Retrofpe of French Literature.—Hiftary. 615 
lity, took the firft opportunity to advance 
fo valiant a man.” 
We have given, on a former occafion, 
a {pecimen of a Hiftory of France in verle, 
and we fhall now make a fhort extract from 
the Life of a great prince. 
Henri IV., dit le Grand, Roi de France et de 
Navarre, Ge. 
Henri, roi:de Navarre, heretier des Valois, 
1539: 
Achéte la couronne au prix de fes exploits 5 
-Il doit a fon épée autant qu’a fa prudence, 
Le triomphe éclatant des droits de fa naif- 
fance. 
Mais fifon grand courage abat fes ennemis, 
Sa clémence acheva de les rendre foumis. 
On voit a fon afpe& les haines etonfices ; 
Sa bonté dans leur ceur lui drefie des tro- 
phées. 
Il previent les Ligueurs, il offre fes bien- 
faits, 
Mayenne les refufe, & rejette la paix. 
Arques* le fait trembler, la Ligue eft allar- 
mée, . 
Elle voit fon grand ceur lui tenir lieu d’ar- 
mée. : 
La victoire d@Ivri fut Veffet de fon bras ; 
B59P 5 
Il attaque Paris, aprés ces deux combats. 
Parmet atrive au fecours ; ce duc par fa pre- 
fence, - 
En délivrant la ville, y porte la licence. 
Le fupplice devient le prix de la vertu, 
Le moine fans pudeuren gendarme vétu, 
Parait armé d’un glaive,\ et fa voix affoupte 
Se reveille & fe joint a fon courage Impie, 
-Pour precher que du ciel la fupreme bonté 
Ordonne les exces de fon zele emporteé. 
Briffon, Larcher, Tardif, vous futes leurs 
victimes, 591: 
Henri, pour arréter le cours de tant de crimes, 
_Abjure fes erreurs: Vaugufte verité 
Sur lui repand alors fa divine clarté ; 
La ville capitale en fin ouvrant fes portes, 
Le recoit triomphant fuivi de fes cohurtes.” 
1594. 
« Recherches fur la Légiflation Crimi- 
nelle et de Police au Temps des Dau- 
phins, d’aprés Thomafiin, Valbonnais, 
‘Chorier,’’ &c.—Inquiries relative to the 
ftate of Criminal Legiflation during the 
Time of the Dauphins, according to 
Thomaflin, Valbonnais, Chorier, &c. ; 
by M. Berriat (ST. Prix), of Gre- 
noble. 
The author is of opinion, that, although 
‘refearches into the correftional and crim1- 
nal .eviflation of our anceftors be not very 
attractive, that yet, on the other hand, 
te eyes Se io 
* Combat d’Arques. 
+ Alexandre Farneze, Gouverneur des 
Pays Bas. / 
they are not deftitute of utility. In the 
firft place, they are admirably calculated 
‘to develope fome contetted points of our 
hiftory ; and in the next they exhibit to 
the modern legiflator the fource of thofe 
cultoms, which have been fometimes re- 
fpected without reflexion, and merely on 
account of their antiquity. By difcover- 
ing to him that their origin is frequently 
to be attributed to ridiculous events, to 
interefted motives, to ignorance, or to fu- 
perftition, they will of courfe diminith 
that veneration which is the mere effect of 
ignorance. ; 
“* Thefe inquiries (it is added,) will at 
leaft convey confolation to the people of 
the prefent age. They are always Jament- 
ing their fituation, and blaming the times 
in which they live: the increafing cor- 
ruption of the morals of their contempo- 
varies (aconception which they fuppofe 
fully demonitrated,) is the argument: al- 
ways recurred to with a view of regret- 
ting the happier days enjoyed by their an- 
ceftors. 
<« Let them but open (continues he,) 
the books of the feudal inftitutions, and 
the bitternefs of their reflexions will be 
foon diminifhed. All laws, whether cri- 
minal or correctional, prefuppofe offences 5 
the legiflator, in general, but little given 
to anticipation, never pronounces the 
meafure of punifhment but againft thofe 
delinquencies which have been frequently 
perpetrated ; and even during the prefent 
times, when the #anufaéFure of laws has 
‘become more rapid than during any other 
period in hiltory, we find no example of 
penalties being pronounced againft un- 
known crimes. If we therefore find, in 
the archives of the middle ages, laws for 
reprefling certain offences, we ought to 
conclude that the offences themf{cives ex- 
ifted ; and it thefe offences were varied or 
multiplied in proportion to the population 
or the focial relations, we may further 
conclude that our ancefors were not more 
virtuous than ourfelves; in fhort, that 
fimplicity of manners is no more a fign of 
wildom than the multiplicity of enjoy- 
ments is a mark of depravation. This 
confideration is calculated to comfort the 
man of the nineteenth century. He pro. 
fiis by the advantag<s which the progrefs 
of the puolicriches, the increafe of know- 
ledge, the inventron of arts, and the per. 
fecticn of Jaws and policy, have obtained 
for him. Far from envying the miferable 
‘condition of our forefathers, to whom 
thefe advantages were unknown, he felici- 
tates himielf on the retrofveét of his own 
bleffings, becauie he perceives, that, ac- 
coraing 
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