Ritrofped? of French Literature m—Liiftory, Fe. 
fovereignties, called duchies, counties, 
&c. which were governed, with fome 
degree of independence, under. the 
precarious authority of a chief, whom 
they calied king or emperor. The 
houfe of Auftria reigned over feveral 
petty fovercignties iniulated and dil- 
tant from each other. 
. But, at length, the different nations 
of Europe extended their frontiers, 
and, in proportion as they increafed in 
ftreneth and greatnefs, power began 
to be concentrated among them ; it, at 
length, became depofited in the hands 
of tingle chiefs, each of whom multi- 
plied his forces, and varied his means 
of obtaining revenues. 
Switzerland, on the contrary, has 
fiill remained within the narrow limits 
ointed out by nature; fhe has beheld 
a various conftitutions alter for the 
worfe, and her ftrenzth extenuated, by 
being portioned out into a multitude 
of little ftates. Notwithftanding the 
profperity of the greater part of them, 
the admirable order prevalent in their 
internal adminiftration—that fevere 
economy—that annual increafe of 
riches—the increafing opulence of fo- 
ciety, and of individuals—it was eafy 
for a long time to difcern, not only a 
fenfible alteration in the body politic, 
but even manifeft fymptoms of caduci- 
ty and decrepitude! The confedera- 
tion refembied one of thofe ruined edi- 
fices, liablé to be overturned by the 
flighteft commotion. It, howevci, ori- 
ginally exhibited no common degree 
of luftre, and hath exifted, during fe- 
veral ages, with glory; but its exif- 
tence, its repofe, its happinefs, depend- 
ed on the equilibrium kept up be- 
tween the forces of two neighbouring 
and rival powers. This equilibrium 
once gone, it was to be feared that the 
Swifs would ceafe to be independent, 
Switzerland, attacked by a foreign 
power, was likely to be vanquifhed, not 
on account of its {malinefs, but chiefly 
in confequence of the imperfeCtions of 
a fuperannuated conftitution. 
Several writers, beholding the danger 
of our common country, have more 
than once exhorted us to a political 
reform, which would have given to the 
citizens new rights, connected the dif- 
ferent branches of the confederation 
more clofely together, and conferred 
on the political body additional life, 
and increafed ftrength. This reform 
mhight have been achieved, with fome 
degree of fuccels, by thefe wha go- 
655 
verned ; but.private intereft, prejudices 
fucked in with the mother’s muik, and 
pretenfions confecrated by time, will 
always prefent obltacles to every {pecies 
of melioration, which man cannot fur- 
mount without extreme dificuity.”’ 
“ L’Année ja plus remarquable de 
ma Vie,” &c.—The moi remarkable 
Year in the Life of Auguftus Kotze- 
bue, tranflated from the German, by 
G pL c, and J. B. Dames, 3 
vols. 8vo. 
The exile of M. Kotzebue, author 
of “© Mifanthropy and Repentance,” 
has occafioned fome noile. aid excited 
confiderable fenfation. Woithing tore- 
turn to Ruflia with his famiy, afteran 
abfence of three years, he craved per- 
miffion from the late Emperor, whe 
ordered a paffport to be tran{mitted to 
Berlin for that purpolfe. Under the 
faith of this imperial pledge of fafety, 
he accordingly commenced his jour- 
ney; but fcarcely had he arrived at 
the frontiers of the empire. when he 
was carried off by certain perfons placed 
there on purpofe, and conducted a pri- 
foner, by the orders of Paul, toTobolfk, 
in Siberia, without being told the mo- 
tive of his arreft and banifhment. He 
had not remained there, however, more 
than two months, when a courier an- 
nounced to him his liberation. 
On his arrival at Peterfburgh, the 
Emperor, in order to indemnify him, 
prefented him with 400 peafants, and, 
at the fame time, conferred on him an 
employment worth 5000 roubles a year. 
After the death ofthe prince,who had at 
once opprefied and enriched him, Koz- 
zebue was permitted to leave Ru‘ia, 
complimented with a penfion, and pe- 
netrated, at the fame time, with the 
moft lively gratitude. ; 
There are the leading faéts to be 
found in thefe two little volumes, 
which poffefs confiderable intereft, al- 
though they, at the fame time, abound 
with minutiz, and difcover no fmall 
portion of vanity. He every where 
mentions the late Emperor as a bene- 
factor, but he, at the fametime, narrates 
circumftances, which contraft, in a fin- 
gular manner, with the epithets of 
good, juft, and humane, fo frequently 
and improperly lavifhed on that Prince, 
The author is at great pains to re- 
fute a work, intitled «* Memoires Se- 
crets,” the author of which (M. de 
M.) he declares to have acted in the 
fabordinate capacity of infpecter of 
the imperial ftables ; but he has fince 
3 retracted 
