528 The French Poets and Novelists. 



Madame Durand's case that she has never known so military an 

 accouchement. She had heard of military funerals, military weddings, 

 but never of military births. 



John, the hero of this novel, is at first a good-for-nothing fellow, 

 who does nought but drink, smoke, play billiards, and spend money. 

 He is moreover fond of all childish tricks, and swears most horribly. 

 But love, all-powerful love, before whose darts fall vanquished kings, 

 princes, and nobles love, 



Who rules the court, the camp, the grove, 



And men below, and saints above; 



For love is heav'n, and heav'n is love- 

 love makes him reflect, causes him to look into himself, shows him 

 to himself in all his deformity of manners and habits, and obliges him 

 to abandon his low-life pursuits : in fine, he becomes an altered man. 

 The conclusion is easily divined. How should the novel end save in 

 a marriage ? The lady, Caroline Dorville, the object of Jean's at- 

 tachment, becomes sensible of the youth's merits since his change of 

 behaviour; she also entertains a reciprocal attachment, and, despite 

 of the mean devices of their enemies, they are united in matrimonial 

 bonds. 



" Where is the moral," the " Quarterly Review" may ask, " in this 

 novel?" The moral is, that however bad our propensities may be, 

 however degraded are our associates, however vicious our pursuits, 

 repentance is seldom too late, and a joyous dawn may brighten on 

 the clouds of an obscure night. Paul de Kock knows well how to 

 keep up the interest of his tales till the last. In those where there 

 are mysteries, few would guess the denouement; and in those where 

 there are not, the mind is never wearied of dwelling upon the work, 

 although no elucidation of any thing as yet unaccounted for be anti- 

 cipated at the end. We know but very few novels where there is no 

 mystery, and only one where there is no heroine ; this is " Caleb 

 Williams," for Miss Melville cannot be called the heroine of the tale; 

 her history is merely an episode. We know many books written for 

 amusement and not for instruction, where there is no heroine, but 

 only that one novel. 



Even to the events and the adventures of childhood M. de Kock 

 gives an essential interest. The early years of Jean are the most 

 amusing parts of the book. But let us say one word upon" M. Dupont." 

 Monsieur Dupont is a grocer, and he falls in love, very naturally, 

 with a beautiful girl, whose nomenclature is far from sentimental. 

 "MissMontounet" atrocious appellation ! has,however,herowncfor 

 ami, Adolphe. Adolphe is the unsuccessful suitor Dupont becomes 

 the bridegroom. And here there are certain details of the marriage 

 ceremony which decency obliges us to pass over: suffice it to say that 

 M. Dupont insists upon having thistles tied to the horses' tails, and 

 nosegays placed between their ears. The occasional remarks of an 

 old clerk, Bidois, are particularly piquant. In this character Paul de 

 Kock combines much of humour, honesty, and curiosity : Bidois has 

 all the wit of Dubourg and Chaudoreille, without their viciousness; 

 and his patience on many occasions is worthy of an imitator of the 



