soon as he heard of it, would not fail to take from him the greatest part, and to avoid this, left some very considerable presents for him also. The old chiefs of Ormed and Lagediack were not forgotten. Some hogs and dogs, which I intrusted to Kadu's care, were then put into the boat, and I accompanied him with Chamisso on shore, he having previously taken an affectionate farewell on board the ship. Lagediack received us on shore, gazed with astonishment at the treasures, which were spread out, and was enraptured at the presents given to him. Kadu's riches I had brought into Rarick's habitation, where he Paramythia; or Mental Pastimes; being Original Anecdotes, Historical, Descriptive, Humourous, and Witty: collected chiefly during a long residence at the Court of Russia, by the Author. 12mo. pp. 175. London, 1821. with a heavy heart, as I really loved him, tored. I must previously observe, that approved his plan, he resolved to exe- Kadu, from our accounts, had formed a cute it, and promised to raise our planta- very high idea of the tamon of Russia, of tions with affection, and to call the differ- whom he told the Radackers a great deal. ent plants by our names. Future navi-" The great tamon of all tamons," said gators will therefore find, instead of he, "of the land of Russia, has comyams, taro, and potatoes,-timaros, tamis- manded that Kadu shall remain here, to sos, and totabus. Every one on board the take care of the plants and animals left ship would know from his own mouth whe- here by the Russians. Nobody dare hin- THAT several of these anecdotes are ther he really intended to leave us; and der him on pain of death; on the contra- original and that some of them are true, he told to each, individually, how his child ry, every inhabitant shall assist him to culcalled "Kadu" in the woods, and could tivate the land, for which he is to be re- them indeed, are either descriptive, huwe will not dery; but few, very few of not sleep in the night. The separation warded;" though the promised rewards was very painful to me, and I could only were to arise from their labour itself. I mourous, or witty. The author, who console myself with the idea, that he also permitted myself the following fic-appears to be an artist that has passed might be useful here, and would not, tion, in order to give more weight to the many years in Russia, gives a local perhaps, long survive in our cold cli-speech: "A large ship will come from habitation and a name to almost every mate. As he intended to leave the ship Russia in ten months, to bring the Ra- fact he relates, and identifies himself to-day, because we sailed to-morrow, we dackers iron and other necessary articles; with them. He is anxious to convince all collected presents for him. He looked but if it finds that the plantations are de- his readers that every anecdote is now at his treasures with mute astonishment, stroyed, the guilty persons will be pun-published for the first time, and yet we and was only afraid that the Radackers ished with death! Let nobody venture could not resist the temptation of robbing to rob Kadu, or to do him any injury; meet with many old acquaintance him. I did not doubt that Lamary, as this crime will also be punished with among them. Who has not heard of death." At the conclusion, I promised the Highlander, who, on seeing a pair large rewards to such as should, on the of snuffers for the first time, snuffed arrival of the ship from Russia, come on the candle with his fingers, and depoboard with their new cultivated fruits. sited the snuff in the socket; and yet Kadu delivered his speech with much digour author relates this as having occurnity; the islanders promised faithfully to red to his own servant, a Russian boy! fulfil our wish, and, to make them acquainted with my great power, I had given orders on board, to fire, on a signal being given, two guns, and to throw up a rocket. It was now quite dark; I told the islanders to look at the ship, in order to see the fire with which we would punish their disobedience. The signal was given, the cannons thundered, and the poor savages were petrified with terror; but the rocket were delighted at the sight of them, were, caused still more alarm, which, hissing perhaps, already forming plans in secret, through the air, illuminated the whole for appropriating them to themselves. To island. Lagediack threw both his arms protect Kadu as much as possible against round me, and begged me to put an end such an event, I intended to make an ex- to the terrific scene; but Kadu was much hortation to all the savages. Lagediack pleased at the impression the fire had immediately despatched two cryers, who made, for he now thought himself secure went about the island, and made known against any attacks. Some presents which his orders, that they should assemble. I distributed restored tranquillity. We Some drums were beat, and all the inha- gave Kadu two copper medals with the bitants of Otdia, men, women, and chil-portrait of the emperor; the one he was dren, were soon assembled. They were to wear himself, and to present the other informed that Kadu intended to remain to Lamary, in my name. He resolved to