The Sun.
London, England, 1834-08-06 00:00:00

ENGRAVINGS FROM THE WORKS OP

JOSHUA REYNOLDS. Ruer IX.
The excellence and cheapness of this work tans Baer,
constitute it a favourite with the public. Five engra"Pt
on a large scale, executed in the first style, and from the
chef-d'oeuvres of one of the greatest masters of expression
that England has ever known, for the sum of half-a-guines
This is indeed a rarity, even in these days of boasted eetY
nomy !It is also a work much wanted—we may add, ill.
dispensable—to students in the fine arts ; for Sir J 05111:
colours—with which he was but too fond of playing trici.
and experiments—are already fading ; and these engr3ill'''
ings, notwithstanding the limited character of the art,
convey a very faithful idea of what our first President otte:
was in the artful handling of his lights and shades. 'll'
ablest in the number before us, if we may venture on 011 r
parisons where all are good, is the engraving of Lady CArirte
°
line Montague, whose youthful, chubby face beams with
softest and sunniest expression.

MY SKETCH-BOOK.—No. V.
.
George Cruickshank has one capital caricature in 615
number, we mean that on " the Worship 6f WealiPr
which possesses all the moral force and truth of one °r
Hogarth's satires. We know not that George has eceo
done any thing better than this, even in his best days,lll3,
he illustrated and rendered irresistible Hone's racy Pnlitje-
parodies.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENr,

THIS DAY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the chair at twenty minutes past twelve'
CORPORATE REFORM. of
Mr. TOOKE presented a petition from, his 'constituen.tsnicg
Truro, very numerously and respectably signed, c0ni1422,01
of the delay that had taken place in the contemplated 110.-b53
of Corporate Reform. The petitioners stated that they
experienced, .in consequence, considerable inconvenieneesd
their mercantile transactions, by the operations of a 40
self-elected corporate body. He had not taken' much 514
in the discussions that had taken place, but he •must now 911 Y tbig
he did not think that a special commission was necessary lot $
purpose, any more than for the Reform Bill. He thouglit lost
general measure of corporate reform might be introduced 016,0-
having had recourse to the special commission at all. 11,esd .0
plained that the Chief Commissioner and, his Secretary 11 0 tlie,
many other duties to discharge that they could not attend tta of
important objects of the commission, and the great 1)1,00
the duty had devolved upon a gentleman, whose time was.iclij
be
devoted to antiquarian pursuits. He trusted the report w° cite'
ready early next session, as the subject was one which had 00,0
much public interest. Much of the substance of that report opt
he understood, be anticipated by a publication which was at pet
tba
in the press, but nevertheless thepublic were most anxious
contemplated reform should be carried into effect as al'ev-
possiMble.
r. O'DWYER agreed with the Hon. .Member. that th.s 61;
mission would be productive of much good, as soon as the Or
which it had been set on foot was carried into effect. ace
Mr. TOOKE then presented a petition from Dissenting ,
gymen and others of London, complaining of the rejection o'otbe,
Bill for the admission of Dissenters to the Universities in the
House, and praying that a charter might be conferred °co a
University of London. He gave notice that -he would reooo9
former notice of his for an address to his Majesty early next
upon the subject. 1, De
Mr. FELLOWES presented a petition from Chundeifr'
von, in support of the Church. anit'°
Sir E. CODRINGTON presented a petition from Lieu vy
R. Milner, complaining of having been dismissed from the inairolii
Mr. LABOUCHERE defended the conduct of the Ml'''. the
in the case which had been brought under the censideration._°oo,
House, although he was not personally acquainted with the or
stances to which the Gallant Admiral alluded. - "fr,
After a few words from Mr. O'DwirEit, Mr. WALLArt'
• •
RUTHVEN, and some other Hon. Members, the petition Vais
on the table.
IRISH WHISKEY. roY4
Colonel LEITH HAY presented a petition from the oe
burgh of Inverary, complaining of the intended reduction i°,oo
duty upon Irish whiskey, and praying, that if the measure
carried into effect, it should be extended to Scotland. dr'
Mr. SHAW LEFEVRE presented a petition from ',lifir
amptonbetweenpraying for the maintenance of the connexion between
Churchand State.
Mr. COBBETT said he had a petition of a totally diffe„rier4
nature to present. It was a petition from his constituents, Ph-,vile,
for a separation between the Church and the State.
Honourable :Member complained of the unequal distriber'°o.l
the Church revenues, and their appropriation to other ~ot
Church purposes, which, he contended, was the greatiive-o.
of the outcry that had been raised against the Church. Toy'
stanced two parishes in Hampshire, in one of which the
_e„.
man had but 81., and in the other 151. per annum, while 7700
taken out of the parish by Lord Guilford. There was a ojliLP
50/. given No the clergyman from Queen Anne's bounty, ople,
was in fact nothing more nor less than a tax raised of the Pe
who were thus obliged to support the clergyman twice over. 0110 _
Mr. S. LEFEVRE looked forward with hope to the till, be:
sinecures in the Church would be abolished, and there w°ll9o th
more equal distribution of Church property, by which Inv
Church would be on a more sure foundation.
Mr. SINCLAIRpIaced would like to know what would become °f t"
poor if the Church Establishment were abolished.. .
Mr. AGLIONBY knew many instances similar to those:D.ll'e;
tioned by the Hon. Member for Oldham, and ho hoped the, b
wouldbe brought before the House. If no other Member do
would.
of
The petition was laid cn the table. bett I
Mr. SINCLAIR presented a petition from certain Afer°loo
the London College of Surgeons, complaining of not being
to act as physicians in Ireland. cola tbe
Mr. FINCH presented a petition from Stamforddcolo „f
increased duty upon spirit licenses, also a petition from I.lllbers "3
support of the Church. He could state that the best mono, 59
the Church were anxious for the removal of all existing ah°s
for t
Mhr. e troduction of all useful improvements. titie° 'for
MAXWELL supported the prayer of the latter
the same time he was equally anxious with the Hon. -Me"'
Stamford for the removal of all unnecessary claims. 1.60,:te*
The petition was then laid on the table, and the Srt,
there being no other petitions to present, left the chair at -
to two o'clock.

PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS•

LIST OF THJ
Of 82, who voted for the immedi
a rent charge upon the land of
occupying tenantry the abateml
given by the Bill to the landlor

E MAJORITY s
iate conversion of Irish s
Ireland, and. for secttrilater
ent of 40 per cent. propos
•ds of that country. - t
Warburton, 1-3.—.l.3ridpos',
Wedgeaood, J.—stoke ~.
Williams, o.—Ashtol
SCOTLAND. •
Bannerman, A.—Aberdeen
Ewing, James—GlasgoW
Oswald, ft. A.—Ayrshire
Sinclair, G.—caitfinewel"
& c.
Steuart, R.—Haddirglon,
I R EL A ND. r
Acheson, Lord—Co. of Ar°
Barr G. S.—Cork Co.
Blake, M.—GalwaY
Callaghan, D.—Cork city
Chapman, M. L.—Wear:o%.
Clements, Visc.—Leitrim
Evans, G.—Dublin Co.
Ffrencb, F.—Rosscommoo
Hill, Lord M.—Newry Co.oward, R.—Wicklow t
Martin, T.—Galway Co.
Macnamara, W.—Clare
Mullins, F. W.—.Kerry
O'Callaghan C.-1 ippen
O'Connell, O'Callaghan,
YougurAs
O'Dwyer, A. C.—Droh,c.
O'Grady, S —Limerick "
O'Reilly, W.—Dundalk ,
Perrin, Louis—MonaiMcg
Roche, William—Littler/
Ruthven, E. S.—Dublin
Ruthven, E.—Kildare CO.
Shell, ft: L.—TipperarY -:
Sullivan, Richard—Kilke - •
Talbot, J.—Athlone
Vigors, N. A.—Carlow
Walker, C. A.—Wexford
WALKED OUT. •
Grattan, Henry—Meath
SHUT OUT.
Hawes. Benjamin—L'°' o.ri
Hutt,' W.—Kingston-nir
Stawell, Colonel—Kiosa g
White, S.—Leitrim Co.
TELLERai,s op '‘
O'Connell; Daniel-le-1P
Mackenzie, J. A. S. - "1"--
„5

