venture had occurred but yesterday, not withstanding which it happened so early as the beginning of the year 1,88 We were all at the table of one of our brethren of the Academy, a man of high rank, as well as a great wit. The company which was numerous, consisted of persons of all descriptions: magistrates, men of letters, academicians, &c. and the entertainment as usual was most excellent. "At the dessert, the wines of Malvoisie and Constantia added to the gaiety usual in such company that sort of liberty, which had becoine fashionable: for the world had now arrived at such a pass, that every thing calculated to produce mirth was freely permitted. “Chamfort had already read to us one of his tales, equally impious and libertine, and ladies of high rank had listened to him, without having once recourse to their fans. Next occurred a number of pleasantries relative to religion: one quoted a passage from La Pucelle,' and another repeated the following philosophical verses of Diderot*: Et des boyaux du dernier prêtre, "This was applauded. A third arose, and holding in his hand a bumper of wine, Yes, Messieurs! (exclained he) I am equally certain that there is no God, as I am that Homer is a fool;' and in fact, he was to the full as certain of the one as the other. "The conversation now became more serious, and the revolution produced by Voltaire, which was said to constitute his principal title to glory, produced general admiration: He has set the fashion to the age, in which he lived (exclaimed several), and is read in the anti-chamber, as well as in the saloou?' "One of the guests told us, laughing aloud at the same time, that his hair dresser had said to him while powdering his curls, I beg leave to assure you, Sir, that although i am no better than a miserable valet, yet possess no more religion than my neighbours.' "It was now concluded, that the great Revolution would not fail to be soon consummated, and that it became absolutely necessary superstition and fanaticism, should give place to philosophy; they • Dionysius Diderot was born at Langres, in 1723 On settling at Paris early in life, he soor obtained friends by his wit and talents, and also distinguished himself greatly as a man of letters. Having been imprisoned or six months at Vincennes, by the jealousy of an arbitrary government, without trial, and per even began to calculate the probability of the epoch, and which of the society then present, might live long enough to behold the Age of Reason. The oldest complained, that they could not flatter themselves with the hope; those who were still young, rejoiced at the idea of having a prospect of beholding the event; and they congratulated the Academy in particular for having prepared the grandwork, and been the centre, the headquarters, and the primum mobile of the liberty of thought. "Meanwhile, one of the guests had not participated in the joy diffused around by means of this conversation; nay he had sily uttered several pleasantries at our extraordinary enthusiasm. "This proved to be Cazotte*, a man at once amiable and original, but unhappily infatuated with the reveries of the Illuminati. He now assumed a serious tone, and addressed himself to the company as follows: Gentlemen (says he), rest satisfied; for you will all behold that grand and sublime revolution, which you are so desirous of. You know, that I have somewhat of the prophet in my composition. I repeat to you again, that you will witness what you so ardently desire! haps also without a crime, he seized every opportunity, to vent his rage against oppression. As one of the authors of the "Encyclopédie," he had an opportunity of disseminating his principles, and died in 1784, possessed of a high and exalted reputation He was a man of letters, who among other productions, had written the "Poeme d'Olivier," the "Diable Amoureux," which is alluded to, in the course of this pretended conversation, &c. &c. He had been originally commissary-general of the French Windward Islands, and during the revolution appears to have resided at Pierry in Champagne, with his family, which was numerous. M. de la Harpe, knowing that he was addicted to mysticism, and believed in the ri diculous doctrines of the Illuminés, makes him appear, on this occasion, in the character of a prophet She threw Cazotte having been accused of royalism, was committed to the Abbaye at Paris, in August 1792, and only escaped from the massacre of September, in consequence of the fi lial piety of his daughter, then between sixteen and seventeen years of age her arms around his neck, covered his body with her own, and disputed for it as it were with the horrid assassins. who, although steeped in blood, appeared on this occasion to have for once melted into pity Made.noiselle Cazotte afterwards accompanied the old men, he (for he was then 74 years of age) t 432 Conciergerie, They immediately answered him in the words of Vaudeville: Faut pas être grand sorcier pour ca!' "Be it so (added he), but perhaps it might be a little necessary for what remains to be told. Do you know what will arise out of that Revolution, what will occur to you yourselves, who are here assembled, and what will be the immediate effect and consequence of it?" "Ah! let us see (says Condorcet with his simpleton air, and saturnine smile), a philosopher is not sorry to meet with a prophet.' "You M. de Condorcet*, you will ex Conciergerie, where he was transferred, and attended upon him until the moment of his execution, in consequence of a sentence of the Revolutionary Tribunal. Marie-Jean Antoine Nicholas Caritat, Marquis de Condorcet, was descended