The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-02-04 00:00:00

LITT RITURE.

Est Op ra trelium cog'.oecere.

Ho a.
...

From the time cif Lewis XI. France has formed
mrsne of the most striking and it objects on
the great political theatre of Etmope Tier rapid but
transitory acquisition of Italy by the arms Charles
VIII. her victories wider her young hero Gaston Jr
noise, and her suhsequent struggles for dominion
under Francis I. against the gigantic accumulated
power of Austria, werecirculestarices which covered
her with glory. In consequence of her civil wars,
she experienced a temporary depression ; but, be-
neath the auspices of her fourth Henry, she again
asserted her high place among the nations ; and
succeeding under Lewis XIV. to the greatness of
Austria, she compelled Europe to confederate, for
the purpose of restraining the overflow of her domi-
nation. For nearly a century from that period,
she remained, upon the whole, in a state of station-
ary gtandeur; sometimes enfeebled by the efforts of
fur ambition, but endued with the principle of in-
herent and inexhaustible renovation, resulting with
vigour from her falls, and speedily acquiring from
peace the inclination of the sinews of aggression.
With all the struggles, however, of her restless am-
Ii ition, could never stretch herself beyond the
Alps or to the Rhine. Savoy pressed her on that
harrier ; and between her and tb r tempting bound-
ary, a portion of the great body of Germany in-
terposed, and, like the enormous serpent which kept
the Roman army from the African river, prohi-
bred her approach to the stream She still wished
without daring to hope for the limits of ancient
Caul. A stupendous revolution, at length, con-
vulses her to her minutest fibre, and seems to
expose her in a state cf helplessness to the designs
of her neighbours. Alarmed by her democracy,
and roused by the appetite for plunder, Europe
combines against her, and presses upon her fron-
tiers, while her own sons tear her bowels, and float
her plains and her cities with domestic blood. Im-
mediate destruction appears to threaten her, and
every part of, her eatent exhibits disorder, desola-
tion, the crimes, and the virtues of her offspring.
Front this ruin, she springs ss ith ttiaiestic energy ;
gathers all her force for the effort ; turns the tide
4.4* victory aponher foes; swells over all the mounds
which glad hitherto confined her ; establishes her-
self in Italy, and on the Rhine • pLints her victor-
fort on the neck of Europe ; anithen, satiated with
plunder and dominion, resigns bench into the hands
of an usurper, to enlarge his greatness with the ac-
quisitions of her sanguinary toils, and with her tro-
phies to decorate his stately and •upstart throne.

'46 for hint tlir! self-rkroted Deeti died,
" The It abii fell, and the great Scipio', conquer d."
40, For him,"—may some of her early Revolutionists
ray, with bitter rccollcction—
••

" Tor km 'he gratious Duncan have we murder d,
" P it raticours jai the vessel of OUT peace--
" To make Aua Kul'"
In this state of trituripb and of disgrace, with Re-
publican rags fluttering round the nakedness of des-
potism, France certainly offers to the inquisitive
eye, a more curious spectacle than any which is re-
corded in the annals of the world ; and we are not
surprised at the multitudes which wander from
their homes to enjoy the show; to view her gal-
leries crowded with the spoils of nations ; to look at
that son of fortune, who has yoked her fierceness ;
and to speculate on that strange and motley throng,
as hiCh is pretligate and busily idle in her capital.
t the reszoration of peace, it was not difficult to
lams?: that thousands would repair from England
to gape at this extraordinary scene ; but it gratifies
us to think, that of the numbers who have been im-
poned by curiosity to this excursion, not one has re-
tarred otherwise than better pleased with his own
country, and dicappoitr_ei or disgusted with France.
When we calv.:late our constitution on the princi-
ples of its theory, er I-2.T: on what our fathers
possessed, and we ought o, possess, we may be in-
duced to regard ourselves as bending under a load
of political evils, and be tempted to complain : but
a vievr of our Reprldicsa neighbour will soon re-
move our discontent, and render us thankful for the
blessings which we enjoy—for our security in the
intercourse of social life, for our free press for the
discussion of truth, for our suhjection in short
only to admirable laws, 1110 g admirably admini-
stered.

l'be work which has directed our present atten-
tion to France, is entitled, "A Rovoit SKITCH
or NlonEits l'Asis ; or, Lett :•s on the Society,
Mannas, Public Curiosities, and Amusements in
that Capital." Politics are not within the Author's
plan and we may consequently be censured for
their introduction : but who can, a: this instant, con-
template Franca, without adverting to the pliteno-
men t of her political situation ? The Author of
these Letters, who has not inscribed them with his
name, informs us that they were written in the two
last months of 1,01, and in the first fore of the sue-.
eteding year. The picture which they give of Paris
seems to be accurate, and is certainly entertaining.
It presents to us, in distinct and appropriate co-
louring, the three descriptions of people who at
present form the h;gh society of that capital,—the
antient noblesse, who are still afflueut ; thc numer-
ous train of Government, the new men, who
by various means have et.riched themselves during
the Revolution and the War. Of these classes, the
first are represented as the most proud and inacces-
sible, the second as the most gaudy and the most
Polite to strangers, and the third as the most ex-
travagant and voluptuous.
Fot the entertainment of our readers, we will se-
lect an extracß front the 7th letter, which describes
an eveniig or era party, of which our Author was
Vne•
" The fire was nionopeliaed by a party of zealous
disputants, who, tasenii,g their backs to the corn-
pally, aad talking altogether, funned a separate
group, or rather a debating society, round the
chimney. Fr-im tbe loudr.ess of their voices, and
the ieufenct of their gestates, I supposed they were
slissr.tssing some is reat nationat questiou, and expecting
to gain much useful intelligence, listened with ail
the painful attention of extreme curiosity. I soon
disc3vered, to my no small :astonishment, that it w,ts
not the bate of the natiisi, but the accuracy of an
expre,sion, which excited their zeal. '!"he abbs
1)e1:11e had, it seems, in a puem Lately published,
used this phrase.
" Jr tfc:etentl4 flue silouce, jc ue roil quc la fltllit."•
" Whether it was possible 66 to hear silence," and
a- see night.'' WAS thz4great subject of dispute ; and

• 1 eat, hey aud scv teat

I