CORNEILLE.

He was the first dramatic author of eminence among the French: he joins to many defects, beauties of the first order; he did not possess the pure and delicate taste of Racine; he was inferior to the latter in painting the softere passions, but he possesses more fire and more majesty; the flights of his imagination are sublime; the heroes whose pictures he delineates, are truly great; and his masterpiece, the Cid,' will ever remain on the French stage a fine monument of his genius. Ce fut ;-a célèbre;—b à celui-ci;-c les tendres ;—d a;—e élans ; dont il nous a tracé le tableau ;-8 restera toujours au.

THE INDIAN CHIEF.

Plutarch, in the Lives of Illustrious Men, does not record a nobler answer than that which was returned by a Canadian chief to some Europeans, who wished to induce him to give up his patrimony. "We were born," said he, 66 upon this spot; our fathers are buried here"; shall we say to the bones of our fathers, rise up! and go with us to a strange land?"-VOLTAIRE.

b Plutarque; dans la Vie des ;-k ne cite pas;— que fit ;— dans ce lieu ;- y ;- ossements;—P dans une.

CRÉBILLON.

ALTHOUGH inferior to his great dramatic rivals, Corneille, Racine, and Voltaire, he opened a new path; in which he succeeded well*. Corneille had astonished the mind by the sublimity of his thoughts, Racine had moved the heart, and Crebillion struck it with terror. Voltaire has been • il se fraya une nouvelle carrière;-r le frappa de.

unjust and too severe towards him. When Crébillon was received at the French academy, they applauded, in his discourse for this occasion", the truth of the following line:

Aucun fiel n'a jamais empoisonné ma plume.

What a contrast between his conduct and that of his critic!

•à son égard;—ton;-u cette occasion; —3 à la vérité;— y vers; entre.

PARALLEL BETWEEN BOSSUET AND BOURDALOUE.

BOSSUET was born with much more genius than Bourdaloue; however, the sermons of the latter are better written, better finished, and more methodical; which ought not to surprise usd, since they were the only object of his literary labours'. If wes compare one sermon with another, Bourdaloue will have the advantage; but if we compare passages, he will lose greatly by the comparison. Bossuet is more luminous, original, and rapida: his style is elevated and strong, his familiarity is noble, the soarings of his imagination are sublime, his descriptions lofty", and striking", his transitions suddent, and yet always natural: he reveals profound truths, which are only found by diving deeply into our own heart; the majesty of his thoughts, and his strength of expression are truly his own. He frightens the sinner, and gives him up to remorse, to complete his conversion.-MAURY.

e

DE;-bnaquit ;- de celui-ci ;-d et il ne faut pas en être surpris; puisqu'ils ont été ;- travaux ;-8 Si l'on ;- sermon à sermon;- mais si l'on opposait trait à trait;-1 il perdrait beaucoup; mà ce parallèle ; -" impétueux; • ferme ;Pélans; ses tableaux ;-grandioses;-imposants;-t brusques;-" qu'on ne découvre qu'en creusant profondément dans son; et la vigueur de ses expressions; lui sont propres ; et le livre aux ;- pour achever.

MADAME DESHOULIÈRES.

THREE French poets have distinguished them. selves in pastoral poetry; Deshoulières, Segrais and Fontenelle. The latterb, however, did not possess the simplicity so necessary to that style; Segrais, with more poetical talent, had not so pure a diction as Madame Deshoulières. Among her 'Idyls,' there are some of the greatest merit.

Celui-ci ;-c n'avait pas ;-d une diction aussi pure ;-e il y en a.

MAHMOUD, CHAN OF TARTARY.

A POOR Woman complained to Mahmoud, chan of Tartary, who conquered Persia in the tenth century, against a person who had murdered her only son in the province of Yrac, in Persia. "How would you have one do justice at such a distance?" said Mahmoud:"Why did you conquer countries, which you cannot govern, at such a distance?" replied the unfortunate mother.-VOLTAIRE.

'd'une personne.-8 Comment voulez-vous qu'on fasse ?

DESTOUCHES.

THIS dramatic writer ranks far below the favourite of Thaliak, the keen' and witty Molière; yet, one of his Comedies, Le Glorieux,' would do honour to that great writer himself, and is looked upon as one of the best plays" in the French language.

Destouches has not the strength, the gaiety, nor the brilliant colouring of Molière. but his works have a moral tendencyP, and inspire a taste for virb écrivain; est fort inférieur à; Thalie; au piquant ; on la considère;- pièces; coloris ;- but ;-4 le goût de la.

et

tue, a quality in which the writings of the latters were deficient. Nothing can be more injurious to society than those elegant and witty productions by which the public are taught to smile at knavery and to applaud vice; things cease to weary their real form; and what every honest and unbiassedz heart would abhor in common life, is too often behelde without disgust on the stage. Vice, which of itself is ugly and loathsome, becomes dangerous when it assumes an elegant mask; and thus by degrees corruption poisons mindsh formed for virtue.

2

I dont ;- ce dernier ;- manquaient ;-" ne peut être ;-x qui apprennent au peuple à ;-v de prendre ;- impartiale;- -a âme; -b société ; se voit trop souvent ;e difforme ;* prend ; c'est ainsi que;- des cœurs.

d

au ;

DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE KING OF PRUSSIA
AND GELLERT.

Frederic. You are Professori Gellert ?
Gellert. Yes, sire.

Frederic. The Ambassador of England has told me that you are a man of the greatest merit. What country do you come from?

Gellert. From Hanichen, near Freyberg.

Frederic. You are honoured with the title of the German La Fontaine"; .... but, tell me, have you read La Fontaine ?

Gellert. Yes, sire, I have read him, but without the intention of imitating him. I have endeavoured to be original, after my own way.

Frederic. You did rights. But why has not our

ile professeur; que vous étiez ;- De quel pays êtes-vous; -On vous honore du;- La Fontaine d'Allemagne ;• cherché à être ;-P à ma façon ;-9 avez bien fait.

Germany produced a greater number of good authors?

Gellert. Your Majesty appears to me to be prejudiced against the Germans.

Frederic. Not at allt, I assure you.

Gellert. At least against those who write. Frederic. It is true, I have no great opinion of them why have we not good historians?

Gellert. Sire, we have several"; Cramer, among others, who has continued Bossuet. I could nume, besides, to your Majesty, the learned Mascow. Frederic. A German to continue Bossuet's History indeed! how can that bey?

Gellert. He has not only continued Bossuet's History, but he has performed that difficult task with the greatest success. One of the most celebrated professors in the States of your Majesty has judged that continuation quite as elegant as that of Bossuet, and even superior to it* in point of exactnessb.

Frederic. Did you never leave Saxonya?
Gellert. I have been once to Berlin.

Frederic. I think you ought to travel.

Gellert. I have no inclination for travelling; besides, I cannot travel, in the state in which I am. Frederic. What is your usual complaints? that of learned men, no doubt.

Gellert. I agree1; since it pleases your Majesty to call it so; but I could not1, without an excess of vanity, call it so myself.

' notre Allemagne n'a-t-elle pas ;-prévenue;- Point du tout; -"nous en avons plusieurs ;- Je pourrais encore citer; y comment cela se peut-il ;- rempli;- des États; quant à l'exactitude;- Ne sortîtes-vous jamais de ;—d la Saxe ;eJe crois que ;-fles voyages;- maladie ordinaire;-h savants;

A la bonne heure ;- puisqu'il plaît à ;-1je n'aurais pu.