to affert, that in republics this virtue has, almost always, been weak or fictitious, and that true and difinterested patriotifm has oftener appeared in monarchies than in democratical or aristocratical governments. He flatters his countrymen, by preferring a Bayard, a Crillon, and a Turrenne, to the most illuftrious heroes of Sparta or of Rome. The virtues of thofe great men, were doubtlefs eminent, and highly beneficial to their country; but that their characters were formed by circumftances peculiar to the form of government established in France, will poffibly not be fo readily admitted. He justly attributes the decay of patriotifm, among the fubjects of the French government, and moft of the other nations of modern Europe, to extent of dominion, the number of great towns, the paffions and caprices which are engendered and foftered by luxury, commerce, the progrefs of civilization, and the cafe and fecurity with which a Frenchman, a Briton, or a fubject of any other ftate in Europe, can procure and enjoy all the comforts and conveniencies of life in a foreign country.

In the fecond divifion of his dif courfe, M. Mathón de la Cour labours to revive and cherish among his countrymen, that spirit which appears fo neceflary to the happiness, and even to the existence of a state; and which thofe caufes concur to render fo. rare and fo weak, in modern times.

To infpire the fubjects of any go vernment with a fpirit of patriotifm, they must have reafon to be content with their condition. And, for that purpofe, a nation must be governed by wife and benevolent laws, carried into execution by mild and prudent rulers: The increafing difiipation of manners must be restrained; tender and virtuous affections must be ftrengthened and encouraged in the community. M. Mathon de la Cour faither recommends to his countrymen, for the fame ends, that honours and public

offices be carefully conferred, as the reward of virtue and distinguished abilities. He expreffes a with, that honors and rewards, fuch as the oaken garland of Rome, and the rose of Salency, were bestowed, as marks of dif tinction, on those who difplay any extraordinary inftances of public virtue; and, that annual festivals should be celebrated, with a variety of gynnalic and other exercifes; at Calais, in honour of Euftache de Saint-Piers; at Bourdeaux, of Montefquieu : Of Conftance de Gezeley, at Leucate; of Jeanne Hachette, at Beauvars; of Defcartes, at La Haie in Touraine ; of Corneille, at Rouen; and of Fenelon, at Cambray; at which the fovereign fhould occafionally prefide in perfon, and direct them in fuch a manner as to excite a noble and generous emulation in wifdom, virtue, and va lour, among his fubjects.

Such are the plan and spirit of this difcourfe; in which M. Mathon de la Cour difplays an accurate knowledge of his fubject, and fhews himself to be warmly animated with thofe generous fentiments which he labours to revive and cherish among his countrymen.

II. No department of literature is, at prefent; more generally or eagerly cultivated, among the nations of Eu2 rope, than Hiftory. In Italy, in France, and in Britain, a number of eminent hiftorians have appeared, fcarce infe fior to those who flourished in ancient Greece and Rome. And that mode of writing has of late become fo fa fhionable, that men of learning and genius have found it prudent to attrac the attention of the public on feveral other parts of knowledge, rather unconnected with it, by interweaving them with hiftory, or at leaft giving them the name of hiftorical A late iiterary Journal of Rome announces an Italian tranflation of the First Volume of an Hiftory of Spain, from the earliest times, by Gián Francefco Mafden. This velume treats of the biftory of ardent Spain, comprehending a period of

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in the annals of his country, and wifhes to afford to the world a complete view, not merely of the civil and military hiftory of Spain, but also of their laws, arts, and manners, through all the different periods of their existence. He performs, for the Spanish history, what Doctor Henry does for that of Great Britain.

III. The fluctuation of politics never fail to attract the curiosity of mankind. War and peace, the connections between nations, established by views of mutual intereft, and the oppofition occafioned, not by the firm attachment of either party to truth or justice, but by motives of national avarice or ambition; and purfued either by fecret negociation, or by the open and hoftile operations of military force, are generally fo important in their caufes, their continued operations, and their confequences, as to engage the attention, not only of thofe who are more immediately interefted, but also of fuch as are placed at a distance from both their hurtful and beneficial effects. But to the fubjects of any empire,its internal profperity or wretchednefs, and its fituation and difpofitions with regard to the neighbouring states, are peculiarly interefting; for on thefe the affluence or beggary, the ease or depreffion, the fecurity or precarious existence of every individual among them, directly depend.

The lately-published work of a French author, entitled, Letters, by a Soldier, on the Changes which are at prefent taking place in the Political Syftem of Europe, affords an inftance in proof of the truth of this general ob fervation. The author examines into the caufes which, fince the death of the late King of Pruffia, have produced fo confiderable a change on the views and connections of the leading powers of Europe; he attributes that political revolution chiefly to the trou bles and confufion which lately diftracted Holland, and the afpiring ambition of the Semiramis of the North.

