
1799] 
of the grandees; for the Salic code, that 
of the people, the king havmg no {hare 
either in the making or acceptation of it. 
It is with regret that we cannot follow 
Citizen Legrand, neither in the examen 
which he makes of the four verfions of 
the Salic code, nor in the proofs which he 
gives that we poffefs the primitive and 
original law ; nor in the profound diig ui- 
fitions into which he enters to afcertain 
it, and to prove thut it is not unfavoura- 
ble to women, as it has been fo often re- 
peated. Compelled by the abundance of 
memoirs of which we have to give an ac- 
count, we can only ftate here, that the 
primitive original law is, according to 
Citizen Lecranp, that which, in the 
fourth volume of the collé&tion of the hif- 
torians of France, is printed the feconds 
and that this law is favourable to women ; 
for the celebrated article of terra falica, 
is not only. quite different there, but the 
word falica is not even to be found there. 
Without doubt, at this epoch, adds our 
fellow member, there was no fuch thing 
as falic lands ; they could not take place 
till after the conqueft. ‘Then probably 
Clovis thought fit to reform the law ; and 
this change was of thofe which he mutt 
have judged neceflary. 
Citizen ANQUETIL, in his work. inti- 
tled, “* A Memoir on the Ufages, Manners, 
and Laws of our Anceftors during the firft 
and the fecond race,” atter having traced 
the different revolutions which the French 
government experienced under Clovis and 
his immediate fucceffors, dwells witha 
juft complacence on thofe moments equally 
brilliant and happy, wherein the nation re- 
Rtored to its rights, was admitted to the 
auguit functions of legiflation. 
Citizes ANQUETIL read alfo fome ob- 
fervations on the political and commer- 
cial interefts of France and ‘Turkey, 
In the courfe of this labour, he offered to 
the clafs, the analyfis of a memoir pre- 
fented to the ancient government by a 
French ambaflador, who had refided fix- 
teen years at Conftantinople.. “his me- 
mioir proves, that the defign of eftablifhing 
a French colony in Egypt has been long 
concerting; but to execute this great 
project, it was requifite to find aman who 
fhould unite the genius of war with that 
ef government and civil adminiftration, 
and men of this character are never to be 
found, unlefs among free people and after 
great political revolutions. 
The proper beauty of animated beings, 
is the fubject of a work of our fellow 
member Mercier. In his difcourfe he 
endeavours to make it appear, that the 
purely phyfical fair or beantiful is not 
French National Iufiitute. 
209 
beauty, and that beauty refides, not in ex- 
terior forms, not in academical propor- 
tions, but in the aétions and the affections 
of the foul, and in the fentiment which 
animates them ; in a word, that as it isthe 
foul and the life which maké the beautiful, 
it is the expreffion of the moral, fenti- 
mental, and virtual life which makes 
beauty. 
The laf work of which we have to 
give an account, is a report made in the 
general fitting by Citizen BauD1IN, in the 
name of a commiffion appointed to exa- 
mine, how on the decea.e of any of its 
members, the Inttitute fhowld render them 
the laft devoirs. 
This report having been rendered pub- 
lic by a circulation in print, and diftri- 
buted at the commencement of this fitting, 
we need not here offer the analyfis of it 5 but 
why may we not fay, that the Inftitute by 
firft promulgating the re-eftablifhment .ef 
a ufage dictated by nature, commanded by 
morality, and adopied by all civilized pee- 
ple; by farft giving public tefhimoniesiof 
attachment and refpect for the mortal 
remains of one of its members ; by impo- 
fing on itfelf for the future the obligation 
of afhiting at the tuneral rites of any de 
funét; and by addrefiing to government 
its views on this important part of mora~ 
lity and public police, has obeyed the: 
voice of duty as well as that of the heart. 
Charged by the conftitution and ,the 
laws, with the improvement of all the 
means of human knowledge, and par- 
ticularly fuch as may hive a tendency 
to render men better and happier, it mutt 
neceffarily combat by its works, prejudi- 
ces, the effect of a popular delirium, and 
vices, produced by a forgetfulnefs of 
“morality; as it has fa often attacked 
prejudices the offspring of defpotifm, fu- 
perftition and pride. It has even further 
duties to difchargé ; it Mould join exam- 
ple to precept, inorder to teftify to 
France, the importance and dignity of its 
miffion, and preclaim to all men who cul- 
tivate or who teach the fciences and the 
arts, that in a republic, the inftitutor, 
the man of erudition, the man of letters, 
ought not to limit their labours to differ- 
tations on manners and virtues, but that 
to dilcharge in its whole extent their ufe- 
ful and glorious magiltracy, they fhould 
conitantly fet their fellow citizens the ex- 
ample of an inviclable attachment to the 
laws of their country, and of an ardent 
love for all. the virtues which the moft 
juitly celebrated republicans have con- 
ttantly profeffed, and to which they were 
indebted for their happinefs and glory! 
(The cther claffes in our next.) 
WAL- 
