z 
694 
lowed tobe united, on the vacant throne: 
thefe are interefting fituations, capable of 
exciting compaffion, wonder, refpe&, and 
admiration; nor has M. Lamerteliter 
failed to turn. them te advantage. Oa 
the other hand, it mav be fairly objeéte dy 
that the title of an hiftorical romance ts 
but il applied to a performance ‘of this 
kind. “Phe naimes, indeed, of Ulric, Al- 
fred) and Edgar, are well known in the 
zonals of fome of the northern nations ; 
bat thefe annals never meniton the king- 
dom of Nordia, which the author fuppofes 
to conititute part ef ancient Germany ; 
fo it is but fair'to fuppofe, ‘that the deeds 
of the principal perfonages introduced, 
like the country which is the theatre of 
their exploits, are purely the work of the 
author’s own tmacination. 
Some ef his own contemporaries, aifo, 
while they allow rhe general excellence of 
the language, ftrongly obje&t to many of 
the expréffions contained in the moft inte- 
FeRting paflages, on the fcore of purity. a 
Gne cf the critics exprefies “himielf in the 
foHowing manter: « Let us leave to hif- 
tory the melancholy privilege of prefent- 
ine for our regret, as well as our inftruc- 
tion, the fatal movements of human ambi- 
tion and folly ; but let us referve for our 
romances the right and the advantage of 
deferibing thofe fcenes which commonly 
Oceur, and which the intereft we feel in 
our own happinefs leads us either to avoid 
er fearch after.” 
POETRY. 
“<< Ya Caroléide.”—Charlemagne ; or, 
the Caroleide ; an Epic Poem, in Twelve 
Cantos, by M. THEVENEAU. 
. The fudden rife of Bonaparte, firf to 
the Confulfhip, and then to the Imperial 
dignity, has afforded ample opportunity 
for the flattery of the French poets. No 
fooner was it known that he affected the 
eharaéter of Charlemagne, than this hero 
appeared on the fage, and was introduced 
in hiftories and romances without number. 
On the prefent cecafion M. Theveneau 
has drefled bim up as an epic poem of 
twelve cantos, which has been fubjecéted 
to the fiery ordeal of criticifm on the part 
ef his countrymen, few of whom allow 
the author any merit as a poet; while 
others affert, that he ie even unacquaint- 
ed with the delicacies of the French lan- 
guage. We fhall prefent our readers 
with two favourable {pecimens : the one 
contains a paflage from a fpecch of the 
Conqueror, while the other gives a delerip- 
tion of Vitikind i 
Retrofpest of French Literature.—Povtry, 
sc LEternel “de la France en pitié vit” RO 
larmes ; J 
Ii dit a la Vidoire : -Accompagnez fes 
armes ! | ; 
Hi dit ala Terreur, ala Fuite, au Trépas : So 
Dans Jes rangs ennemis précipitez vos pas ! 
Ii dit aux Aguilons : Bouleverfez les ondes ! 
Tl dit aux Mers: Ouvres vos entrailies pro~ 
fondes! 
Et, docile 3 fa voix, Océan dans fea eaux 
Des Danois et des Grecs engloutitit les vaif- 
feaux. 
Les Lombards fugitifs, et tremblant pour leut 
wie, 
Ont mis entreux et nous les remparts de Pas 
vie. ‘ 
Les Huns épouvantés enrichiffent nos mains * 
Des tréfors cue ieurs rois ont ravis aux Ros 
mains : “ 
Sous l’effort de mon bras, Ifem chancelle et - 
tombe, 
Et renvertfé du tréne, il roule dans Ja tombe.” 
‘<2... Dans Vitikind Vadverfité fait naftre 
Des vertus que jamais Charles n’a pu cene 
naitre. e , 
Jamais Charles, en effet, a-t- il été vaiacu ® 
A la perte du trone a-t-il done furvécu? 5 
Les foncis, Jes chagrins ont-ils flétri fon 
ame? 
D’un amour fans efpoir a-t-il fenti la 
flamme ? 
Non? Charles, hevreux toujours, put refter 
toujours grand 5 
Mais que de Vitikind le fort eft different ! 
Qui jamais fit mieux voir ala terre étonnée © 
Us grand homme luttant contra fa deftinée > 
Tous les maux réunis, qu’ignore fon vain- 
queur, 
Tour atour, a la fois, tyrannifent font cours 
Mais fon vidage augufte, oi le calme refpires” 
Parait indépendant de leur cruel efnpire. ; 
Teis ces OE 2-4 de la terre enfans audacieux, 
Ces monts, aufli voifins ces enfers que deg 
Cleux, 
Alors qu’avec fracas le tonnerre foudroie © 
Vous trouvez des cyprés en cherchant des 
lauriers 5 
Et céja votre fang, vos cadavres livides 
Engraiflent nes fillons et les vautours avides. 
‘© Infcriptions Latines et Frangaifes,”* 
&c.—Latin and French Infcriptions for 
the different Public Buildings in Paris, 
The French, who always boafted of the 
finet and mofl magnificent buildings in- 
Europe, think that they now enly want 
fuitable infcriptions for them. Apoet, fully 
imprefied with this notion, here prefents 
his countrymen with a feries of them, 
fome of which we fhall here prefent to our 
readers : 
For the Palace of Sciences and Arts. 
Artes htc Templum pofuére, Scientia fedem 3 
Hic fuafunt Phebo, fua funt altaria Mufis. 
Tranflations 
o> 
