Madame Campan.
The Times, 1824-12-28T00:00:00

A volume containing some observations and - letters of this lady has just been published, 'and fuilly j sstifies her reputation for good sense and liberal views. She was de_ servedly reckoned the priicipal ifistructteis of Europe: her right feeling, her enlightened lunderstanding, and just principleis, made her fit for the great. task whicil she had undertaken (anld which Butonaparte himself had felt to be the great dlisideratum uf France), to form the femiale minid of Franlce to the domestic and maternal dutie of life, rather than to the mere brilliant displays of the ball or 'the draw- ing-room. We enitertained a very high idea of the talents and virtues of Madame Campan from lier'Life of the un- fortunate Marie-Antoinette, and the present Work has not altered our opinion: indeed, her letters to her son ought to to be read by every boy in Rurope as an antitlote to the Let- ters of Lord Chesterfield. He will there find all that is use- ful inculcated without the least mixture of baseness or looseness of principlo. We have very little room for quo- tation, but cannot forbear to stbjoin two or three passages from the anecdotical part of the wsork, in the spirited but accurate translation of Miss Ross:- M8tadame Cempan, while she was at Nanteo, frequently dvelt on the extraordinary occurrences brought about by chance. " 1 was," sakd she, " the intitructress of a nest of kings and queens, without ever dreaming of such a thing; and, Indeed, it was very fortunate for all parties that we did not know it. Their educationi wns the same as that of my other pupils. There was no distinction observed among them. When they quitted me, they were all possessed of an excellent stock of information, witlh the exception of one only, whn; though gifted with a tine understanding, never evinced a villingness to learn. Had these young women been educated as queena, they would have been flattered instead of instrueted. Being ignora nt of their fature destiny, they received' the accomplishmenta- of women of distipction, added to the more solid acquireinents requisite to-form good dnistresses of families, which, indeed, should be the grand -ob- ject si' female education." .She infirmed me that Madame Alurat one diy said w her-_-" I ama astonished thit' you are not more awed i'r our preitehe-; y'o speak to us with as much familiarity as when we vere your pupilt I" " The best thinig you can do," repliedl Madame Caztpan, "is to forget your titles when QoI are with me ; for,1 can never be afraid, of queens whom I have sed under the rod;"' After dinner, Mladame Campan used to usssmble around hera little party of friends. This she found an agteeable-ecceatl -o1- time occasionally seemed to lihger with her. ; '"-A-eOduntry.ffe, iB net all pleasure," said she; " one eain bieathefryely heret-ttbeiu-e ,' one can walk in the garden, or in' flne'we:atheFt repair to'i lglTgnibn- ville, or the Cordeliers;.- and on rcturnutlome ones' a-pettb 'is good, and one's dinner ready. All'this'is 'v'er airceabte. 'ltihc-phy_ nieal health is adniirable: but'the m'in t' iih not o Well' priided fbnr There Is a want of mental ahlmehlt ' One eannot be-1l*aJi. readltg' and writing; somnething elsei's'eqlste:dhe news ot fthe; day,-and the visits ot' people who mix i thdwgld. The' want of tlfisze two' things occasions the great vacaitg; Byj -ay ofteordpenseation1 or:for thegrattlcatlon of eager and boundless curiosty, tiome peoplte collect the newsn of the ngighbourhoaed. -This is badl taste '' and in'> the end, the heart gets corrupted th 'the school-sf gosslpint. ~' - Napoleon used to say, that. soble ty-'add continence were indis- pensable qualities in, a military man.' Aatarce Campa -quoted th-i obsezvation, and added a remark' made by' ber jnepthew, Marshal Ney, when in Spain, tosanother torlha[ ho mhad a miatresh :_ lSuch nn aide.de-camp as yoa now possess w sill ast your army 10,080 meu.." Josephine having been Invlted, durhlat the Coanishated to-dine with a richl army-contractor, NSapoleon said-" r do not object to your dining if th baner they are merely dealer mi money; but I will not have you visit contractors, fer they are robbers of money." ilMadaine Campan has many times told me that-onarshal Ney, just at the moment when the battle of' the Uosk wa t s decided, SeDt to request of Napoleon the whole reserve of the guardo. Napo l eon i nqui red of the Aide-dcCamp whether tba e Russian guard had yet engaged; lie was told that they had, and had been beaten by the troops of the line. " In that ease," replied be, " it will be -a finer thing to be able to say, in the bulletin, that the battle thes jaied wnthoast my reserve having been brought into action.* larshal Ney had mnade this request with a vicew to cut ofi the retreae of the Russians; and had the reserve marched forward,-it 'is probable-that nearly the whole of -their army' would have been mnade prisoners, 'and that -a treaty might have been arranged en the field of battde.: It was a saying of Napoleon's, that if you but scratcthed the tlria. of'a Russian, you would instantly discernt the barbarian. - NSapoleon was relating, at the TuSleries, after his return -from. A! usrerlita, that he could have made the tb Enspetors-his'prisonerD In that battle :_" Why did you not bring, them wnith you ?" gaid -a princess to him-." we coule have entertained themn with the ear- nival."" In sosth," waS the reply, " such prisonere are apt to to create too much embarrassmlent."- '' Napoleon related, that a few days before the hattle of Austerlitzf some agitation had pravailed, partucilarly in PariS. '" 'hewarmth of the Court party," said he, hbadl faUen to temperate; but on hearing of my success, they rallied rounhd me as if they had beth charged by the Cossacks. This is the way of the world."- The Emftpress Josephinc, at the tlmsf her sdivorce, requested- permiassion to proceed to the United Statesi Napoleon-inforrmed er that he could not answer f'or her safety in crossitg'the sea. "Then your power finds anobstacle," sai she:" would to Heaven there were seas to be crossedl for the fulfilment of all your wishes I your glory would then beam for ever." ? Promenades In the selghbourhood Of Mdantes. MADAAKE CAMfPA-IM