human lives, and a disposition to see in mankind merely the means of consumption for political purposes. How happened it, we may ask, that France consented to bear, during so many years, the yoke of so unworthy a master? The answer is, that Bonaparte, being invited on the 18th Brumaire to execute a plan devised by others, succeeded in deceiving all parties, and in making himself complete master of the stakes. No choice remained for the leading men of the state, but that of submission or a new struggle: - the public was sick of dissention, and the alternative of submission was preferred. Bonaparte was enabled to keep all parties in check by making them afraid of each other; and he had in his favour the lassitude which is so natural to a people, after a series of unsuccessful attempts to secure their liberty. This he turned to great account, by means of three qualities inherent in his character, and exercised steadily by him from the beginning; viz. hypocrisy, compulsion, and bribery. His great error, both in war and government, was in not knowing where to stop. Vastus animus immoderata, incredibilia, nimis alta, semper cupiebat.'

The edition of this tract in our possession is concluded by a copy of the treaty of 11th April between Bonaparte and the monarchs of Russia, Austria, and Prussia. It stipulates the renunciation of all sovereignty by the former, with the exception of the island of Elba; on condition of an annual revenue of 80,000l. sterling, payable out of the French funds, with the reversion of half to his wife, Maria Louisa. For his family-rela tions, a farther stipulation is made of an annual revenue of somewhat more than 100,000l. sterling; viz.

The treaty farther directs that all public property in possession of the Bonaparte family shall be relinquished, but that all property coming under the denomination of private shall be retained by them: Napoleon to take with him, and to be allowed to keep as a guard, 400 men; on the condition, however, that all Frenchmen who may follow him or his family should be liable to be recalled into the French territory in the space of three years, or otherwise to lose their rights as Frenchmen. The British minister was not, as is well known, a party in this treaty; nor has our Court, we understand, accounted itself by any means pledged to its observance with regard to the manner of governing the island of Elba.

On the whole, this tract is of a mixed character, containing at times judicious observations, and at others (p. 81.) such as can scarcely be called better than puerile. It is difficult to comprehend the author's views on some questions, such as (p. 35-)

the sincerity of the Chatillon negociation: but, altogether, his pamphlet manifests less partiality and exaggeration than the common run of such publications in France.

ART. XI. Correspondance Littéraire, &c.; i. e. The Literary, Philosophical, and Critical Correspondence of Baron GRIMM and of DIDEROT with a German Prince.

[Article concluded from the last Appendix.]

THE long examination of Rousseau's Emile, contained in these pages, only says what Voltaire tells in a single line: "Do you think," asks Candide, "that men were always as mischievous as they are now?"-"Do you think," replies Martin, "that the kite always preyed on smaller birds ?" The elaborate defence of Voltaire's edition of Corneille was doubtless amusing when it was written: but the interest has passed away, and the subject of it appears likely to lose the name of Great, which was with equal justice bestowed on J. B. Rousseau.—The account of Buffon's vast work, in which he was assisted by Daubenton, deserves attention. M. de Buffon, having explained, in some general discourses, his ideas on the formation and constitution of the universe, on the nature and revolutions of our globe, on man, and on other animals, devoted himself to the individual history of every species, and to this M. Daubenton added an anatomical and detailed description of each animal. If Buffon's labours are more brilliant, and more eagerly received by those who are desirous only of general ideas, we cannot deny that the portion of this noble history which was undertaken by Daubenton will be a most valuable present to posterity; because, if ever the science of natural philosophy is to advance, it must owe its progress to labours repeated, compared, and transmitted from age to age: if Aristotle and Pliny had each been assisted by a Daubenton, natural history would long ago have been disencumbered of its obscurities, and would have been far more advanced. In noticing the death of M. le Vayer, the author of many charming little fugitive pieces, it is here observed that this happy talent prevented him from rising in his profession. Pedants,' says M. GRIMM, with a finesse worthy of Voltaire, 'would wish to establish a rule that no persons who are less stupid than themselves are capable of undertaking serious offices; at least, it is their interest to decry men of understanding.'

From the subsequent anecdote, the reader may form some idea of a good-natured Pope:

It were to be desired that all the sayings and sallies of Pope Benedict XIV. were collected in a Lambertiniana. He was the

most infallible of all the successors of the prince of Apostles, because he possessed more wit and pleasantry than all his predecessors put together. This great and amiable Pontiff, noticing the French Ambassador, the Cardinal de Rochechouart, who came into his presence one day with a very long face, accosted him thus: "Well, what is the matter?" "I have just received the news," answered the other with a sigh, "that the archbishop of Paris has been again banished." "Ah, I suppose it to be again on account of that bull." -"Alas! yes, holy father."-"This recalls to my memory," said his Holiness, an adventure which took place in the time of my legation to Bologna. Two senators quarrelled about the pre-eminence of Tasso over Ariosto; and the advocate for Ariosto received a tolerably deep wound with a sword, of which he died. I went to visit him in his dying moments. Is it possible, said he, that I am doomed to perish in the flower of my life for Ariosto, whom I never read! and even had I read him, I should not have understood a syllable; for I am but a simpleton."

When we read these traits, however heretical we may be, we cannot help crying, "Sancte Benedicte, ora pro nobis." The Comte de Bussey told us one day, talking of this pope and of the good Mahmoud, who in his time was grand signor: "They are both so good that, if they changed places, and we could make the one grand signor, and the other the pope, no body would perceive it." But, I am of opinion that the seraglio would have discovered the change.'

