would be inclined to consider them as the productions of a warm imagination, were they not related by persons worthy of credit. "However," adds he, with an affected candour, "notwithstanding the testimony of so many worthy people, it is not here pretended to guarantee all the facts mentioned. The judicious reader will of course make such inductions as he may deem necessary." To compose a volume of this description, it becomes absolutely necessary to recur from the present to former ages, and to dwell with particular complai sance on those dark and bigoted periods, when the credulity of a besotted people produced monsters and chimæras in abundance. We are first presented with the history of a robber, who descended into the sepulchre of a young maiden, and stole away her clothes, "sans pardonner même à sa chemise." The outraged lady, in order to punish this audacity, immediately awakens from the slumbers of death, and announces, by way of punishment, that he shall never depart again out of the tomb. She relents, however, and the thief obtains permission to depart, on condescending to become a priest! This is truly a pretty compliment to the church. We next encounter a certain Count de Mâcon, a very violent man, who had displayed, as we are told, a most tyrannical disposition against the priests, and what soever belonged to them. By way of punishing him, he is transported into the air by a demon until he had made reparation for his excesses against the holy church. Next comes a Huguenot (Protest ant) man-servant,who is tormented by the devil because he wished to turn Catholic. After these arrive a number of good souls post from the other world, who assure us that every thing related concerning it is perfectly true. The moral certainly is, to cause masses to be said for departed friends, give money to the neighbouring churches, &c." In respect to these su perstitious mummeries it may be said, in every age, and in every country, with the Italian harlequin "Tutto il mondo é fatto comme la nostra famiglia." But the principal story here related, is concerning a poor unhappy gentleman, who slept all night with a demon, who had enticed him under the form of a pretty girl! This occurred at Paris, we are told, on January 1st. 1613, and has undoubtedly happened many times since, without the occurrence of a prodigy, or the interposition of any thing miraculous. "Analyse, &c."-Analysis of a Course of History; by VOLNEY, late Professor at the Normal School. History is a course of experiments which the human race practises on itself. That these experiments may not be lost, we ought to endeavour to deduce certain inferences from them. To arrive at these, M. Volney purposes to follow the progress of the most celebrated maxims in respect: 1. To the arts, such as agriculture, commerce, navigation. 2. To the different sciences, such as astronomy, geography, natural history. 3. To morals, private and public. 4. To legislation, civil and religious, &c. And after having glanced at the present state of the globe, he resolves to examine the two following questions: 1. To what degree of civilization may we hope to see the human race attain? 2. What general indications result from history, towards the perfecting of the civilization and the amélioration of mankind? The duties of an historian are presented to him by the etymology and meaning of the word history; ops signified among the Greeks a perquisition, or laborious research. History then, al though the moderns seem not to have considered it in this point of view, is an inquest concerning facts, whence results the necessity of considering these facts in a double point of view; first, in re speet to their essence, and secondly, in connection with testimony. Accord ingly, in order to appreciate the cer tainty of historical facts, one ought to weigh 1. The means of instruction and in formation. 2. The extent of the moral faculties, which are sagacity and discernment. 3. The interests and affections of the narrator, whence may arise three kinds of partiality; seduction, and the prejudices of birth and education. In his second lesson, the author extmines the materials of history, and meaus of information among the ancient n tions. He also compares their situation, both civil aud moral, with that of the moderns, in order to demonstrate the great revolution which printing has pro duced in this branch of our knowledge, and our studies. And here he recom mends doubt; not that absurd pyrro mism, proceeding from ignorance, but scepticism; or in other words, that circumspect, and inquiring dubiety, which keeps the judgment in suspence, so long as there do not exist sufficient motives for determination, and which measures the quantum of belief and certainty by the degrees of proof and evidence with which each fact is accompanied. In his third discourse, M. Volney examines the utility of history. This consists of three distinct species: 1. Moral utility, applicable to individuals. 