Retrospect of French Literature— Miscellanies. 



657 



into a variety if details rclntivc to Jefus 

 Clirift, his diiciples, and all the illuftn- 

 ous pedona-es who figiued darui^ that 

 incmoiablc epoch in the l.illory of the 

 ■world. Thence he proceeds to conhder 

 the firll Chrlftiaiib, their faccrdotal vcft- 

 mcnts, and the praciices of their reli- 

 gion. This aiticic IS terniinatefl by a 

 curious diileitation on the origin ot popes 

 and cardinals. 



Europe, which coiiflitutes the third 

 part, coniprcliends the C>rccks, the Thra- 

 ciaiis, the Italians, the Gennans, the 

 people of Great Biitam, the Spaniards, 

 and the Gauls. Of thcfe, the Greeks 

 alone wonld have occupied uiie volume ; 

 but a more fununary only is here pre- 

 fented, doubllcls with a view of ntlord- 

 inu; a greater degree of variety. \V e are, 

 however, prefeiitcd with a precife ac- 

 count of their dilicrent yeltments, the 

 manner of ir.anafj'ng their beards, the 

 coverint!S for their let^s andfc-i; fud, 

 in line," the drelfes <f the rliet vis, the 

 philofophcrs, the tiavcs, the common 

 people, and the poor. 



We are next furnilhed with details re- 

 lative to thrir rcpal's, their furniture, 

 tlieir mL.ifures, their c 'ins, their mar- 

 riages, and their funerals. In refpecl to 

 religion, tliere were many practices pe- 

 culiar to the Gr-eks, particularlv cou- 

 ceruiiiii their iracles and their fettivals.^ 

 Next comes an intereiling dcfcription ot 

 their games, their gifinnajiu, their wrell- 

 ling-matehes, &c. " A lliort diUertation 

 is alio given on their trai:edy ; while the 

 inaniic and military arts are not toigotten. 

 Tills article is terminated with an ac- 

 count of their civil cuftoins. 



The third and laft part of the work 

 IB dedicated wholly to the French people; 

 and tins has been conlidereci, by the 

 mcniljci-s of the Iiiultute employed to 

 report upon it, as that portion which 

 preierits the moll curious, as well as 

 moll ufeful refearches. The^ ci]llume of 

 the nation, from Clodion-le-Chevelu un- 

 til Louis XIV , is defcribed ; that is to 

 fay, from the year 4'28 until the year 

 l(j50. After ionie prchinlimry details^ 

 relative to the manners and ufages ot 

 tiie French, we are prel'ented with an 

 account of the uninterrupted fucceffion 

 of the kiogs, princes, ike, their con- 

 teinporariesT The engravings are copied 

 from medals, coins, and nionuments, ap- 

 pertain. iig to each particular epoch. 



Amidll Ihis variety of curious refearch, 

 certain cuionns, as well as certain pro- 

 TCrbs, are referred to an ancient iliuive. 



Under Dagobert II,, towards the year 

 711 or no, when one party aflerted a 

 fact which tlie other denied, a cfiatnpiOU 

 on each iide was felected i-'.v he purpofe 

 of fiuhting. The vanquilheii, who wa» 

 conirdered as peijured, had his hand cut 

 odt ; and the other witueffes of the lame 

 party paid « line, in order to redeem 

 theu- lands: tiience came the French 

 proverb : " les hultus paknt l' amende.' 



Under Louis VHi., called the Lion, 

 who reigned from the year 1223 to die 

 year 1226, it appears that it was Ibll 

 cultomary to embrace in church, on re- 

 pea tin-; the words, "pax Bomlni fit Jcrri'^ 

 per vobifcuwr the queeu, on one ot 

 thole occafioiis, accidentally embraced a 

 cvurtejayi, who, from the riclinefs ot her 

 difs, hnd oecn miilaken for a lady of 

 diitinctioii. The kin^, angry at Inch a 

 midakc, Ai.d wifliii.g to avoid the repe- 

 tition ot a liiiulnr iccne in future, pro- 

 hibited pcrfons of this dcfcription trom 

 wearing either golden girdies or cloaks, 

 which henceforward became the diltino- 

 tive marks of married women. Fnitn 

 this fpruniT the proverb of " Bonr^e re- 

 nommee vaiit iincux (/tif. reinturc dor'a: 



At tlie epoch of the reigti ot Phdip 

 Auimaus, the author enters into a va- 

 riety of intcrolting detail* relative to chi- 

 valry, to which ib added a dclcnption of 

 tournaments and caroulals. 



This work is inipoitaut in a variety ot 

 points of view. It is the otlsprmg of 

 much labour and enquiry, and cannot 

 fail to be very fen'iccable to artifts in 

 particular. The engiavings are nume- 

 rous, and wfll executed. '- _ 



" Elogcs du aiarcchal dc Catmat, du 

 ChancciTer de ITi (fuital, de Tnomas, de 

 TAcademie Francade ; Uiivis de I'Elogo 

 ineriit de Claire-Francoile dc Lefpinalle; 

 par GviBERT : publics par la \ euve, fur 

 ks Manufcrits et d'aprcs les Corrections 

 rio I'Auteur."— Eulogiunis ot the Marichal 

 de Catinat, the Chancellor de I'Hofpital, 

 and of Thomas; to wliich is aded, the 

 incdited Eulogiums of Clalre-Francoiie 

 de Lefpinalfe; by Guiherf. puhlilhcd 

 by his Widow, from the Maiiufcripts 

 and Corrections of the Author. 1 vol. 



We have already noticed the pofihu- 

 mous writin-s of Guihert, but cannot re- 

 frain, on the publication of tins new edi- 

 tion, to recur once more to the fame fab- 

 icct : partly bccaufe the ipccies ot com- 

 pofitiou in which he excelled, has been 

 but lillle cultivated in Eui^land, and 

 partly becaufo he is ailovvcil to have iur- 

 ' •' palled 



