of some very pretty stanzas in the second collection, entitled Les Conseils de Lise, the burden of which is, "Lise à l'oreille Me conseille; Cet oracle me dit tout bas : Chantez, monsieur, n'écrivez pas." There is no waning of the sacred fire to be discerned in these additions to his poetical efforts; his courage does not seem to have been damped, or his satire to have rusted in the dungeons of Sainte Pélagie; while on the other hand in conformity to the dictates of religion, reason, and a purer taste, the offensive characteristics of his former productions, are rarely to be found in these. From this collection we may select "L'Ombre d'Anacréon," (Sainte Pélagie,)" La Déesse," "Le Malade " and " Le vieux Sergent," as filled with bold thoughts and rich poetry but perhaps "Le Chant du Cosaque," (t. 2, p. 203) is equal to any of these Chansons Nouvelles. "Viens, mon coursier, noble ami du cosaque, La paix, qui fuit, m'abandonne tes guides, J'ai pris ma lance, et tous vont devant elle J'ai d'un géant ou le fantôme immense, Du roi des Huns c'était l'ombre immortelle : Hennis d'orgueil, ô mon coursier fidèle, Tout cet éclat dont l'Europe est si fière, The last collection of Béranger's poems which we have to notice, is entitled "Chansons Inédites," the publication of which formed an epoch as well in his private life as in his public career. These songs which came out in the latter part of 1828, differ, in some respects, from his previous works, and certainly contain the most faultless specimens of his muse. It is true, that for boldness of thought and grandeur of expression, we find nothing that equals "Le Chant du Cosaque," or perhaps "Les Gaulois et Lex Francs;" but on the other hand, for mere humour what have we better than "La Métempsycose," and "L'Ange Gardien ;" in bitterness of satire "La Gerontocratie" and "La Mort du Diable," are almost unrivalled; for simple beauty of idea and felicity of language, "La Mouche" may compete with any of his effusions; and lastly, for richness of diction, for depth of feeling, for that entire command of the emotions which he assumes at will, what is there, not merely in Béranger's productions, but in the whole range of the language that equals "Souvenirs du Peuple" and "Le Convoi de David." There is an anecdote related of Béranger, highly honourable to his character, and which we have upon such good authority, that we consider ourselves warranted in giving it. After the return of Louis XVIII, a certain minion of the court being out of favour, one of his political antagonists came to our poet, and giving him the materials of a lampoon upon the unlucky favourite, requested him to put them into verse. "A la bonne heure," replied the generous satirist, who appears to care as little for the grandees of the opposition as for those of the cabinet, "A la bonne heure, quand il sera ministre." It is a remarkable fact also, and one that may well be noticed in confirmation of the truth of this story, that while we have scarcely a line in praise of Napoleon, during the period of his power-from the time of his fall, among the most touching of Béranger's stanzas are those which consist of tributes of admiration to his greatness, and sympathy with his sufferings. Thus we have "Le Cinque Mai," in the publication of 1821, and in the one before "Les Deux Grenadiers" and "Souvenirs du Peuple," the latter of which we have already mentioned. The master-piece of the collection, however, in our opinion is "Le Convoi de David" which no one can attentively read, without a full perception of the causes that have conspired to bestow upon Béranger the lofty title of "Le Poete adoptif de la Nation." * Non, non, vous ne passerez pas, Soldat, disent-ils dans leur deuil, Proscrit-on aussi sa mémoire ? Chœur. Fût-il privé de tous les biens, Non, non, vous ne passerez pas, Soldat, ses yeux, jusqu'au trépas, Non, non, vous ne passerez pas, Chœur, &c. Les enfans de ce grand peintre, ayant sollicité en vain l'autorisation de rapporter sa dépouille en France, ont été obligés de le faire inhumer dans le cimetière commun de Bruxelles, où ses amis lui font élever un obélisque triangulaire en marbre noir. 1 Notwithstanding the length of the extracts we have already inade, we can scarcely forbear adding to them "Souvenirs du Peuple" and "Le Tombeau de Manuel," one of which is a most poetical offering to the memory of the great man, and the other a touching record of departed friendship. In addition to the poetical merits of the "Chansons Inédites," we must take notice that in a moral point of view they are comparatively unexceptionable; the author having thus, in every successive publication, corrected, in some degree, the faults of the preceding. Lyrists have always taken great liberties, and, from Anacreon and Horace to Burns and Béranger, it seems, by general consent, to be permitted. "Qu'au doux bruit des verres, On chante et l'on dise Qui nous scandalise En nous égayant." But this license, which it is, after all, impossible to use and not abuse, we find ourselves compelled to plead in examining the last of Béranger's works. When we consider the character of the "Chansons Inédites"-that they have equal beauty with any of his earlier productions and far greater purity, it appears doubly hard that, in their consequences to the author, they should have been the most unlucky of his publications. But ministers are rarely poets, and, still more rarely, moralists. In a political point of view, the work was peculiarly obnoxious from its satires upon the reigning family and the Jesuits, and it was immediately denounced. In December of the same year (1828,) the trial came on before the Cour d'Assises, Dupin again being counsel for the accused. The principal songs selected as grounds of the indictment were "Le Sacre de Charles le Simple," "La Gérontocratie," and "La Mort du Diable;" the two first of which covertly attack the King, or generally the regal government, and the third the Jesuits, very openly. This last very humorous satire is a stumbling block and cause of offence, to be sure; nay it would have been almost enough to trip up Loyola himself, had it lain in the path of that great founder. The defence was inadequate, and the unfortuuate poet was condemned to a fine of ten thousand francs, and an imprisonment of nine months. This term of punishment has, of course, now expired; and the poet is once more at liberty, les armes à la main. We have thus endeavoured to delineate some of the general characteristics of a poet, who does, without doubt, stand in the first rank of the poets of his own country, and who is, at present, from the nature of his subjects, and the popularity of his style, more extensively known than any living French writer. His peculiarity in this latter respect, appears to settle the question of general reputation in his favour over Delavigne, who might otherwise perhaps compete with him. "I never heard," says Sydney, in that often quoted passage which refers either to the ballad of Chevy Chase, or to that of the battle of Otterbourne, "I never heard the old song of 'Percie and Douglas,' that I found not my heart moved more 'than with a trumpet; and yet it is sung but by some blinde 'crowder, with no rougher voice, than rude style; which being |