MINORITY., r
Willoughby, Sir H. --
Wood, C.—Halifax
N.
SCOTLAND' •
Abercronaby, Right 11°".
burgh JOAO
Fergnsson, •R. C
a. fe
id
Hay, C Gordon,, t.
l;
Hobhouse, Sir J.
Macleod, R._ sutherbin
Ross, H.—Montrose, SC'
HIELAN2;OIO C.
Corry, Hon. H. L.l
Hayes, Sir E.-1)0,1as co t
Jones, T.—Londointerr!iyosi
Leroy, Dr.—Dublin 11"
Lefroy, A.—Longorc!
Shaw, F.—Dublin 0.0
f
tag

Part r'
eir, very ow'
Lvourau.Y r
e.
re excellent,

- •,re co n• •
ning'
ular what.en
If and finil.
women, as
ek outline ,
give some of
angel is the
the byes. IS
r—hag quit°'

S OF Sill
/X.
.k raaut ever
.e engravings
and from the
)f expressionalf-a-guines
boasted Or
may add, in.
Sir Josinls
)laying trick°
hese
the art, w'
resident once
hades. 'rbe
ture on our
f Lady Caro;
minx With th

ature Tin t,
of Wea,liwt
th of one°:
,rge has est;
3t days, wbe,
racy politics'

[ENT•!

s•r 6.

past twelve'

of
constituen.tsig
I, conWisi.ore
plated roes bad
that the) is
:onveniene!,lll
a of a 5":,,,4
la much • yip
t now Olio:.
:essary for,_st
thought
oduced
all. klie.S or
Tetaxy the
attend to 0(
great beet
ime Was Al be
,port •teil
eh had eif,lol4
at report t
"'
t was at Per7s,i;
that
ancious
;asst

that this c.°llica;
the

Clef'
issenting tio
rejection o...ther
ids ~n th_ae ; die
ferred
would re7o
Lrly next
De'
lumleight
om Lieutce7
om the na:;sity
r the Adll3lf the
iderationro_ao,
ith the ci

10r,
V “.,tAry‘ tiyid
ition 14-0

from the. tkO.
'eduction id
he roasure
cnoth'
a from tbB
on between

es
ll differ'
tota Y „00-
ituentsr
le State. ,
distribtiu°,ol
to other
eyes
he greattieW
hurch.
ich the Clic`:',o
while 10 • of
.e was a thiell
bouritY,_.:oll,
d of the 17.'
ice over•ee
r the timetete
erewoulu the
rhichean4
1 become of

to theior
Ted the.l be
ember ch"

ain 310 We{
)t being Pr
n•cl 3e. c o
ol° of
From JA b_(
best merit
ting abust-;

ler bet retitle) ifor
)n. Aria

the - s
r
zair at a q

)NS.

ke to
Irish
Y
11
uriog to to r
seC
prOPS

r•
sridpOlt
Aoke
Ito!,
AND*
kbadec
[sow
vrshlre
.'
•
irgton,
SP
0 of A`
‘Co.

r
rk city atit
wespleco,
Co.
:onllo°-
wry ~
Elovi

r-laCroe. Co.
Cary 4
I ipPerlif
Yough_As
Dre"`""
aria CO'
magi, et:
Linifric
lublin
use Cch
erarY „pf
_Kilice''
le

reV°.-
00%.
Meat.*
,uT.
n 1 1t
on-111-7.
Klnsa
Co.

Y
t.
V
AND.
0011..
•rige pri
-K:it,e ftwe
in~t‘c". toiti
0413.010
ileg*' Co ity
iittnetjriivers'
ford
tiol,` 1,"
fiti
botttf '4,- lag,
n 01-0 y
rfhe b°ooollo
the ce t
ct
itoolls to s
bett
little fset'
alYnd,

"f•

)111E MAGAZINES.--(CONTINUED.)
tive„,
4'CLOP2EDIA OF GARDENING.—Part IX.
GARDENER'S MAGAZINE.—No. •LIII.

