unwilling to do when we remember by how many advantages, especially in a French writer, these qualities are counterbalanced. The character, progress, and results, of the French revolution, and the manner in which it became inevitable, are exhibited in a philosophical and masterly way in the author's introduction; the politics of Europe, previous to that great event, are afterwards explained in a style equally luminous, and the march of opinions drawn out clearly to our view. The various assemblies, the national legislative assembly, the national convention, and the clubs, are described, and the characters of the leaders and members sketched, with great force and decision. Buonaparte next figures on the scene, and his long series of victories are rapidly yet strikingly detailed; he is created emperor, and we have a brief, but bold and original, character of the empire which he formed. The change of the republics created by the directory into kingdoms, the confederation of the Rhine, and the various coalitions, with the changes they wrought on the face of the destinies of Europe, then pass under review: the events of the life of Buonaparte are traced up to his disastrous retreat from Russia; the coalition of all Europe against exhausted France, and the marvellous campaign of 1814, are detailed; and M. Mignet's history of the French revolution concludes with the abdication of Napoleon, and a very brilliant, powerful, and impartial character of that extraordinary man.

We give one brief specimen of M. Mignet's style of presenting his characters to the reader. We quote the sketch of M. Roland, not because it is the best, but because it is one of the shortest we can find.

Roland was a contrast to Dumouriez. His was a character which liberty found ready made, as if she had herself moulded it. The manners of Roland were simple, his morals severe, and his opinions tried: he loved liberty with enthusiasm, and he was equally capable of disinterestedly consecrating to her cause the whole of his existence, or of perishing for its sake without ostentation and without regret. He was a man worthy of being born in a republic, but misplaced in a revolution; he was ill-fitted for the agitations and the struggles of parties: his talents were not great: his disposition was somewhat unbending: he neither knew how to appreciate nor to manage men and though laborious, intelligent, and active, he would have figured little without the aid of his wife. All that was wanting in him she supplied; force and elevation of mind, ability and foresight. Madame Roland was the soul of the Girondists; she was the point round which assembled those brilliant and couragious men, to discuss the wants and the dangers of their country; it was she who roused those men whom she knew to be able in action, and directed to the tribune the efforts of those whom she knew to be eloquent.'-p. 150.

We ought to add, that the translation is unusually well executed, that the 12mo. edition is remarkakbly cheap, and that there is a handsome edition in 8vo. for those who may desire books of a superior appearance.

ART. XVII. Lettres inédites de Madame de Maintenon et de Madame la Princesse des Ursins. 4 Tomes. 21. 28. Bossange Fréres. Paris. Treuttell and Wurtz. London. 1826.

To the distinguished family of the Duke de Choiseul, the public are indebted for the preservation and publication of these letters, which have

very recently issued from the Paris press. They are almost exclusively of a political character, and are, therefore, inferior, in point of interest, to the letters which have been long before the world under the name of de Maintenon. But they are not without some value, as they contribute to shed some light, though not so abundant a light as one would have expected, upon the settlement of the Bourbon family in Spain, and the war of which it was the immediate cause.

Madame de Maintenon's position at the court of Louis XIV. at that period is well known. These letters serve to show that her influence there was almost unbounded. The interest which she took in every shade of success or of adversity which marked the progress of the war in Flanders, seems to warrant the remark of one of her biographers, that she was rather the prime minister than the mistress of the monarch whom she ruled. She sent the Princess des Ursins to Madrid, under the pretext of serving as a companion to the consort of Philip V., but really for the purpose of guiding his court in the same manner as she herself directed that of Versailles. The princess was well chosen for such an office: she was a woman of very considerable talents, and some ambition, and we have in this work a collection of the letters which passed between both these female ministers from 1705 to 1714. It is worth remarking that each mutually promised to destroy the letters of the other, and that both failed to fulfil their pledges. Upon the death of Madame de Maintenon the greatest part of them fell into the hands of Louis XV. A copy was made of them for the Duke de Choiseul, his prime minister, which was carefully preserved in the family, and is now published under the sanction of the present head of that illustrious house.

