‘ 
Retrofped? of Domeftic Literature. —Voyages, Travels, &c, 605 
well-known portrait of Bonaparte, at 
the Hofpital of Invalids, by David, Mr. 
Forbes adds one or two anecdotes which 
we deem worthy the attention of our read- 
ers. ‘I was very curious,” he fays, 
‘* to fee another picture by the {ame matter, 
which, during the more horrid period of 
the revoletion, was exhibited in an apait- 
ment of this building, and the temporary 
object of an enthufiattic admiration. But 
fince the people of France have returned 
toa ftate of civilization, both in their civil 
and political conduét, this execrable 
painting has been witheld from public 
view, or, which is more probable, is en- 
tirely deftroyed. This you will believe 
when I give you the following defcription, 
It repretented the coloffal figure of a man 
quite naked, trampling on kings, prietfts, 
crowns, {ceptres,’ crofles, and rofaries: 
in one hand bearing a flaming brand, in 
the other a fabre. The goddefs of Rea- 
fon, clothed in the garb of majelty, ap- 
pears to fan&tify the fcene; and various 
other characters complete a groupe which 
an hellifh mind could alone conceive, and 
impel the dariog hand to execute Asan 
artift, David is greatly tobe admired; as 
a man ir is, perhaps, fufhcient to fay, that 
he wasthe bofom.friend of Robefpierre, a 
member of his bloody tribunals, and is 
even believed to have attended at the fcaf- 
fold to fketch the agonizing features of the 
victims executed by his order.”’ In July 
1803, when the Engl.fh in general were 
fent to Fontainbleau, and even Lord El- 
gin confined to Baréges, Mr. Forbes 
eicaped banifhment 
cond time, as a member of certain li- 
terary focieties. Among the beneficent 
inftitutions of. Paris, which he defcribes 
after this, the National Afylum for thofe 
born Deaf and Dumb, inftitured by de. 
LEpée, claims the ttrongeft notice. At 
the clofe of Auguft Mr. Forbes obiained 
a pafiport from the Miniter of War for 
fix weeks ablence trom the capital to pro- 
ceed on his parole to Tours, to vifit his 
brother who was detained there, with. his 
family, as an Englith hoflage.—A letter 
from Malefherbes, on the road, contains 
fome inteveiting particulars concerning the 
family of that name, the lait of whom 
became the defender of Lonis XVI. At 
Tours our author’s ftay, and of courfe 
the entertainment of his letters, is pro- 
tracted. Hereturned by Vendome, Char- 
tres, and Verfailles: but on his arrival 
jn Paris, on the 7th of November, the 
fituation of his family did not avfwer his 
expectations: on that day month he was 
ordered to quit Paris for Verdun, whither 
from. Paris a fe-' 
he proceeded with his family by St. Denis, 
Soiffons, and Rheims. The fituation of 
fome of our countrymen at their firft ar- 
rival here appears to have been comfort- 
ab'e: and thoagh Parifian excellence was 
not to be expeéted in Verdun teachers, 
Mr, Forbes was able to procure mufic, 
drawing, Freneh, and dancing mafters for 
his daughter. ‘¢ Vettris fays (Mr. Forbes) 
demanded a Louis per leflon for dancing, 
at Paris; here M. Boriquet, the firft pro- 
feffor inthe place, humbly afked only ten 
fous; the drawing-mafter, having ftudied 
fix years at Rome, expects fifteen pence, . 
and for mufic we areto give a fhilling a 
leffon. Monfieur Harpin, the French 
mafter, is profeflor of the belles-lettres ia 
the college, and formerly profeflor of 
chemiftry at the central fchool of Verdun ; - 
he was a prieft before the revolution, 
when, Seing abfolvyed from his vows, he 
married; and is now the father of a fa- 
mily.”” All the Englith news our coun- 
trymen_ obtained here, uniefs it might be 
from an occafional letter, was through 
the medium of a fcurrilous paper called 
«©The Argus, or Logidon reviewed in 
Paris,” printed in Englith, and publifh- 
ed three times a week. General Wirion, 
the commandant of the place, appears to 
have been as humane toward his prifoners 
as poflible; and to have allowed them 
every indulgence confftent with the ftridt- 
nefs of his truft. But the Verdun days 
fueceeded each other with little variety. 
‘J hey who were confined there were cut 
off from communication with the reft of 
the world. Uniformity was only inter- 
rupted by anxiety; and the improvi- 
dence of individuals, in effeSting their 
efcape, feems not only to have*kept thofe 
who were behind in continual uneafineds 
and fear, but to have occafioned the re- 
moval of many to the filitary fortrefs of 
Bitche. The defcription of Verdun:is 
particular. ¢*The Belge ({ays Mr. Forbes) 
were the anceltors of the Verdunois. Un- 
der the Romans its names were Veredus 
num, Urbs Viridenfis, and Virdunum ; 
and although not particularly {pecified in 
Cefar’s Commentaries, there 1s no doubt 
of its having made part of his conquetts, 
and that it was for many centuries a Ro- 
man colony. It is mentioned by Pliny, 
and in Antonine’s Itinerary is placed 
among the principal of the Belgic towns, 
Since the time of the Romans, it appears 
to have known many different mafters ; it 
firft belonged to the Francs, with whom 
it continued near four hundred years; 
afterwards it fell with the adjacent coun- 
try under the dominion of the ee. 
ce) 
