If you doubt the excess of folly to which we have been led, during the last three years in the fine arts by our ridiculous vanity, which our journalists distinguish by the name of national honour, I refer you to that amongst our periodical works which possesses most talent, the Jotirnal des Debats ; you will there find, in 1824 or 1823, that M. Monsigny, an excellent man, who produced some operas at the Feydeau, is the musician of Europe, that is to say, he is not only as well known as Mozart’ or Cimarosa in London, Vienna, and Naples, but is reputed to be by far superior to them all.