from a noble family, originally from the Comtat Venaissin. He was born at St. Quintin, on the 17th of September 1743, and having addicted himself from his youth to study, great hopes were entertained that he would distinguish himselt in the career of the sciences, to which he particularly directed his attention. He accordingly became the scholar of D'Alembert, and in 1767, published his first work, Essai d'Analyse," which procured for him a brilliant reputation, so that during the administration of M. de Turgot, he was selected to assist that minister in all the operations which required an extensive knowledge of mathematics. Condorcet was about this period admitted a member of the French Academy; and when the Revolution occurred, his reputation added dignity and credit to the popular cause. After acting a distinguished part, he was inluded by Robespierre in the proscription of nearly all the great and able men who remained in France, and was obliged to seek an acylum in the house of a female Parisian, who had compassionated his misfortunes. In 1794, he was obliged to quit the place of his concealment, in consequence of the domiciliary visits that then took place, and havang escaped from the capital in the disguise of a woman, he re-assumed his male attire, and endeavoured to shelter himself in the house of a friend, supposed to have been Garat, who had actually kept him for a few days locked up in one of the public offices, for he was at that time a minister of state. Having been disappointed, in consequence of the absence of the owner, he was forced by hunger to enter the town of Chalmars, and being discovered devouring rather than eating some food he had purchased, he was seized and interrogated. On this occasion he passed by the name of Simon, and said he was an old servant out of employment; but on rifling his pockets, a Horace was discovered, with marginal notes pire, stretched out on the floor of a dungeon; you will die of the poison which you are to swallow, with a view of preserving yourself from the executioner; the poison, which the happiness of those times will force you to carry constantly about you.' "Great astonishment ensued; but it been accustomed to dream awake, and was recollected, that the good Cazette had the laugh increased. "M. de Cazotte (says one), the story you have just told us, is not half so amesing as that of your Diable Amoureur. But what devil has stuffed your head with this dungeon, poison, and executione?? What has all this to do with philosophy, and the reign of Reason? 26 This is precisely what I now tell you: it is in the name of philosophy, of huma nity, and liberty; and under the reign of that very Reason, that all this is to occur; and it will in reality prove the raga of Reason, for then she will have her temples, and moreover there will be no longer any other temples throughout the whole of France, at the period to which I now allude, than those erected to Reason." "On my word (says Chamfort, with a sarcastic grin), you will not be one of the priests of those days!' "I hope not (replies the other); but you M. de Chamfort*, who are very worwritten in latin. Being suspected as an aristocrat, who had formerly servants of his own, he was confined in a cellar, where he was forgotten during twenty-four hours, and is said by some to have died of hunger, and by others to have ended his days by means of poison, furnished by his triend Garat. During his concealment, he composed a work on arithmetic, which was published after his death. *Sebastian-Roch Nicholas Chamiort was born in 1741, in a little village neat Cermont en Auvergne. He is supposed to have been the fruit of illicit love: certain it is, that he never knew the name of his own father; but he was greatly attached to his mother, and during the perplexities and embarrassments of his youth, he took care that she should never be destitute, for he even deprived himself at times of the necessaries of life, in order to support her. Having been admitted when a boy under the name of Nicholas, into the college of Gras. sins, in quality of a Boursier, or pensioner, he remained there, without distinguishin himself by any excellence whatsoever, until his third year. Being then in what is called the Rhetorical class, he obtained the four first prizes; he failed however, at his attempt at Latin verses; but at the next exhibition he gained the whole five, archly observing, that on the former occasion he had lost by imitating Virgil, while on that he had proved auccessful thy of the situation, and will actually become one, you are to cut your veins by means of twenty-two gashes made by your own razor, and yet notwithstanding this, your death will not occur until some months after.' "On this, they stare at the narrator of future occurences, and laugh again. "As for you, M. Vic d'Azyr (continues he), you yourself will not open your veins, but you will cause them to be opened six times in the course of one day, during a nt of the gout, in order to be more certain of the event, and you will die during the night.' successful, because he had copied Buchanan and the moderns. Soon a ter this, Chamfort ran away from college, and commenced Abbé, but he letermined never to be a priest, for he observed to M d'Aircaut, a professor, under whom he studied: "that he loved repose, philosophy, the ladies, and honor and true glary too much; and quarrels, hypocrisy, preferments and money, too little, for that station." He next became author, and his first work was "Le Vocabulaire Fançais" Having at length turned his mind to poetry, and obtained the prize from the French Academy, for