2. Scientific utility, applicable to the arts and sciences; and, 3. Political utility, which is applicable to nations and their governments. He recommends those books, the object of which is biography, to the primary schools, as admirably calculated for forming the minds of young men; and he purposes to substitute the Illustrious Men of Cornelius Nepos and Plutarch, in the room of the Lives of the Saints. The characters of the great men of France should also be studied; and even if she had not produced any, such nevertheless should be written: in this point of view romance might be rendered superior to history. The art of studying, and of composing and writing history, forms the subject of the 4th discourse. Every one ought to begin with the history of his own country, and then open that of the neighbouring nations, before he searches into the recesses of antiquity. An analysis of the Treatises by Lucian and Mably, on the manner of writing history, follows, and the works of these celebrated men are criticised with great impartiality and judgment. The object of the 5th or principal discourse is to exhibit some observations on the art of collecting and presenting historical facts. He conceives that there are four different manners of treating and composing history. The first, that in which the order of time is followed, which is termed the didactical. It consists in collecting and classifying events according to their dates, and in mingling with a narrative, pure and simple in its nature, few or no reflections. This, which is known by the name of Annals, or Chronicles, has been elevated to a high degree of merit by the pens of Tacitus and Thucydides; but in general, it is confined to a barren detail of reigns, deaths, wars, combats, plagues and famines. The second is by the connection and deduction of facts, which he terms the dramatic, or systematic method. Hero dotus's history is characteristic of this. The third, termed par Ordre de Ma. tières, or arising out of the materials, consists in tracing any subject of art or science from its origin, or some given epoch, on purpose to consider its progress without distraction. Goguet intended that his work, entitled, De l'Origine des Lois, des Arts, & des Sciences, a philosophical subject, unfortunately treated but with little philosophy, should be of this kind. The following are models in this species of composition: L'Astronomie Ancienne, by the celebrated but unfortu nate Bailly; Robertson's l'Histoire des Finances de France, by Forbonnais; to these the author is inclined to add l'Histoire du Fanatisme, by Pluquet, which, along with his Dictionnaire des Hérésies, prepared the way for another history of the same kind. The fourth, which is the Aanalytical or Philosophical Method, is nearly the same with the preceding; only, instead of treating of any one subject of art, science, &c. it embraces all the parts of the political body: in short, it is, at it were, a Biographical History of a People, and a Physiological Enquiry into the Laws that regulate the Encrease and Decrease of the social Body. It is to be lamented that no work has hitherto been conducted on a plan so vast in point of execution, and so useful in regard to the benefits to be derived from it. While treating of the influence of historical works on human actions, M. Volney mentions the effect produced by the Iliad on Alexander, a circumstance that perhaps determined the conquest of Asia; the history of that same prince, written by Quintus Curtius, which became the instigator of the warlike furies of Charles XII. as well as the terrible wars, which during his reign agitated the north of Europe; and the Hebrew writers, which have produced the commotions of nations for these last 1500 years. After deprecating a superstitious veneration for the Jews on one hand, or the Greek and Romans on the other, the professor concludes thus: "Ah! let us cease to admire the ancients who have taught us but little in respect to morals, and nothing at all in regard regard to political economy, the only truly useful result of history; let us cease to hate our contemporaries, our neighbours, who were the first to teach us the real theories of government, demonstrating by an evident but simple series of facts and reasonings, that the riches consist only in the products of the earth, which feed, clothe, and lodge mankind; that these products are only to be obtained by labour; that labour being accompanied with pain, is only excited among free nations by the hope of enjoyment, that is to say, the security of property; that in order to maintain this security, a public force, called government, becomes necessary, and that this government may be defined a bunk of assurance, in the preservation of which every one is interested in proportion to the quantum enjoyed by each, while those who do not possess any, naturally wish to dissolve it. Let us cease to admit a savage doctrine, which by means of war, conducts every nation, whether victorious, or vanquished, to certain ruin, because the abandonment of cultivation and manufactures, the consequence of external wars, leads to scarcity, to troubles, to civil wars, and finally to the power of the strongest. "After having enfranchised ourselves from Jewish fanaticism, let us repel that Roman or Vandal fanaticism which places assassination itself among the number of the virtues, since the testimony of history proves, that assassinations have always occasioned still greater disasters than they were intended to remedy; because, wherever poniards are unsheathed, the laws are eclipsed and obliterated." Many of these doctrines reflect not a little discredit on Bonaparte; and their author, M. Volney, has been accordingly for some time in disgrace. "Reflections on the Art of Declaiming;" by Herault Sechelles. That talent so peculiarly fitted to set off all others, was termed by the ancients action, and is called by us declamation. Its value is well known. Demosthenes, on being interrogated what was the first merit in an orator? replied, action. The second, action? The third? action. He himself had received lessons from Satirus, the most celebrated actor of his age. Although the governments of modern days be less fitted for the developement of eloquence, yet we have not ceased to perceive the merit of action. Our advocates, players, and celebrated preachers, have all paid the strictest attention to this subject. Action consists in three things? 