Retrofpec? of French Literature.—Drama. 
les moyens de ranimer en France l'étude 
de la langue Grecque?’” What are the 
beft means for reviving the ttudy of the 
Greek language in France? This fubject 
immediately after the firft burlt of the 
Revolution, appears to have engaged the 
attention, not only of the Directory and 
the confuls, but alfo of al! the learned men 
in the nation. 
The auther of the prefent epiftle, M. Be- 
LIN DE BaILLiz, isan accomplifhed Greek 
fcholar, and has often diftinguifhed him- 
felf as a man of letters. He was former- 
ly a member of the Academy of Infcrip- 
tions, and it is not improbable, that this 
poem, which contains many eloquent paf- 
fages, will place him on the lift of candi- 
dates for the National Inftitute. 
After a high and inflated eulogium, 
“© on the virtues, political, civil, and war- 
like, of the invincible hero, whofe genius 
and viétory have placed him at the head of 
theFrench nation,” he exclaims mournfully 
as follows: 
‘6 Les Mufes s’occupoient 4 tracer ces ta- 
bleaux, 
Lorfqu’un bruit fe répand et trouble leur 
repos ; 
On leur dit que des Grecs la langue révérée 
A tes jeunes Francais ne fera point montrée 5 
Et que chaque Lycée ouvert a nos enfans, 
Du chantre des combats fupprime les accens: 
Efchine, Démofthéne, et leur male éloquence, 
Etrangers, inconnus, y gardent le filence 5 
Et Plutarque, et Platon, exilés de ces lieux, 
Cefferont d’y ravir notre ame jufqu’aux cieux ; 
Par les graves lecons de leur philofophie 
Ils n'y montreront plus les routes de la vies 
La langue des héros et des grand écrivains, 
La langue qui forma tant d’illuftres Romains, 
Dans un honteux oubli fe trouveroit plongée, 
Et par Bonaparte fe verroit négligée ! 
Won, ton vafte génie en connoit trop le prix. 
Eh! qui pourroit donner du luftre a:nos écrits ? 
Comment chanterons-nous tes exploits et ta 
gloire, 
Si nous nous éloignons des Filles de Mémoire ? 
Mais, dit-on, les Romains ont, par de heureux 
efforts, 
A vos Grecs dérobé leurs plus riches tréfors ; 
Ils peuvent nous fervir de maitres, de modéle. 
Quoi! Rome fans les Grecs feroit-elle immor- 
telle? 
Le langage Latin, s’il a quelque vigueur, 
Put-il jamais du Grec attaindre la hauteur! 
Malgré ses vers heureux, fon gout et fon 
adreffe, 
Virgile ne fauroit déguifer fa foibleffe ; 
Brilant prés de Didon, mais froid dans les 
combats, 
Sa voix ne produit point ces terribles éclats, 
Ces fons graves, affreux, femblables au ton- 
nerre, 
_Et qui nous font frémir quand nous lifons 
Homére. 
519 
Horace, pour chanter Augufte, fon heros, 
Fait parler fous fes doigts la lyre de Lefbos 5 
Et l’Orateur Romain, rival de Démofthénes, 
N’a point fait oublier la tribune d’Athenes. 
On vant fon pinceau, comme plus elegant, 
Mais il eft moins rapide, il eft moins en- 
trainant, 
Et les traits qu’il langoit au fa€tieux Antoine 
N'euffent point fait trembler be Roi de Macee 
doine.”” 
DRAMA. 
6¢ Le Seduéteur Amoureux ; Comédie en 
trois Actes, en Vers, repréfentee, ‘pour la 
premiére Fois, par les Comédiens Socié- 
taires du Théatre Francaife de la Répub- 
lique, le 4 Pluviofe, An XI; par Lon- 
CHAMPS. Paris, Barba, Palais du Tri- 
bunat. Br. 8°. Prix 1 fr. 50 cent.” The 
Seducer himfelf in Love; a Comedy in 
three Aéts, and in Verfe, reprefented for 
the firt Time by the affociated Come- 
dians of the Theatre Frangaife de la 
République, &c. by Lonchamps. 
Cezanne, a young man at once rich and 
hand{ome, is the hero of the piece. He 
is endowed with many good and amiable 
qualities ; but as he has been rendered 
prefumptuous, in confequence of his fuc- 
cefs with the fair fex, thefe are of courfe 
clouded, and he becomes a finifhed cox- 
comb. Atlength, however, the feducer is. 
him(eif in love, and that too with nis own 
coufin, Adela D’Ernanges, who, aware of 
his numerous gallantries, and fufpecting 
that he intended to add her to the lift of 
his victims, is of courle exceedingly dif- 
truftful of all his fine protettations of at- 
tachment, adoration, &c. &c. It is in 
vain that he talks of the violence and fin- 
cerity of his paffion: fhe accufes him of 
deceit, and never replies to his declara- 
tions but either by the moft bitter farcafms 
or an ironical {mile. 
Cezanne, the hitherto triumphant Ce- 
zanne, now finds all his attempts to obtain 
confidence, rejected with fufpicion. When 
he prefents himlelf-to tine father of the he- 
roine, in order to demand the hand of the 
lady he adores, he finds the old gentleman 
alfo prejudiced again{t him; for the latter 
fuppoies all his honourable propofitions 
to be nothing more than a ftratagem, by 
means of which he intended to efcape 
from fufpicion. In this dilemma, it either 
remained tor him to endeavour to convert 
the whole into a jelt, or to fly for ever 
from the prefence of his mittrefs. He 
has accordingly recourfe to the latter of 
thefe, and prepares to depart fecretly ; but 
his valet, who imagines that the journey is 
nothing more than a teint, by the affected 
myftery with which he makes the neceflary 
preparations, foon betrays the fecret, 
sA2 while 
