1827.] [ 393 ] 



SONGS FllOM THE FRENCH. 



THE French wits have been long in the habit of meeting in pleasant 

 clubs, where the order of the night, as at most clubs all over the world, 

 is eating, drinking, and singing. They have, however> one merit which 

 distinguishes them from our clubs of the same kind which is, that they 

 frequently publish the songs which they contribute. 



The most famous (we believe for, on such important points, we do not 

 wish to hazard an unqualified assertion) is that called Les Soupers de 

 Momus ; but the Nouveau Caveau, and the Caveau Moderne, have no 

 small share of reputation. Bcranger who is, beyond all contradiction, 

 the first song-writer of France, and, in his own style, perhaps of Europe 

 belongs to the Caveau Moderne. In Galignani's reading-room, the heads 

 of the chief members of these three clubs are exhibited in one plate ; and, 

 whatever may be the wit of the gentlemen, it will readily be owned that 

 their claims for beauty are not conspicuous. An uglier set of people could 

 scarcely be got together on any other principle. 



The French have always had a great facility in composing songs 

 on all occasions many of which we, their more phlegmatic neigh- 

 bours, would have suffered to be altogether unsung. Their vaudevilles 

 we mean the plays under that title afford a striking proof of this. Every 

 scene is absolutely crowded with songs not merely for the sake of afford- 

 ing the singer, as with us, an opportunity of displaying his musical 

 powers but essentially conducing to carry on the piece ; and as every 

 French player, without exception, sings quite well enough for the pur- 

 pose, the etfect is very curious and agreeable. When these vaudevilles 

 are transferred to our stage, as they are by the dozen, it is found impos- 

 sible to retain the songs for two good reasons : first, that the gentlemen 

 who import the play have perhaps not the power, certainly not the 

 inclination, of transferring the songs : and, secondly, because, even if they 

 were introduced into English, we have nobody to sing them. Our singers, 

 unluckily, cannot act, and our actors cannot sing ; and the consequence 

 is, that, in nine cases out of ten, the song has nothing whatever to do 

 with the piece, but is inserted to show off the singer, who in general 

 returns the compliment by destroying the part. Many a farce has fallen 

 dead before an English audience on this account, which, in its original 

 French author, was piquant and delightful. We may truly say, that 

 " they order these things better in France." 



But this is wandering away from our more immediate purpose. The 

 Nouveau Caveau of last year, being the eighth of its existence, is lying 

 before us ; and though it is not the most brilliant specimen of the song- 

 writing powers of the Paris clubs, it will afford our readers some idea of 

 the current wit in that line in the French metropolis. It contains 112 

 songs, contributed by sixty-three gentlemen about fifty of whom belong 

 to the Nouveau Caveau the others being volunteer contributors from the 

 other clubs. The Nouveau Caveau is quite loyal and Bourbonist, and the 

 effusions on political subjects are, of course, in that vein. We are sorry 

 to say, that, like almost all songs on Jihat side of the question, they are 

 very dull, and form, in that respect, as in every other, a lamentable con- 

 trast to the witty Jacobin or Buonapartist strains of Beranger: ex. gr. 



M. M. New Series.- VOL. III. No. 16. 3 E 