here, and that I was going to speak to them on the subject. The people, full of expectation, formed a circle, in the middle of which stood Chamisso and myself. Kadu, in the mean time, dressed himself in Rarick's house, probably to make a strong impression on the savages, on this solemn occasion. After we had been waiting for some time, he at last came out of the house, with measured paces; he had put on a white shirt, a sabre buckled round his waist, which he held naked in his right hand, and his head covered with a straw hat. The Radackers were astonnished when they saw him enter with a serious countenance with his murderous weapon, and he sat down with much gravity on the branch of a tree. The sun had already set, when Kadu made the following speech, in which he had been tu concealed them, and the islanders, who bury some of his treasures, and go with 6 We should not have noticed even this stale joke (and it is not the only one), had not the author assumed so high a tone as to the positive originality of every anecdote. We have another objection to this volume, less indurable even than its dullness and insipidity,-the silly plan of ushering in every Scrap,' by a sort of mawkish common-place sentimental introduction, which frequently has nothing whatever to do with the particular anecdote it prefaces. But a truce to criticism, and let the author speak for himself, which he shall do in a few of the best anecdotes we can glean from his volume:'General was one of the parvenus, lifted, by the French revolution, from obscurity; his father having_held the situation of Swiss, or porter, to Louis the Sixteenth. When appointed, by Bonaparte, ambassador to the court of Russia, he was much in the habit of boasting, in society and at court, of his estates and possessions in Languedoc, Champagne, &c. &c.; upon which, a very witty and beautiful lady, the Countess Valerien Zooboff, said to him, with great naiveté, Languedoc, Champagne! mon cher general, et moi je vous croyois toujours Suisse."' In the reign of the Emperor Paul, his regulations and orders were promulgated with such rapidity, that it could only be equalled by the counter-orders that were often within a few hours issued. It was, indeed, impossible to know how to act, so as to avoid offending, which gave rise to some one wittingly observing, it was all Foreign Literature. History of the French. By T. C. L. Simonde de Sismondi. 3 vols. 8vo. pp. 1517. Paris and London, 1821. A HISTORY of France has long been a desideratum in the literature of Europe; and yet there is scarcely any subject which affords such ample materials. France has long been reproached for a want of historical talent; that reproach can attach to her no longer, since she has produced one of the most able historians of this or any age in the person of Sismondi. This gentleman is well known in the literary world, by his history of the Italian Republics, a History of the Literature of the South of Europe, &c.; and his well-earned fame will now be rapidly enhanced by his history of the French. In a very able Introduction, he thus states his views of history generally, and the cause why the French "order," "counter-order," and "dis- more. The man, who always stood be-ing, when most learned, most easily order."", hind the count, did not whisper, but said, understood. work, Mr. White's 'On birth days and other great occa- quite loud, il n'y en a plus. The count though one of the least, is one of the sions, it is usual for the foreign consuls to told him to go to his friend at the wine best, cheapest, and most perspicuously go to court. The consul went; and, cellar, and get more. Point d'argent, written works of the kind which we What placing himself in one of the rooms, took point de Suisse, votre excellence. have ever reviewed. his station as usual, waiting to be present-then? said our noble host, wont he trust ed when the empress passed by. The me any farther? Non, Monseigneur, was master of the ceremonies announcing, as the reply. Why, then, sit still, gentleshe walked on, the names of the noble-men, sit still, and we must be content men and gentlemen present, at last anwith a good glass of frozen punch till my nounced, the British Consul, Mr. rents come in. Aha! pour le ponche si C" The consul bowed, but unfor-vous voulez, j'ai les moyens, said the butler, tunately standing under a cut-glass chan- rubbing his hands with delight, and rundelier, and being somewhat fidgetty, as ning away to make it.' most of my countrymen are upon great When the present emperor came to occasions, had got somehow or other the the throne, and people were allowed to toupee of his bag-wig entangled in the walk, ride, and dress rationally, and not wire of the drops; so that, when he bow-like the old-fashioned wax-figures of the ed (and that he did very low), there was fifteenth century, her imperial majesty at least two feet between his bald pate enjoyed, in common with others, this naand the suspended perriwig, and he could tional reformation. She was walking in not, on rising, get his head into dock the summer-gardens, dressed with tasteagain. The smothered laugh was against ful simplicity, and being really a beautihim, and