62 
7 
with which we point out to her her 
“Joanna of Richmond.- A~Poem, in Six 
Cantos, with Notes. By Siuvester Perry. 
12mo. London: Published for the Author, 
to which is added in manuscript (for 
private friends)—Published for private 
friends ! But why then intrude this private 
publicity upon a poor devil of a reviewer ? 
‘We are no private friends whom Mr. 
Silvester ‘Petyt, or Silvester Daggerwood, 
or any other Silvester, should expect to 
wade through between two and three thou- 
sand lines of measured prose, most regularly 
dull, with no other atonement than a suc- 
cession of rhymes, certainly unusually accu- 
rate, though sometimes degenerating into 
such mere echoes as pressed and expressed, 
without venting at least some little anger 
at such waste of our time. We will give, 
however, Mr. Petyt’s other friends a single 
taste of his never-varying style; and, then 
let them, at their leisure, if so they list, turn 
to the perusal of the whole. . 
«© Bewilder'd in the fancies which I dream’d, 
- wo leagues were pass’d, ’ere one behind me seem’d ; 
The spot, where dwelt a man esteem’d for worth, 
Though but a yeoman, and of lowly birth, 
My steed had gain’d;—his greeting joy express'’d, 
So well his suit, the valued yeoman press’d, 
I could not but agree the night to spend 
Within the cot where liv’d my humble friend.” 
The Sixth Report of the Committee of 
the Society for the Improvement of Prison 
Discipline, and the Reformation of Juvenile 
Offenders. Thick 8v0.—Though a good 
deal of moral quackery has mingled with 
the plans and projects for penitentiaries, 
the conversion of felons, and regulations and 
reformation of criminal laws and prison dis- 
cipline ; and, although it cannot be denied, 
that in many instances a most undue and 
pernicious degree of power has been thrown, 
by new regulations, into the hands of those 
functionaries likely, almost aboye all others, 
to abuse it—we mean, of course, whatis most 
improperly called the unpaid meagistracy—* 
yet we must be content, in this, as in other 
matters, to take the evil with the good; 
and we are thoroughly convinced of the 
advantages resulting, and likely to result, 
from the public attention that has been 
called to these subjects. The report, before 
us, is entitled to very general regard, both 
as a well-written memoir upon the history 
of the progress of criminal jurisprudence in 
this country, and for the numerous details 
of local facts, in the Appendix. And no 
one, we suppose, will call in question the 
statements in the resolutions of the meeting 
of the Society— 
«« That a great number of the Prisons in question, 
although designed by law for the correction of 
the offender, are in fact so many public establish- 
ments for the growth and encouragement of crime, 
in which humanity is violated, and decency ont 
- No service so, deat as that ‘which is dohe for 
Monthly Review of Literature, 
[ Aug. 1, 
raged.” And ‘‘ That it is impossible to regard, but 
with great interest. and compassion, the condition of 
many hundred boys in the metropolis, ‘who derive 
their daily subsistence from the commission of crime. 
That the situation of those who on their discharge 
from prison are desirous of abandoning théir Vicious 
courses, but who are perfectly destitute, has: astrong” 
claim as well on the interests as on the benevolence 
of the community.” 
—I——— 
FOREIGN LITERATURE, &. . 
FRANCE. 
Lettre de Fénélon d Louis XVI.  Cor- 
respondence between Fenelon and Louis 
XIV. with a Fac-simile; by M. A.D. 
Renovarp; Paris, 1825, 8vo.— This is 
truly a monument of literary, historical, and 
political ‘curiosity. Published when doubts 
of its existence had long prevailed, pub- 
lished too with every appearance of authen- 
ticity, a large and vexatious gap in the 
Works of Fenelon will thus be filled up. 
“* A piece of this importance, so imperiously 
demanded by history,” says the editor in 
his advertisement, “calls for particular 
care and fidelity in editing, that it may be 
worthy ofits illustrious author, of the gravity 
of the subjects treated of, and of the motives 
by which it has been dictated’ This beau- 
tiful little volume is embellished with a 
vignette of Louis XIV., the portrait: of 
Fenelon, and a very exact fac-simile of the 
first page of his MS.; but still its principal 
attraction will be found in the letter itself 
ofthe Archbishop of Cambray. This letter 
has hitherto been so little known, that, not- 
withstanding our extremely circumscribed 
limits, we will venture to enter into a short 
detail of its object and plan. Fenelon, 
little dazzled by the brilliant exploits of 
Louis, and moved by the complaints of the 
| people, utters, to one of the most absolute 
despots that even France has ever groaned 
under, the whole undisguised truth. After 
a short exordium, he introduces this ad- 
dress. 
“© You were born, Sire, with a heart, just and 
equitable; but those, among whom you have been 
educated, have taught you that the art of ruling 
consisted in suspicious jealousy, estrangement from 
virtue, dread of excellence and all superior merit, 
relish for cringing and servile sycophants, haughti- 
ness, and attention to your own interests alone.’’ 
The intrigues of courtiers to augment the 
power of the king; the flagrant injustice, 
by them unblushingly committed, not only 
towards their countrymen, but towards . 
foreigners ; the ancient axioms of govern- 
ment giving way to the royal caprice; the 
public robberies, disguised under the name 
of conquests, defended by pretexts of ridi- 
culous frivolity; and the real impotence of 
the prince, surrounded by hosts of bold bad 
men, who tyrannized” ‘under ‘his namie"; 
finally the just jealousy, and the league of 
foreign courts ;—these are the topics” that 
inspire the Joyal zeal, the: patrio love af 
Fenelon, @ 2) to ‘Wo 0? wotwslh Ip eyab 
The 
