The New York herald., 1874-09-14

nette who had not felt now heavy was the arm
and how merciless the heart OF a courtier. The
daughter OF one had been brutally violated; the
son of another had been tortured. There were
men among that Yelling mob VINO had seen
their fathers Kicked their mothers striped
with thongs, their children wantonly ridden
down in the streets, and who all their
lives had been called by no better names
than dog or churl. When they saw what weak
and mean and miserable things had oppressed
them, and found out how terrible was the strength
OF their right hands, they stood up in their wrath,
they bawled aloud for vengeance, they took 1t, and
where's the wonder 1t has come to pass, how
ever, that these things have gone out OF mind, and
the French, who love 1nery and wit, have painted
pictures Of the reprobates who H. used their lore
fathers. told sparkling anecdotes about them, and
endowed them with something of the grace and
worth Of an earlier chivalry. They do not think
much OF the Crusaders who went to Palestine with
Philip Augustus, or OF those who broke the Saracen
ranks on the plains OF Tours, nor even OF that val.
liant sodery whose harness shone at lvry round the
white plume of Navarro. All their sympathies are
with o dozen gaudily dressed scamps and cOurte-
sans, who never honestly fulfilled any one Of their
duties to God or man.
NJ. Edouard de Barthelemy has endeavored to
break the unwholesome spell which painters aud
novelists have thrown over the worst epoch In
French history.
He has tried, at least, to produce an impartial
picture of the debauched Regent and his associates.
He has not dressed up Old scandals anew to
arouse a prurlent interest in them, but has said
what he h ad TO say with unusual good sense. In
his biographies OF the young prlncesses he has ad
mitted the charges which weigh most heavily
against them as fairly proven, but he has alleged,
as extenuating circumstances in their favor, that
they were misguided by evil example and aban-
doned completely to their own devices, without
education supervision. Their rorl0rn condition
as the offspring OF so contemplate liberrine
as their father almost surpasses belief A
single example will suffice to give an
idea OF 1T. When Mile. de Montpensier, afianced
vile OF the Prince OF the Asturlas was about to be
sent to Spain, it was necessary TO baptize her on
the DAY OF her departure, because she had not
even name; and as she was then thirteen years
old, one OF the Court chapains took the OppOrtu-
nifty Of administering her first communion to her
at the same time. 1t Is not surprising that she
and her sisters should have gone astray after such
o training. They appear to have been naughty
girls. hot tempered and wayward, who did what
they pleased with the Regent because he Was too
lazy not TO be lndugent. M. Barthelemy shows us
the slothiul and despicabie Duke as he was, with
out lattery and without blame. When we look
at him we should feel astonished that
exist If it mad not also created toads
and other reptiles. Alter careful examination
OF his case NJ. Bartheemy Is OF opinion that the
Regent did not commit incest with his daughters; /;
and If that Is all the good that can be said OF the
man, it certainly is not too much.
THE PRINCESS OF MODENA.
The best part OF the book IS that which con-
Germs Mile. de Valois; and M. Barthelemy
has brought out several new facts respect.
ing her from private archives to which he
has obtained access The world knew already
for whatever such knowledge might be worth-that
she was capriclOus and imperious woman, who
was not happy in her Duchy OF Modena; but the
details Of her misery were wanting. NJ. Barthele-
my has dug them up from the archives of the
French Foreign Cffice. They were related with
all the mlnuteness which then attached to the
subject in the dispatches Of one Able Colbeaux,
who was nominally confessor OF the Princess, but
really French spy. The Abbe Pnlibert de
Chavigny and the Cardinal of Rohan have also con-
tributed their quota of information, and we are
thereby made aware that the adventures OF Mile,
de Valois were not less startling in Italy than they
had been in France
The account which M. Barthelemy gives OF the
petty Court of Modena Is very curious. and re-
sembles page rom the "Chartreuse de Parme"
OF De Stendhall. The existence Of the French
woman, beautiful, inrractable, sharp tongued, In
such an atmosphere Is quite romance. While
her father lived no one could approach her with
out meeting some afrOnt, but wnen his death left
her unprotected in a distant foreign land she
grew tlmid, submissive and even amiable. The
description OF the Court OF Spain during the last
years OF the reign OF Philip w. is also well worth
perusal. A notice, of the Duke OF Orleans, only
son Of the Regent concludes work which is at
once instructive and delightful and which has the
NJ mi htcfO Innn
ments, which are new and authentic.
must pass rapidly over the other French publ
cations for the month of August. for there few
literary novelties among them. The publishing
firm OF Dider has brought out work entitled
"LEs PREMIERs FRANCAIs EN- AMERIQUE,"
which has been translated from the standard
work of Parkman by the Countess de Clermont.
Tonnerre, and also BOOK by M. Hippeau, author
OF ''L'Instructon Publique en- Alemagne" and
"L'lnstruction Pubhque aux Etats Unis.n NJ. Hip
peau's latest work is called "L'Instructon Pub
lique en- Italie." 1t is rather dry reading, but
contains considerable quantity OF information.
The translation OF Nine. de Clermont Tonnerre is
o lady-like work Of the usual kind.
NM. Durand & Co. have issued book called
LIE DRoIT INTERNATIONAL PRIvE,n
by M. Pasquale Fore, Professor at the University
OF Paris 1t Is annotated by M. Pravier Fodere,
Professor Of International Law. There IS not
much In it, and that which 1t contains IS not new;
but it will probably be bought by OF the idler
members Of the Congress which is to meet at
Geneva on the 7th OF September. 1t will not en-
tighten them greatly. but 1t may procure them
some refreshing and even dgnihed sleep. An In.
ternational lawyer who should be caught DOING
over a novel would lose caste, and therefore it is
only kind TO point out this work
NJ Germer Baillere has presented the public
with book entitled
"L'INTRoDUcTtoN A LA SCIENCE socIALEr
1t Is a copy OF pad original which appeared some
time ago in English book called ''Descendance
ct Darwinsme" by o. Schmidt, is also to be found
on the shelves oil this lrm where there Is no need
to disturb 1t.
The publishing house OF NJ Plon has produced