New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-05-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

|
work, painting with natural colors the swarm Of
| gay, futtering insect life, which seems to have
taken the place OF true humanity in the age pre-
ceding the outbreak of the French Revolution.
Liberines, adventusers, voluptuaries, masqaera-
ders, courtieIs, courtesens and similar specimens
of 6 Men and Women" form the subject matter
of these pages, which certainly cannot DO recon-
mented the most eaifyng sort Of reading fos
respectable families Still the work il not
without certain moral for those who will look q
little below the g'ittenng surface OF vice and
egot;sm, of which it presents the natural history,
illustrated with examples from the HE.
The age which it depicts was one Of rank, full
blown RIGHTEOUSNESS, disgusting in its loathsoms
excuses substituting hcartless animal material
ism for the nobsst passions and in all the social re-
latons, verging upon imminent dissolution by tho
universal prevalence of the foalest corruption.
| This condition the inevitable consequence OF
the tyranny which characterized the "splendhd
reign of Louis the XIV. Under the Great
King" monarchy in France reached it's climax.
The throne was established on the aecks Of the
PROSTATE people. Humanity .llo~ed up
in royalty. The contagion of absolute sel6shncss
infected all classes from the sovereign to the serf
With the higher classes, it the hast OF personal
aggrandIzement with the lower, the instinct Of
self-presevation. No darker age, as far as popular
liberty was concerned, has shed its gloom over the
history Of civilization.
This state of oppression must needs engendsr
RIGHTEOUSNESS. Freedom is the condition Of all
true moral excellence. The despotsm of Louis
NV. led without any curve in the road to the so
cial chaIne-house, which the author OF this work
has vanished over with thin coating Of gayety
and persinage. The lesson which we dednce from
his sparkling pages is the value Of freedom, as tie
essential condition of sanity of intellect and neble-
ness of character. If we would find an apology
for the bloody reaction of the popular will against
the encroachments of tyranny, in the revolu-
tionary violence Of the eighteenth century, We
must consider the shameless social corruption
which that age inherited from the dcspotism Of
the preceding.
Our author is by no means blind to the true
character of the eighteenth century. lie sketches
it correctly enough in a series Of spasmodc SEN
fences. In that age, as he remarks wit destroyed
the heart, reason destroyed poetry. Pro-
claiming itself free, it broke the golden chains
which joined heaven to earth. But he does NOT
trace its mad and reckless passion for liberty to
its antecedents in popular slavery. STILL We may
make use of his portraitures, though giving Thorn
| an application which he did not intend.
One of his boldest descriptions is that Of the
| Court of Louis XIV. Here we have the policy Of
his great predecessor rotten ripe in the dissolute-
| noes of society. The reign of Louis XIV. had its
| prologue in the infamous Regency. All the vilest
passions of the perverted heart were displayed
in pernicious luxursnce under Philip Of Orleans.
The mask Of hypocrisy which concealed the
ugly aspect of vice under Madame dc Maintcnon
was torn to pieces and tramplcd under foot. Every
one walked with his head erect, surrounded with
his cortege of denominations. The regency was
hand and glove with dcbauchery, browning it with
roses, and joining in its chorus of Bacchanaian
| songs. Rakes and harlots had succeeded the
devotees and contessors. France remained crouch
ing in letters, the people in misery, and the human
intellect in swaddling clothes. Nothing was taken
seriously-not even death, in spite Of prayer, ana
| extreme JUNCTION. The France Of Louis XIV. was
| Versailles, and Versailles perpetual carnival.
| The bishops disguised themselves as bold dra-
| goons the great ladies as prostitutes, the great
} lords as lackeys. The atmosphere Of Versailles
possessed every thing that was great and noble.
In crossing the threshold Of the palace, the men
laid aside their dignity the women their virtue.
The King was the husband of all wives but his
own. The fatal breath issuing from Versailles
passed over France, blighting every pure and gen.
erous sentiment. Heroism, greatness, virtue, re-
gion all corrupted, died, and was blotted out.
The people, more suffering and miserable than
ever, began to complain in threats. But Louis
81 hut be nj
Commerce declined under its hindrances; the
taxes ruined agriculture rising industry, check
ed, sought more favorable lands priests and cour-
tiers settled upon France like crows, in never
ceasing focks the forces were beaten on land
and sea titles Of nobility that were dishonor
were conferred only on c0wardice and intrigue;
the honors Of the Bastile and Of exile were
conferred upon genius and courage. In word,
contempt without, contempt within, misery and
slavery this is the dark background Of the pic
ture of this pretty reign, gay and rose-coored
| at first view And how did this decay of France
| and this agony of royalty affect Louis XIV! lie
| was near his last hour, and he saw nothing be-
| vond the horizon Of his own DEATH After mo
| the deluge,' said Louis XIV. II was a deluge Of
| blood
Whoever wishes to pursue the heart-sickening
study of the influence Of tyranny on the charac-
ter of the people, will find ample materials in these
pages Amusing scenes enough they present
constantly; but the amusement is at the sacrifice
of all the nober traits of humanity. more
pestent state of society it is hard to conceive or
II must needs have found its issue in some violent
social convulson, like the Revolution. The a's-
ease, which preyed upon the whole body pon.n,
was too deeply seated, not to require ''ood-e'AAs
for it's removal. And in spite of the excuses OF
that eyentfal epoch, which cause an instructive
.I.,Ia.r "a we look back upon them at this DIS