it required all his good sense ful well-formed interesting person, was and good nature, when he got home, to noticed by an officer in the guards, who, make so unlucky a day as pleasant, as he having only seen her at court in a hoopdid most others, to his amiable family.' petticoat, lappets, and all the other cumA very hospitable and very rich Eng-brous paraphernalia, did not know her. lish merchant, in the city of St. Peters- He was much struck with her, accosted burg, who was much in the habit of re- her, and went a step too far in his behaceiving the young noblemen and gentle- viour and importunities. The empress men who visited that city, had at his table was obliged to call a court servant to asone day an English traveller of rank, who sist her escape from this enterprising had that morning been to see the collec-knight, and, when she got to the palace, tion of wild beasts. On expressing his mentioned the circumstance to the emsurprise that a large elephant he saw there peror. He soon discovered the offender, should be able to endure the severe frost but contented himself with saying, next of so cold a climate, the merchant (to set morning, on the parade, that some officer him right on the subject) told him, that in his guards had greatly insulted a lady We may, I think (he says), state geher imperial majesty had often said she who was dear to him in the summer-gar-nerally, that the great cause of the coldwould never again receive elephants as dens: that when he relaxed the strictness of the history of France, and of alpresents, as they were the most expensive sumptuary laws which lately existed, he most all modern histories, is the want of appendages of her establishment. Each meant his subjects should enjoy a ration-truth; of that complete, unreserved, unelephant, said he, eats a pond, or about al liberty; but he was sorry to find it had forty pounds weight of nutmegs every already degenerated into licentiousness. day, to warm its system. The traveller He further added his hope that such imstared, calculated the expense to a frac- proper conduct would never be repeated; tion, noted the information he had receiv- and concluded by trusting the gentlemen ed in his common-place book, and, in his around him would think him mild, when next letter to his honoured papa and they were told it was her imperial majesty mamma, delighted them with the result who was the unfortunate lady so offended.' of his judicious statistic inquiries." Count Stroganoff, president of the Imperial Academy, a post he filled with infinite credit to himself, as he was truly a man of taste and virtue, so was he a nobleman of large fortune, great wit, and polished manners; and he had a splendid establishment. His urbanity led him to keep open table; and, indeed, so liberal was he in this respect, that on those days when he dined with his sovereign or with his fellow-peers, the table-cloth was still spread, and the guests very cheerfully set down to the repast, choosing one among themselves to do the honours of the feast. I was frequently one of his excellency's guests; and one day, when every thing went on well, the count got so happy that, after the company had taken the usual parting glass of sparkling champagne, he ordered his butler to bring have been defective in this branch of literature: biassed truth, which is found only in the histories of antiquity. No modern history is absolutely free from those obligatory falsehoods, those conventional flatteries, those respectful reticences, which destroy at once our confidence in the historian, and our understanding of the events which he relates. The religion and the policy of the state, those two grand levers of human society, have never been ap The Young Ladies' and Gentlemen's proached with entire frankness: historiArithmetic; illustrated by upwards ans have never ventured openly to attach of 400 Original Examples, and in- blame wherever they thought it deserved. tended as an Introduction to the Au- Even those writers who dared to attack thor's Complete Course of Arithme- the church or the monarchy, have veiled accusations, often exaggerated, under tic. By W. H. White, of Bedford. protestations which were no less false. 1821. pp. 108. Their declarations of respect were no less THE importance of arithmetical and false. Their declarations of respect were mathematical science, needs no eulo- to mark their aggressions; they seemed gium. Among the various authors, to reckon on their readers not taking all compilers, and editors, who have used their words literally; and they have their endeavours to encourage so laud-exerted much ingenuity in depriving able a pursuit, none are so eligible, which is, of all others, the most essential themselves of the character of sincerity, none so successful, as those that express to those who desire to be listened to. their intentions in simple terms and The slavery of the press has not alone avoiding technical phraseology and ab-hindered those who have written history struseness, are, paradoxically speak from telling the truth as they had seen it sions.' in which it appeared to them; and it is of divine worship, on alms to the servants and knew it to be. The authority which theories.' It is because Prince Charles, fa A history, written with such care and such talents as this author has displayed, needs no other recommenda tion; it must necessarily supersede every work on the subject. The Meditator, AN OCCASIONAL PAPER, Cogito, ego, sum.