Retrofpeet of French Literature.—Novels and Romances. 69S 
-“4e even confides the fecret to him, as 
®¢ love is uncontroulable, and falfehood ts 
ithe only thing that can degrade a female.”’ 
In the mean iime, the poor marquis, 
affrighted at the progrefs of his fcholar, 
in vain attempts to reproach her with her 
condué& ; for fhe retorts upon, and ac- 
fes him of having inftilled, thof ; 
cules him of having imitilted Cnoie very 
principles which he now pretends to con- 
demon, thus overcoming the mortified 
hufband with his own arms. ' Her extra- 
vagance, at laft, knows no bounds what- 
foever, for fhe precipitates herfelf into 
every fafhionable folly andexcefs. When 
the Revolution takes place, this furnifhes 
her with the means ofa fill more dif- 
orderly conduét. She obtains a divorce 
from the marquis, on purpofe to elpoule a 
perfon who in avery fhort time obtains a 
divarce from her; andthe concluding 
{cene is what might have been expected— 
fhe dies on a miferable truckle-bed ina 
garret, deftitute alike of either fuccour 
or confolation. aes 
The third compofition confifts of a no- 
vel intitled La Femme Philofophe (the Fe- 
male Philofopher), Madame de Stael is 
here intreduced as the heroine, and her 
romance of Deiphine is frequently quoted. 
Madame Genlis, on this occafion, purfues 
Madame de Stael with ne common degree 
of animofity, as. a woman who attacks a 
woman, a writer who criticifes a writer, 
and a devotee who anathematifes a philo- 
fopher. 
The whole of this part prefents a tifue 
of either foolifh or’ criminal. actions, 
which are ail exhibited as thetrefu)t of 
the principles contained in the work al- 
Juded toabove. Gertrude, the chief per- 
fonage in the novel, at length has recourfe 
to opium, but even here fhe is difappoiat- 
ed, as fhe only fwallows enough to tiupify 
without killing her. 
«© Alfred and Lifka; ou, le Hufiard 
Parvenu,” &c.—Alfred and Lifka ; or, 
the Fortunate Huffar; an Hiftorical Ro- 
mance of the r7th Century ; by J. H. F. 
LAMERTELLIERE, a Member of feveral 
Literary Societies. : 
The following is a brief fketch of the 
fubject, or plot, on which this novel is 
founded. Alfred, the hero, is the natural 
fon of Ulric, King of Nordia, by the 4 
ter of a gallant warrior called Gafpard du 
Nord, who is the Turenne, or rather the 
Catinat, of bis native country. To him 
alone is entruited the fecret of the birth of 
this natural «child ; to him alcne is he 
gonfided ; by bim is he brought up in his 
caltle, and coufidered as his fon. . At the 
age of fixtcen, having already fignalized 
s 
; 
himfelf by his excellence in all the military 
exercifes, be is deemed worthy of being 
prefented at court, and even of being ap. 
pointed, as fon of the firlt general of the 
empire, (0 fome important military office. 
He is well received by the king, who 
really believes him to be the heir, of his 
old and. illuftrious friend. © Matilda, 
the niece of Ulric, a widow, at that period 
in mourning for her hufband, alfo takes 
notice of him, and he is nominated cap- 
tain of her guards; fo that he enjoys the 
moft favourable opportunity of confoliag 
her for her lofs. 
In the mean time, the young and beau- 
tiful Lifka arrives at court. She happen< 
ed tobe an orphan, left under the guar- 
dianfhip of the King of Nordia, to whom 
fhe flies for proteétion, as fhe was on the 
eve of being deprived of her dominions, 
which coniifed of a neighbouring princi. 
pality. Ulric, who had conceived the 
idea. of uniting her territories with his 
own, imagines this to be a favourable 
Opportunity for carrying his defigns into 
execution. He accordingly plans a mar- 
riage between the heirefs and Edgar his 
only fon, and becomes of courfe jealous ta 
protect the pofleffions of his intended 
daughter-in-law agarm/ét every invader.— 
But love foon overturns the projects of 
policy and ambition ! ! 
The heir-apparent to the throne, living 
in the habits of the firitett intimacy with. 
Alfred, opens his heart to the youthful, 
warrior, and fully details all its fecrets. 
He informs him, that he has already en- 
tered into the tyes of hymen, and bound 
himfelf ind:fflubly with another lady ;: 
nay, he does more, he hefitates not to con=, 
fide his fair Seraphina to the care of his 
friend in order to conceal her from the 
world ! . 
Alfred, on the other hand, has already 
become a ilave to the charms of Lifka, 
and the ditlance in point of rank, inttead 
of appalling, only ferves to add frefh 
power to thole fentiments which captivate 
him, and in which Lifka herfelf in a fhort 
tine participates. 
So much for the fable, which muft be 
allowed to prelent a rich field for plot and 
embellifhment. Here appear two lovers, 
who feem defined to remain for ever fe- 
psrate in confequence of iniurmountable 
obitacles ; the heir of a throne dilgraced, 
imprifoned, and difinherited, on account 
of his difobedience, &c. by order of his 
own father ; the hero of the piece offered. 
to be elevated to the highelt command in 
the ftate, and placed, at the death of the 
kisg, with his confor, to whom he is al. 
| lowed 
