6 What an exquisite train of associations | zette de France and La Quotidienne. The is here suggested! What feeling, poe- chief support of the Quotidienne, until try, and truth! Would any one doubt within these few months, was M. Mithat there had been such a woman and chaud, the academician, and author of such a book? Yet it is all sheer fancy. the History of the Crusades; a man ill The shop or stall in question was a dark, fitted for the defender of a cause whose dingy little hole, half hidden behind a main dependence should be faith. In pillar the flowers looked worthy of the allusion to the use they were making of place; and Madame Prevost herself is the church in the contest, he laughingly not to be named in the same day with a said, Nous tirons par les fenêtres de la little bouquetière in Covent-Garden. In sacristie;' and the remark is no bad fact, he writes best about nothing; and illustration of his character. He was his papers may too frequently be com- supposed to be assisted with advice pared to a bottle of the late Charles or contributions by MM. Berryer, LauWright's champagne, which frisks, foams, rentie, the Duc de Valmy, and the Visand sparkles, titillates the palate and en- conte Lostanges. The general tone of livens the spirits, if you drink it off the the paper is careless, mocking, and cavamoment it is uncorked; but subsides lier, with a marked affectation of the into a thin, sugary, insipid kind of beve- French gentleman of the ancient régime. rage, if you let it stand awhile with the The Gazette de France is the direct op. view of passing an opinion on its quality. posite of all this. Deep devotion, proBesides his Monday criticisms, he scat- found respect, steadiness of purpose, and ters his articles about pretty freely, with a strict regard for the decencies (with out much regard to political opinion or the small exception of veracity), are its principle; and, unless he is much belied, characteristics: nor amongst its merits he has even been known to boast of answering his own articles in the Quotidienne, by way of frolic, in the Constitu tionnel. or demerits must we forget its zealous adoption of one material portion of the Jesuit creed-the maxim, that the end justifies the means. At least we cannot give the conductors entire credit for believing all their own fictions, or for being themselves the dupe of all the political speculations they put forth. Their ver The Constitutionnel, a few years ago, counted more than twenty thousand subscribers. This was when the writers before mentioned were engaged in it, and waging a fierce war against the Jesuits sion of the past history of France seems and the court. It has sensibly declined to be, that the old monarchy, actually since 1830, and it had become the fash- and practically, secured an equality of ion to say that 'on se désabonnait au rights for all classes-(if they had conConstitutionnel.' But, as the occasional tented themselves with saying that it organ of M. Dupin aîné, it has retained attained nearly as many of the true obno inconsiderable degree of importance; jects of government as the present, the and during the Mole ministry the public doctrine would not have been devoid of attention was attracted to it by frequent plausibility)—and they anticipate future contributions from M. Thiers. In history, by assuring their readers that Le Courier Français fought side by side this source of prosperity will be very with the Constitutionnel against the mo- speedily restored. Nor is the advent of narchy of the restoration. Since the Henry V. postponed indefinitely, or to a Revolution it has leant towards the Du- period when no one is likely to retain pont de l'Eure and Odillon Barrot party any recollection of the prophecy. or parties; and the latter has the credit this respect they resemble Cobbett, who of writing in it occasionally. M. Guizot long outlived the period when he was to has also been confidently named as a perish, like another Guatimozin, on a contributor. The editor, in its best days, gridiron. The restoration is confidently was M. Chastelain, an honest, though fixed for to-morrow, or next week, or heavy, writer. Since his death its lead- Monday fortnight (positively the last ing articles have been supplied by M. time of restoring); and when the predicFoucher, who has improved upon his tion fails, they assert, that, by all the predecessor. The royalist or legitimist party are much divided in opinion. The two principal divisions are represented by La Ga were rules of prediction, it ought not to He at Waterloo. They are warm advo- | the price (forty francs a-year) of other cates of universal suffrage, probably on papers of the same class. The projector Coleridge's principle, that reverence was M. Emile de Girardin, a gentleman for ancient forms and institutions is now whose precise position and character it confined to the lower classes. The prin- is no easy matter to describe, for few cipal writer is the Abbé (formerly Baron) men have been more unceremoniously de Genoude. His maligners assert that calumniated, and, after being many years when he left his native place his appella- a member of the Chamber of Deputies, tion was Genou, and that he has placed a he has been recently declared ineligible de on both sides to make it doubly ac. on the ground that he could not prove ceptable to the aristocracy, or they give himself to be a Frenchman. The diffianother turn to the insinuation, Il a mis culty, it seems, hinged on the peculiar à