A curious and entertaining defence of Judaism is undertaken by a Rabbi against the attacks of a Venetian Abbé. σε You acknowlege," says the Rabbi," that in common with yourselves we adore the true God: but his worship costs us nothing. We have no temples, altars, sacrifices, pope, bishops, priests, nor a crowd of idle monks to support, &c. &c. Our dispersion makes us the citizens of the whole world; and a country no sooner displeases us than we pass into another, with a certainty of living among our own tribes. We are more numerous and more rich than when we inhabited the barren tract of Judea under the Davids and Solomons. Our dispersion makes us heirs to the universe. Do we not gather where others have sown? Do not Christians go to the extremity of the world to amass riches, and cut throats for our good?" &c. &c.

The reader will be pleased with the portrait of himself which is drawn by the Chevaleresque Abbé Bouflers, and by Condamine's Pain Mollet, which was in fact only a jeu d'esprit on the opposition experienced by inoculation in France. It is related of Condamine that curiosity and research, and an insatiable desire to discover truth wherever it could be found, or whatever difficulties it might impose, formed his ruling passion.

His inexhaustible curiosity on every subject, joined to a great deafness, frequently makes him tiresome to others; to me, these peculiarities only recommend him the more. This curiosity induced him, some years ago, to attend at the execution of the unhappy Damiens. He pene

trated

trated through the crowd till he came near the executioner; and there, with his pocket-book and pencil in his hand, at every application of the burning pincers and every stroke of the bar, he asked with a loud voice, "What does he say?" The satellites of Master Charlot wished to put him away as a troublesome fellow but the executioner said to them; "Let him alone, the gentleman is an amateur." Nothing more fully proves the power of the passions; since curiosity alone influenced a man, who was on all other occasions full of sensibility and humanity, to contemplate the most horrible spectacle that can be conceived.

During his residence in London, M. de la Condamine was accustomed to walk about the streets with an umbrella, a trumpet at his ear, a telescope, a pair of compasses, and a map of London in his hands, which he kept always open. His questions were multiplied in proportion to his ignorance of the language. A pleasant adventure happened to him in this city, which induced him to appeal to all nations; and it is said that, on the theatres of London, where the suffrages of the populace are every thing, he was represented in the accoutrements, and with the instruments for gratifying his curiosity, in which he daily appeared in the streets.'

Catherine of Russia is frequently introduced throughout this work, and never appears without honour to her understanding and her heart. The philosopher Diderot, after twenty years of literary labour, was reduced to the necessity of selling his library, that he might amass a sufficiency to provide for an only daughter. For five years he had been vainly seeking a purchaser, when Baron GRIMM undertook to make the proposition to the Empress of Russia through the mediation of General Betzky, with whom he had formed an intimacy during his residence in France. The answer was couched in these terms:

"The generous protection, Sir, which our august sovereign does not cease to extend to every thing which relates to the sciences, and her particular esteem for the learned, determined me to report to her faithfully the motives which, according to your letter of the 10th of last February, induce M. Diderot to part with his library. Her compassionate heart has not been able to learn without emotion that this philosopher, so celebrated in the republic of letters, is reduced to the necessity of sacrificing to paternal tenderness the object of his fondness, the source of his labors, and the companions of his leisure hours. For this reason her Imperial Majesty, to give him a mark of her benevolence, and encourage him to pursue his career, has charged me to make the acquisition of this library at the price of 15,000 livres, the sum which you propose, only on this condition, that M. Diderot shall be the depositary of it, for his own use, until it shall please her Majesty to demand it. The orders for the payment of 16,000 livres are already dispatched to Prince Gallitzin, her minister at Paris. The surplus of that sum, and an annual gratuity to the same amount, are farther proofs of the liberality of my sovereign

L14

reign for the care and trouble which it will cost him to complete this library. The business, therefore, is accomplished.

"Testify, I intreat you, to M. Diderot how much flattered I am in having found an occasion of being useful to him.

"I have the honor to be, &c.

"J.BETZKY."

Another anecdote of the same Empress deserves insertion, because, in addition to her goodness, it is no unfavourable specimen of Imperial wit. M. Sumarikoff, a Russian dramatic poet, had quarrelled with the first actress of the theatre at Moscow, and, in the heat of his anger, had declared that this lady should never be permitted to represent any of his characters. The governor of Moscow, with little respect for theatrical disputes, issued an order for the tragedy, and for the actress who was so exceptionable to the Russian bard. The latter, smothering his vengeance, awaited the appearance of the heroine on the stage; when, no longer able to contain himself, he rushed forwards from the side-scene, seized her by the waist, and threw her forcibly on the floor. After this noble exploit, he went home, and addressed two sublime epistles to the Empress, which Catherine had the good-nature thus to

answer:

"Monsieur Sumarikoff, I have been very much astonished at your letter of the 28th of January, and yet more at that of the 1st of February. Both of them appear to me to contain complaints against Belmontia, who has only followed the orders of Count Soltikoff. The Field Marshal desired to see your tragedy represented; and this surely was an honor.

"Decorum required of you to conform to the wish of the first person in authority at Moscow; and if he thought proper to order the representation, that order should have been obeyed without any reluctance. You must know better than most persons the respect due to men who have served with glory, and whose heads are covered with grey hairs; for this reason, I counsel you to avoid such disputes for the future. You will thus preserve that tranquillity of mind which is necessary to your works, and it will ever be more agreeable to me to see the passions represented in your dramas than to behold them in your letters.

"In all other respects, I am affectionately yours,

Of Garrick, M. GRIMM writes thus:

"CATHERINE.”

This great and illustrious actor, this Roscius of the English, or rather of the moderns, for great talents have no country, and belong to all who know how to appreciate them, this David Garrick has kept his word with us; he has passed six months with us on his way from Italy, and returned to England three months ago. would be ungrateful if he were not sorry to quit France, where he has been so well received, but where he confined himself from preference to the society of the philosophers, whose regrets he has

taken