We own that in the letters of two ladies, who played such distinguished parts, at two such active courts as those of France and Spain were at that period, we could have wished for something more than abridgements of the official despatches, which conveyed intelligence of the progress of the wars then harassing either country. Doubtless the events of these contests were of the utmost importance to both the correspondents, but, as we already know these events from history, we would have willingly exchanged all their public details, for a few of those courtly scenes and anecdotes which, at the time of their occurrence, are known only to the persons immediately concerned in them. In this respect these letters are lamentably deficient. Numerous and flattering as are their professions of confidence and esteem, it is easy to perceive that the writers do not freely unbosom themselves to each other. They stood in the relation of patroness and protegée, the former using the latter as a mere political instrument, and neither very secure of the continuance of her power. The whole of Madame de Maintenon's letters are remarkably reserved as to the private history of the French court. Those of the princess are almost equally so as to the court of Spain. We shall, however, give a few extracts from one of her letters, which describes the destitute condition of the royal family upon their flight from Madrid, in June 1706, in consequence of the approach of the enemy.

'Berlanga, June 24, 1706.

It was absolutely necessary for us, madame, at last to quit Madrid; and as it was judged right to put the best face on the matter, and to do nothing which might lead the people to discover what was intended, our

departure took place without any preparations, even those of the most necessary description, having been made for our journey. The first day the queen was without a bed: fortunately the Chevalier de Bragelonne, who commands the French detachment that accompanies us, had one quite new, which was found most àpropos. But it was not so easy to supply other wants; for her majesty had only two eggs for supper the first night, and the next day she was scarcely more fortunate.

The queen will go to Burgos. Heaven grant that she may arrive there in safety! I have some apprehensions that the troops who are coming in the English fleet may land at Bilbao; if so, there will be no retreat for us, for the enemy will be at Vittoria sooner than the queen, and Aragon will, according to all appearance, be excited to revolt. The queen's situation, madame, is most lamentable: she has nobody with her but myself, Lazafata, and two servants; the want of money has prevented her from having more. She appointed a maid of honour and a dresser to attend her; they came hither; but having demanded a hundred pistoles each, on account of what is due to them, it was found impossible to make such an advance at a time when every resource is reqired for the payment of the troops. Notwithstanding the small number of our domestics our journey cannot be otherwise than very expensive, for every thing, however trifling, must be taken with us, and for this reason it costs us nearly a hundred pistoles a-day. The greater part of our supplies has been taken on credit, but this resource cannot last long under existing circumstances. Thus we shall, perhaps, be soon in a situation in which we shall not know where to lay our heads.'

"The king has just written to the queen to request that she would send her jewels to France, either to be sold or pledged. The ambassador has also written that it was absolutely necessary. Her majesty, therefore, sends them by this courier, addressed to M. de Labourdonnaye, intendant of Bordeaux, who is now at Bayonne. Amongst these jewels are the famous pearl called la pelegrina (the pilgrim), and the diamond which the Spaniards call le estanque (the fish-pond); the queen has added to them all her own. Vazet, one of the king's old servants, is the bearer of this treasure. Such are the means which we thought best for enabling the queen to retain about her the remnants of her household. I fear that no great sum can be raised on these jewels, at least unless they are taken to Paris, and I scarcely know how the produce can be transmitted to the King of Spain, the traffic in bills of exchange being at present so much interrupted.

'In the queen's suite are the Duchesses of Medina Sidonia, Veraguas, Ossuna, Popoli, and several other ladies, to whom her majesty has shown the kindness which they deserve, on account of the attachment which they bear her. So numerous a suite causes no little embarrassment as to accommodations, and scarcely leaves the queen a moment of leisure; as for me, I am quite exhausted. Nevertheless, we must take courage and place our hope in God. I feel that I have still a thousand things to say to you, but the most important is to assure you, madame, that I am entirely devoted to you.'-Tome 3, pp. 305–308.

This letter introduces us behind the scenes more than any other in the whole collection. Hence the reader will be enabled to judge how far four thick volumes are likely to engage and repay his attention.

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ART. XVIII. Travels in the Mogul Empire, by Francis Bernier. Translated from the French by Irving Brock. 2 Vols. London. Pickering. 1826.

It seems to be a tolerably good proof of the disfavour in which translations from the French have been long held in this country, or rather, perhaps, of the very general diffusion amongst us of that language, that a work so well known, and so justly celebrated, in some respects, as Bernier's travels, has only been lately rendered into intelligible English. It was originally published in 1670, and in 1672 a wretched and garbled version of it appeared, which nobody could understand. From that period, until Mr. Brock undertook the task, Bernier remained untouched by our translators —a fate for which the present publication, correct and elegant as it is in every respect, will make full compensation to his fame,-if, indeed, any it wanted.