sou genou deux charnières (hinges) circumstances of his birth, which he has pour mieux le fléchir.' The most mark- managed to turn (as he manages to turn ed occasion on which he is said to have most things) to account, by relating bent the knee was during the ministry them in an agreeable little book, entitled of M. Villele, who, by way of re-payment, Emile. He is a natural son of the Comte de we presume, has recently emerged from Girardin, grand huntsman to Charles X., his retirement to write letters on finance and has won his way against considerable in the Gazette. M. de Genoude is re- disadvantages with a gallantry which it puted extremely rich. We have heard is impossible to help admiring. He is his income estimated at not less than perfectly unrivalled in that species of sa• seventy or eighty thousand francs a-year, gacity which divines at a glance the ca. and we can believe it; for the legitimist pabilities of a new project of speculation; nobles are both wealthy and generous. and, perhaps the true secret of his exThey still cling to many habits and treme unpopularity is the jealousy felt prejudices injurious to their cause; they by other adventurers at his success. are bad canvassers, and they live too started Le Voleur, a paper made up of much within a clique; but their houses borrowed articles, pushed it into circuand purses are freely opened to their lation, and then sold it on advantageous friends; and funds are never wanting terms. He started La Mode, and disposto maintain their hold upon the press. ed of it in the same manner. For this reason the sale of the legitimist the lead in establishing Le Panthéon Litjournals is an unsafe criterion of their téraire (a collection of classical writers) circulation, since every member of the under distinguished patronage, and is party makes a point of subscribing, and, said to have made an equally good thing perhaps, any given copy is seldom read of that. Such was now the confidence beyond a family. placed in his tact, that, when he announcLe Monde, formerly (about 1837) edit- ed the project of a forty franc journal, the ed by the celebrated Abbé de la Men- sum of 700,000 francs (28,0007.) was nais, with the assistance of the equally forthwith subscribed and placed at his celebrated Georges Sand, is no more. disposal; and notwithstanding the comLa Paix has also been given up, though bined attempts of the competitors, whom M. Guizot was understood to be a con- he thus undersold and half ruined, to put tributor. Le Commerce, a paper founded him down, it is far from clear that this at the restoration, and respectable from undertaking will not prove as prospe its information and consistency, is now rous as the rest. Soon after the estabthe organ of M. Mauguin, the celebrated lishment of his journal, he became enorator and advocate, who makes use of it gaged in a controversy with Carrel. It to advance his own peculiar views in poli- led to a duel, in which Carrel was killed. tics, as well as to defend certain colonial Frenchmen-who in some respects are not interests intrusted to his care. Le Temps, above half civilized-regard disputes of founded by M. Jacques Coste, the hero this kind much in the same light as Sir Luof the barricades, and for many years cius O'Trigger: 'It's a very pretty quarrel very skilfully conducted by him, has as it stands.' They never dream of explabeen bought by or for M. Conil, deputy nations, and have frequently no better and colonial delegate, who uses it much object in fighting than to show that they as M. Mauguin uses Le Commerce. are not afraid. Four or five years ago, He took We now come to a paper which has the ultras of both sides seemed seriously effected a revolution in journalism, La intent on carrying the Bobadil plan of exPresse, established in July, 1836, at half termination into effect. 'We would challenge twenty of the enemy; they | ral belief that he forms a medium of comcould not in honour refuse us. Well, we munication or connecting link between would kill them! challenge twenty more; M. Odilon Barrot and M. Thiers. The kill them! twenty more; kill them, too! literary portion of the paper forms a and so on.' This duel, therefore, was strange contrast with the political; the rather M. de Girardin's misfortune than one, like M. Odilon Barrot's speeches, his fault. By way of compensation he breathing a pure, stern, uncompromising had the good luck to marry the beautiful morality, the other exhibiting the most and accomplished Delphine Gay, the culpable laxity and indifference. We daughter of the celebrated Sophie Gay, have heard the conductors compared, in through whom he gained a legitimate this respect, to certain pious householders footing in society. Yet such was the who preserve the strictest regard to deprejudice excited against him by the cency in the upper portion of the house death of Carrel, and the establishment of occupied by their own families, but make his newspaper; such is the influence of no scruple of adding largely to their rethe press, when combined for any given venue by letting out the lower stories to object, good or evil; such the over-persons of equivocal reputation, at a high whelming power of popular clamour, pas- rent. It is stated by M. Sainte Beuve, in sion, or caprice, in France, that M. Gi-his curious article on La Littérature Inrardin was driven almost by acclamation, dustrielle, in the Revue des Deux Mondes from the Chamber, for not being able to produce strict documentary evidence of a fact of which no moral doubt was ever entertained by any one. for September, 1839, that the literary contributors to the Siècle act in the same capacity in the Charivari, which may ac-. count in some measure for the objectionable tone of their lucubrations.