BY J. C. Loudon. Longman and Co.
,The respective merits of these publications are very un-
which is the more extraordinary as the same presid-
° genius watches over and enriches the pages of both.
blattktnd are ever prone to treat intellectual offspring in
the
"•tile way as physical—sharing their love and labour
moat liberally with the first-born. But that both publica-
tio.,
it n merit attention and deserve support, requires only that
sn•
oold be known that they are conducted by Mr. Lou-
°'
Whose scientific knowledge and elegant taste in what-
tr -
relates to floriculture, and the laying out and manage-
t of gardens, are well known and highly appreciated by
"Very botanist in England. The Encyclopcedia of Gardening
8 illustrated with an abundance of wood-cuts, by which
, 'Y Part of the subject is rendered so familiar that a
NIA
" aught study it with advantage. No person who has
' taste for horticultural pursuits ought to be without it.
kvr.,
CLOPIEDIA OF GEOGRAPHY, Palm VL
Longman and Co.
e,e have received Part VI. of this excellent publication,
wor k
n, when completed, will form one of the most useful
tairi.s in the English language. The present number eon-
a perfect description of the various states comprising
e '
nelvetic and German confederacies, embellished with
/I,,,pA'' and adorned with a great variety of very beautiful
It comprises a mine of the most useful know-
es--statistical, civil, political,- and financial. What
Ito
til'erS this publication of great importance at the present
ent is, that recent changes in several continental states,
followed" the subjugation of the power of Napoleon,
•av• ,
e
blade most works of the same kind published in Eng-
tbe
eeords rather of what once was, than of what now is
ouotear state of many of the federal governments. The
w •
!ag.extract, on the literature, and literary institutions
fact h People of Germany, will show with what care every
waros...been collected that could add to the value of this
znerott, The •
institutions for the promotion of learning are very nu-
kkiehin.,,Germany. The chief learned societies are those of
Pulsezerlin, Prague, and Gottingen ; but, wanting the
im-
those a national metropolis, none of them vie in celebrity wit
Nunnof Paris and London. The universities are very numerous
. distinguished. Only five of them are Catholic ; that of
aal .1,4 attended by 1,103 students, Prague, 879 ; Weisburg,
ttsta'nt an(.lshut, 640 ; Freyburg, 837. There are thirteen.. Pro-
Itos, universities, Heidelberg, with 603 students ;
s,
°e4 k' 76 ; Griefswalde, 55 ; Marburg, 197 ; Jent, 522 ;
; Kiel, 107 ; Halle, 471 ; Gottingen, 1,165 ; Erlangen,
xhieh 1,752. There are e two of divided religion ; Tubingen,
'Sergi !Ins 500 students, and Bonn, which has 400: in all, twenty
strtieies, which in 1817 were attended by 10,481 students.
lln-
-14451.1 is given, as in the Scottish universities, entirely b ec-
seme, !Ile students live in the towns, and are not subjected to any
4444141 discipline. They are in general. diligent la their at:
4" at .tlectures, but somewhat disorderly in their private con
Creost 'Melling is practised in a systematic manner, and formed
Iftto a regular Seience ; hard drinking is alleged. to be
eofito ; and an ardent, but somewhat irregular patriotism has
`cc formation of secret political associations, which havelbe-
t4 object'of jealousy to the German sovereigns. The ec-
4ttil a,,r,„Public and private, of which the latter only are remune-
-77;"1 fees, and are hence usually the most valuable.
ere are also institutions called Lyceums which are nume-
‘▪
egre e"eially in Austria, where lectures are delivered, but no
Ilieroues conferred. Common schools are also sufficientl nu-
