Retrofpee of French Literature. Novels. 
faid to appertain to his family, by which 
it appeared that M. Botte was lineally 
defcended from the Marquis de Botta, 
who took Genoa in 1746, Charles 
Montemar is aifo ennobled, and -is 
made to {pring in direct fucceffion from 
the Duke de Montemar, the hero of 
the battleOf Bitonto. 
But the gro{fs anachronifms vifible 
in tue face of the parchments, in the 
end overwhelm this plebeian family 
with confufion, and the Marquis be- 
comes more determined than before to 
refuie his confent, Love, however, at 
Jength atchieves what neither wealth 
nor pretended titles could obtain. The 
Marquis d’Arancey, fortunately forthe 
young couple, becomes fuddenly ena- 
moured with Madame Dupont, the 
friend of M. Botte, and, like him, de- 
ficient in the article of nobility, fo that 
a double marriage completes the hap- 
pinefs of all, and cures the old Marquis 
of his ridiculous attachment to anceltry. 
“« L’Enthoufiafte Corrigé.”—The En- 
thufiaft Corrected, by L. BinDERBERK, 
Jun. Paris, 3 vols. 12mo. 
This romance is well calculated to 
exhibit the ideas that generally prevail 
at prefent, in France, and tends to 
prove that the revolution has produced 
a great change, if not inthe morals, at 
leaft in the fentiments of the people. 
Ludolff, the hero of the plot, is born 
of obfcure parents, and feems to poflefs 
as his only inheritance, an ardent ima- 
gination, a mind replete with fenfili- 
lity, and a handfome perfon, joined to 
an excellent education. With his head 
entirely occupied with the doétrines of 
Rouffeau, whofe works and fentiments 
conftituted the continual objet of his 
meditations, he happened to afift at 
the marriage of one of his coufins. 
‘While the companions of his youth 
devoted themfelves to the enjoyment of 
their country fports, our philofopher, 
reclining againft a tree, abandoned 
himfelf to melancholy amidft the joy 
that furrounded him. The object of 
his prefent confideration happened to 
be one that had often agitated his mind 
before: in fhort, the refult was, that 
he was difgufted at the thought, that 
** birth, the effect of chance,” fhould 
ufarp that refpeét which ought to be 
the recompence of merit alone. 
_In the mean time, the lord of the 
diftrict, the old Baron d’Affen, wifhing 
to witnefs the joy of the villagers, re- 
pairs among them, fupported by his 
daughter, the amiable Sophia. He had 
655 
never feen Ludolff before, but the me- 
lancholy air of the young man attra&ted 
all his attention ; he accordingly defired 
him to approach, and the following 
converfation immediately enfued: 
The Baron... What’s your name? 
do you belong to this village?” 
Ludolf. ‘*My name is Ludolff; I 
was born here; my father was the {chool- 
mafter.”’ 
The Baron. ‘* You appear to have 
received a better education than is 
ufually beftowed on the inhabitants of 
the country.” 
Ludolf. <* My father neglected no- 
thing in his pewer to repair the de- 
ficiency of fortun-, by means of a good 
education. I have juft finifhed my 
ftudies at ———.” 
The Baron. ‘* Studies! and what 
the dev—]! will they do for you, my 
friend? A fine young man, fuch asyou, 
who knows how to read and write, 
ought to ferve in the army: if you will 
follow my advice, you fhall be recom- 
mended to my fon, who has a got a re- 
giment.”” 
Ludolf. ‘* The profeffion of arms 
would pleafe me greatly, if I could im- 
mediately become an officer, or if all 
officers commenced their career by car- 
rying a mufquet.”’ 
The Baron. ‘* But you do not feem 
to confider, my friend, that this is 
one of the rights referved exclutively 
for the nobility.” 
Ludolf. ‘I know it well, and this 
is the fole confideration that prevents 
me from embracing a_ profeffion in 
which birth fupplies the place of ta- 
lents.”” 
Lhe Baron. ‘ You are very proud! 
Ludolf. ‘No, Sir, it is not pride, 
but fentiment; a fentiment refulting 
from the dignity of human, nature... 
I refpec&t the laws of the ftate in which 
I was born, but I will never bend be- 
fore my equals. Independence is my 
idol; I know that it will not conduct 
me to fortune, but I can never refolve 
to forge chains for myfelf.” 
The Baron. ‘** Take care, for with 
thefe notions you will never become 
any thing, not even a {chool-mafter.”’ 
Ludolf. ‘* Riches do not pofiefs any 
attractions forme ; a Cottage, a garden, 
a few books, and a good-natured com- 
panion, bound ali my Gefires.” 
The Baron. If 1 am not much mif- 
taken, all this is termed phz/ofophy; be- 
lieve me, it generally leads to poverty, 
Ar 2 and 