Another caufe, of scarce weaker inflo ence, is, that defire which the fuc ceffor of Frederick has difcovered, if not to tread in his uncle's footsteps, at least to rival his fame. The ma chinations of France, and the caution of England, are also to be taken into the account. Honour and prudence afforded his Pruffian Majetty a fait pretext for interfering in the affairs of Holland. To vindicate the affronted dignity of his fifter, and to prote& the violated rights of his brother-in-law; the Stadtholder, were reafons fufficient to juftify, in the eyes of all, but thofe against whom that measure was direc ted, the marching of his troops into the Dutch territories. England again, according to this writer, had her po litical reafons for taking part with the Stadtholder. By watting the wealth, and ruining the commerce of the U. nited Provinces, fhe might hope to fee an hated rival humbled before her, as well as to aggrandize and enrich her own trade: by contributing to establish the power and dignity of the Stadtholder over the ruins of his country, fhe might hope to fecure to herself an ally whofe precarious attachment France had been obliged to purchase at an immenfe expence. She would thus be enabled to derive new advantages from her late commercial treaty with the court of Versailles; and in India the weaknefs of Holland, enfeebled or difmembered, would leave all a prey to the rapacity and power of the English. Thus have both Pruf fia and England been engaged in support of the ufurpations of the Stadtholder. The union between France and the Houfe of Auftria has induced them to form a connection with each other; and the prefent circumftances of the Ottoman empire, have difpofed the minifters of the Porte to attach themselves to the interefts of the courts of Berlin and London, in preference to their ancient allies, the French.

The author next proceeds to poine out thofe views and circumstances

which form the bands of that union which has been established, and which, in his opinion, time will render ftill clofer, between the courts of Vienna, Petersburgh, and Verfailles. He then takes a comparative view of the circumftances and refources of France and Britain; and benevolently confoles his countrymen amid their wretched flavery and poverty, by reprefent ing to them that the refources of Fiance are still far more numerous than those of the British government; that public juftice and the rights of individuals, are more carefully refpected in France than in Britain; and that if France and Spain had confulted their jult refentment, they might, long 'ere now, have humbled the pride of Britain in the dust, by withdrawing from her the advantages of their commerce. For, in the opinion of this author, the articles of commerce, which France imports from Britain, are only fuperfluous luxuries which might well be wanted; while again, thofe articles which Britain derives from France, are neceffaries and conveniencies, without which, life would be comfortlefs or in fupportable.

rienced young men, being fent by their friends to Paris, to ftudy law, and to acquire fuch other accomplishments as might finish them for acting their parts in life, fpend their time and money in a courfe of ftudy, rather different from what their friends intended; and, at the end of eighteen months, find themfelves confiderably indebted to mercilefs ufurers, and deftitute of every refource, either to fatisfy their creditors, or to fupply the neceffaries for fubfiftence. Here the business of the play commences. In order to extricate them from this embar raffed and diftressful situation, Folles ville contrives to write to Daiglemont's uncle, that his nephew is dead, and that he has been obliged to discharge the expences of his illness and funeral. The uncle of Daiglemont, receiving this piece of news with much concern, immediately remits to Felleville a draft on his banker for a thousand crowns, to reimburse the expences which he has laid out on account of his deceased nephew. Folleville, triumphing in the fuc cefs of his artifice, now communicates it to Daiglement, who is much furprised at the fhrewdness and dexterity with which it has been accomplished, and, at the fame time, fomewhat uneafy at the thought of what pain the news of his death must have given his affec tionate uncle. The fcene is a furnishe ed hotel in Paris. Young Daiglemont now fits down to write to his creditors, that he is at the point of death, and threatens to haunt them after his deceafe, if they agree not to make a compofition with him for one half of he fums which he owes them. In the mean time a gentleman, who happens to be his uncle, enters the hotel, and approaches the room where the nephew is writing. The young man, who is known in this house only by the name of Derbain, has just time ot escape into a closet. The uncle, mean. ing to stay fome time in Paris, takes lodgings in the house. The mistress of the hotel, a very talkative woman, 3 M 2

The French critics have pronounced this writer a profound Politician, and we shall not prefume to contradict their affertions,

- IV. Les Etourdis, ou, Le Mort Suppofé, a new comedy, acted at Verfailles on the 11th of January laft, before the King and Queen of France, has received fo much applaufe from both fpectators and readers, that we cannot avoid taking notice of it. It is not of the fentimental fpecies. The author has not prefumed to encroach upon the province of tragedy, by attempting to awake fympathetic emotions, or to call forth tears. Gay characters, droll incidents, and diverting fituations, are the chief engines which he has here made ufe of, to command attention and applause.

Folleville and young Daiglemont, two lively, thoughtless, and unexpe

gives