kttiti and those for the instruction of the lower orders are so.
Pl,lcd, that out of a thousand scarcely one will be found, it is
1,14 440 cannot read, or fifty who cannot write. In no country
thimacation been more the object of study ; and the systems of
ktebtri.,' Salzmann, Pestalozzi, and Jahn have attracted general
h 77-.
."c.st e literary and scientific collections of Germany are the
Aerial and valuable that exist in any country. The im-
-4'44 library at Vienna contains 300,000 printed volunans, 25,000
korid4o9kcjipts, and about 70,000 pamphlets ; _that of Munich,
,a)lutnes ; that of Gottingen, the most useful perhaps in the
tstndii""‘",ooo volumes, 5,000 manuscripts, and about 110,000
0000'nets ; Dresden as 250,000 volumes • Wolfenbuttel has
'tUtr;.-"' including a rich store of ancient works, and 6,000 bibles.
1011:41, 70,000 volumes, and 12,000 bibles. Berlin, 300,000
160,,s in herpublic libraries • of which the King's contains
Ilre,Tu• Weiniapr, Prague, Frankfort-on-the-Mayn, Hamburg,
oih:n,,Alentz Dar' mstadt, have each about 100,000. Marburg,
:13rar;":1ena, and many of the %mailer cities, have very considerable
and upon the whole it is calculated that in Germany four
tntur"f volumes are accessible to. the public. The cabinets of
k b
la rY, and especially of mineralogy, are num. erous and va-
°4 Gou. Lie botanical garden of Schonbrunn, near Vienna, and that
Berlin 'lngPi, are celebrated ; as are the observatories of Vienna,
'`eiliest'iatn,LGottingen. The cabinet of medals at Vienna is the
• 7,4 e :-..urope.
41,4 remi "Nt trade of Germany, in unison with the general taste
~..`?resta has reached an extent which equals, perhaps, that of all
Zno not ,",e world. The nation numbers about ten thousand authors,
Ccryfore,n,Y produce original writings, but translate immediately
"rou hi t, Work of an} celebrity. The -works thus produced are
knol3 annually to the Easter fair at Leipzig, to be distributed
41,,n,t, the booksellers of Germany. The new works annually pro-
..a;mount to about 4,000. The want of any literary metro-
tasi_ "mere
L,.,).oried this ar
there could exist a permanent depot seems to have oc-
',,As .ncoirangernent, which appears in many respects cum-
titt oithle
fine
arts,
painting was very early and successfully cul-
llaveT in Germany; though the works of Durer and Cranack
,an toeat-iinVe and Gothic character, compared with those of the
itiLan roasters In recent times none of her painters have
engd first class, certainly that honour cannot be assigned to
•jilt, and bietricy. Yet her princes have formed collections of
4'
r „trigs to which there is nothing equal out of Italy. The
„ "° gallery holds the foremost rank; after which may e
• tl2e Belvidere at Vienna ; the galleries of Munich, Berlin,
at e' aitiengsburg not to mention many private collections, espe-
-14,414e1teil ienna, which rival those of princes. To these are also
line is tlerY extensive collections of drawings and engravings.
h,aatlei ~itc rage all over the nation ; and the German composers,
rst toVadYn, Alozart, Beethoven, Weber, and Spohr, seem al-
f 77. ave eclipsed the masters of Italy. In almost every vii.
ee Nte°shi/cert of amateurs is to be found. Architectural. genius
reareddaVn shone with very great lustre. Very splendid edifices. have
ofth_. in the great- -capitals, and in the
.free cities during the
tti models eir glory • but these have been chiefly formed upon Ita-
,tvtitlg N,,t..• _ sculpture has never risen above mediocrity. En-
styl carriedealle4itiie
to great perfectionin by Albert Durer and
sisieu;:4l4 in recent times, a small and highly finished
mit tiled the Frey,
little
masters,Wille Schmidt, and Muller have
c(nlntr reputation of Germany on a level with that of any
• •