2. The voice; and, 3. The gesture; all of which are cultivated by reflection and practice. "Le personnage seul nous plait et nous "Toute le charme est detruit, si l'on voit who speaks in public acts a certain It may be fairly said, that any man part; on this occasion the orator ought himself, but his character, to be visible. to be particularly attentive not to allow The illusion is destroyed, if he cannot conceal that he is but repeating what he had formerly got by heart. Memory is therefore necessarily the first accomplishment in an orator. Each phrase recollection ought to be prepared not should be ready at command, and the only with what is wanting at a particular moment, but also with what may be re quired afterwards. The connection of ideas, as Condillac very justly observes is the principle of the memory. This therefore depends best and surest kind of memory is that greatly, on the order and analysis. The connected with the judgment. I wish I accordingly meditate on the principal for example to get a discourse by heart; order, their connection, the plan of each and accessory ideas, their number, their part, the divisions, and the subdivisions of each subject. After this, I may assert, that it is impossible to be at a loss. If the orator forget the discourse, he will be enabled to recover himself instantly. call forth ideas at the moment they are The principal intention of order is to make extracts from whatever you read, wanted. Class every thing therefore, use order in your affairs, your thoughts, &c. There is every useful and comm [dious custom, particularly serviceable to facility; this to retain only the catchthose who wish to acquire readiness and word of each phrase. Voltaire has some where observed, "Les mots sont les courriers des pensées.” I would use this adage in another Consult the scarce works of Screandon & Hannetaire, father of Madame la Rivr. Art du Comedien. Also that of RiccobiriRemond de Sainte-Albine-Dufresnel, Ac sense, and babituate the head to retain the catch-words only of the longest discourse. Three operations will engrave on your mind all that you require from the retentive faculty. The first is to make yourself perfectly master of the subject; then to discuss every branch of it; finally to peruse it over and over again. The ancients and moderns have in. vented several aids to the memory,* and resources such as these are not to be disdained. It is not amiss even to set a given time, such as a quarter of an hour, an hour, a day, or a week, to make one's self perfect in the task; for the mind is naturally lazy, and when not pressed by some powerful motive, it gives way to the first object that takes hold of it. I knew a man, not very wise in other matters, who always took care to have the foul copies of his discourse printed, in order to be able to correct them better; and I am of opinion, that this mode is not only serviceable for composing, but also for getting by heart; for I have no difficulty in recollecting what I have seen in print. Copy frequently: the memory recollects best what you yourself have written. I have observed that it is wonderfully connected with external objects; if I forget any thing, I by little and little bring my mind back to the place, and the place instantly restores to me the idea of what I have seen or heard. I have experienced also, that speaking disposes me towards retention; I have spoken in public a whole hour, and sometimes two, without any preparation whatever; this produced a singular aptitude, and it then appeared to me that I should have reaped infinite advantage from a previous reading of my discourse. There is another manner, recommended by Leibnitz; first learn a santence, and then repeat it; afterwards recite the first and second sentences; then the first, second, and third, and so on with the whole. I have invented an artificial memory for myself, by means of the different lines in the palm of my hand. I have practised this mode with success, and shall endeavour some day to bring it to greater perfection. Le Kain, in order to learn his parts, used to read them twice in the morning, Consult Marafiotus, Kircher, Cressolius, and Father Buther's "La Clef des Sciences." MONTHLY MAG. No. 187. and twice at night; after this, he got them by heart. La Rive, on the contrary, acquired his couplet by couplet; this however fatigued him greatly, and he at length studied the character ten, nay, twenty times, without attempting to retain any part of it; he thus fortified his memory by comprehending the author. Gerbier was accustomed to com. plain to me of his memory. On being asked how he was able to speak whole hours together, he replied, that he was accustomed to spend the five or six preceding days in conning over his speech. He added, at the same time, that he was indebted for his extraordinary reputa tion to this very limited knowledge. Nature had done every thing for this unfortunate man, and he had not done any thing in return for nature. His voice and gestures, both in private company and at the bar, depicted his ideas. I have seen him place himself before a bust, and plead a cause in the same manner as if he had been addressing himself to an audience. Bonnieres told me that he laboured the two first years like a galley-slave; that he walked backwards and forwards in his chamber during whole days, repeated the same things twenty times over, and pleaded the same cause by himself again and again, until he at length acquired audacity, and that wonderful facility in which he excelled. Jefferson, one of