All our writers, such as Gibbon, Dr. Robertson, Major Rennell, and Mr. Forster, who have had occasion to consult Bernier's work, speak of, it in commendatory terms. He resided in the Mogul empire twelve years, eight of which he acted as physician to Aurengzêbe. He was a most active and inquisitive observer of the manners and peculiarities of that country, and he describes them with all the vivacity of a Frenchman. As his book relates to a period immediately antecedent to the establishment of the British dominion in that part of India, his details are the more valuable and interesting to us, particularly as they afford an opportunity of comparing the ameliorating effects of our government with the barbarous and degrading despotism which prevailed there before it. He does not, however, confine himself to an account of the Mogul empire; but, in order to give a brief summary of the work, we cannot do better than quote a part of the translator's preface.

The first part of the volume contains a simple but entertaining narrative of the civil domestic war which raged in Hindostan when our author visited that country, and which left Aureng-Zêbe in quiet possession of

the throne.

'Several events that occurred after the termination of the war are then recorded; and anecdotes are introduced, of which although at first sight some may appear puerile, yet all are either characteristic of the individuals to whom they relate, or illustrative of the manners and genius of the people.

The third section of the book consists of a letter to the celebrated Colbert, descriptive of the government of India, its pecuniary resources, its military strength, and its immense expenditure.

'A minute description of Delhi and Agra, the capital cities of the empire follows next; and in this chapter, written with all the author's powers of observation and research, is contained an animated account of the court of the Great Mogul.

The degrading superstitions and unhallowed rites of the Hindoos-the crushings of Juggernaut's car-the juggles of the lustful and profligate Brahmins-the immolations, often compulsory, of females, the drowning of the sick and dying,—all these abominations form the subject of another portion of the work.

These awful and heart-rending particulars, are succeeded by a dull

and irrelevant, but happily short, dissertation on the doctrine of atoms. M. Bernier thought it worth while to confute the monstrous notion that the system of the universe has not its original from any intelligent nature; but that mind and intelligence, as well as all things else, sprung from senseless nature and chance, or from the unguided and undirected motion of matter.

'The journey of Aureng-Zêbe to the kingdom of Kashmire, "The Terrestrial Paradise of India," with a military retinue of nearly fifty thousand men, and accompanied by the whole population of Delhi, is related with the usual liveliness and accuracy of the author; and the volume closes with his solution of five questions proposed by M. Thevenot-concerning the settlement of Jews in Kashmire, the monsoons, the regularity of the currents and periodical winds in India, the fertility of Bengal, and the increase of the river Nile.'-Vol. 1. ix. x.

It is worth remarking that this philosopher, who so coolly dismissed the idea of a supreme intelligence, in his dissertation upon the doctrine of atoms, died of a broken heart, caused by a sarcasm.

ART. XIX. Sketches of Algiers, Political, Historical, and Civil, containing a summary Account of its Geography, Population, Government, &c. By William Shaler. 8vo. pp. 310. Boston. 1826. MR. Shaler, the intelligent gentleman to whom we are indebted for these sketches, appears to have acted for some time as American consul at Algiers, and, in that capacity, he had ample opportunity of collecting the various information which he has here laid before his readers. He commences his work with a geographical description of the territory of Algiers, which, according to his estimate, extends over a surface of 30,000 square miles. Yet this territory, extensive and well watered as it is, and capable of being made extremely fertile, contains a population amounting only to about one million; whereas, if properly cultivated, it would easily sustain five times that number. It is, however, this paltry population, as Mr. Shaler remarks, which is permitted to impose tributes upon several much larger and richer states of Europe, to infest the Mediterranean, to interrupt the commerce of civilized countries, and make captives of their subjects. If it be true, as it has been lately stated, that Lord Cochrane intends to interest himself for the revival of the Order of Malta, the Barbary states would afford him and his adventurous companions a noble field for enterprise. They would encounter no formidable difficulties in subduing Algiers, if its naval force consist only of three frigates, two corvettes, two brigs, five schooners, one polacre, and one chebeck, mounting in all no more than 350 guns, as Mr. Shaler represents.

In the historical part of his work, Mr. Shaler enters into a detailed account of the differences which have taken place, from time to time, between the governments of the United States and that of Algiers. He supplies also a considerable body of information as to the finances, commerce, agriculture, arts, institutions, manners, tribes, and language of that country, which is novel, and, in many respects, deserves the attention of those whom business or pleasure may invite to the Mediterranean.