Retrospect of French Liieralure — Miscellanies. '661 



ther with the pens, the ink-ftand, which 

 vvas of copper, the kiiit'e. the land, aiiti, 

 in ihort, every tiling contained in it. 

 Se\-ea witneiles, all viorlhy of belief", at- 

 tefted this fact befoi-e the ieiiate of \Vn-- 

 tembcrg, and this horrid devourer en- 

 jo^'ed the moft vigorous henkh until lie 

 had attained the age of 60. His hfe, to- 

 gether with a deicription of iiis body, 

 have uirnifhed the i'uojett of a biographi- 

 cal notice pubiiflied at Wirtcmbcig, un-t 

 der the following title : " De Pohphago 

 et Tiopliago Wirtembergenli Dilfe! tatio." 

 The lame nnn-;bcr of the lame Journal, 

 contains a differtation on the foiiowinir 

 queftion : " Is it a virlne to be fober f' 

 The author, who fubfcribes hivr.felf " Gaf- 

 teriiim," and who neitlier faififies either 

 his name or his employment, luftains the 

 negativp, and obfe-rves, " that in ail pro- 

 bat)ility, the apoliies of ibbriety are only 

 fuch men as poffefs no appetite for drink- 



Ocean. Thefe intrepid and vigorous 

 men btcame etfeminaU' in foreign lands, 

 and entirely forgot their country ; while 

 that kingdom, in thele diltant expedi- 

 tions, lott the flower of its population. 

 In line, the rafli enterprit'es of Sebaftian 

 completely exhaufufd Portugal. 



" This degenerate race is, however, 

 naturally warhke, and exhibits, even to 

 this day, the phyfiojrnomy of a great cha- 

 racter. With good mana;;emenc, it is 

 pofiible to make the inhabitants refume 

 their ancient dignity ; but it is neceiTary," 

 adds M. Hortaulog, " that the Govern- 

 ment Ihouid pay more refpett to the no- 

 ble profeliion of arms. The ioidier is 

 both badly clothed and badly fed ; and 

 it h;is been faid, that lieutenaiits and en- 

 ligns were, until of lare, fele(!ted from 

 the lacquies of great lords, who did not 

 blulh to retain them in their I'ervice, and 

 to coniccrate to vile employments thofe 

 hands deliined at once to aveiii;c the ho- 

 nour of their rtate, and to cull laurels for 

 thenifelves. 



" At Lilbon it is no uncommon thing 

 to fee the f ;ldiors Irild out their hands 

 for alms, like fo many beggars, and a(k 

 for charity from the palicngers. But it 

 is not generous to impute to this nation 

 thofe faults for which itfelf blulhes ; and 

 the revolutions which have lately oc- 

 curred in Europe, will affuredly point out 

 the nccelhty of refpetting thofe men who 

 infure the peace of empires.'' 



" Le Journal de Gourmands." — The 

 Gluttons' Jonrnal. 



It may furprife fame of our readers, 

 perhaps, that a periodical publication 

 Hvith inch a titic Ihoiild. not only appear, 

 but be popular in France. Certain it is 

 that this is actually the cafe at the pre- 

 fent moment; and we Ihall here give an 

 cxtraft from No. IV. 



" In the lalt century, there was a na- 

 tive of .**axony, who, for the fake of mo- 

 ney, undertook to eat whatfoever might 

 be prefcnted to him. A iheep, a hog, 

 and a calf, were not fufticient for. his 

 brcakfaft ; for, in addition to thele, he 

 fvvallowcd two buihcls of cherries, Coge- 

 tlier with their ftone.s. 



" He could break with his teeth the 

 bones of an ox, earthen pots, ar.d even 

 pebbles, with the utmolt cafe. He alio 

 devoured live animals, fuch as rats, cats, 

 mice, crows, dkc. 



" One day a u riting-defl:, covered with 

 plates of iron,was prclcnted to him; and 

 lie, with foine little diificuliy, fucgeeded 

 in tearing it to pieces with his teeth, and 

 even in (wallowing tiie whole of it, toi-e- 



MoMiiLV Maq.>.'o, 152. 



" Vv'e ought however," adds he, " to 

 diftruft theii- declamations : for an empty 

 llomach produces an empty brain ; and 

 it might lie iaid oF it with more reafoii 

 than La Rochefoucauld faj's oi" the heart : 

 ' Los bonnes penfees viennent de Telto- 

 mac' 



" I maintain, moreover, that thofe orily 

 poffefs good qualities, who digcll well, 

 and calily. ' Bon convive, bon coa- 

 paj:non a table, et; Homme aimable,' a:e 

 pef haps the only fynonimes in the French 

 language. The table is a place for love 

 and unifon ; one never talks well about 

 bulinefs except it be at table. Can any 

 thing be more tender than a toper i* more 

 liberal than a joyous gueft ? * Diliruft 

 fober people,' fays J. J. Rouffeau. Henry 

 IV. wiflsed ' that all i'.is fal-.jet'is lEighr 

 be enabled to put a Jbtcl into the pot';' 

 and do not the gratid epochs of 6ur reli- 

 gion alfo recal the pleafures of feailing? 

 The Cirrumcifion is confecrated to ioii- 

 hona and fuectmeats, tlie Epij/hany to 

 cakes, Ealicr to lamb, and St. Martin to 

 fat geefe. 



" When the Father of mankind faid to 

 riiem, ' Increafe and multiply,' this clear- 

 ly meant, ' Eat and drink,' To eat and 

 tlrink, then, is not merely a command, 

 but a law of nature ; for there can be n^ 

 virtues conrrai-y to the la-vs and the na- 

 cellities of iiatme. Quod erat probun- 

 diini." 



There is certainly more gaiety than 

 "reafon in this method of fuftainiiig a pa- 

 radox ; but we ought to recollect, that it 

 is t\ goumand whj combats p'O urii £f 

 Jvdi. • .. > 



4 P AuatLer 