the deliverers of America, told me that he could never retain impressions but in the mass. Become superior to your memory, said La Rive to me. An actor is not worthy of appearing in tragedy if he neglects a single line: L'artifice de la mémoire, c'est l'exercise. I for some time took lessons from Mademoiselle Clairon. "Have you a good voice?" said she to me, the first time I saw her. A little surprised at this question, and not wishing to appear vain, I replied, "Mine is like the rest of the world's, Mademoiselle." "Ah! if that be the case, you have one to ac quire." Here follow some of her prin ciples: There is an eloquence in sounds. Study to give a roundness to your voice. Above all things, proceed gently, and acquire simplicity. The variety of intonations forms the charm of diction. When a word is strong of itself, as honor, sacred, it is useless to reinforce it by means of 4Z energy: energy; it is only sufficient to pronounce it. Change your tone with every change of the sense. Never commence the following phrase in the same key in which the former one was concluded. Be careful to give their just value and proper extent to your tones, a merit far more rare than is generally imagined; every expression has its own proper accent. Manage the voice and its movements; it is principally by husbanding it that you will be enabled to shine at its expence. What do you wish to be? An orator? Be one in every thing, in your own chamber, in the street; nothing is stronger than habit, and its effects are universal. In general we ought, if it be permitted to say so, to colour the words with the sentiments they are intended to produce. For example, in Massillon we find the following passage: "Cet enfant auguste vient de naitre pour la perle, comme pour le salut de plusieurs." It should be repeated thus: "Cet enfant auguste vient de naîtrepour la perse-comme pour le salut de plusieurs." In pronouncing la perte, exhibit on your countenance that grief naturally arising from seeing men condemned; when you come to salut, let you features brighten with joy." M. Thomas informed me that Mademoiselle Clairon was quite unhappy during the first ten years she appeared at the theatre; she perceived that her mode of declaiming was not strictly natural, and that violent exclamations produced less effect than, sympathetic and penetrating accents. But what was she to do? All Paris was accustomed to her manner, and would have been shocked at the alteration. She therefore re paired to Bourdeaux, where she effected her new plan with prodigious success, and on her return to the capital was listened to with enthusiasm. One day, she sat down in a chair, and without speaking a word, or making a single gesture, by means of her face alone she described not only all the passions, such as hatred, anger, indignation, indifference, sadness, grief, love, &c, but all the slight shades between these. On a bystander's testifying his admiration, she replied, that she had studied anatomy on purpose, which had enabled her to know what muscles she ought to bring into action, and that this, added to habit, had given her wonderful command over them. Linguet assured me, that be could never compose his speeches until the two days previous to that on which he was to pronounce them. He did not possess the most natural delivery, but he was extremely graceful; he laid a stress on certain words, which seemed like affectation; but it was an affectation that gave delight. I prefer speaking to reading a speech, notwithstanding the practice of the advo cates of the ci-devant parliament of Bourdeaux. One ought always to have the appearance of creating the ideas on the spot. The notion of declaiming before inferiors in mental powers, and in talents, coufers liberty, assurance, and even grace. I once visited d'Alembert in his garret, for surely his apartment deserved no other name. He was surrounded by a circle of blue ribbons, ministers, ambassadors, &c. whom be despised; and I was prodigiously struck on this occasion with the superiority which talents naturally confer on the possessor. Sensibility cannot be produced without detail, memory without activity, elo quence without assurance, mingled with audacity, or grace without liberty. The most astonishing thing about Le Kain was the perfect unison between his motions, his gestures, his countenance, and his voice. He studied his parts profoundly; there was a character in particular, at which he laboured during ten whole years. There is one remark with which I The celebrated d'Alembert, in his youth possessed the talent of imitation in a wonderful degree. Dining one day with the Marquis de Lomellini, envoy from Genoa, he of Sarrazin, Quinaut. Dufresne, Poisson, &c. mimicked the voice,countenance, and manner, with uncommon facility and truth; and, as they were not present, he caricatured their most trifling faults. Mademoiselle Gaussin, a famous actress of that day, who happened to be one of the guests, begged to be tator of and was not a little flattered at the illusion. On this, her companion, Mademoiselle De-, mesnil, insisted on having her turn; but young d'Alembert had not recited more thin seven or eight verses, in one of her favourite characters, before she jumped from her chair, exclaiming "Ah! look at my left armmy cursed left arm! I have been on whee without being able to accomplish it. I per years endeavouring to correct its stiffness, ceive, sir, that nothing escapes you, and I here promise to make new efforts; but pray do not refuse me your assistance, for you have too much practice not to be an excellent master in declamation." I had this anrelese from a friend of d'Alembert, |