The Sun.
London, England, 1832-01-13 00:00:00

PARIS, AND ITS HISTORICAL SCENES,

2 VoLs.—LoNDo.v, 1831.

The present volumes contain the history of
the French Revolution in the:oha
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insignificant, has escaped the author's research.
He has spared no pains, hesitated at diffi-
culty, but boldly prosecuted his task in a spirit
of diligence and perseverance that deserves great
praise. We feel it but an act of common justice
to him to say that his history of the famous
" Three Days" is incomparably the best and
fullest that has yet appeared on the subject. From
the abundance of characteristic anecdote it em-
bodies, it is also the most amusing. The ori-
ginal portions, which are principally restricted to
the two first chapters—though here and there, in
the progress of the work, occasional reflections
are thrown out, which indicate considerable
shrewdness and political foresight—have the
merit of being sagacious in point of thought,

and eloquent in point of expression. Above all
—and this alone is a great recommendation
they are temperate, though enlarged and liberal its
their character, and less imbued with party feel-
ing than could have been anticipated, considering
of how recent, how very recent a date are the
extraordinary events which the author under-
takes to relate. His history, which we have
no doubt will be popular, gives us a full insight
into the character of the Ministry who brought
about the French Revolution, and had the ex-
clusive merit of having dethroned their idol,
Charles X. Polignac, and more especially
Marmont, appear in a most pitiable light in
these pages; the first as the very Coryphesus of
bigotry ; the last as the very hero of defeat. 'We
may add that the volumes are profusely em-
bellished with a variety of superior engravings.
We annex a specimen of the style and quality
of the author's reflections :
" The examples of England and of France seem to au.,
thorize us in receiving it almost as a proverb in politic*
that freedom and a restoration cannot live together. All
the natural feelings both of the sovereign and of the nation
tend to engender jealousies adverse to their cordial union.
Allow even that the real intentions of both parties are fair
and moderate, their suspicions of each other must of ne-
cessity alienate and divide them. On both sides there is
the haunting memory of what once was, continually hold,
ing up the picture of what may again be. The monarcb
sees in his people the same power, exhausted, or asleep, or
in some way or other tranquillized, perhaps, for the mo-
ment, but in no respect essentially weakened or disarmed,
which formerly rose against him or his race, triumphed
over them, trampled on all their pretensions, and cast them
forth to what was bitterly pronounced, and at the time nol
less firmly intended, to be an exile from which there
should be no return. Is he to suppose that, having ac-
complished his return, in the face of this unforgotten,
perhaps unabrogated edict of eternal exclusion, and after
that victory which taught his subjects their strength, he
will find all disaffection and hostility changed into loyalty
and submission, all desire for the vindication of popular
rights extinguished, all pride of national honour dead of
the wound which the restoration has inflicted ?—The
people, on the other hand, behold in him, if not the re.
animated shape of the very tyranny which they had slain:
at least the natural heir of its appetites and its claim*
whose ambition and instinct must tend to bring back al
speedily as possible the whole of that old system of which
so much has already been re-established. They watch,
therefore, and fear each other; no spirit of mutual attach.
ment or confidence can grow up between them ; on the
contrary the feeling of dissatisfaction and uneasiness in-
creases every day ; every act and expression on the part 01
the one is construed in the worst sense by the other; til
at last both probably begin to entertain in earnest the de
signs which had been imputed to them, and to look upon
themselves as justified by the right of self-defence in treat
ing each other as eaemies with whom no terms are to bi
kept. Then commences again the old struggle—in al
likelihood to end as it did before ; and a separation which
this time is for ever, takes place between the ill-matched
pair, who bad ventured upon the unnatural experiment 01
renewing their union after having once been divorced."

AMERICAN ST ORIE S. 3 Vor,s. LONDON. 1832

This is a very amusing child's book, editec
by Miss Mitford, who has displayed her usua
taste in the selection of such tales as would bl
most likely to make an impression on the youth,
ful mind. The volumes are remarkably well go
up, are neatly printed, handsomely bound, ant
cheap in price.

FINE ARTS.