLEY SHOCK is electrified-BELCHER Spits flame- But, what of one feather?--BEN shows a whole Plume. • Written soon after Bonaparte's transportation to St. Helena. † Tom, I suppose, was "assisted" to this Motto by Mr. Jackson, who, it is well known keeps the most learned company going. Gin. Transported. A Life Guardsman, one of the Fancy, who distinguished himself, and was killed in the memorable set-to at Waterloo. 191 311, 484 Academy of Natural Sciences of Barton's and Bigelow's Medical Balance of Comfort, review of, can character, Black Dwarf, original of the number of known vegeta- 1 125 Botany, 82 bles in ib. 10 speare's plays, review of 346 Hero, review of 125 Hogg, James, the poet, life and writings of 414 Hydrophobia, cure for the 444 Illinois, state of, public provision 373 Indiana, state of, Mr. Birkbeck's 374 Influence of mental impressions, 400 Knight of St. John, review of 125 - 168 432 |