Retrospect of French Literature—Miscellaneous. 
share in the administration of their na- 
tive country. 
As it is necessary on this occasion for 
a brother of the Order of Jesus to preach 
up. liberty, he accordingly ascends to 
that period of the Spanish history, when 
the people were free, and depicts with 
the pen of a master, the causes.that led 
to the slavery and subjugation of the 
mother country. This event, it will be 
seen, according to him, and indeed to 
ali other historians, originated in the in- 
creased power of the kings of Spain, 
proceeding not only from théir acquisi- 
tions in Europe, but those also in ano- 
ther hemisphere, 
“ ‘The re-union of the kingdoms of 
Mastille and Arragon,” says. he, “ as 
well as of those of other great states 
which devolved at the same time on the 
sovereigns of Spain, to which may be 
added the treasures of the Indies, con- 
ferred on that crown a most unexpected 
portion of influence.» This increased to 
such a degree, and at length became so 
preponderating, as, in course of time, to 
overturn all the barriers erected by the 
prudence of our forefathers, in order to 
insure the liberty of their posterity : 
thus the royal authority, like the. sea, 
overflowing its bounds, inundated the 
_whole monarchy, and_ the will of the 
king and his ministers became the uni- 
versal law. 
“ No sooner was despotic power esta- 
blished on such solid foundations, than 
the very trace of the ancient cortes, or 
national assemblies, became obliterated. 
To the rights, whether natural, civil, or 
religious, of the Spaniards, there was no 
other safeguard than the good pleusure 
of the ministers, and the ancient forms 
of justice! The latter might sometimes 
be quoted in opposition to the oppres- 
sion of the innocent, but the old pro- 
verb, “ that the laws bend to the will of 
kings,” was in the end always verified. 
After a variety of important details, 
embracing the wrongs of the Spaniards 
in both worlds, the Ex-Jesuit enters 
into a discussion relative to the practi- 
cability ofthe scheme of emancipation— 
an emancipation which he considers. as 
equally beneficial to the inhabitants of 
the mother nation and the creoles them- 
selves. Their numbers, their wealth, 
their wrongs, their acquisitions, accord- 
ing to, him, alike fit them for liberty and 
independence. Above all, he labours.to 
prove, that there is no, novelty what- 
ever,and but little danger, in the attempt. . 
This is not the first time that Spain has 
OOF 
been dismembered by her own injustice, 
The house of Braganza, placing itself at 
the head of the Portuguese, enabled 
that portion of the peninsula to throw, 
off the yoke, to the great joy, of. all, 
But the revolution effected by the 
Dutch, is still more memorable, Hole 
land, goaded on by the spirit of despoe 
tism and injustice, at length. rose, in- 
arias, and atter.a long and memorable, 
war, emancipated herself completely 
from the subjugation of her oppressors. 
This glorious achievement was aided by 
the assistance of England and of France, 
and has ever been viewed by all. the 
European nations as a struggle equally. 
gallant and fortunate, But their atten- 
tion is besought to an event still more 
recent, and which occurred. too on the 
saine, continent with themselves. It is 
almost unnecessary to observe, that this: 
is the enfranchisement of America froma. 
the protection of Great Britain; a sub 
ject which recalls the most painful emo- 
tions, as the colonies were lost by gross 
/ misinanagement, if we are.to give credit 
to the statesmen of all parties... 
“ Voyages a Peking, Manille, & ? Hede 
France, fails dans Vintervalle des Années, 
1784 ¢ 1801.” Voyages. to, Pekin, Ma- 
nilla, and the Isle of F rance, during the~ 
interval. between the Years 1784 2 
and 1801; by M. Ds. Guienns, the. 
French. Resident. in China, attached to- 
the Minister of External Relations, and © 
‘Correspondent, of the First and. the. 
Third, Class of the Institute. 3 vols. 
8vo. with an Atlas., Paris, 1808. 
The author of the. present work is the. 
son of the celebrated Oriental scholar 
of the same name, whose travslation of 
“ the Chou King, and the History of the 
Huns, acquired him deserved celebrity,. 
and entitled him at the same time. to 
the well merited eulogiums of Mr. Gibs 
bon, in his Decline and Fall of the. 
Roman Empire.” — After residing at Ma- 
cao during the space of ten years, the. 
younger De Guignes accompanied M. 
Titzin, the chief ot the ,Dutch embassy, 
in the character of interpreter, and ac-_ 
cordingly repaired from Canton to Pekin » 
along with him. Having, been thus . 
enabled, from long residence,.as.well as 
actual inspection, to form a justidea of - 
the nature of the couutry, he has had « 
recourse to beoks for its; history.; In. 
the prefatory account given by him of © 
the ancient annals of China, he ascends ; 
no higher than the reign of Yao, 2357 
years. before Christ, whieh, according: to 
the exaggerated remarks of some of their » 
learned 
