New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-04

t AZ. attention on account Of the political eI.
80, ~ the moment IL "a the story vi an &C
go Who seduces an old man Of sxy years, N or
der 10 obtain q marriage, but who renounces the
Mot because She falls in love With the con Of her IN
tended victim. This simple theme Angler has en-
beished with an embroidery Of delicate verses aho
interesting incidents.
The forty lmmortals induce me to speak oithe WHY
inventor Of the 4Ist chair Of the French Academy,
n Arsene Houssaye. This former imperial mana
ger of the Theatre Francois has just puoisned
highly interesting book, under the title, omen
as they are, with the motto Man moves, ana
:. Woman leads him" The learned Professor
Deschanel who employs the leisure hours Of an ex-
lie which he, like so many distinguished French
writers owes TO Louis Napoleon, III delivering re-
msrksbe lectures on French literature at Brussels,
has given 10 the world the result Of his researches
N tWo curious volumes, named The Good which
has been said Of Women" and The Evil which has
been said of Women" The clever lecturer would
not find it an easy task 10 bring NJ. Houssayes book
under either Of these categores; the good and the
evil are pretty equally balanced in his dissertation.
Ii is, in fact yariegated and fragrant nosegay OF
aphOrisms mixed with strange paradoxes, arranged
with that peculiar taste belonging TO the author OF
philosophers and COurtezans.'
But something more than paradox is found in
book of verses-I do not venture TO say poems-pub-
lshed by NJ. Theodore de Banyile, an apostle OF
"realisn" When scarcely twenty years old, this
writer gave 10 the world truly lyrical collection;
but since that time, under the pretense OF depicting
life as il is be has sadly changed AT first he wrote
The Poor MOuntebaDks," and now be gives Us the
most extrayagant foes under the title, 'Odes Fun
ambulesque" "a fpnumtute means a rope-dancer)
His preface is some what eurious-and not al
together untrue: IN. NestOr ROqueplan," says
he "has defined our epoch by very ele.
"gant paroxysm according to him the
great character Of our complex age being
THAT everything has reached the last degree OF
''vebemeDce. To Illuminate what was formerly
Lighted by the classical candle, We want orgies OF
"pas, fires FORCES and comets. Formerly man
was rich with 2, 000f income, and now if banker
possesses only two or three millions, every one says
"of him: That poor y. is by no means well OH!
Where there was gray color, we put vernlhon,
land We find that il is still very gray. Our writers
care so witty that they become bald headed; our
women 20 glitterng that they brighten the buocks;
"our carriages delicate that they break in thousand
pieces" AT all events, NJ. Theodore de Banvllle
himself 10 neither too witty, nor too brilliant, nor
especially too delicate but nevertheless he breaks IN
pieces Let us tay however, in justice to the title,
that the poetry is truly that Of clown.
Another book, which attracts the attention of the
public for quite different reasons, has been published
by NJ. Emile de Girardin on Liberty" It's,
indeed, radical enough, and il may be wondered how
the Imperial Government has permitted its publica
think it dangerous, just because il goes beyond the
aim at least in the actual political circumstances of
France Listen 10 what NJ. Girardin asks for the
future:
"No domination of man over man, either by an
hereditary delegation or periodical election; no
legislative assembly, whatever may be lite name or
origin voting at the majority Of the members present
laws which enforced upon the whole Of the citizens;
no positive laws, which are necessarily communistc
since they submit different faculties and unequal
,Is 10 ti.a rulS ".
no arbitrary punishment, no jailors, no hansmen no
houses Of detention bsgnios, no scafods no passive
obedience, no permanent armies, no rehglon PAID Dy
the State no teaching contrary to the diversity OF
talent, therefore university degrees; no legal
inequality between man and woman; no NEEDING OF
the State in the celebration of marriage, ETC. etc
Most Of these demands are extraordinary enough,
even in the mouth Of a reyoiutlonst, but uttered
by friend Of Prince Napoleon, they are more than
strange NJ. Girardn does not exactly state his views
on the future government; itmay be because, like
Proudhon be thinks anarchy the best OF all repub.
lies And then, be may say with Cromwell, that II
he does not vet know what he will have, nc knows
at all events what he will not have. Is II not mar
yeous that the Princess Murat assists IN has box,
seated near his second wife, at the representation Of
Marco Spada, that famous ballet the idea OF which,
il is WHISPERED, was suggested by no less person
than the Emperor Napoleon III Emile de GlrardIn
once boasted that he had each day new idea: We
think with the public, that Of all his IDEAS his TWO
wives were the two best and most charming, and
his "Liberte" the least valuable. Neare not inclined
10 repeat the infeEnces drawn against the late pro-
prieor Of La Prcsse but we feel entitled to tell him
most seriously that subdued party greatly injured
by the man who exaggcrates its principles The
Cardinal dc Retz, who could speak by experience,
long aeo remarked: sit is more difficult Ill party
"to live with those who are among II than 70 act
against those who are opposed to il.
NJ Cousin the ex-philosOpher, is still passlonately
engaged in his sketches Of characters Of the Seven
teeuth Century. After careful and protracted re-
searches he has succeeded in finding the key 10 the
principal personages depicted IN the romance oi
Cyrus" by Mademoiselle Madeleine de Scudery.
The most celebrated cotem yoraries OF the Motel
RambouiIet are drawn, it is said with great fidelity
in the pages Of Cyrus" NJ. Cousin is preparing
series of interesting articles on the subject for the
journal d,s Sarants. He will, no doubt, highly
CRAFTY the French scholars, and soon add new
volume 10 his sketches of Jacqueine Pascal, the
Ducbess de Cheyreuse, Madame de LOngueyllf,
and others.
/ i have already spoken if am not mistaken, IN
former letter Of law suit brought by the critic
Planche against the libeler Jacquot who calls him
self Eugene de Mirecourt. This fellow has most
basely attacked men Ike Proudhon Grardin Vie
tor Hugo Alexandra Dumas Bcranger, and others,
and done great deal of harm. lie succeeded 50
well against NJ Dumas that even Chombers's Jour
nal contained, about year ago, al article on the
81 literary Leyathan." in which, on MIrecourt's
authority. il was stated that the author If The
Three Nusketeers" had never himself written line
Of all the works published under his maine.
When even sober-minded men like the Messrs.
Chambers are exposed to such blunders, 1t Is high
time to stop such ibels, and though am sn ardent
partisan Of freedom rejoice in the sentence passed
On Jacquot who, to say the truth, has already been
n;sbed once before for a csluuDy published against