New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-21
LITERATURE At PARIS.
Fsoro Our Own Correspondent.


PARIS, August l. 1851.
This ia the dead season, S0iSOR mort, with pub
bshers. The Paris press Issues little of Importance
from June to September, except reprints Of stand.
ard works. in light literature the most readable
and almos. the only new'work we have is La
Nornande IncOnnue," real novelty, very fresh
snd entertaining, although the base OF it is chiefly
old chronicles aud legends. These are the cbrOn-
icles and traditions OF the Isle of Jersey, where
the author of this volume, Francois Victor Hugo,
psrtakiDg the exile Of his father has well spent his
time in boxing up the past political and social his-
tory of the island. Here lie finds his unknown
Normandy, and tries to connect his place of Danish
meDt with bis loved France and so in the past find
himself at home again. The old chronicles are
vastly improved by NJ. Hugos versions, with which
is miugled pleasant running commentary Of sentI-
ments ard reflections, fsnciiul and philosophical by
turns, often witty, and always readable. By its
relations with English history the curious faet'
in this volume give it an interest to American
readers apart from what it owes to its purely
literary qualities.
You remember the pathological volume by the
historian Mcbeet, published year or two ago.
He has since turned his attention to insects and
composed volume as the result Of his observa-
tons and reflections on these lower orders, which,
to jsdge from few chapters that have already aP.
peared, surpasses in merit L Oiseda. These chap
ters tell us about the ants. He writes of them, as
he looked upon them, with that peculiar sympa-
thetic faculty which is 30 striking and attractive
quality in his hstories Of men and their dOings.
Never we're the little things so elevated and human
ned, from SOomons day to the present Looking
at them with his eyes-and by force Of style
he makes you SO look ut them--we recognize
them for what they are, our fellOw-crea-
lures. We are as panied as he is to learn
that the institution of Slavery exists among certain
tribes Of them; and are glad to learn, eagerly fol-
lowing his curious study Of the fast that the instu-
ton is altogether exceptional, peculiar to some i'm
peIfect degraded Communities and furnishing IN Its
working most striking proofs Of the superiority OF
intelligence and industry to the brute force OF an
Idle ruling class Again, he tells us OF war waged
by large state Of little black ants against nest OF
large red ants which unnaturally brought into
their midst. The incidents of the battles and the
resut a the war; which ends, amid fearful debauches
Of cruelty in the entire destruction OF the red people
from of the face If the earth-the very children IN
the egg being ru;hlessy slaughtered and eaten by the
cOnqueriDg blachs-arc narrated with the same VIVID
spirit, and arouse the same pspitatng i0tercst, as
the authors reproduction OF the most stirring
scenes Of the French Revolution They move our
admiration our pity and our horror, as though they
were occurrences in human history. Michelet
makes no pretentieDs u the character Of q scient
be entomologist His facts arc not strikingly new
though the! will be new 10 the general reader; but
Though confirmed by and occasionally drawn from
original observation are mainly drawn from stand
Of on anfs 'ha alt,t s,,1
ase Of his book is that it presents the insects as
teachers Of men. The gravity of the moralizing is
softeued and hghtened by that spirit of nayete and
amiabity that seem 70 be inspired by the study Of
nature. In respect OF mere style, the naturalist
Michelet has displayed all the charms, and avoided
some Of the extravagances, OF the historian Mchelet
The last number august y of the Rccae des
D,sz Mondes contains an article, by Guizot, on
Belgium and King Leopold in 1857. l mention 1t,
not TO give general analysis of its eontents-thonSh
IFS importance as the opinions oil great statesman
on a political situation" which, just at present,
il exciting unusual interest, deserves that iabor-eot
to point out feature of il not peculiar 10 the SUD-
fect treated. In this article 81. Gpizo!, while treat
ING oi Leopold aud Belgium finds or takes occasion
10 sing the praises Of bcrty-thst is, Of liberty
he understands it-of parliamentary government aud
free discussion. And 20 doing, he virtually attacks
the sctual regime Of France. So do the two
writers above mentiosed--one writing Of the
90 political and social BE OF jersey, the other
writing about ants so do De Tocqueville, and
liners; and ViIemain, In works published since
Iro%; 30 does nearly every writer Of eiBnence n
France, let his theme be what it may. Nor 10
they do this generally from political passion. The
very significance Of the thing is that, instead of go
ing out OF their way to seek occasion they naturally
fnd IN their way, as thoughtful poets, philosophers,
historians, occasion 70 protest against q system
which represscs thought IN poetry, philosophy aad
history Ii the protect is made in general without
direct (which would sometimes be danrerous)
sllusion 70 Louis Napoleon Government. the
stronger, in one sense, IS tie protest. I,
~ curious circnmstaD"e, 10 say The bas.
81 it. that, IN an oninently literary notion.
not orc writer OF sufficient note 10 be mush read
now Or % b. remembered az Ill Ity scare heaee is
fnend Of The present ruling pONer Il IS CON nocly
said thas he wi.eTs Of nation sro lie elPOneat Vi
tho niionalIa'i j. wou! Je ..ar 90 say TN. .aey
are fesebsrs Of tAe pesppsi mlo3, .ai,:nias j: Mr.