The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-05 00:00:00

On Thursday evening—last Monsieur Bourgeois
delivered, at the Ladies' College, Kensington-square,
Kensington, the first of a series of lectures on French
literature. The lecturer chose for his subject the
works of La Fontaine. He was induced to make
this choice, he said, because of all the French
writers, La Fontaine was the best known to the
English student of French, and amongst his oti'n
countrymen he was one of the most popular'
authors. "In France," said M. Bourgeois, "La
Fontaine is the milk of our infancy, the bread of our
manhood, and the last substantial food of our old
age. As children we lisp his fables, and, when we
become fathers, we delight in teaching our children
to recite them too." La Fontaine was born in the
beginning of the 17th century, and belongs to that
period of French history known as legrand siecle.
His father was Commissioner of Woods and Forests,
which post he resigned in favour of his son, when
at the age of 26, the young La Fontaine married.
His was not a precocius genius, for he was past
twenty before he became conscious of possessing
any poetical talent. It was hearing Malherbe's
ode on the death of Henry IV. read that seemed to
kindle up the latent fire of genius that smouldered
within him. He expressed an exctatic delight, re-
peated the poem again and again, and recognising
the sympathetic chord that vibrated within his
bosom, ho felt that he too was a poet. He immedi-
ately commenced to study, and, happily for himself,
rejecting the false taste that regarded versified wit
as the, expression of true poetic genius, he turned
to the study of the philosophers and poets of Greece
and Rome. He studied Virgil and Horace assi-
duously, and in the works of Piato ho found much
of that practical philosophy which he afterwards
embodied in his fables. The versatile spirit of the
poet-student required variety, and ho alternated
these serious studies with the lighter strains of
Bocaccio and Ariosto. The young poet was fortu-
nate in obtaining the patronage of Fouquet, the
celebrated Superintendent of Finances under
Louis XIV.

Mont,. Bourgeois divided La Fontaine's poetical
career into two parts—the first closing with the dis-
grace of Fouquet, the second extending from that
event to the end of his life. La Fontaine's muse
having found inspiration in alt the great events of
the period, the lecturer profited by the circumstance
to make his poems serve as a history of the times.
He sung the charms of the Chateau de Vaux, the
delightful residence embellished by Fouquet at the
expense of a million and a•half sterling. The
peace of the Pyrenees, the marriage of Louis XIV.
with Maria Theresa of Spain, the nuptials of the
King's brother with Henrietta of England—all
these events, not forgetting the mournful disgrace
of Fonquet, served to bring forward the great per-
sonages of the day—Mazarin, Colbert, Soarron
and his wife, and the artists and literary men who
formed the brightest ornaments of the reign of
Louis XIV.

The Schleswig Deputation to the King of
Prussia.---Reply of the King,

BERLIN, Wednesday.
The following is the full text of the address pre•
seated by the Schleswig deputation to the King of
Prussia on the 23d ult., together with his Majesty's
reply :
" Most illustrious and mighty King! Most gra..
cious King and lord !—We, inhabitants of the Duchy
of Schleswig, as representatives of the gentry, the
possessors of largo estates, the small landholders,
and the towns, respectfully approach your Majesty
to testify at the foot of the throne to the thankful
feelings animating the inhabitants of that Duchy
towards the protector of their rights.
"A long period of severe trials lies behind us. A
foreign people attempted to violate our right, to
deprive us of the language and customs of our fore-
fathers, even to misuse the Church for destructive
political aims.
"By the will of Almighty God the hour of re-
lease has sounded. Every tie which hitherto bound
us to Denmark is severed by the death of the last
Prince of the elder line of our ruling house; every
rightful pretext for the foreign dominion attempted
to be imposed upon us has therewith disappeared.
"But at this important moment we had no further
arms than the consciousness of our good right an d
reliance upon the assistance which the Princes of
Germany would not refuse. Our hope has not been
in rain. In conjunction with the forces of his Ma-
jesty the Emperor of Austria your Majesty's re-
nowned army has already shed much blood for the
freedom of the Duchy of Schleswig. In accom-
plishing this task it has had to contend with great
obstacles arising from the season, and has endured
severe hardships with constancy and valour, which
fill us with admiration. Our country blesses the
resolution, ripened into fact by your Majesty's
powerful will, namely, the delivery now in pro-
gress of the Duchy of Schleswig from Danish
oppression ; and that we will pray to God that he
will permit victory and fame still to attend your
arms.

"Most gracious King !—We are now compelled
frankly to inform your Mejerty as our most heart-

felt conviction ;

"That the Schleswigers declare it to be the right
of their country to form an independent state, in
unison with the twin country of Holstein, governed
by the male line of Oldenburgh, according to
priority of birth. Acting hereupon, we can only
recognise Duke Frederick, of the House of Schles-
wig-Holstein Sonderburg-Augustenberg as our sole
rightful sovereign, as in fact has been already
unanimously pronounced by the popular voice in
all parts of the country.
"We cling the more firmly to the right of our
duke, seeing therein the only means of at once and
completely freeing ourselves from connection with
Denmark, and thereby alone preventing all further
interruptions to peace. We can assure your Ma-
jesty that in these expressions we clearly represent
the feelings of the quiet and well disposed popula-
tion of the country, as far removed from anarchical
and violent attempts as penetrated with a sense of
their good right.

We trust firmly in the wisdom of your allied
Majesties not to allow the successes achieved by the
deaths of so many brave soldiers, with those yet to
be attained, to go down to history without obtain-
ing the above result—the only result, indeed, com-
patible with the right of the country.
"Most gracious King,—We should return to our
homes with joy, carrying inextinguishable grati-
tude in our hearts if we could bring to our country-
men the happy assurance that your Majesty will in
this manner protect the rights of our country, and
thereby establish her independence."
(The signatures follow.)

The Sing gave the following reply :
" I willingly receive at your hands the expression
of the feeling with which the inhabitants of the
Duchy of Schleswig have greeted my troops and
their brave Austrian companions in arms. Thanks
for the rapid successes which they have achieved
belong to the Almighty God of Battles.
" You are right to perceive in the resolution
taken by me, in conjunction with the Emperor of
Austria, the proof of our warm sympathy for the
fate of the Duchies narrowly connected by such
various ties. It is our firm determination to gain
guarantees by which the rights and interests of the
Duchies shall be for the future secured. We hope
to attain the object of our endeavours, whatever
may be the decision upon the dynastic question
touched upon in your Address. The nature of the
circumstances shows that this decision cannot be
taken without negotiation with the Diet and the
European Powers, and I cannot anticipate the re-
sult by one-sided action in either direction.
" You may be firmly convinced that the trials of
which you complain shall not return, if God still
continues to bless our councils and our arms.
Retain this conviction, and by a quiet and conside-
rate attitude render easier to myself and my like-
minded ally the attainment of tho object which,
with God's help, shall secure to the Duchies a
happy future."

WILLTAM HUNT, the Water Colourist (remarks

. _
the Saturday Review very happily), has been unsurpassed
amongst our artists in one of the noblest functions of art--
that of exalting lowliness and giving a greatness to little
things,