Retrofpec? of French Literature.—Drama. 
t-—Gafcon! Ja foudre, en percant les nuéesy 
La foudre méme eiit fait moins de fracas, 
Figurez-vous les-crisy les brouhahas, 
Les guolibets, lee ris.& grands éclats 3 
Sifflets aigus, eftrayantes huées : 
On fe croyait aux piéces de Nifas. 
Gafcon ; fandis! Gafcon! le miférable! 
Fuis, Jacobin, Carmagnole exécrable ; 
Eh! cadédis 5 nous crois-tu des Gafcons? 
Vieillards, enfans, Baronnets et Barons, 
Tout s’en mélait, voir auffi les Baronnes. 
Au long affaut des injures Gafconnes 
Avec pitié le Romain répliqua: 
Ob! che bruti! che raxma tedefca ! 
“« La Bulle D’Alexandre VI. nouvelle 
imitée de l"Italien, de Cafti, &c.”—-The 
Bull of Alexander VI. imitated from 
the Italian, &c.”’ 
This Poem, which confifts of more 
than 500 lines, will dqubtle{s be quoted 
as a proof of the irreligion and de- 
bauchery that prevail in the French 
capital. 
it muft be allowed that the author 
makes pretty free with the tiarajandas 
to the fecond, he doubtlefs pleads 
guilty, as he tells us at the very begin- 
ning, he addreffes himfelf to married 
women alone: 
s* Femmes de bien, dont les chaftes appas 
Dun trait plaifant ne s’affarouchent pas, 
Qui fouriez a des joyeux paflages 
kc les citez, fans en tre moins fage, 
Objets charmans, c’eft pour vous que j’€cris 3 
' Encouragez mes timides recits.”’ 
The following is the portrait of 
Czfar Borgia: 
<¢ Batard du pape, et digne du fon pere, 
Soldat et prétre, ambitieux vaurien, 
Celui qui fit afflailiner fon frere, 
Autre batard du pontife Chriftien, 
Cumme il fortait un foir de chez Lucréce, 
De tous les deux la {a@ur et la maitréfie.” 
DRAMA, 
«Le Ambitieux; ou, l‘Homme qui 
veut faire fon Chemin.”—The Ambi- 
tious Hufband; or, the Man who is 
defirous to make his Fortune, a Comedy 
in five Acts, by L. B. Picarp, repre- 
fented for the firft time on the theatre 
de Louvois, by the comedians of the 
Odeon, on the 24th Vendemaire 11th 
year. 
This comedy,which has been repeat- 
edly performed, and {till occafions con- 
fiderable fenfation in Paris,is written,in 
/ . 
rhyme. It is to be feared,that the man- 
ners, which are not the moft pure,are bor- 
rowed from thofe of the capital of France, 
and coloured according to the artificial 
In reipeéct to the firft charge, 
663 
charaéters which but too frequently 
“¢ ftrut and fret’ for a time in Paris. 
Cleon, the Hufband of a handfome 
fafhionable wife, is one of thofe ambi- 
tious men, who are continually hunt- 
ing after a place, and condefcending to 
the meaneft a€tions, on purpofe.to ob- 
tain one: 
‘* Prés des hommes en place il a d’humbles 
manleres 5 
Il va ferrant la main des moindres fecretaires, 
Et pour frayer fa route, abaiflant fon orgueil, 
Aux valets méme,il fait un gracieux accueil.’” 
Having formed an acquaintance with 
Dulis, a general of high reputation, 
they feem to enter into a tacit contract, 
that on condition of obtaining a good 
profitable place for the hufband, the 
wife fhould be at the difpofal of the 
patron ; but the father of the lady ar-~ 
riving at a critical moment, and being 
indignant at the condué of his fon-in- 
law, fairly exhibits the bafenefs, as well 
as the meannefs of his condué&t ; 
** Les demi-probités n’ont jamais réufi—— 
Il faut choifir comment tu veux que l’on te 
nomme, 
Etre fripon parfait, 
homme.” ve 
In addition to this, he foon finds 
himfelf difappointed in-all his expeéta- 
tions of preferment, and is extremely 
mortified at hearing that the place he 
had fo much coveted was beftowed upon 
another. ‘The following is the charac- 
ter drawn of a Parifian hufband : 
s+ Tel femble aimer fa femme, et fouffre qu’onm 
Vadore 5 
Tel fait tout, et paroit tout ignorer encore ; 
Tel de fon accident plaifante le premier ; 
Tel s’en fait un honneur, tel autre en fait 
métier.®” 
*¢ La Petite Ecole des Péres.”— The 
Little School for Fathers: a Comedy 
in one Aét, by C.G. ETIENNE et Gau- 
GIRAN NanTevuitL, Authors of° the 
‘© Deux Meres,” and the ** Pacha of 
Sure{nes. 
The plot of this little piece is briefly 
as follows: Lormeuil, an opulent man, 
is the father of two fons, the one called 
St. Leger, the other Henry, and he has 
conceived a blind predilection for the 
former of thefe, while the fecond has 
been conftantly treated with the moft 
mortifying indifference. ‘* He was 
educated, (fays he), in the antiquated 
principles of his mother, was always a 
poor creature, is deftitute of vivacity 
as well as genius, and dogs not apper- 
tain to me.” : 
3 4Q2 A mif- 
ou parfait honnéte 
