- 698 
* Influence de l’Habitude fur la Facul- 
té de Penfer; Ouvrage quia remporteé le 
Prix fur cette Queition, prepoiée par 
VInftitut National, determiner quelle eft 
VInfluence de I?Habitude fur la Faculté 
de Penfer; ou, en d’antre Terms, faire 
voir Effet que produit fur chacune de 
tos Fecultés Intelleétuelles la fréqtiente 
Répéiition des mémes Opérations. Par 
P. Maine Biran.”-—On the Influence 
of Habit on the Faculty of Thought; 
a Work which obtained the Prize for the 
Queftion propofed by the National Infi- 
tute. By P. Maine Biran. 
A queftion of nearly a fimilar tendency, 
has been lately propofed by the Academy 
of Berlin; on which occafion, M. Dege- 
rando was crowned, in confequence of 
his interefting diflertation on that fubject. 
M. Maine Biran, upon the prefent occa- 
fion, was awarded the prize offered by the 
Inftitute, and all the friends of mankind 
mutt rejoice to behold two great literary 
bodies holding out encouragement to thofe 
whofe ftudies have man for their object. 
It has been faid indeed, that the northern 
ftates are but little favourable to works of 
imagination, and that the palm muft be 
yielded to the happier climates of Greece 
and Italy ; yet it muft be confefled, that 
in fome particular branches, we excel all 
the great men produced in the ages of 
Pericles, Alexander, and Auguftus ; and 
that Locke, Newton, and Linneus, the 
glory of modern times, are not fo be 
equalled, rhuch lefs furpaffed, in the an- 
nals of antiquity. 
M. Maine Bivan introduces his work 
by an attempt to fix our ideas, relative to 
what may be termed the mechanifm of bu- 
man fenfations ; he then examines our ha- 
bitual modes, &c. ; divides thefe into paf- 
five and aétive. In the fecond part, he 
confiders the influenee of habit on the me- 
thods and operations of reafoning, and 
gives a clafiification of figns, affociations, 
é&c. &c. He alfo remarks, in direct oppo- 
fition to Condillae and Bonnet, ** that a 
being reduced to organs paffive and im- 
moveable, or of which he either does not 
perceive or direct the movement, would 
be confined to iuflinZive faculties, and 
hot pefleis any diftin&t perfonality. Did 
he enjoy ‘he power of fmell alone, for ex- 
ample, his exiftence might be compared to 
tliat of the oyfter cr the polypus, but he 
-would be utterly unable to form combina- 
sions, abftractions, &c. 
<¢ Poefies de F. M. G. Duautt.”— 
_A Colleétion of Poetry, by F. M. G. Du- 
ault, 1 vol. 16mo. 
M. Duault hag bere publithed a collec- 
Retrofpedt of French Literature.—Mifcellanies 
tion of all the poetical compofitions writ 
ten by him. It is divided into two parts ¢ 
the former, under the title of the then. 
aide, contains love verfes; the fecond is 
a poem on the feafons. The following fa- 
tire, entitled ** Les Niveleurs,” which pof- 
fefles an immediate connection with {cenes 
ftill recent in France, muft be allowed to. 
poffefs fome merite 
‘> Timeft pas de bandit qui n’ait, dans fon 
quartier, 
Ouvert un cours public des fecrets du métier; 
Et n’étale aux regards les buftes, les images, 
De ce que Rome antique eut de fous ou des 
fages. 
Crifpin, pour n*étre plus baffoué fous fon 
nom, 
Parmi ces morts fameux cherche un nouveau, 
patron 3 
Et ptenant du défunt le port et Vaffurance : 
© Place! c’eft Curius lui-méme qui s’avancey 
¢ ‘Ce héros tant vahté, pour avoir un fois, 
© En recevant vifite, affaifonné des pois, 
© Et quivient, du brouet rétabliffant Pufage, 
‘ A la ville enfeigner comme on dine aw 
village, 
Au peuple fouverain rendre fa majefté, 
¢ Au riche nonchalant Vadtive pauvreté, 
€ Oter la honte au pauvre, en détruifant 
Vauméne, 
Et vous tailler @ tous la ferge 4 la méme 
aune. | 
€ Pour moi, je fuis Gracchus, s’écrie un 
autre fou 5 
Mon bourgeois eft trop riche, et je n’al 
un fou 3 
Mais grace a nos dotteurs, je veux prouver 
de refte 
é Que Von n'a rien 2 foi fans un vol mani-— 
fette, 
‘ Et gue, fi la nature edt voulou tout dé 
bon 
Que de fes fruits un jour on payat la 
facon, . 
Dans fon vafte pouvoir, jufte envers tous 
les hommes, é 
© Elle ett fait des écus comme elle a fait des 
pommes, 
” 
a 
€ Qu’elle fait tout gratis; or le bon fens me 
dit . 
6 Que j’ai des droits @ tout) quand j’ai bow 
appétit.” 
Mon cordonnier lui-méme, au fond de fa 
boutique, 
Réve, en taillant fon cuir, fes plans de Ré« 
publique, 
Et fonge a rehauffer l’éclat de fes vertus 
En prenant fa patente au nom de Torquatus.. 
Je les ai ves ces jours de démence et d*hore 
reurs,; : e 
Ou, weur régner en paix, d’infames oppref- 
feurs 
‘Mettoient de Nifmes a Breft Je meurtre a 
lentreprife, 
En nous faifant ehanter la liberté conquife * 
Jai 
f 
