Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-27
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.

PHILosorHERs slsp. ACTRESSES BY ARsESR HoussAYE,
author Of Men and Women of the Eighteenth Centu
ry," &C., vols. Redheld New York, 1852.
Monsieur Arscnes Houssaye, we need not inform
gu readers, is Frenchman; Monsieur Houssaye
is the most :. Frenchy of Frenchmen; Monsieur
Houssaye is the director of the Theatre FrdRcaise;
Monsieur Houssaye writes books which could only
be written in French IF Paul was Hebrew of
the Hebrews" then is Monsieur Houssaye French
man of the Frenchmen Jand when remember
that the human race has sometimes been classified
(not by Blumenbach, we belieye) into men, wo-
men, and French" it can be at that it is
no small honor to stand as our author does at the
head of his species. Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson
has given us descriptive catalogue of the Repre-
sentative Men" who have lived from time to time
on the earth Mrs. Cakes Smith, of the other sex,
has lectarod the good people of Gotham on the
Representative Women" that have appeared, from
Cleopatra to Mrs. Boomer To fill up this cate
CORY we now need gallery in which to hang the
Representative Frenchmen-our readers will oil
course understand the word 'to hang" in Pick
wickian sense--and to this end we would recon-
mend some future portrait painter to commence a
Ia Silhouette on Monsieur Arsene Houssaye. Hel
may be selected to represent any and every thing
that is Gallo; for like the worthy commemorated
in Ethiopian song, besides dancing and singing,
Monsieur "can do most any thing" He is an
artist and connoasseur witness his History of
Flemish and Dutch Painting" We do not know
the fact bat would venture wager, if our princi-
pies and purse permitted, that monsieur paints pas
tets las enly La Tour could paint pasteSs. Mon
seur is travee--the French you know, are all tra~
yellers; eommenpous pertez-pos proves that just
the Enghsh How d. We do !" the salutatien of
who ncby dare to do or die has beer thought enough
for Trafalgar and Waterloo But though she
French all travellers il is but few who think it
worth while to travel beyond the Backwards and the
Chaps Elysees. Air. Bayarl Taylor travelled great
many miles to zee Europe Goot the Partisan sees
thinks Se Sees cest tea notony Europe but the rest of
she world every time he lifts his quizzng glass to his
eyes for your Partisan accepts the world circu-
Oar eng the condition that Paris is its cent-e from
which proceed in ooncentro but eperweakening raa-
tions the elements of and civilization w.t. les
modes Monsieur Eoussaye however, did s-ave
of Paris and what more Of France: witness his
Voyage Eense;' but he did net find much there
did the Ghlde HGrold VIXEN STOOD in Venice the
Bridge Of Signs" Monsieur Housseye is Sardn wit
his Hstory-of the 41s Session of the Academy"
Monsieur Is poet; witness the Poeses Completes de
Arsene Honxsaye; from which otsiss if VIC take the
words and soEpr Jp and carsdge plems and Rr
ysuz and cisR shall hxTe nearly exhausted his nve
tory of poetca Shettels to dstsan these would be
to leave him nothing either in the way of Subjects
rhymes reminding of Hame. with the part of Ham
let left out Of second edition of Plsto Man first
published By Diogenes but, besides potsies, Monsieur
writes tragedies which make people laugh and comedies
which make people weep, Monsieur is also antigua
rian that s has instituted ar investigation into the
manners habits and language of the Men and Women
of France in the 18th Century = end people who live
fast the French the middle Of the 18th
comes to a modern highly archaeological Distance is
measured by intervening objects weGn time space
Now, daring the period comprised between the middle Of
the 18th and 18th centuries, the elements Of cvza
ton" above defined, have undergone ;nnumerable
rations the style Of ladys hat has changed ct least
$500 times; gentleman's chapeau many 200
while the mutations in the Government have been the
auction bills resd, too tedious to enumerae." Hence
il is that NJ Eoussaye indeed all Frenchmen the
age Of Louis Qaatorze of the Regent nearly
remote the founding Of the Celestial Empire patr
otto Chinese.
But the GROWING excellence of our MOnsieur is to be
found in the fact that he ie euonist, and does Jae
1ons for the Cosstionne the Peys and the Debas-at
least he used De while these papers existed may
hear by the next steamer that they have ceased to
list for AL their suggest very unnecessary and
impairment remniscence Of the fact that France shord
be governed by constitution and that freedom of speech
ought least to be tolerated by the Emperor Of the French
King Of Agery and Protector Of the Holy Places fsr
as II by Louis Philippe.
The fetiieton occupies the fret rank in French
literature Does any un-Garic reader ask what is q
fcuiLeon2 On turning TO "Spiers s. Surennes French
Dictionary" he will find it defined,
member, the lowerpart Of French newspapers gene
rally devoted light literature and criticism Why the
feleon should present be fourshng in France, it
is not difficult to show. At time when there
voutons going on and eoHps deat have grown rather
stale; when embargo has been laid internal ma
chnes, and the people have unanimously voted them
selves Dogberys and dsyolved upon Napoleon Ill the
excitement and trouble Of thinking and acting for them
the French Journalist finds Il impossible to Gil his sheet
with political Of sufficient interest and variety
pque the curiosity Of bis readers A timid and tame
leader per dem is much IL would be safe venture
under the present censorship Of the press Monetary and
commercial articles interesting only stockholders
and shippers to every body else they dull and
fat the "the poetry Of royal authors" in vols oc
The chronicle Of the correctional police" as il is
styled is sometimes sufficiently ludicrous but does not
open very wide field for animated remark or literary
disquisiton II is to rtdaceur straits like these that
the feuetoast with his medley TO exc out the re-
naming qusutnm Of what lie called reading matter
History is rsnsacked for its dark scenes romance is
made romantic vice IS o-dramatized
successful dextety clothed in purple patches to hide
its defory virtue like Cinderella in the fairy tale is
left squrm among the ashes the corner because her
dress not fine enough appear by the side Of dashng
Cyprans When this Ola podrida thus hashed and sea
soned With every excitinr continent s daily served mn