F . R A N C E 
of Paris was the moft celebrated. The academies and li¬ 
terary focieties were computed at thirty-nine. Thofe of 
Paris in particular have been long known to the learned 
world, by elegant and profound volumes of differtatious 
on the arts, the fciences, and belles lettres. 
Thefe feminaries of profound refearch and claflical illu¬ 
mination, are now no more ! Yet fcholaflic inffitutions 
have not been negleCted in the new order of things; but 
it has been the policy of the new emperor to arrange them 
entirely under his own influence and controul, and to adapt 
them more to mathematical and fcientific objects, the fpe- 
cies of education he acquired himfelf, than to the fiudy 
of languages. The national inftitute has given place to 
the revival of the four ancient academies ; and the central 
and normal fchools formerly adopted by the national af- 
fembly, have been aboliflied ; in lieu of which an eftablifh- 
ment is formed confiding of three claffes, viz. primary 
fchools, wherein the firft rudiments of letters are taught; 
fecondary fchools, in which notation and grammar are 
the principal objects ; and laflly, the finifhing fchools or 
lyceams, wherein are taught mathematics, phylics, geo¬ 
metry, natural hiflory, chemiflry, agriculture, geography, 
hiftory, morality, analyfis of the mind or metaphyfics, 
and literature. The lyceums at prefent confift of fifty ; 
and among the profefiors appointed to thefe fchools, are 
to be found men to whom even philofophcrs might liften 
with benefit and delight. At the head of the department 
of the mathematics we find the diftinguifited names of La¬ 
place and Lagrange ; in phylics, the celebrated profeiTor 
M. Hauy ; in the higher geometry, profeffor Monge ; in 
geography, profefiors Bauche and Mentelle; in ancient 
and modern hiftory, the well-known profelfor Volney ; in 
natural hiflory, M: Daubenton ; in morality, the chufte 
and exemplary Bernardin de St. Pierre^ the adnrrired 
author of “ Paul and' Virginia,” and of “ TN&tude de la 
Nature.” M. Garat prefides at the head of metaphyfics; 
and the highly valuable department of chemiflry is under 
the direction of the celebrated Berthollet. The flowers 
of oratory, or grand lever of fpeecli, rhetoric, is conducted- 
by profeffor Sicard ; and polite literature, or belles letti es, 
by the elegant profeffor Laharpe ; while political eco¬ 
nomy, the blefling of dates, is admirably difpenfed by 
profeffor Vandermonde. We have feleCted thefe names 
from among, a great variety of others, only becaufe they 
are fo much refpebted in the republic of letters. We 
mu ft not forget to remark, that one grand objeCt of Na¬ 
poleon being to promote military fcience, the youth, in 
all the fchools, are compelled to devote certain portions 
of their time to manual exercife, and tactical reading; 
"but for forming the accomplifhed foldier, military acade¬ 
mies, on a grand fcale, are provided. Polytechnic fchools 
have qlfo been eflablifhed for the education of pupils in¬ 
tended for the various departments of public works and 
national fervice; ftich as naval and military architecture, 
the conftruCtion of roads and bridges, the elements of 
marine fortification, navigation, and all nautical fcience. 
That manners take their prominent features from the 
date or condition of that government under whole ex¬ 
ample they move in fociety, appears in no pa r t of the 
world fo demonftratively obvious as in the metropolis of 
the French empire. Under the old monarchy, there were 
indeed vaft numbers of the higheft ciders of nobility, who 
likewife filled the mod dignified and facred -functions in 
the church ; but, to the difgrace of the government, few 
of them efcaped the univerfal taint of immoral intercourfe 
and unbounded dillipation. A tew good and exemplary 
characters indeed there were ; but, as was the cafe in 
Sodom and Gomorrah, not enough to fave the (late from 
the awful vifitaticn of offended Heaven. Thofe few who 
were known and refpeCted for their virtues, had no weight 
in regulating the manners of fociety. Though undif- 
tinguifhed by lofty lituations, they were prailed for an 
union of amiable qualities, in harmony with each other. 
