Retrospect of French Literature—History. 
“ Tt appears asif all the great poets, the 
great patluters, great orators, the great 
philosophers, &c. had determined on a 
place and time of rendezvous, in order 
that they might meet, and dispute toge- 
ther, for the palm of glory and perfection 
in each particular branch of knowledge. 
** According both to the order of dates, 
and the order of geniuses, Descartes 
ought to be placed atthe head of the nu- 
merous assemblage of men, who have 
rendered that age so celebrated through- 
out the world. What a multitude of il- 
lustrious names is contained in this list! 
Petau, Nicole, Arnaud, La Rochefou- 
cauld, La Bruyere, Le Sueur, Le Poussin, 
Le Brun, Mignard, Jouvenet, Girardon, 
Lully,- Rohault, Mallebranche, Flechier, 
Massillon, Corneille, and his rival Mo- 
liere, La Fontaine, Boileau, &c. Many 
other famous characters might also be 
added, so as to comprehend the youth- 
ful days of Rousseau. The space of 
time during which all these appeared 
was far from being extensive, for a single 
man had beheld themall; and, indeed, M. 
Huet, so illustrious himself on account of 
his acquirements, had witnessed Descartes 
early in life, and died ten years after 
Boileau.” 
We are informed, however, that it is 
not a gallery of portraits, comprehending 
the great persenages in question, that the 
author of the Anténors intends to de- 
scribe; he resolves, mdeed, that both 
men and events shail occupy the places 
yn his work, which chance has assigned 
them on the theatre of history; but he 
is chiefly desirous to designate three grand 
epochs, and describe three personages 
appertaining to the seventeenth century. 
‘“‘ Christina, Queen of Sweden (says 
he) resigned her crown precisely at 
the moment when Louis XIV. was about 
to obtain possession of his. The daugh- 
ter of Gustavus met with the Prince 
of Condé at Brussels, and the Cardinal 
de Retz atRome. It was in the society 
of these grand actors during the trou- 
bles of the minority, that Christina be- 
came initiated in the mysteries of war, of 
gallantry, of politics; in fine, acquired 
a complete knowledge of all the in- 
trigues, and of all the parties, that had 
divided France. She herself, at length, 
repaired to that country, for the express 
purpose of assisting at the festivals, the 
amours, &c. of the times, 
** Casimir, who had been desirous of 
espousing Christina, when he was King 
of Poland, resided in France also 
at the epoch of the grandeur of Louis 
Monturxy Mac., No. 159. 
653 
XIV. It is well known that he became 
‘Abbot of St. Germaine des Prés, and was 
enamouréd with a woman whose rank in 
society was far from being estimable. 
His unostentatious life, and simple 
character, formed a marked contrast 
with the prying inquietude and petulant 
vivacity of Christina. He observed, and 
is here made to describe, the physical and 
moral state of Paris at that epoch, when 
pleasure and the fine arts divided his 
nights and his days. 
“‘ The Bishop of Avranches (the cele- 
brated Huet), who had lived in intimacy 
both with Christina and Casimir, witness- 
ed all the grandeur and all the humilia- 
tion of Louis XIV. whom he survived 
six years. He sighs here over the misfor- 
tunes of the state; he paints too in th® 
most lively colours the odious and impo- 
litic revocation of the Edict of Nantz. 
““ Thus are contrasted both the shades 
of epochs, and the tints of characters. 
The first era comprehends the licentious- 
ness of the Fronde; the second, volup- 
tuous and brilliant, is consecrated to the 
developement of the arts; the third, 
sombre and obscure, exhibits every thing 
delightful extinguished in bigotry. The 
character of each particular personage 
seems to be appropriated to these diffe- 
rent scenes: we accordingly behold shin- 
ing in succession, Christina and her fol- 
hes; Casimir and epicurism; Huet and 
jJesuitism. 
“« Anquetil was the first to furnish the 
example of the composition of an in- 
teresting work, by means of fragments ex- 
tracted from contemporary writers. We 
have followed a similar track, but yet 
have omitted, like him, to disclose the 
name of the author of a mere compila- 
tion, It would have been far more easy, 
perhaps, to have imitated the present 
- writers of romances, by infusing into the 
language of the personages brought for- 
ward our own particular manner of thinks 
ing and expressing ourselves. But as 
this would be to throw a modern drapery 
over an antique figure, a different mode 
has been adopted ; throughout the whole 
of this work, therefore, the costume is 
rigorously observed, and the author has 
mate those whom he has introduced 
both Speak aud act precisely as they 
would have spoken and acted in théir re« 
lative situations. 
‘“‘ In short, this is not an historical ro- 
mance. ‘Theauthorhas been desirous to 
open a new career, and has endeavoured, 
at the same time, to accelerate the pro= 
gress of the art itself, by placing fiction 
4 P. as 
