RetrofpeSl of French Literature. — Poetry, 



G49 



by him. Giving way to his fury, the 

 young Prince drags Azemi to the tomb of 

 his anceftors, and makes her fwear eter- 

 nal hatred agaii ft the Ibveieign whom (he 

 loved. Azemi, overawed, at length pro- 

 nounces this facred and terrible oath. 



On the return ot Tulikan, he lenrns 

 thatTienzois in company with his iilier j 

 he felicitates himfeU' at the event, and is 

 in hopes thit he will approve ot his pal- 

 fion. In the mean time, Azemi conveys 

 information to him ot her brotiier's pro- 

 jects, on which he repairs to his apart- 

 ment, and addreffcs him in the following 

 manner : 



" I am informed of all thy deligns ; it 

 is thy with to affafTinate me. Behold me 

 row before thee— alone and unarmed— 

 Atike, and re-plunge thy native couiitry 

 into defolation." 



This ail: of boldnefs aftonilhfs Fienzo, 

 and the Prince feizes the moment, as his 

 father wasjult dead, to make him an offer 

 to reign over Cathay, while he and his 

 filter (hould repair to Pcriia, and give laws 

 to an obedient people. 



Fieiizo appears to yield — he rejoins 

 Azemi — reminds her ot her oath — and 

 holding up a poniard in one hand and a 

 p<'iionc] chalice in the other, he 

 gives her the choice. He then (tabs him- 

 fclt, while the filter diinks the faial 

 draught. 



On hearing of this terrible cataftrophe, 

 Tulikan ii.ltantly repairs to the (pot, and 

 is overwhelmed with dcfpair. He re- 

 ceives the lalt words, and the iaft fighs of 

 Azemi i aniidft the profound agonies of 

 his grief, he wi (lies to die; but Yclu re- 

 minds him cf his 'liiiies in a Iptech re- 

 pleie with goo I feiife ai well as fentiment. 

 Tiie obedient King hears, and conlents to 

 live and reign : 



*' Mais il ne f'jgit plus de vivre, il faut 

 regner." Racine. 



This compofitj.^n appertains to the clafs 

 of poetical romances, and we have been 

 at loine pains to analyze the Itory, accord- 

 ing to ihelecond cdi lun ot the work. 



POETRY. 



«' La Fanf'irie,".&i-. — The Sports of 

 Infancy, a Poem by M. Raboteau. 

 I Vol. Svo. 



O' th s little poem Janfon is the hero, 

 and RoCe his filler the lieroine. While 

 the one (IrttTe* up her doll, the ether, by 

 way of contraft, amiiH:» himlelf with hid 

 drum and trumpet. The following lines 

 di;li; ibe the (port afforded by the teats of 

 a bear : 



M9NTHLYMACJ. No. l^l. 



" L'animal, lent, grave, fombre et fourre, 

 Hote, jadis, des glaces de Norwege, 

 Qn'i mainrenant, de badauds entoure, 

 L'ongle reduit et le niufeau ferrc, 

 Regrctte, helas ! fes montagues de neige, 

 Et fur deux pieds balance gauchemenC, 

 Aux movemens a'une faulTe cadence, 

 Tres-peu jaloux de rapplaudifTement, 

 AfTujettit fa lourde contenance. 

 Autour de lui, plus femiHjnt atleur, 

 Bertrand Tcfpiegle, arme d'une baguette. 

 Gambade, court, f'arrete avec humeur, 

 Chapeau tendu, va fairs la recette, 

 Croque une noix, nargue le fpeftateur," &:c. 



The twelfth-cake next engages the at* 

 tention of the poet; and after enjoying 

 the honours of the night, the boy- king 

 cheerfully parts with the enligns of roy- 

 alty : 



" Mais d'abdiquer Fanfan volt le moment t 

 L'heure f'avance; et la fccptie ephemere 

 Va f 'echapper de fa main debonnalrs. 

 Aux coups du fort, il fe foumet gaiment j 

 Et depofant I'autorite fupreme, 

 Sur le duvet il va tranquiUement 

 Sc delaffer du poids du diademe." 



The concluding lines of this charming 

 little poem poffefs a confiderable claim to 

 merit : 



•' L'enfant n'eft plus, et ma tache eft rem- 



Lorfq a tes pas un fentier perilleux 

 Vient de f 'ouvrir. O toi pour qui commence 

 D'un ciel nouveau labrillante influence'. 

 Tu fuib deja li; peintre de tes jeux. 

 Emporte au moins fes regrets et les vceux t 

 Dans la carriere ou ton ardeur I'elance, 

 Cheris toujours I'age de I'innocence, 

 Et fouviens-toi qu'il te rendic heurcux." 



«' Poefies de J. C. Grancher, Pro- 

 felTeur de Langues anciennes aux Ecolet 

 contrales," &c. — Poems by J.C. Grai^- 

 CHFR, ProfelToi- of ancient Languages in 

 the central Schools. Paris. 



Of thefe pieces, Ibme are fatirical, and 

 fome ferious. There is confiderable me- 

 rit in the verfion. The worm, who is 

 fnraged at the idea of living in reiiremens 

 and therefore piercing the foil in every di- 

 reiiion, becomes— 



" J.iloux de terroigner fon audace profond. 

 • A le voire, on eut dit Fern.md 



J)ui f'emparoit de noveau m.>nde." 



The following lines are of a grave call : 



PHOCION. 



Phoclon condamnc f'avanjoitau fupplice. 

 Ecs amis, en plcurant, lui faifoient leurs 



adieux ; 

 Le bourreau conftcrnc le plcuroit avec eux ; 

 Le pcupic cnloupiraiit f 'aicufoit d'injuftice. 

 4 N f Jwilon 