* A writ er is not likely to learn manners or morals in such a school. This brings us to a class of newspapers of which the Charivarit may now be considered as the chief-a class reflecting little credit to the country, notwithstanding their cleverness. Their business is to laugh at everybody, and turn everything into ridicule. If a celebrated man The journal participates of the character of the founder; it is clever and amusing enough, but by no means remarkable for steadiness or consistency. At the present moment it is understood to be the organ of the king, a very different thing from being the organ of his government. The chief contributor is M. Granier de Cossognac, a bold, dashing, paradoxical, ready writer, by whom the political paper is most frequently has a foible or defect, mental or physical, supplied. The literary department is rich in celebrated names, some of Dumas and Balzac's romances having appeared piecemeal in the columns of La Presse. But the contributions of Madame de Girardin, under the signature of the Viscomte de Launay, form the grand attraction to subscribers; and nothing can be happier or more alluring than the manner in which her weekly summary of lite rary, musical, artistical, fashionable, and social gossip is dished up. Her comedy, which we shall presently have occasion to examine in detail, was written to vindicate her husband, and retaliate on his calumniators. they point it out; if a celebrated woman has been suspected of a faux pas, they dwell upon it. Woe to the advocate who professes a fondness for rural amusements, and shame upon the deputy who squints! Nor do they confine themselves to words- Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures Quam quæ sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus,'and their most biting insinuations are illustrated by caricatures. The real or fancied resemblance of Louis Philippe's head to a pear was the discovery of Philipon, one of the illustrators of the Charivari, and gave the king more real anGo where he would, this unlucky print noyance than the attacks upon his life. haunted him; and it is thought that the famous laws of September, which extended to caricatures, were owing full as much to the pear as to Fieschi. Le Siècle, started in opposition to La Presse on the under-selling principle, is one of the most zealous supporters of an extension of the elective franchise, and circulates widely. It is supposed to be under the control of M. Odilon Barrot, whose views it advocates; but the political articles are written by M. Chambolle, a member of the Chamber of Deputies, who deti. e., marrow.bones and cleavers. An unpopurives no slight importance from the gene-lar person is treated with a charivari. *The history of their connection is given by M. Alphonse Peyrat in the first number of his Person alités. The Figaro, the first in point of time, | pamphlets, entirely made up of the same earned its reputation fairly and honestly, materials as the Charivari, in the names. enough by laughing at the Jesuits. After of the authors. Of this description are the Revolution of July, it changed its Les Guepes of Alphonse Karr, Les Papil tone, became a supporter of the establish-lons Noirs of the bibliophile Jacob (Laed order of things, and has ever since been sensibly declining, though M. Alphonse Karr undertook the management for a time. The Charivari was founded by M. Desnoyers, a clever writer of vaudevilles and melodrames. It professes to be edited by trois hommes d'état, namely MM. Desnoyers, Altaroche, and Cler. Most of the other wits of Paris contribute occasionally; and MM. Philipon and Grenville are the illustrators. The general tendency is democratic, but great care is taken not to offend the legitimist party, who subscribe to the paper for the sake of the jokes against the king. The Charivari was also the first to expose and condemn the treachery of Maroto, and is consequently in high favour with the Carlists. Le Corsaire, and several others, belong to the same category as the Figaro and the Charivari. croix) and Les Personnalités of Alphonse Peyrat. We cannot say much for the wit of these productions; but we recommend them to the attention of those who think that the worst evils of the press are produced by its anonymous character. The only evening papers of note are Le Moniteur Parisien, lately an organ of the government; and Le Messager, the property of M. le Comte Walewski, the son of Napoleon by a celebrated Polish beauty, whose personal advantages, along with a million or so of francs bestowed by the emperor, have been inherited by the count. He is a popular member of the best Parisian circles, and has lately written a comedy to describe their manners, and (on dit) to bring forward an actress named Anais. The piece, entitled L'Ecole du Monde, was not quite so successful at the public representation at the Théâtre Français, as at the private readings in the salons of the initiated, and Janin cut it up without ceremony. An injudicious friend of the author's, who volunteered a reply, insinuated that the habits of high life were beyond the jurisdiction of the pit, and that the play would have fared better had the critic been duly propitiated by a few preliminary attentions. The