656 
‘J will furnish you with an example 
of this. You have sometimes seen two 
portraits of the same person, the one very 
admirable, the other very inferior to the 
original, andyet both possessing a resem- 
blance. It is the very same of a statue: 
that which constitutes superior talent is 
the faculty of being able to imitate what- 
ever is supremely beautiful, and avoid 
whatever is imperfect. The Greeks were 
so imbued with this principle, that you 
will find the same impression even on 
those productions which do not rise 
above mediocrity. Be assured that if 
they had gone beyond the truth, they 
would have experienced the common des- 
tiny of falsehood. 
‘There are several Greek women in 
this country, but their style of beauty is 
entirely different from that of our fe- 
males. Those you see at Marseilles, 
will convey ajust idea of Juno, of Mi- 
nerva, and of all the divinities of Ho- 
mer: he, too, painted after nature. 
“‘ We have several villages in the im- 
mediate neighbourhood of the city just 
alluded to, consisting of a single family. 
They are the descendants of its found- 
ers; visit them, and you will there find 
those fine heads which you have admired 
on Greek statues. But two years since, 
_ I could have enabled you to speak to the 
Venus of Medicis. The very agreeable 
smile which characterises that piece of 
sculpture, constituted her habitual ex- 
pression. Her straight nose, small nos- 
trils, &c. perfectly resembled the same 
features in the Venus; and it may not 
be amiss to remark here, that they are 
never found in any other statue. Bybe- 
coming a mother, her features are alter- 
ed, and an appearance of care has re- 
placed that gaiety which conferred so 
many charms. 
“ During the time I resided at Rome, 
I often beheld a young man who, ac- 
cording to the judgment of all the world, 
resembled Apollo. I was desirous to be- 
hold him naked, and had the guod for- 
tune to see him one day on the banks of 
the Tiber: it was Apollo himself, whom 
I beheld both swimming and waiking.” 
With a view of instructing the queen 
and the reader, in respect to the state of 
French literature, at the commencement 
of the eighteenth century, as well as of 
the characters of writers of all kinds, who 
at that period enjoyed so high a reputa- 
tion; several of those great men who 
were the contemporaries of Christina, are 
brought forward. Corneille, Pascal, Me- 
zerai, Lingendes, Patru, appear on the 
Retrospéct of French Literature—H astory. 
Stage as it were, while Pelisson exhibite 
a good specimen of the Parnassus of that 
day. It is well known, that Ménage was 
accustomed every Tuesday to have an 
assembly at his house, consisting of near= 
ly all the men of letters in Paris. There 
they held academic sittings, which were 
denominated Mercuviales, and Ménage 
addresses the procés verbaur of them to 
the Queen of Sweden. The aged Colle- 
tet, during one of these meetings, is sup= 
posed to open the business of the even-~ 
ing with the eulogium of Balzac: but 
the feebleness of his voice not permit- 
ting him to finish the panegyric, a crowd 
of poets hasten to supply his place, by 
reading their respective works. The first 
who presents himself is the energetic 
£cudery, with his Alaric in his hand: 
“Tt is thus,” says he, “ that Alaric 
expresses his passion for queen Amala- 
sonta : 
«© Connaissez-moi, Madame, et puis connais- 
S€Z-VoUS. 
Vous trouverez en vous une prudence ex- 
tréme ; 
Vous trouverez en moi la fidélité méme. 
Vous trouverez en vous cent attraits tout- 
puissans 5 
Vous trouverez en moi cent désirs innocens. 
Vous trouverez en vous une beauté parfaite; 
Vous trouverez en moi !I’aise de ma défaite 5 
Vous trouverez en moi, vous trouverez en 
vous, 
Et le coeur le plus ferme et Vobject le plus 
doux.” 
“ Decide!” exclaims he, on the fol- 
lowing portrait of a nymph: 
‘¢ Au milieu du bassin vit une néréide 
Qui tacha d’essuyer son poil toujours humide, 
Et qui, semblant presser ce poil et long et 
beau, 
En fait toujours sortir de Pécume et de eau.” 
He next in an elevated tone, recites 
the following epitaph on Radagoise, who 
had been killed during a combat in the 
Alps: 
*¢ Ici git un guerrier qui trouya peu d’égaux, 
Car son ceur fut plus grand que ces murs ne 
sont hauts,” aya 
The two following lines, of the same 
poem, were greatly applauded: 
‘© Est-il rien de plus doux, pour un ceur 
plein de gloire 5 
Que Ja paisible nuit qui suit une victoire?” 
The verses that follow, are by Patru, and 
they have often been imitated in English: 
‘¢ Je songeais, cette nuit, que de maux cons 
sumé, ; 
Cote 4 cote d’un pauvre on m’avait inhume, 