his Epitre d'un Pere à son Fils sur la Naissance d'un Petit-Fils He now began to be courted by the great. whom he in return al ways detested; yet he frequented their company, but it seemed as if it were solely for the purpose of ridiculing them. When the Revolution occurred, he lost the greater part of his pensions, &c. and yet he laughed at, and ridiculed Marmontel, for crying over his children on reading the decree that had suppressed all these appointments. At this period Cam ort, openly embraced the cause of the popular party; but he detested all the excesses committed in the name of liberty, and he ridiculed the horrid motto of Fraternité ou la mort !" the translation of which, he observed, was: "Be my brother, or I will kill you! The Fraternity of such peo ple," adued he, "is the fraternity of Cain and Avel" During the administration of the Girondists, he was nominated to the office of joint National Librarian, with an income of 4000 livres per ann But on the triumph of Robes. pierre, and the jacobins, he was denounced and impris ned. As confinement was more odious to him than death, he attempted to bereave himself of his existence, by means of a pistol; but he only shattered the bones of his nose, and drove in his right eye. He afterwards seized a razor, cut his throat and mangled his body in a terrible manner; on this, he ridiculed his own want of dexterity, and did not die, until some months after. "And you, M. de Nicolai will perish on a scaffold; you M. Bailly will also finish your days in the same manner.-A similar fate is reserved for you M. de Malesherbes "Ah! God be praised, (exclaims Roucher) it appears that Monsieur is ill-intentioned respecting the Academy alone; he has indeed committed terrible havoc; as for me, thank Heaven "As for you; you also must fall upon a scaffold.' "Oh! all this must be done for a wager (is repeated from every part of the saloon), he has sworn to exterminate us ail!' "No, it is not I who have so sworn. "But in this case, are we not to be subjugated by the Turks and the Tartars? And "No, not at all; I have already told be governed by Philosophy alone; by you what is to occur You will then Reason alone. All those who you are to treat in this manner, will be philosophers, and will constantly have in their mouths, the self same phrases that you have quoted during the last hour; they will also repeat all your maxims, and like you will quote verse from Diderot and the Pucelle!" "On this, a whisper passes from mouth to mouth, and from ear to ear through one part of the room: You perceive * Christian William de Lamoignon Malesherbes, one of the most celebrated and upright characters that France ever produced, was born Dec. 6, 1721. This respectable old man, after having becomes president of the Cour des Aides, and twice minister of state, retired from the service of his country, as if in order to dedicate himself to the domestic virtues. induced other men to make an arbitrary use While invested with an office, that of their authority, he as a secretary of state extended the liberty of the press, and not only abolished the uses but meditated the entire suppression of Lettres de Cachet. While occupie. in the country, chiefly in XVI. was brought to trial, and he, who had rural affairs, the Revolution occurred, Louis King (for he had resigned in disgust!), fornot been treated with much attention by the getting all personal consideration, offered him. self as one of his defenders. most honourable manner, he returned to the After discharging this painful duty, in the bosom of his family, but was soon after arrested experienced a mock trial before a revolutionary tribunal at Paris, and was condemned to death, April 22, 1794. of the most unshaken courage and virtue, to He died as he had lived, exhibiting marks the last hour of his existence. that that he is mad, for he preserves a most serious countenance ! In another part, it is said in a loud voice: Do not you perceive that he is jo mag, for you well know, that somewhat of the marvellous always eters into us pleasantries.' "Yes (replies Chamfort), but his marvellous is deficient in res, ect to gaiety; his jokes have too much of the gallows in them; and pray which is all this to occur? "eix years will not pass away, when all that I have said is to be fully accomplished.' Here is plenty of miracles, observed one (it was myself who spoke) and don't you dispose of me on this occasion?' "You will be a miracle, at least as exfor you traordinary as any of the rest,will then become a christian! Great and general exclamations on the part of the whole company now took place. at "Ah! (cries Chamfort), 1 am length comforted; if we are not to perish until La Harpe turns christian, we must prove immortal! "On this occasion, (adds Madame la Duchesse de Gruminont*) we ladies appear to be very fortunate, as we are to take no part whatsoever in these revolutions. When I say no part, I dont mean that we shall not always intermeddle a little; but it seems to be allowed, that we are not to suffer on this occasion; our sex-' "Your sex, ladies, will not defend you on the present occasion; and your intermeddling or not, will prove of no manner of service, as you will be treated exactly like men, without any other difference whatsoever.' "But what do you mean by all this, M. de Cazotte? Is it the end of the world, that you are preaching up!' *This distinguished lads was a daughter of the celebrated family or Choiseul, which bad given a prime minister (M. le Duc de Choi man of letters seul), and an ambassador, a (Le Comte de Choiseul-Gouffer), to France. Her name was Beatrix, she was horn