—Descartes. The partiality which most historians have imposed on themselves as a national duty, fancying that their patriotism commanded them to be the advocates of the nation and its princes, and to show, in spite of the testimony of foreign historians and of subsequent events, that all the kings of France were good or great men; their armies always victorious, and their people (except when they threw off legitimate authority) always loyal and happy. To dissemble the faults of the government is, in the historian, still more imprudent and criminal. In collecting national records, we should think less of the ther of King Pepin, was the first of the Ir may naturally be required at the reputation of the dead than of the advan-Kings and Princes of the Franks to divide hands of the writer of this paper, to adtage of the living. Clovis, Philippe le and separate the property of the church, Bel, or Louis XIII. will not suffer by the that, for that cause alone, he is damned vance sufficient reasons (provided he reproaches cast upon their memories; eternally. We know, in fact, that St. hath them) for the revolutionary spirit but the sufferings which they inflicted on Eucheríus, Bishop of Orleans, whose bo- evidently betrayed in the very title of their cotemporaries will be renewed for dy rests in the convent of St. Frudon, be- his work : the why and the wherefore us or for our posterity, if we do not learning in prayer, was carried into the world of his most unheard-of temerity in preby their example what perfidy may be of spirits; and that, among the things suming to deviate from the supreme be hidden under the cloak of policy, whated him, he recognized Charles exposed to Johnson, to follow the more questionallowed to false piety, what crimes may which he saw, and which the Lord showauthority of Steele, Addison, and cruelty may be the consequence of a sin- torments in the lowest depths of hell. gle weakness; if we do not see in all the The angel who conducted him being in-able one of Hawkesworth, in daring to abyss to which absolute power leads.' terrogated on this subject, answered, that, insult the sense of the people of Engin the judgment to come, the soul and land, by using more than three syllaThe rigid plan which M. Sismondi body of him who takes away the goods of bles in the name of his paper. This has adopted in his own work, is thus the church shall be exposed, even before abuse of language (which Mr. Locke the end of the world, to eternal torments, hath unaccountably omitted in his My work was begun and completed by sentence of the saints who are to judge chapter so intitled), as it nearly confrom the originals, according to the ad- with the lord. The sacrilegious plunderer cerns the interests of science, and vice which I formerly received from the shall be laden with the penalties not only great historian, John de Muller. I stu- of his own sins, but of the sins of those strikes at the root of learning in genedied history in the cotemporary writers. who had bestowed their property, for the ral, the title being that part of a work I endeavoured to represent it in the light I love of God, on holy places, on the lamps by which alone its merits may be very stated: properly determined, and the know- The fair sex, indeed, of whom, in ledge of titles being that upon which the outset, the author professeth himthe fame and character of our pro- self a respectful and distant admirer, foundest scholars depend; this, most may require a looser and more popular flagitious of all attempts at under-explanation; and, though he cannot mining the fabric of our glorious con- consider himself strictly as accountable stitution, demands some account of to them, yet as Culex potest pungere the causes which led to its commission, anak (an elegant rendering of our volwhich may palliate though they cannot garism, a gnat may sting a giant'), I would not wish to offend them by neglect. excuse it. To so reasonable a request, the author hopes the following will afford a full and satifactory answer; especially to those who are of an argumentative and a logical turn of mind, for to none other doth be profess himself accountable; for, as Mr. Locke justly observes, God made us men, but left it to Aristotle to make us reasonable creatures; and, therefore, one might as lief expect to find truth in the bottom of a well, as to pretend to any degree of rationality without having sounded the profundities of irrefragable logic. The author takes this to be evident to the most illiterate, and so without far ther delay will proceed to his justifica tion. His first reason, then, for the choice of the above title, and which, indeed, may seem to render all other superfluous, is this, videlicet: it suiteth his own fancy (this may be called, in the vein of Touchstone, the reason unmannerly; or, after the practice of the schools, the reason, which is no reason at