Retrospect of French Literature— Biography. 
behcid and experienced the humiiiating 
servitude arising out of ‘universal mo- 
narchy. It is also asserted, that religion 
was the only question that could have 
united all men in- one common cause, 
and prevented the pope from becoming 
the grand Jama of the West, or one of 
the modern Casars from“being as pow- 
erful as the ancient ones. A pontiff 
(Boniface VEIL.) had already conceived 
the idea of placing the imperial crown on 
his own head ; and one emperor (Maxi- 
milan I.) had resolved to cover his with 
the imperial tiava. It is the fixed opi- 
nion of our author, that nothing can be 
~more false than the position, “That the 
successive progress of knowledge would 
have insensibly produced the same. re- 
sults, and spared ail those miseries that 
arise out of isternal commotions and 
Jong wars.” He thinks, that without 
the great event of the Reformation, the 
world would have still remained in utter 
darkness; and he maintains, that it bas 
not only changedthe state of the Pro- 
_testant countries, but also that of the 
Catholic ones, who have been insensibly 
“reformed” by the benefit of its ex. 
ample. 
{t is almost unnecessary to remark, 
that this is a most important work, and 
that the decisive approbation of a cele- 
brated literary society, existing in a 
catholic country, and enjoying the con- 
fidence of its monarch, forms a singular 
event during the present age.’ 
BIOGRAPHY. 
** Notice sur la Vie eb les ecrits de 
Don Félix de Azara.”—A Notice relative 
to the Life of Don Felix D’Azara, 
by C. A. WaLcKANAER, 
It was in consequence of a geographi- 
eal error that Columbus, who was in 
search of the luxuries of Asia, discovered 
a new world to Spain. At first, a pro- 
‘digious number of literary productions 
were published concerning the wonders 
of America, and eagerly perused by 
those who were incited hy a desire of- 
gold and of novelty, rather than of in- 
struction. But at length, the Spaniards 
and the Portuguese having obtained a 
bull fromthe court of Rome,conferring-a 
large portion of the earth on their mo-. 
marchs, another line of policy was im- 
mediately marked oat, and has been 
until of late most strictly foltowed. From 
that moment they both displayed such 
a spirit or jealousy, that they not only 
excluded foreigners from the countries 
which they had already discovered, but 
even from the very territories with which 
Monrurx Mac, No, 201. 
_war against 
645 
they still remained unacquainted. They. 
considered all those who wished to pene-. 
trate into the remote regions of America 
as the usurpers of their own future ac- 
quisitions, and not only seized the ships, 
but puntshed the navigators. 
Accordingly, during more than—two 
whole centuries, Murope remained in the 
utmost ignorance relative to every thing 
connected with Southern America; and 
had it not been for the French revolu- 
tion, and the circumstances attendant on 
that singular event, a veil would have 
sull concealed those interesting regions 
from the prying eyes of curiosity and of 
science. 
Don Felix d’Azara, who was destined | 
to visit it, and to describe the Spanish 
settlements in the New World, is a native 
of Old Spain. He was born at Barba- 
vales, near Balbastro, on the 18th of 
May,1746. His parents resided on this 
estate, at a distance from the great the- 
atre of the world, and founded their hap- 
piness on the most pleasant of all duties 
—that of superintending the education 
of their children. 
Dor Felix, the younger son, appears 
to have commenced his studies at the 
University of Huesca, in Arragon, and 
after having completed the philoscphical 
branch of instruction, was sent to the 
military academy of Barcelona. In 1764 
he becatne a cadet in the 11th regiment 
of Galician infantry, and had an inter- 
view with his elder brother, from whom 
he was afterwards separated during an 
interval of thirty-five years. 
In 1767, the subject of this memoir 
was nominated an efisign in the corps of 
engineers, and in 1775 obtained the rank 
of lieutenant. It was in this capacity 
that he accompanied, the expedition 
destined against Algiers, and being one 
of the first who landed, he immediately 
received a severe contusion from a ball 
composed of copper, which was cut out 
by a sailor with his knife, while the 
youth lay senseless on the beach, Five 
whole. years elapsed before the wound’ 
closed; it re-opened five years after 
while residing in America, and was 
finally cared without any medical appli- 
cation whaisoever. 
In 1776, Don Felix attained the rank 
of captain, and was soon afier sent 
abroad in the service of his native coun. 
try. The courts of Spain and Portugal, 
which had long waged a petty colonial 
each. other in America’ 
about the lumits of their respective sete 
tlements, at leneth agreed to terms of 
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oS peace; 
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