The Sun.
London, England, 1821-02-12 00:00:00

i:OREIG N I.,ITAT':UiI,E.

• -
The work;;.. of Lord Byno.ri and the author
of " Waverly".have been translated:into French,
•
as soon as-it sva4 pratticable after, their publica-
tion in England. tiowever.iuparralleled their
success and circulathfai ip this country may,havo
been, they seem to have been. perused with as
much eagerness by our Gallic heighbotirs, and to
have obtained from them an equal degree of ce-
lebrity. Indeed, these productions appear to
have been very instrumental in effecting a revolu-
tion in the literary taste of France, not, however,
without exciting the ePposition of the admirers
of the true French school. This. circumstance
has given rise tca. literary controversy between
the supporters of the ancient French style and
the advocates of the modern innovation ; the
latter wishing to make Shakspeare the, founder of
a new school, while the former are extremely in-
dignant at the idea of the French being indebted
to us for a literary style. The wit and talents of
the Parisian critics are exercised on each side of
the question; and the discussion will' be found
both amusing and interesthig.,..
The.present article proceeds froni the pen of a
partisan of the ancient style, and we shall take an
early, opportunity of giving the sentiments of his
adversary.
Palmire and Flaminie, or the Secret ; by Madame
• de GENLIS.
There was a time, and that not long past, when
the task I have undertaken would heist been easily
accomplished. -Following the prudent advice of
La Bruyere to the Journalists, I should have only
said : " anew Romance has just made its appear-
ance from the pen of Madame de Geniis; which
may be purchased at Maradan's." The name of
the author would have rendered any further remark
unnecessary; but so simple a notice is not suffi-
cient in the present day.
Is it because the talents of Madame de Geniis
are on the decline ? Perish the thought ! her
talents are still young and vigorous, and possess
all their former brilliancy ; and Madame de. la
Valliere would have no cause 'to blush,' if
Palmire and Flaminie were placed beside her.
But the taste of the public is rather changed, and
productions of another kind are now the fashion.
Madame de Geniis is not perhaps aware that we
are become romantic, and that our Literature is
threatened with a revolution as complete as that
which has overthrown all our ancient institutions.
I recollect the time when the romantic style
was first introduced into, France. It was then
modest even to humility. Its boldest advocates,
conscious that its faults would offend our delicacy,
humbly solicited us not to reject its beadtiet
though they were wild and unpolished ; but em-
boldened by the success which has attended the
Works of Lord Byron and Walter Scott, a success
not so brilliant, however, .a,r that of Mrs. Rad-
cliffe's romances, they assume a loftier tone, and
advance other pretensions. We may form some
idea of them from the insolent manifesto pub-
lished by one of its present supporters. I allude
to the Prospectus of a new translation of Shaks-
peare, with notes by the illustrious M. Guizot,
who seems determined to revenge on our literature
the wrongs which he may have suffered from our
politics. It 'promulgates doctrines which will
make those writers tremble who, like Madame
de Geniis, have sworn unalterable fidelity to the
true god, and not to bend the knee to Baal.
We are informed without disguise in this
prospectus, that Shakspeare now naturalised in
France, ought to be the founder there of a new
school. " The general inclination of the age,"
it says', 44 is decidedly in favour of romantic lite-
rature :" and according to the practice in the an-
cient sacrifices, at which the victim was crowned
With flowers before it was immolated, the Editor
condescends to bestow a few commendations on
our ancient literature ; but as, in his opinion, it
is much less original than the romantic, he boldly
asserts that 44 its monuments are no longer calcu-
" lated for the transactions of a people who seek.
" in more:prolific and ,varied Sources, the mate-
" rials of a literature capable of being associated
" with their new destinies." There is now,
therefore, no tolerating authors who do not belong
to the new school.
The literature of an age which, from a bad
habit, of which it is high time to get rid, is still
called great, is no longer adapted to us : it is
neither sufficiently energetic nor original " to be
associated with the new destinies" which a new
order of things is preparing. for us. It is, be-
sides, the literature of despotism, for which it
was well suited, on account of its timidity and
servile subjection to certain pretended rules, by
which no independent spirit should now be fet-
tered. .Our. Representative Government de-
mands a less slavish Literature. •
What a triumph to our neighbours, to those
English, whom we every day revile and imitate !
We have copied their laws, and they will now
have the honour of giving us a Literature !
London will become our modern Athens! We
cannot easily_ reconcile to our minds this new
idea. Our national pride is deeply wounded by
it, but it would seem the generalincjination of
age is not very proud, nor does it set much value
on
_the finest titles of our glory. We must there-
fore act in conformity with this general inclina-
tion, our learned Civilian wishes it, and his de-
sires must be complied with; but we have, how-
ever,. a few strong reasons for dreading its con-
sequences. The Romans also, after the age of
Augustus, fancied they were in want of a new
literature. That of -Horace and Virgil seamed
to them to be deficient in originality. 'All the
Gruizots of home demanded a new one, better
suited" to the progress of the mind, and more-
over drawn from more prolific sources, and
abounding with greater variety." This new style
was soon obtained. We know what the Romans
gained by it. However, let not the admirers of
our ancient- literature yet despair. Doubtless
there is' a donspiracy against it ; but ohe circum-
stance encourages me, that the professors of
these doctrines have put themselves at the head
of the conspirators. Besides, these persons al-
ways do injury to the cause which they espouse;
and, indeed, the cause is ruined as soon as they
interfere with it. Liheralism imputes to then')
with justice all the checks which it has for scale