120 
“bulk of mankind, is nothing but.a fem- 
blance; what we act, we have atted; 
what wethink, we have thought. Iwill 
boldly affert, that, probably, even tle 
wilde conceptions of.a vilionary mind 
may, find either the fame, or a:fimilar 
folly, im the former periods; and fo 
yauch indeed do men think and a& alike, 
in the paralle! Aages of the human mind; 
that 7 even fufpeci (if one madman has not 
the fame kind cf imagination as another) 
a council of lunatics would probably be 
sore urlanimous than’a council of fages. 
And, to illuftrate my general obferva- 
tion, fhould we turn over the publica- 
tions which appeared fome time before 
and after our own happy revolution, moft 
ef theie werks will appear as books 
written for the emergencies of the prefent 
day. -I have juft looked into two trage- 
dies of Southerne, ‘* The Siege of Capua,” 
and “¢ The Spartan Dame” ‘They con- 
tain fituations, fentiments, and reflec- 
tions, which may greatly inftru& us at 
the prefent momentous period ; a period 
which haraflés the human mind more than 
it extends its capacity, and, while it in- 
flames the pailions, clouds the intelleét. 
SARIEN Bees PSE * TESS: 
BLUE BEARD. ' 
Genes celsbrated perfenage, who has 
| during our childhood fo frequently 
alarmed us ina dark night, and particu- 
arly the young ladies, is now exhibited 
with great terror and advantage, in our 
new drama, founded on the French piece 
of Barbe-bicuc. tis poflible that fome 
of his numerous {pectators may defire to 
know fomething relative to his ‘* birth, 
life, and education.”” Our Englifh com- 
pounder of this piece has made him a 
bafbav:; taking up, no doubt, the popu- 
far idea, that the murderer of feven wives 
tnoft undoubtedly have been a Turk. A 
learned foreigner, however, informs me, 
that the original Blue-beard was the 
Marquis De Laval, Marthal of France, 
and defcended from one of its moft Hlui- 
trious families, 
This Marthal was of a very fingular 
character. Mezeray has given a very {a- 
tistaGtory account ct him; but the reader 
will be fatished by the notices which he 
may find in the.“ Nouveau DiGiaznaive 
Hijiorzque.” Laval was ‘a general of 
great intrepidity, and diftinguifhed him- 
2 
—_s 
felf in chaline back the. Englifh when 
they invaded France, in the reign of cur 
Edward ITf. ‘The fervices he rendered 
his country might have immortalized his 
name, had he not for ever blotted his 
gicry cy the molt terrible murders, im- 
From my Povt Folie. 
pieties and debaucheries. His revenues 
were princely ; his prodigalities might 
have made an emperora bankrupts W here- 
ever he went, he ad in his /wzte a ferag- 
lio; a company of theatrical performers; 4 
band ofmuficians; a focietyot forcerers 72 
good number of cooks; pecks of dogs of 
carious kinds: and more than two hun- 
dred led horfes. Mezeray adds, that he 
encouraged and maintained forcerers and 
enchanters to difcoyver hidden treafures, 
and corrupted young perfonsof both 
fexes, that he might attach them to him, 
and afterwards killed them, for the fake 
of their blood, which was neceflary to form 
his charms and incantations. Such horrid 
-exceffes are credible, when we recollect 
A 
the age of ignorance and barbarity: in 
which they were practiced. At length > 
De Laval was brought to the feaffold, for 
a ftate crime; the others were probably 
never neticed! His confeflion at his 
death: is remarkable: - he acknowledged 
that ‘* all bis exceffes were deriwed from his 
auretched education.” ; 

PoETicaL MEmMoRY. 
T would doubtlefs bea happy aeqai- 
fition to moft delicate and elegant 
minds, who are apt to feel inthis life too 
many irritations, to ftore their memory 
with fine verfes, fo as to have them at 
will, and to turn away the fenfation of 
actuai difguft, while they exalt their 
tafte. It would be like the ingenious in- 
vention of the celebrated Mr. De Luc, 
who always carries abouthim fome fugar, - 
to put in his mouth 
inclined to anger. 
‘The following 
utility of a peetical_ memory. Averani 
was a lover of fine verfes, and when he 
waiked alone he recited them aloud, with 
feniation of pleafure that was vilible in 
e. One day, heating a: very te- 
us and prolix ipeech, as he appeared 
ewhen he finds himéelf 
m3 
e 
Ol sei fo 
tet ey 
Oo w 
G 
mM 
be 
ch 
3 
~ 5 
on 
till 
cehearfing fome verfes trom Homer ! 
’ 
ot his friends was furprized at this, 
ee ee 
OPINION CONCERNING THE GREAT, 
_ | BY ONE WHO KNEW THEM. 
Py THE Duke de Noailles told the infa- 
4. mous Cardinal Dubois, that hittos 
rv would not forget, that Aisentrance Into 
the council nad.made the great men of the 
kingdom >guit it. © Dubois -rephed, 
«¢ Since I have known what thofe are 
who are.called the Great, I find them fo 
fitile, that I fhall never put this day: in 
the ift of my triumphs,’ Snooty 
' VARI- 
anecdote will thew the- 
remely latished,. and even. attentive, . 
coming near him, he perceived he was. 
ike wowty ~~ 
