Retrospect of French Literature— Bio 
them in the “ Mercure.” On this he was 
denounced, and obliged in some degree 
to retract, and that circumstance after- 
wards furiished a pretext for the most 
odious caluimnies on the part of his ene- 
mies. In 1793, he was at length arrest- 
ed, and imprisoned in the Luxembourg. 
By this time, a large proportion of those 
with whom he had been intimately con- 
nected had lost their lives on the scatfold, 
aud the same fate appeared to be re- 
served for himself. La Harpe now be- 
came melancholy, and was ready to fall 
into despair: on this he, who had hither- 
to distinguished himself as a naan of let- 
ters, any an academician, without paying 
any attention to the prevailing opinions 
relative to religion, determined to taste 
of the POnepineiaas: of Christianity. 
A plous female, with whom he had 
got acquainted during his confinement, 
is said to have first inspired him as 
this idea; and having advised him to 
seck for consolation in the Psalms of Da- 
vid, he was so charmed with them, that 
he uumediately commenced a literary 
commentary, 19 which he pointed out 
their beauties. This was afterwards con- 
verted into a Preliminary Discourse to 
the Translation of the Psalms, the first 
work in which he, announced bis con- 
version, 
That event occasioned some noise; 
more especially as he informs his readers 
in one of the notes, that he was accus- | 
tomed to obtain comfort in his affliction, 
by opening the Psalms, as if by accident, 
and looking at the first passage wihiels 
occurred. In this, he at one particular 
period, not only found great consolation, 
but he says that he received from it a 
solution of all bis diiticulties. 
On being released from confinement, 
De la Harp e entered the world quite a 
diferent man from what he was betore, 
being now determined to support that 
eause with intrepidity, which he had em- 
braced with so much ardour. He ac- 
cordingly resolved thencefurward to de- 
dicate lis literary harangues, which were 
originally intended to form the taste of 
his auditors, to the defence of religion. 
Great labour aud much attention were 
required, to give this direction to: his 
‘ cours de littérature :” but notwithstand- 
ing the multitade of obstacles that inter- 
posed, he in the space of a very few years 
completed that vast Circle of Literature, 
11 which both ancients and moderns are 
yadged and appreciated, 
On his reassuming the chair at the 
Lyceum, he made a full, public, and 
sraphy. 681 
ample recantation, of his former opi- 
nions ; but he was twice proscribed, and 
obliged to fly. During the latter of those 
pessecutions, be obtained an asylum at a 
house but a few leagues distant from 
Paris, by the interposition of the pious 
female who had been the cans of pro- 
ducing the alteration in his religious opi- 
nions, while ima pris soned at the Luxem- 
boury; and during this period of his life, 
he composed his celebrated Ee 
entitled “ Le Fanatisme dais la Langue 
revolutionnaire,” which was read with an 
extraordinary deoree of avidity, but, at 
the same time added not a little to the 
fury of his enemies. 
After this, he entirely occupied his 
time with, “ TApologie de la Religion,” 
and perused and studied the Lives of the 
Saints, and other holy books, for the ex- 
press purpose of deriving arguments from 
these sources, against ‘the “Philosophers 
and their writings. Oi tl*s occasion he 
must be allowed to have possessed one 
advantage, not enfoyed before by any of 
his predecessors, as he knew both the 
weak and the strong potuts of the doc 
trine he now combated ; ; and indeed, ac- 
cording to his own expression, he had 
spent “ nearly the whole of his life in the 
enemy's camp.” 
M. de la Harpe had always been in- 
dustrious in his fterary labours, and his 
aptitude for appli@ation appears to have 
increased during the period of his pro- 
scription, The chamber occupied by him 
overlooked a garden surrounded with 
very high walls, where ne could walk 
whenever he was so disposed. During 
the whole of the morning, he was accus- 
tomed to write at a table near the win- 
dow; and in the afternoon, he took the 
only recreation he permitted hunself to 
enjoy: this consisted solely in a solitary 
walk. 
On his return to his apartment, he 
resigned himself to pious exercises, and 
concluded the evening by reading works 
analayous to those he was cngazed on. 
This uniform and sedentary life did not 
in the least tire him; gll the activity 
of his mind was occupied in that cause 
to which he had devoted himself; and the 
continual dangers to which he remained 
exposed, could not in the least alter that 
mental tranquillity so eminently enjoyed 
by him. He was often accustomed, in- 
deed, to remark, that the epoch of his 
proscription proved the happiest portion 
of Ins life: lis health, indeed, seemed to 
improve, and his friends flattered theme 
eclves that his carecr would stil prove 
4 R2 long 