all). dow. Listen, then, O Isles! I'm as silent as Queen Cleopatra in balm! and in this particular differ from the Spectator only in the cause of my silence: his was voluntary, mine, alas! is not so. Should I ever dare to write. an epic, it shall begin with—' Hail, holy Babel,' or some such. As to my physiognomy, I confess it is directly the reverse of my prototype. His, as he tells us, was curt and comThus, then, to address them in pro- pressed, like the Dutch countenance of pria persona (proxies in such matters a lady's snap-dog. Mine, on the coubeing rather unlucky). As there hath trary, is rather of the Manchegan con-, already appeared a paper of this de- tour, as that of the monk of St. Franscription, intitled the Bee,' I at first cis,-pale, thin, and long, rather pecuhad intended, in order to make some-liarly cast, yet not so much so as to be thing of a flash, and shew what a noise fairly called ugly, grave as ever Casit should create in the world, by giving sius', and slightly inclined to the meit a title of similar import, to have lancholy. christened it the Humbug;' but this Now, sir, I warrant me, your superthought I dropped, and for the follow-ficial thinker will adduce this discreing reason: I wished to give the pub-pancy from the prince of periodicals, lic some insight into the manner of as an argument against my wit, as my my own life and conduct. Now, these similitude, in point of taciturnity, was are peculiarly meditative, as will ap-in favour of it; but, sir, on the conpear in the sequel, and hence have I trary, I pledge myself to prove from chosen the appellation of Meditator, as this very discrepancy, and that logically a suitable title for papers which con- too, the very opposite conclusion. tain the history of myself. This, then, is a kind of a reason for the singularity of my option, but is not much insisted on, the two first being more conclusive and logical. As thus, sir, I take as an undoubted premiss, the following proposition: Every man who possesseth a short phyz' is a brilliant wit, for the truth of which we have a complete logical induction. These papers, therefore, shall be de-in the aforesaid example of the Specta-, voted exclusively to myself, and if any tor. If it be said this induction is vione should be of so undiscerning a ge- cious, being but a singular instance, To those accustomed to the logical nius, as to prefer reading the life of evertible by an opposite one, my res method of proof, and the strict deduc- Julius Cæsar or Alexander the Great, ponse comes as pat as a knight to a distion of the conclusion from legitimate I can only say to him, with the Arch- tressed virgin, though they should have premises, any other reason will doubt- bishop of Grenada, Fare thee well, as little probable connexion as the less appear unnecessary; but, lest any Mr. Gil Blas, and I wish thee a little moon with a pot of ale; videlicet:scruples might arise in the minds of more taste.' First, therefore, the pub- though the Spectator is certainly but juvenals in ratiocination, there is ano-lic may be anxious to have some assu- one, I believe it will be allowed that be ther argument scarcely less cogentrance that they are not holding evil is a host in himself, so that, instead of than the above, which is of that species communication, and that I am neither one instance, we have a host of them, beautifully denominated by Father what the Spaniards have heretofore af- and so complete our induction suffiMalebranche, knock him down,' and firmed of our nation in particular, nor ciently. Again, I take as an axiom, whose efficacy, both physical and me- what my Lord Monboddo hath indubi-what I dare say the reader, having gone taphysical, he is said to have confirmed, tably demonstrated of all nations in ge- thus far with me, will find little scruple by repeated experiment on the head neral, i. e. neither a devil nor a mon-in granting, viz. that my head is turned; of Antony Arnauld, doctor of the Sor-key. The following description of my and being turned on the pillar of my bonne, in their contest concerning the outward man will, I hope, set their neck, so as to bring the flat of the nose Theory of Ideas. fears at rest. But, first, I beg leave to to an horizontal position, I believe it mention an attribute of mine, which, will be allowed that my visage is now although not strictly referrible to my as short as one could wish, when it is exterior, is yet a tacit proof that I shall recollected that I premised a deficiency become highly popular. I suppose if in its breadth, when lying in a natural I can show any physical similitude be- position. Hence the conclusion is obtween myself and the Spectator, it will vious, and my adversary's argument be a sufficient passport to similar im- goes for nothing. Having satisfied the mortality, and though I may hereafter acute and metaphysical as to this point, write blasphemy or sheer nonsense, my it only remains to say that my person claim to a seat on Parnassus beside him, corresponds prettily with my counte will be as undoubted as that of his sha-nance, being spare though not ill Secondly, then, the paper called the Meditator, is so denominated, because ..a..a..a..