Literayy and Philosophical Intelligence, [Dec. 
482 
FRANCE, 
/ 
A very splendid monument of Parisian 
typography has been recently conse¬ 
crated to “ Napoleon the Great/^ It is 
an edition of Homer, in three volumes 
great folio, each consisting of three hun¬ 
dred and seventy pages, with the text 
onl 3 r, from the most magnificent press 
m the universe, tliatof Bodoni of Parma. 
The artist employed six years in his pre¬ 
parations, and the printing occupied 
eighteen months. One hundred and 
forty copies only were struck off. That 
presented to his Imperial Majesty was 
upon vellum, of a size and brilliancy al¬ 
together unparalleled. The edition is 
said, moreover, to possess great intrinsic 
excellence, having been diligently super¬ 
intended by the most accomplished hel- 
lenists in Italy, and corrected by a com¬ 
parison of all the most approved read¬ 
ings of the text. 
Mde. de Stael is now at Blois, su¬ 
perintending the publication of her new 
work on Germany, which is to have the 
same character as that which she wrote 
upon Italy, under the title of Corinne. 
Among the tvorks which have lately 
issued from the Parisian press, and which 
have been most successful with the 
French public, are the following: 
A History of the Revolutions of Per¬ 
sia during the Eighteenth Century; by 
Charles Picault. 
A Commercial and Political Journey 
through Parts of the East Indies, the 
Philippine Isles, and China, performed 
during the Years 1803, 4, 5, 6, and 7; 
by Felix de Sante-Croix. This work 
is stated to contain “ important details 
concerning the'commerce of those coun¬ 
tries, and a view of the means to be 
employed in order to rescue them from 
the English yoke.’’ 
A History of Western Italy; by Pro¬ 
fessor Den IX A, 
The secosid volume of the magnificent 
work of M. DE Choiseul Gouffier on 
Greece. 
A Treatise on the various Systems 
of Political Economy; by Charles 
G^>NrLH, 
Fables in Veise; by Ginguene, ^ 
distiuLmidied member of the Institute. 
A Translation of Livy; by Ddreaxj 
DE LA Malle. 
The Travels of Kang-Hi, or New Chi¬ 
nese I^eiters; by Mr. de Levis. 
A Plan for the Amalgamation of all 
Religious Societies ; by J. Descotes. 
A. new Novel of Goethe, entitled 
** Elective Abilities.” 
A History of France during the Eigh¬ 
teenth Century; by C. Lacretelle. 
A volume entitled ** Mde. de Mainte- 
non, delineated by herself^ 
A History of the first AgeKof Greece; 
by Clavier. 
A work entitled An Historical Essay 
upon the Causes which produced the 
Fall of the three first Dynasties of 
France, by A. Dampmartin,” has been 
recently published in Paris, and received 
with great favour. In a critique of this 
historical essay contained in the J/er- 
curCy and written by M, Boufflers, a 
well-known member of the Institute, we 
remark the following striking passage: 
“ The object of our author is to prove* 
by the chain of events, which, even as 
far back as fourteen centuries ago, may 
be said to have brought about the pre¬ 
sent state of things among us, in conse¬ 
quence of the alternation of strength and 
weakness which France experienced un¬ 
der her monarchies; his object, we say, 
is to prove, that a sovereign of France 
should never forget, that he is the chief 
of a nation essentially warlike; that, if 
he be not a warrior, he becomes an 
alien among his own subjects; that, if 
he persists in governing them, his autho¬ 
rity must be every day more and more 
weakened; that, in fine, to use the lan¬ 
guage of this author, a king of France 
resigns his sceptre, on the day that he 
lays aside his sword. This maxim ac¬ 
quires additional strength every hour. 
If it had been well inulerstood and 
strictly adhered to, it would have been 
at all times, what it should always be, 
the palladium of the monarchy. It is 
desirable, that every individual should 
be fully persuaded, that the sword of 
the monarch is the tutelary instrument 
of the national tranquillity, and the most 
efficacious preservative against internal 
commotion,—that it is the true agent of 
pacification, &c. Every page of history 
sanctions this doctrine.” 
The portion of freedom left to the 
Clergy of France, and the light in which 
they are viewed by the Govermnent, may 
be illustrated by the following provi¬ 
sions, translated from the new Penal 
Code of the Empire; 
“ Any minister of worship who, in. the 
exercise of his ministry, or in any public 
assembly, shall pronounce a discourse con¬ 
taining a criticism or censure on the Go¬ 
vernment, or on any law or imperial decree, 
or any other act of public authority, shall 
sufler imprisonment for a space of tinoe not 
less than three months* ^nd not exceeding 
two years. 