LITERATURE.
Pit ,
4 tr.
"4 I' LIBRARY. Nos. XLV V. and XL VI.
"
'44 Itisroity FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, IN
Z.), 51..1" VOLUMES, VOLS. P. AND VI.
• 4 illeXander Frazer Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee.
Alußaer, London.
-
'i se tilht; volumes are a conclusion of Lord Woodhouselee's
the et'sal History," from the Creation of the World to
ttrn4 :i of the . Seventeenth Century," one of the most
Lerd;,46l° works of the kind published in modern times.
divia,"oodhouselee departed altogether from the plan of
Ity i'ug time into epochs, or ages, and then connecting them
off4elnertliediate chains of dates for the better impressing
liberdts tiPon the . memory. His history is written in a
are Pirit, and very rich in elegant criticisms of litera-
-414,t44d art. The work, of necessity, is in many parts
t
"raissi e4tltY in its materials ; in others there are grea
l'Av -,cuis °I much important historical information ; but
14 gi:°4ld it be otherwise in a history of the world included
tliti:t"lliallvolumes? As a specimen of the Noble Author's
1104 4 taste we give his remarks on Shakspeare, and the
;,111 dramatists of England and France :-
441,11 i lit*nerits of Shakspeare have been often analyzed, and are
Nat '''..lll. ei,r, erson tas He cannot be measured by. the
'-gftlir—c'sol—P he understood them not, and has totallyrdit sroese-
tth.laties
(lei% ; but this very circumstance has given. !eons ffo
ehn.us
15'1,1,11 der nennfined nature and astonishing ebullitions o g i
l'"e (1,-„.tplgnt and surprise in his productions, and which the rules
h% f „Nier •1 would have much confined and repressed. I know.s:iot
q -., there is nos m thing even in the very absurdities
dt.,4l4l4eics"eare, which tends,se by Contrast, to exalt the lustre of his
terati,,-`, elevate his strokes of the sublime. It. is certain that
1.,
,oed - Poetry
it became snore
ill England has not improved as
1-ttisTti4ibarlsedrv,s2uor..p9ets, in imitation of the French, became scru-
The old English drama, with all
th,"tegif6„T7
.t the unities.
th_ ' lee e 3,. is incomparably superior. to the modern, both in
tl,t lAN Jelin eation of character and in the natural expression of
fi;tt', alidl4 in the plays of Shakspeare, ? Beaumont and Flet-
pi,t4iot oc.Alassinger, every person is a ehighly finished picture.
le h' iollt taVec the importance
II"
-t. ' -411
any character by itself, we have pleasure in con-
of each character to conduce to the
Positi tug it. ,
..y .
Flo
(!li sitti it. take a good painting, we.admire not only the coul-
11.\!t0L,stsioritrieqiuerevv, h4efinofdthitebgreaouutpd,utuyt if we confine our attention
drawn andhrige,blpeyctfi.nishiehde.
di,4"."'os taken odern plays fall infinitely short in this -
~,,,tol''',,,„isithes_iti.gly are nothing—the have no strong features to
histk'r a viejotr A modern dramatic. writer
.will paint a virtuous
but the general
hh,. , of th s Dian ; but he gives him nothing.„ ..,,..
la-",.h.ir,, Cestt..antet.er ; you admire or de.test his actions, ani_i '.i.
fe .1 , bitlt -__ -mpg either good moral sentiments or purposes of vil-
vis4'es . Jarrune this hero or this villain, he wants particular
i,,}lN3, i„,,' };!eicartnot be described; he resembles those masks, or,
rq,lei_ll 04 L'o were worn by the Greek and Roman comedians,
reqk ws.,
cons P
to express each of the passions, and the samebe r etitedratantly worn as often as the same passion was to
•,t' 4(,!4 the
th,t4tolkts ern plays, too, a correctness of language, a harmony
whit tlattlg,lN a brilliancy of metaphor, have come in place of
tr .I 1 5i,,i.4 warrnth, that unforced and passionate expression,
ilft.etlien.,ently distinguished the old dramatic compositions. The
ia ,'ll.is need
(1 dO not mean where there are two distinct plots,.
se oust, eq unnatural species of composition, but where there
ki re •
laidiss new
oofi_the, s.arne. plot of serious and ludicrous perso.nagases),
to ,appe, 7 laid aside by our dmatic writers, deterred, ,t
wt,idluteioti,. oY the
.censure of Addison; yet, with great deference
app,;,depriv: a critic, I cannot help thinking that his opium: !4'llei; t.,.0
examplethen very rational source of pleasure. Me may
'ilteee4fi.the ititroeinof some of the finest plays in ourcvleanngugne
,1:, c,,,,,_Z or ,ttee'l.!,eg.a. comic scene has a bad effect, when
is to"' char.a.e,'eu tt by another of the deepest distress. Where
toe,t, ods so
,3 ''''., have their business in the tragic plot, and the
ootl osii, .0 oe interesting event, as there is nothing but what
~,„.N wh'i'eth nature in such mixture of characters, so there is
'"e•,:egt' !lic,,ll.,'llocks our feelings. It is not unnatural that clownish
i* jest while their master is in affliction and a short
' ''ltl' fniiiibite4 as it were in pauing an to the seriou3

