The Sun.
London, England, 1822-10-15 00:00:00

THE FRENCH PRESS.

TRIBUNAL OF CORRECTIONAL POLICE.
THE CAUSE OF THE " MIROIR."
M. MICBEr.OT, the Editor of the Miroir, was
accused of having, by two articles published
therein, on the 17th and 28th of August, insulted
the person of the King, and outraged the Re-
ligion of the State.
The first of these articles is entitled " Paris in 5839 ; a
Dream." The author supposes that America is become the
centre of civilization, and that Europe is only one vast soli-
tude covered with ruins. He crosses the ocean to visit these re-
mains, the sad evidences of departed greatness, and following the
winding course of the Seine, arrives at the ruins of of Paris. The
author then proceeds in the following manner :—" Here at every
turning the most learned antiquarian of our party favoured us
with a profound dissertation. Behold, he exclaimed, the site of
a magnificent edifice, which was called the Palais Royal, be-
cause it was the residence of the Monarch. Here you may see
what was once the Louvre. The origin of this name is unknown,
but, by analogy, I am induced to affirm, that Louvre was
only the translation of the Latin word lupania_louverie,
a place for wolves. The Louvre, threfore, was the abode
of wild beasts, which the kings kept confined there in great
iron cages, to he exhibited on certain days as a spectacle to the
people, &c. There,' continued our oracle, ' was the bed of re-
pose, the burying-ground of the good citizens ; it was called the
Champs Elysees. Near the gardens of the King are the foun-
dations of a building which was called the menagerie. Mena-
gerie is a word derived from the Gothic menage, which signifies
husbandry, or economy. The menagerie was the treasury of
the state. This building was the receptacle for the money
which was raised by taxes, and it also served for the residence
of a magistrate who was appointed to regulate the finances of
the State. This person, who was necessarily a good husband-
man, was entitled the Minister of Finance.' Here a loud voice
in the street awakened me. The Paris of 5839 vanished, and
the Paris of 1821 appeared before me. I recollected my dream,
and my faith in antiquarian studies received a shock. What
is there in this science,' I exclaimed. ' All that we know of
Athens and of Rome may be as chimerical as whist I learned
of Paris in my dream."'
The second article was entitled " Travelling Shows,"
and consists principally of an extract of a letter written from
Dieppe in the following terms :—" You must remember
to have seen at Saint Cloud, certain tents in which mon-
keys, learned dogs, and other phenomena, are shown to
such persons as feel interested in these matters. Walking on the
port the other day with some friends, I proposed that we should
enter a tent of this kind to see what animals it contained. We
approached one, and heard the crier, a trumpet in his hand,
calling to the people, and with the voice of a Stentor, announ-
cing that the show would commence immediately, and that it
would be still more wonderful than any that had before
been exhibited. Walk in," said he,' Ladies and Gentlemen;
you will see the Birth of our Saviour, the Doubts of Joseph
about the Virgin Mary, his Wife, the Passion, the Resurrec-
tion,' &c. We rushed in, and obtained the front seat without
caring for the price, which, however, was full sixpence. The
curtain was soon drawn up, and I saw all the family of Punch
transformed into Jews, Pharisees, and magicians. The Virgin
appeared, and was put to bed and delivered without the pains of
childbirth. Joseph, who did not understand this affair, called
his spouse some hardi names, that mightily pleased the audi-
ence, which was chiefly composed of the inhabitants of the
port. You see,' said a married woman who sat behind me,
that the injustice of husbands preceded the birth of our Sa-
viour.' This reflection diverted those who heard it. The
Passion' followed what we had just seen. The character of
Judas was admirable ; however, every body seemed to be of
opinion that it was common, and might be met with every
day. Herod, with a Doctor's cap on his head, interpreted
very badly, and discovered in the least actions of our Saviour
sufficient cause for his crucifiction. Pontious Pilate washed
his hands of the business, with an air the most becoming and
indifferent imaginable.
" The show, according to the announcement, finished with
the Resurrection. The spectators retired cracking a thonsand
jokes upon the puppets changed into Jews and Romans, and I
for a moment immag,ined myself carried back to that remote pe-
riod of which Boileau speaks, when an ignorant troop of strol-
lers represented mysteries on temporary scaffoldings—
" Et sottement zelee en sa simplicit6,
" Jouait les saints, la Vierge, et Dieu par piete."
The author concludes by some reflections on the abuse of this
kind of spectacle, and expressed a desire to have it abolished.
The King's Advocate, after a minute criticism of the above
fragments, called for the condemnation of M. Michelot, the
acknowledged author of the articles, and the responsible editor
of the Miroir.
M. Chaix d'Est Ange defended the accused. He contended
that the object of the author in the article entitled " Paris in
5839," was merely to shew the uncertainty of what were called
antiquarian discoveries. The imaginary antiquary of the
author, like all others of his class, referred in every case to
etymology, and in consequence fell into the most absurd errors,
as was evinced by the observations upon the menagerie. The
learned Advocate, however, quoted several authors to prove
that his client was correct with respect to the etymology of the
word Louvre. That person, only, he said, ought to be consi-
dered guilty who had brought such an article before a judicial
tribunal, and by wishing it to be supposed that the King could
be compared with ferocious animals, had really insulted the
majesty of the throne. Passing to the second article charged as
libellous, M. Chaix d'Est-.Ange offered to prove that the scan-
dalous spectacle described by the author was really exhibited.
He contended that the article was merely a description of what
took place, unaccompanied by comments.
After deliberating half an houi,' the tribunal delivered in
judgment, that the article entitled " Paris in 5839," contained
no offence whatever towards the person of the King, and that
.othe a article
theatrical
ep n t
entitledrr
e' Travellingeati
(t which iSi
ch Shows,"
o was only a description
tooksi" place in the town of
Diepe, which fact was not denied by the public prosecutor ;
moreover, that the object of the article was not to outrage or
turn into ridicule the religion of the state, but rather to shew
the impropriety and the abuse of theatrical representations of
holy mysteries, and to denounce them, if not to authority, at
least to public upluiou.—The comylsint was therefore dis-
missed.