&c. If the reader remain yet unconvinced, we must only hand him over to Pyrrho or David Hume, as one guilty of incurable scepticism; this last mode of argument being, that in most approved use among the orators of the present day, and, indeed, to speak the truth on't, is wholly unan. swerable. turned, my chest a little in the shade of my head and shoulders, and my waist not larger than that which might be supposed to fill a moderate lady's arms. It may concern the public to know that I am about the middle size, wear a glass, and take my pocket handkerchief out of my left skirt. I declare, on the veracity of the oaks of Dodona (and that was never questioned, notwithstanding that a wooden prophet is somewhat akin to Dagon), I have no means of coming at the precise year in which I was born; for, being yet unmarried, there has been no perennial growth by which my age can be accurately computed. It may be said, even if there had, I should not have been an atom the wiser; such growth as I allude to, being coeval only with the date of marriage, and therefore in any case can be of no chronological importance, unless, like Eve, I was married the day I was born. But this objection is futile, and may be answered satisfactorily in this wise. That, beside marriage, by the laws of uxorious Scotland, legitimating all offspring antecedent to that blessed ceremony, and thereby giving the happy bridegroom a legal claim to an ex post facto cornutation, I say, beside such consideration, it is on all hands allowed that before the performance of that laudable act, we are as nothing; our years of singleness vanish noteless amid the infinite waste of eternity, and our existence is nothing more than a state of lifeless vegetation, unless a man can be said to live who enjoys his health, his book, his friend, and his bottle, in comfort, peace, and serenity of mind-barely; an assertion which manifestly outrages all decency and common sense. which would be at once a sign of my extinguished with my fingers, and Vir- Though I may thus be supposed to have gotten rid of my ablest antagonists, yet, the lower seats being still occupied by the inferior scribes, who are nevertheless generally most troublesome and clamorous about their right of precedency, they remained yet to be disposed of. It was here the inven tion of my printer shewed itself most happy, in the choice of a delicate and appropriate emblem. 'Twas a long time, indeed, before I could prevail upon the rascal to let me into what he called his master-stroke, which is this: he is to be introduced under a petti. coat-as the Genius of Poetry, performing the part of my auxiliary, by emptying a chamber-pot on the heads of those who are seated below. This design seems to me to border Itch of picture in the front, I have been thus particular in describing my person and physical qualifications, for another reason beside that cited above, viz. that of satisfying the vast curiosity which the public must undoubtedly have about every item which goes to make up the sum of my attributes; and, indeed, I have to apologise that my printer hath not as yet yet I think the reader will agree with hit off a proper design of me, to em- me as to the propriety of a few alterabellish the head of this paper. For my own part, I wished to be drawn in my college academicals, with my right hand firmly grasping Aristotle's Logics, and an owl (emblematic of my wit) perched upon my left shoulder. To give life and truth to the picture, I might also be drawn as devouring a custard fresh from the pastry-cook, and wrapt in one of my own Meditators; tions I suggested, but to which the As I never perceive the spirit of com- My printer is, however, not quite satisfied with the part assigned him, but I hope to bring him round. His own device he calls by the name-Poet's Pinnacle, but will not allow mine to be denominated Printer's Province. I shall duly communicate to the public any future particulars of this proceeding, which I shall judge to make for P. WILDERNESSE. their interests. Original Communications. NATIONAL EDUCATION. To the Editor of the Literary Chronicle. SIR, The impartiality and candour ever observable in the conduct of your paper, has induced me to trouble you with a few remarks on National Education,-a subject, sir, which I conceive will not be misplaced in a work whose aim is the welfare of society, and whose objects of research must naturally embrace every institution conuected with the improvement and instruction of mankind. Should the following observations meet your approbation, by giving them an early insertion, you will oblige B. Your constant reader and correspondent, ON a reference to the page of history, even in the earliest ages of society, we may discover the rudiments of national education. The Jews, as the most regularly organized nation, might, indeed, have been supposed to have pursued some fixed plan in the education of their progeny, since they lived under a divine legation, whose principles were pure and wise as the Being from whom it emanated. But such was the complicated nature of the Jewish economy, so numerous its legal requirements, and so extensive the application of its |