New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-04-30
FRANCE.
LITERATURE AT PARIS.

hAf been unusually JcrA IN good fr1ss-incttlg
nf the historical varieties. OF them I'll, none
has be. n more relished by readers Of taste tdau
NJ. V,llemain's second volume Of S,uveairs-
abistory or perbs ps better historical sketches Of
the Hundred Days. For the rhetoric Al eIeg4ncs
with which the subject is trested, the susaor's
pame 10 sufficient warrant but happily tAe yala-
Able qualities OF his book are not limi led by ac.-
demic polish Of style. He lived before and cur
lpe the Hundred Days, an ardent young student
It PsIis. lie was then welcome CUES. 10 a.
looms frequented by prominent scion-,sars,
some Of them, who had filled msoy parts in the
stirring drama OF French history. He bad rare
opportunities for seeing often both sides OF It's
suddenly. shifting scenes. Notes taken At the time
coming in aid OF retentive memory, have enabled
him to reproduce with curious dstinctness, his
lively impressions Of what he then saw, and OF the
profound and witty words that he heard. No parts
Of the work are more interesting than the portrait
ures and characteristic traits Of personaees of the
day Madame de Stael for whom his young admi-
rstiOn seems wrought into sort of Platonic love;
Foucbf that vautren Of politics; Talleyrand,
that less gross form Of vicc-these he draws at
length.
To tie vivacity Of a contemporary spectator,
III. Villemain joins matured reflection on the
past, so that this volume unites, in rare degree,
graphic description with the grayer merits Of the
isorian Not that the old politician is altogether
free from political prcjudices-sach inhD,nan pu-
nty we must not ask at the hands Of one of Louis
Philppe's ministers.
II It's, by the way, remarkable, how many Of
the Louis Pbilippi have resumed their high places
, In literaiurc-and ably, too they maintain them
seves herewith iDtellects unbroken by age and
revolutionary shocks Cousin, Theirs ealyandy,
al vroducad tyi Thin ttyn
gears, CT are now producing, works that would
not have shamtd their best years. Villemain was
born in 1871, Cousin in 1892. Guizot in l757.
Michelet says mothers brought forth strong men,
in those days-as if impregnsted with the great
spirit of the time. The later literary gene
ratiOns in France, are certainly of feebler mold
William GuizOt, however, follows bis parent, with
unequal steps indeed, but at no dishOnorable dis
lance Scholarly critics speak in Mandatory terms
of his Men0ndre, a work to which the Academy
awarded prize, in 1853. The few extant frag-
ments of the old Greek drat latist the father of
all those who have since written the Comedy Of
Manners, serve as text for ingenious and
learned esssying on the Greek comedy, and
Greek society. sOn-in.law Of Guizot Cor
pelis de Witt, has just written what better
deserves the notice. might say, gratitude-Of an
American. Ii is life or as he more fifty entities
the volume a History of Washington and OF the
Foundation Of the Republic Of the United states.
SyO., francs. mention size and price, hoping
1t ay find many purchasers among the French
reading subscribers of The Tribune. Without pre-
tensions to the highest qualities of historical com.
position, NJ De Witt has narrated with perfect
clearIess of STYLE in their logical sequence or APP
prOpriate collateral order, the incidents OF wash
ingtons life and those of our early history to which
they are so intimately related. His method of treat
ment is in fine harmony with his subject lie tells
the moving story with all the simplicity, and with
out the dryness of all old chronicler. Throughout
the volume YOU will not find one swelling phrase OF
eulogy. NJ De Witt knows that the great mans
acts are stronger than any rhetoric; he Stree from
the vanity that would set up literary monumental
ones self, under pretense of raising monument
to Washington. He seeks only to set forth his
works in a clear light, that they may praise him.
The well-known Efude Historig9e sur Washington,
originally written by Guizot as predatory study
to his edition Of selections from sparkss CORES
pondence and Writings Of Washington, now stand,
as the introduction and complement to the work OF
bis son.in.law. Surely, we Americans owe some
thanks TO these Frenchmen for this fair presenta-
fion 10 the people Of Europe oi the n0Oiest man
and the noblest period of our history. And while
in n grateful mood, let us make our acknowledge
mepts TO NJ Vattemare, whose whole life is de-
xoted TO promoting goodwill among nations
Nv exchanging for them their intellectual
Dyoducts as tokens of that goodwill. Mr..
"a Wits book comes in striking proof OF
fhe benefits of NJ. Nattemare's system OF literary
exchanges, since it was in documentary and other
American works procured by M. Iattemares
agency that he sought large part OF ME authori-
ties. The library now at the Hotel de Vlie, es,
tablished.by NJ. Vattemare, and numbering ~, ooo
volumes of American books, already oilers q pet
fer means than il to be found elsewhere IN Europe
for gaining information of the history and present
condition of our country. But apart from tue au'
vantage il is to us in this respect, there Is not
volume of the Paris American Library that mas
not been more than paid for, according TO p0ok.
eelers' calculation in literary or artistic eq'aen'
sent by the apostle Of international exchange "
differt Mt libraries in the United States.
Among works announced in press notice Tue
following: Unpublished Letters OF Voltalre' with
Notes and Introduction, by 81 Marc "lrardih'
History of Attia, his Sons and his SUCCESSORS
followed by Legends by Amedee Ihierry; En-
gland in the Eighteenth Century, HISTORICAL Els
saws and Political Portraits, by Chas. de hemu-
sat; History of Christianity and OF Roman Society
in the Fourth Century, by Albert de Brogue;
History of the Revolution OF lo4o, by uarhler
Pages member of the Provisional Government;
new volume Of poems-Coniempiauons5o
Victor Hugo, the first line OF ms PuonsneG !"
france since his exile; the Jealousy OF 'ne Cen
sorship may have discovered dangerous illusions
in these poems, which 1t is needless 10 say, aIe
not ostcnsibly political; they were commenced
long ago, and, IN the natural course Vi 'Hins''
should have appeared before this.
The Rerue de Paris has commenced the publication
Of a posthumous novel of Balzac's. Let me break
4be sentence here for the sake Of doing my part
toward correcting a very erroneous and generally
received notion tout of France) that al balzacs
xxrt;ngs are filled with too li!elike pictures from
AZ ..o.,.. D. r;s I;fa \ he scenes of something