at Luneville, resided at Paris, and was condemned to death by the Revolutionary Tribunalo that city, on the 3d of Floreal, in the second year of the pritended Republic, under the frivolous pretext of being "counter-revolutionary 33 Her husband, the Duke de Grammont, was descended from the celebrated count of the same name, who visited England, during the reign of Charles II. and whost Memoirs are detailed in 2 vols 4to. by his relative count Anthony Hamilton. "Sill greater "Here considerable commotion took place on the part of the whole company, and the conntenance of our host began to turn pale: in short, it was generally agreed, that the pleasantry was rather Meanwhile, Madame carried too far. de Grammont, by way of dissipating the cloud, did not insist on replying to the last part of the speech, and contented her-elf by observing in a gay and ind:fferent tone, You perceive, that he will not even allow me a confessor!" "No, Madam! neither you, nor any The last other female will have one. person executed who will obtain one, and that too as a favour, will . . .' "On this M. de Cazotte stopped a moment, as if to recollect hunself. “Eh! very good! who then, is to be that happy mortal, who will enjoy this distinguished prerogative? "It is the only one that will remain to him-it will be the king of France.' "On this the master of the house started up from his chair, and all his guests rose at the same time. He then advanced towards the last speaker, and addressed him as follows, with an uncommon degree of earnestness: My dear M. de Cazotte, this mournful kind of pleasantry has arrived quite far enough. You have indeed carried it too far; even so as to endanger the whole company present, a well as yourself!' "Cazotte did not say a single word ja reply, and was about to retire, when Madame Grammont, who was still desirous to avoid whatsover had the appearance of se riousness, and restore gaiety,advanced to wards him: Sir Prophet, whe has told all our fortunes, you conceal every thing respecting your own?' 4 "After remaining some time in silence, with lus eyes fixed to the ground, he re sumed as follows: Have you read, M dam, the Siege of Jerusalem, as describ ed in Josephus? "Oh! undoubtedly; who has not perused that book?-But go on exactly as if I had not.' 66 Well, then, Madam, during that siege, a man walked round the ramparts during seven successive days, in sight of both the besiegers and the besieged, crying aloud incessantly with a thundering and ill-boding voice: Woe to Jerusalem!' on the seventh day, he exclaimed, woe to Jerusalem, woe to myself!' and at that moment, an enormous stone, launched from one of the enemy's engines, strack, and cut him in pieces.-After this reply, M. Cazotte, inade his bow and departed." It is pretty evident, that the above article was written by M. de la farge, after he had changed his party. On this occasion he was determined to al use the philosophers, and throw as much odium on them as possible, not forgetting even Voltaire his benefactor. It is clear, however, from the History of the Revolution, that this class were uniformly the victims of the ferocious men who deluged France with blood. "Entretien de Charlemagne et du Sénateur Tronchet, dans l'Elysée, sur l'Etat actuel de la France, et sur le Rétablissement de l'Université; par M. CROUZET, Membre de la Légion d'Honneur, associé de l'Institut National, et de la Société d'Agriculture de Calais, ancien Professeur de Rhétorique et Principal dans l'Université de Paris, Directeur des Etudes du Prytanée Militaire Français."-A Dialogue between Charlemagne and the Senator Tronchet in Elysium, relative to the present State of France, and the Re-establishment of an University; by M. Crouzet, a Member of the Legion of flonour, &c. M. Crouzet is one of the multitude of panegyrists of the emperor, with whom France indeed abounds; and he has been at great pains to pay his compliments, by means of the present, as well as two former publications, the one entitled: "Carmen in sacram Inunctionem Napoleonis;" the other "Le Français au tombeau d'Homere." A new occasion now presents itself, for gratulation: the intended revival of the once celebrated university of Paris, in which the author held a distinguished place! This event has been celebrated in Latin verses, which are translated or ather imitated in French. The subject is introduced with an account of the arrival of Tronchet in the Elysiau felis, where he is immediately greeted, we are told, by a number of heroes. Charlemagne, sur rounded by a whole court of kings," asks if it be true, that Napoleon, of whom he has heard so much, has become his equal at least, in the arts both of peace and war? Tronchet, of course answers in the affirmative, and seizes this opportu nity, to enumerate the "miracles" of his reign. The interview begins with a couplet, which appears to have been closely imitated from Raciae: "Un bruit qui m'a paru digne à peine de foi, Du sejour des Vivans est venu jusqu'a mai"* The following quotation is meant to convey an idea of the horrors of anarchy, during the crisis of the late Revolution: "Scilicet humanæ divinis undique le es Pugnabant, priscis que nove, licitoque nefas Afflicte patriæ jam nulla columna manebat. Témis était en proie au stupide Vandale; Plus Napoléon paraît: Thémis reprend son glaive; Le remor la le déchire et la honte l'accable. "Memoirs sur la Revolution de Po logne, &c.t"-Memoirs relative to the Revolution in Poland, discovered at Berlin; preceded by an historical Enumeration of the Cause and Events that produced the Dismemberment of Poland. The memoirs here pabushed, are ad |