RetrofpeSl of French Literature. — Novels and Rimances. 647 



teratlons which had taken place iu that 

 capital, as well as the immenfe prepara- 

 tions then making for the coronation. No 

 fo^ner had it been read, than M. Fran- 

 cois Lombert, fenior, declares his refolu- 

 tion to fet out next week, in order to be 

 preitnt at this grand feltival ; and Ma- 

 dame Lombert, his wife, who was always 

 of the fame opinion with her hiliband, 

 inftantly exprefles her aflent. Mademoi- 

 felle Charlotte, their daughter, alfo agrees 

 to the propofition, ber lover being at that 

 period in the metropolis , but M. Loin- 

 bert-Desroches, who had been a patriot, 

 and a republican, expriifTes bit little cu- 

 riofity to behold the elevation of a mo 

 narch. Her aunt Agatha, alfo, who was 

 a devotee, exprclTed I'ome Icruples rela- 

 tive lo the journey j while M. Heflor 

 Lombert, a coufin, having emigrated with 

 the Princes, and combated on the fame 

 lide as the royalifts, could n-t without 

 grief behold the ellablifhment of the Na- 

 poieonian dynafty. M. Maifongauche, 

 another coufin, who, on account of his 

 profeffional ftudies, had obtained the ap- 

 pellation of M. rAvocat, was neutral, 

 but he eutertaineJ fome fcruples refpe<5ting 

 the point of la-v that regulated the fuc- 

 cefKon to the throne. 



Unanimity was greatly to be defired on 

 this occafion, yet unanimity, w ould per- 

 haps, never have been atiained, had it nut 

 been for the officious intervention of Mad. 

 Durenard, one of their neighbours, who 

 being well acquainted with the difpofi- 

 tions and opinions of the four laft per- 

 (on%, addrefled herfelf to the ruling paf- 

 fion of each, and accordingly alTailed the 

 loyalty of the chevalier, who had ferved 

 under the banners of the royal family, 

 the religion of tho ex-nun, the erudition 

 of the lawyer, and the principles of the 

 republican. 



What ail the influence of the eldeft 

 branch of the family could noteffeiJ, was 

 inftantly produced by the arts of this 

 bujy-bojy, and out ol mere oppnfiiion, 

 the family appeir to have become 

 unaninious. We accordingly find the 

 patriot declaring, " that the misfortunes 

 attendant on the revolution prefented a 

 lelTon nut to bedefpiled by him, anil that 

 he had difarmed i m fine, as the pre/en t 

 gonjer/iment prclented every thing that ne 

 had longed after in 1789, he law no ne- 

 ceiiity fur difplayins? thst courage and 

 thufe principles which he had formerly 

 evinced, merely to obtain what he at this 

 moment enjoyed. 



The officer, who was fond of fulilo- 

 ^uies, foon made it evident to himlelf 



" that the order of the deftinies, the ne- 

 ctfTity of evetits, and the im nu able in- 

 terells of his country, hau nai ifhcd for 

 ever from France the race ot t e Hour- 

 bons, and placed that of Bonapat .e m its 

 ftead." 



MaifongaucVie, the lawyer, after con- 

 fulting a celebrated advocate, " i^eclarkd 

 that (he principles of pofitive law were 

 entirely in fivoiir of the Napuieon race, 

 and the defcfndants of Hugh Canet in- 

 voked the doftrine of prefcriplio?! in vain, 

 that claim being now entirely annihilated 

 by difpojfejjio/i.^' As for the fcruples of 

 Madeniuifcle Agatha they were entuely 

 removed by the paftoial letter of Cardi- 

 nal Mdury, and the eloquence of her con- 

 felfor; fo that it was finally lefolved, that 

 the whjle family fliould be prefent, or, 

 according to the common phraseology of 

 the nation, " alFilt" at the coronation of 

 Bonaparte. 



We fhall conclude our account of this 

 article with one extra£f, relative to tra- 

 velling ; 



" It is pretty generally believed," fays 

 the author, " that one cnnnot travel but 

 by changing place, and that in order to 

 fee the world it is necelTary to behold the 

 country. But people of talents have af- 

 Aired me, that this end may be far more 

 readilv obtained by becoming a daily guell 

 at a table d^hote, in a great city, which 

 is a mere magic lantern, where nations, 

 languages, ftates, and picjuril-.es, perpe- 

 tually pafs in review, and where the moft 

 cunoui originals, and ti)e bett liars on the 

 face of the whoie globe, are conftantly 

 exhibited. 



" The more we compare ihefe two me- 

 thods, the readier fhall we be to confefs 

 the fuperiority of the latter In the firft 

 place, it is infinitely lefs expcnfive, and 

 this is no trlflmg confideration for rcafon- 

 able people. It is alio far marc noble ; 

 for whereas in the other mantier, it is the 

 traveller who Pi;<kes the tour of the world, 

 in this it is the world that makes the tour 

 of the traveller. 



•' But let us compare the different re- 

 fults. Beli.'li that gentleman who has 

 vifited all Europe, without omitting to fee 

 any one of thole objefls lecommended in 

 the Itineraries pri;T.ed for the ufe of the 

 young nobiliiy; wh.it has he gained by 

 having his guineas devouied by means of 

 p.lt-hoifes? His bt-lt chan.e, if he only 

 fct i.ff a fool, is 10 have remrned a pi'ppy ! 



" Remark, on the contiary, at the top 

 of the tabk-, whole diaper i.a 'kin is tuck- 

 ed up by means of a riband, and where 

 c»ulti-. dialogtif, lynx eye, and quiveripg 

 ' iip. 