The Foreign Intelligence in our preceding
columns is taken from the Paris Papers of Satur-
day and German Papers to the 6th.
Our Readers, we are sure, will believe us when
we say that we cannot find words to express the
strong emotions of joy and exultation with which
we receive every fresh confirmation of the suc-
cesses of the heroic Greeks. No cause but that
of our own country, if she also were again doomed
to struggle for her independence, could more
deeply interest our feelings, or more powerfully
awaken our sympathies, than that of the brave
nation, which, in the struggle for its eman-
cipation from a fierce and barbarian tyranny,
has already proved itself worthy of its ancient
renown. The full confirmation of the utter de-
struction of the Ottoman army in the Morea has
at length reached us from Constantinople itself,
where the appalling intelligence, notwithstand-
ing all the endeavours of the Porte, could no
longer be concealed. And this is not all :—for
the Treasury of the SULTANS no longer reple-
nished by the plunder of Greece, and by
the robbery of the opulent Greek houses,
was so exhausted that it had become neces-
sary to issue a firman requiring the Turks to
bring into the public treasury all their vessels of
gold and silver, for the service of the Govern-
ment. This is the most fatal symptom of debility
which the Ottoman power has as yet exhibited ;
and will be followed by measures which will in-
flame the passions of the Mussulmans against their
Rulers, as well as against their revolted Subjects.
Another year for Greece similar to the pre-
sent, and her
.independence will not only be
secured ; but she may have the glory, single-
handed, of expelling the Asiatics altogether
from Europe. In addition to this gratifying intel-
ligence from Constantinope, we learn from Corfu,
under date of September 12, that the Greek fleet
had, by skilful manoeuvres, induced a Turkish
expedition of forty transports, three frigates,
and one ship of the line, having 8,000 troops on
board, to set sail for the coast of Napoli
di Romania, with the view of landing the
troops as a reinforcement for the Ottoman forces
in the Morea.—The Greeks, who had concealed
their movements, encountered the enemy between
Negropont and Andros, and completely defeated
him. Only eleven or twelve of the transports,
two of the frigates, and the ship of the line,
escaped, and were pursued into the waters of
Tenedos. Two-thirds of the troops destined for
the Morea perished. The main body of the Ot-
toman navy, under the CAPSTAN PACHA, had also
encountered a severe repulse in an attack upon
Missolungi, and had retired iu disgust toward
Cape Matipan.

FRENCH FUNDS.-OCT. 12.

Five per Cents.
Closed at 93 f c
_ _ -q0 •

Bank Stock v 1655 f. c.
Neapolitan Five per Cents Bok h
Exchange on London—One Month 25 f. 40 c•
Three Months 25 f. 25 c.

As the opening of the Congress at Verona ap-
proaches, the apprehensions which were enter-
tained that it would decide upon the forcible re-
pression of the Spanish Constitutionals, begins to
subside. It is now very generally thought that
the Sovereigns and their Ministers will discon-
tenance every proposition for an appeal to the
sword, in the settlement of any of the important
questions which are to be submitted to their con-
sideration ; and that none but peaceful measures
and the influence of friendly counsels will be
resorted to. The accumulation of military pre-
parations on the Spanish frontier by France, and