An habitual decency in their difcourfc and in their con- 
dud, eafe of behaviour, propriety of deportment, tafte 
903 
in their attachments, and a fort of dignity which kept 
levity in check, were the qualities which adorned thefe 
few amiable men. But the feverity of their manners was 
not in'unifon with the court ; their virtues were tco un- 
fafhionable to be imitated; none were held in confidera- 
tion by the votaries of bon ton, but fuch as were diftin- 
guifhed by riches, high birth, and a large difplay of ex¬ 
travagance. In the latter part of the reign of Louis XVI. 
the fafcinating queen of France, and the duke of Orleans, 
were celebrated for taking the lead: yet thefe elevated 
characters, while purfuing the fame giddy career, mod 
cordially hated each other, and were at open and vindic¬ 
tive warfare. All writers who have fpoken of this inve¬ 
terate hatred which exifted between the queen and the 
duke d’Orleans, have afcribed it to defpifed love, whofe 
pangs are not patiently endured. Some infift that the 
duke, enamoured of the charms of Antoinette, hazarded 
a declaration, which her majefty not only received with 
difdain, but threatened to inform the king of it, in cafe 
of a renewal of his addreffes. Others affirm that the 
queen, at one time, fhewed that the duke was not in¬ 
different to her, and that, on a hint being given to him 
to that elfeCt, he replied : “ Every one may be am¬ 
bitious to pleafe the queen, except myfelf. Our interefts 
are too oppofite for love ever to unite them.” On this 
foundation is built the origin of the animofity which, in 
the end, brought both thefe great perfonages to the fcaf- 
fold. Whatever may have been the motive which gave 
rife to it, certain it is that they never omitted any oppor¬ 
tunity of perfecuting each other. The queen had no dif¬ 
ficulty in pourtraying the duke as a man addicted to the 
mofl: profligate exceffes, and in alienating from him the 
mind of the king; lie, on his fide, found it as eafy, by 
means of furreptitious publications, to re prefent her as a 
woman given to illicit enjoyments ; fo that, long before 
the revolution, the character both of the queen and the 
duke were well known to the public; and their example 
tended not a little to increafe the general diffolutenefs of 
morals. The debaucheries of the one ferved as a model 
to all the young rakes of fafhion ; while the levity of the 
other was imitated by what were termed the amiable tvc. «■ 
men of the capital. 
Amidft this general defeCfiori, however, from virtuous 
habits, elegant tafte, and the exuberance of politenels, 
were reflected throughout the gay and fplentlid circles by 
the fafcinating manners of the queen. Etiquette, with a 
view of difmiffing the awkward ftiffnefs of ceremony, is 
difguifed in mixed company by a fhow of equalized atten¬ 
tion and fpontaneous good nature; yet feigniority and 
pre-eminence of rank are diferiminated with as much pre- 
cifion as though all the ancient modes of adulation were in 
force. This improvement in the manners- of fociety in 
France is admirably depicted by madarne de Stael, among 
the manuferiptsof her father, the celebrated M. iNecker, 
recently publifhed. “ Thefe matters, it is obferved, are 
now reduced to a fyftem ; but it is no where to be found 
in wr ing; and it is become gradually fo fine and fubtle, 
that it may be called “ the legiflation of matters under~ 
a defignation which is the more juft, becaufe, 
though no one claims a right, it is neverthelefs mofl clear 
that each looks to a certain place as his due. It is the 
pride of a great lady, to allow it to be feen that Ihe was 
acquainted with all thefe differences, but at the fame '■ 
time to conduct herfelf with delicacy, fo as to give no 
one any juft caufe of complaint. A great lady, who holds 
a cirele, has a fixed place; and her feat is of a particular 
make, though Ample and commodious, in order that it 
may be fuppofed that fhe does not put herlelf in any de¬ 
gree out of her way when fhe fees company. A piece of 
embroidery lies before her; through which, when fhe 
employs herfelf with it, fhe palfes her needle with a noble 
negligence. This occupation difpenfes with the lady’s 
riling when vifitors enter her apartment; a compliment, 
which file pays only to princes of the blood, to foreign 
ladies of the firft diftinCtion, to generals who have juft 
gained 