parts, instead of violating our feelings, has the effect perhaps of
heightening our pathetic emotions, by the sudden, strong, and un-
expected contrast of happiness and misery. The old dramatic
writers perhaps went to an extreme, and sacrificed too much to the
taste of a populace delighted with ribaldry and buffoonery ; bat they
certainly err as much on the other side who have banished all asso-
ciation of the comic and the tragic in the same composition.
" To those who arc admirers of a strict conformity to dramatic
rules, we would recommend the compositions of the French stage
towards the middle of the last century. If dramatic poetry is to be
cowidered as an exhibition of the characters of mankind, which
some very good critics have defined it to be, the French drama, in
this respect, at least their tragedy, must be allowed to be much in-
ferior to the English. If considered as an artificial composition, re-
commending virtue by example, and exposing vice, we acknowledge
the drama of the French to have better attained those important
ends. In the dramatic compositions of either nation, we find there
is room for the introduction both of sublime and of pathetic senti-
ments; but in the French drama we admire the art of the poet,
who describes a feeling, while in the English we sympathize with
the character who expresses it.
. .

" Till the middle of the seventeenth century, dramatic poetry
among the French was extremely low. Pierre Corneille is allowed
to have brought it at mice to the highest pitch of excellence which
it has ever attained. We cannot say that Corneille has not availed
himself of the compositions in other languages ; for besides that the
correct regularity of his pieces demonstrates a thorough acquaint-
ance with the rules of the drama, he has borrowed some of his
plots both from the Greek tragedians and some of the dramatic
writers of Spain. Yet a proof that the genius of Corneille was
more original than the effects of study, is, that his earliest pieces,
written in his youth, are better than those which were the fruit of
his maturer years and more cultivated judgment. Of thirty-three
pieces, there are no more than six or seven which still keep posses-
sion of the French stage, and will probably maintain their ground
for ever. The tragedy of the Cid, Rodogune, Cinna, Polyeucte,
Les Horaces, have never yet been surpassed by any dramatic writers
among the French. The Menteur of Corneillephows that his ge-
nius could adapt itself equally to comedy and to tragedy. This
great poet enjoyed already a very high reputation, when Racine ap-
peared, to dispute with him the palm of dramatic composition.
Corneille, with more of the sublime of poetry, had less acquaintance
with the tender passions. It is here that the forte of Racine lay.
The pathetic of Britannicus is superior to any thing that Corneille
has attempted in the same style. Athalie is full of grandeur and
dignity of sentiment, and the comedy of the Plaideurs shows that
the genius of Racine was as universal as that of his great competitor.
" But the palm of French comedy was reserved for Moliere. It
may perhaps be said of the comedies of Moliere, that they are the
only examples of that species of composition which have actually
produced a sensible effect in,reforming the manners of the age. The
French physicians in his time were precisely what he represents
them—illiterate, mysterious, and ignorant quacks. The women of
fashion were overrun with a pedantic affectation of learning ; and
the French nobility affected that arrogant and supercilious demea-
nour which demands respect from the consideration of birth or for-
tune, w;thout the possession of a single laudable or valuable quality.
The keen but delicate satire of Moliere produced a very sensible re-
formation; and the latter part of the reign of Louis XIV. was as
entirely free from the quackery of physic, the pedantry of the ladies,
and the absurd pride of the nobility, as the commencement of it
was marked by those characteristics.
" The last eminent dramatic writer among the French who dis-
tinguished the seventeenth century was Crebillon, who is the only
one of the French poets of the stage, if we except Voltaire, who
has drawn his images of the sublime from the source of terror. In
tragedy he had before him the models of Corneille and Racine, but
his genius was original, and he disdained to imitate. His pieces
are, therefore, deficient in that correctness, or that polish in the
structure of the verses, which is the fruit of study and of imitation ;
but he must be a tasteless critic, who, in reading the tragedy of
Radamiste et Zenobie, or of Atre et Thyeste, feels his passions so
disengaged as to attend to the irregularity of a verse or the harsh-
ness of a cadence. Let us observe, too, to the honour of Crebillon,
that in all his pieces virtue and morality are powerfully inculcated.--
a characteristic to distinguish him from a worthless son, the younger
Crebillon, who, in a variety of licentious novels, has prostituted ex-
cellent talents in the service of vice."