232 Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Persons. [FEB. 



nated in sinister motives. That the Prince and estate of Boissy, and all their depen- 

 perpetrated the act in consequence of the dencies 4th, the forest of Montmorency, 

 derangement of his pecuniary affairs, as was and all its dependencies 5th, the chateau 

 at first insinuated, cannot be correct, for and estate of Morfontane, and its depen- 

 ahout 40,000 francs, in gold, had been in dencies Gth, the pavilion occupied by 

 his secretaire for more than a twelvemonth ; Madame de Feucheres, at the Palais Bour- 

 and a million of francs, in notes, had re- bon, as well as its dependencies 7th, the 

 cently been placed in his hands, by his furniture contained in this pavilion, and the 

 Intendant, Baron Surval, to meet any exi- horses and carriages appertaining to the 

 gencies that might arise from the political establishment of this lady, all free from 

 state of the country. charge and expenses chargeable on be- 

 By the reported will of the Due de Bour- queathed property. These various legacies 

 bon, Prince de Conde, dated on the 30th of to Madame Feucheres, are valued at twelve 

 August 1829, his whole fortune passes to or fifteen millions of francs. The surplus of 

 Henry Eugene Philippe D'Orleans, Due the property of the Prince de Conde, except 

 d* Aumale, and Dame Sophia Dawes, Ba- some private legacies, is left to the Due 

 roness of Feucheres. He has bequeathed d' Aumale, third son of the King of the 

 1st, two millions of francs 2d, the cha- French, as residuary legatee. 

 teau and park of St. Leu 3d, the chateau 



MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



THE judicious and indispensable measures of the Government have fortu- 

 nately put an end to the unprincipled and destructive insurrections of the labour- 

 ing classes. Wherever the mobs were opposed, even by the most trifling force, 

 they were with little difficulty dispersed. These troubles of the past year have 

 been chiefly confined to the southern and most productive parts of England, where 

 rents moreover have been comparatively the lowest. The wary, discreet, and eco- 

 nomic Scot has been on roses, as regards our southern calamities, and a similar pro- 

 portion of fortune has attended nearly the whole of the northern English border. 

 Wales, so far as information has reached us, has been equally fortunate. 



The rationale of the use of farming machinery appears to us to have been 

 grossly misunderstood, not only by the vulgar, but by many who would feel 

 nigh dudgeon at being so characterized. BURNS, once a laborious thresher, has 

 left the opinion upon record, that " the man who invented the threshing-machine, 

 well merited a statue of gold." It is the opinion of the most experienced judges, 

 that those machines are greatly and materially economical of the bread-corn of the 

 country ; and where they have been at all injurious to the interests of the pea- 

 santry, it must have arisen solely from the defective system of the earth's culture . 

 Shutting up able-bodied men in barns, swinging of flails, when they might, and 

 ought, to be so much more advantageously employed abroad, is surely neither for 

 their benefit, for that of their employers, or of the community ; and with respect 

 to the choice and good-liking of the men, we, who have so long known them, have 

 never discovered in them a predilection for barn-labour. 



The weather, since our last, has continued thoroughly English, the wind chop- 

 ping about from east to west, and from north to south, in the veritable style of a 

 merry-go-round. However, its chief and favourite residence, during a considerable 

 time past, has been in the east, and from north-east to south-east, with the accom- 

 paniment of fogs and drizzling rains, giving us hopes of a course of mild and balmy 

 south-westers in the spring. Our aged bones yearn (cum liccntia) for so desirable 

 a consummation. Accounts from the country are yet nearly unanimous, malgre. 

 fogs and dirt, and drizzle, in favour of the weather throughout, as propitious to all 

 the operations of husbandry, and alike " healthful to man and beast." During the 

 short continuance of the frost, and where there was a sufficient cover of snow, the 

 forward wheats were favourably checked in their luxuriance, and the young wheats, 

 winter-vetches, and turnips, so far protected. The wheats generally appear healthy, 

 but are not forward ; and even in parts of the most fertile districts, the latter sown 

 were scarcely visible a week or two past, in fact, more backward than those of the 

 last crop at the same period. The late protracted harvest, and the subsequent 

 troubles considered, our national husbandry is to the full as forward as could be 

 rationally expected. Cattle improved much throughout the autumns, but the old 

 concomitant complaint of no profit from grazing, is as ripe as heretofore. Should 

 the turnips run, and running rot, during the present warm and moist weather, 

 much distress will be felt for cattle and sheep-food in the spring ; and then the 

 general recourse will be to artificial food, and our beef, mutton, lamb, and veal (bar 

 pork) will be impregnate with oil-cake, to the annoyance of all delicate stomachs. 

 Much apprehension is entertained prospectively on the enhancement of price in 

 these same cakes, which (under the rosej we should rejoice to see at a guinea per 

 pound. Grass and corn-fed meat, as in days of yore, for old England ! The 