rejoinder was in Janin's happiest manner. He triumphantly vindicates the competency of the public, turns off the personalities with goodhumoured raillery, and handles the pretensions of the count's coterie, the modern Précieuses Ridicules, in a style which must have made them the laughter of Paris for a week. There was some talk of a duel, but in the next number Janin candidly assured the public that he was still alive and merry. To estimate the effects of these papers, we must weigh well their precise object, and bear constantly in mind the peculiar character of the people amongst whom they circulate. Ridicule has been called the test of truth, and so it may be in the hands of writers (like the Rev. Sydney Smith) who use it only as the clencher of an argument; but in the hands of persons who get their living by it, the case is widely different, and we are quite sure that in the present state of the public mind of Paris, all that is great, good, pure, true, and holy, may be-we much fear has been already-lowered, soiled, perverted, and desecrated by means of it. Some of our Sunday newspapers are bad enough in all conscience, but these are excluded from all decent houses, and even the shop-boys and milliners' apprentices, who form their chief purchasers, must be disturbed by doubts as to the authenticity of the absurd accounts there set before them of the sayings and doings of their betters. At Paris, on the contrary, every body reads the Charivari, and the contributors walk about apparently no more ashamed of their vocation than Dr. Lawrence of the Rolliad, Lord Palmerston of the New Whig Guide, or Mr. Canning of the Anti-Jacobin. Even this sort of notoriety does not satisfy ed in this paper! some of them; and it has recently become the practice to publish monthly The Bonapartist party-i. e., the adherents of Prince Louis Napoleon-have lately set up a newspaper entitled Le Capitole, under the management of M. Durand, formerly editor of the Frankfort Gazette, but they make few proselytes, and have little to depend upon but the chapter of accidents, which, it must be admitted, bids fair to prove a varied and important chapter in France. The Russian interest is also said to be represent Balzac relates, that when Blucher and Sacken reached the heights which over look Paris, the latter exultingly doomed | saluted on his arrival, not with acclamait to destruction. It will suit our pur- tions or illuminations, but a charivari. pose better to let it alone,' said Blucher; However, he has no reason to be ashamed that great cancer will be the ruin of of his unpopularity, for he might have France.' The remark is not quite in made himself as popular as ever by pankeeping with what has been recorded of dering to the prejudices of the mass; the gallant veteran's capacity, but, who- and, with a little more tact and coolness, ever made it, it is founded on truth; for he would still rank high amongst the best the public opinion of the provincial journalists in France. His pamphlet, Du towns is a mere echo or reflection of the Gouvernement du Roi et des Limites Conmetropolis. It follows that the provin- stitutionelles, has been much read, and cial press exercises comparatively little possesses great merit. influence, and we know of only two writers who have risen into consideration by its means-M. Anselme Petetin and M. Henri Fonfrede. M. Petetin was the principal writer in the Précurseur de Lyons. His style wanted polish, but his reasonings were full of vigour, and he honestly sought rather to discover a remedy for the evils which agitated Lyons during the commercial crisis, than to aggravate them in order to profit by the opportunity, as most of his Parisian brethren would have done. He has since retired from the press, and devoted himself exclusively to his profession, the bar. Not long since M. de Lamartine contributed some political articles to a journal of his own province (Macon), which created a great sensation throughout France; but this is attributable to his peculiar character and position. The high moral tone he has uniformly sustained, the practical though enthusiastic nature of his philosophy, the solid foundation of reason and logic which underlies his most imaginative flights, and the undeviating rectitude of his motives, have procured for him an extent of personal and individual weight, wholly unprecedented in one who is not aiming at power, and is more likely to frustrate the objects of any given party than to forward them. ment was fairly tried by M. Guizot and the Duc de Broglie in 1829, when they established the Revue Française, in which their political, critical, and philosophical doctrines were developed and applied with remarkable ability; but it did not last long, and the late attempt to revive it has received little encouragement. The Revue Trimestrielle was also well conducted, but soon ceased. We hear, however, that it is about to be revived under high auspices. M. Fonfrede, the son of the well-known Girondist, won his early laurels in Le It has hitherto been found impracticable Mémorial, of Bordeaux. He is a man of to maintain a French review on the plan simple habits, residing on the Garonne at of the best English reviews. The sole a small farm near the city, which he visits solution that we have ever been able to obtwo or three times a-week in his boat, tain of the phenomenon is, that opinions enjoying his favourite amusement of and parties change too often, and that fishing by the way. His popularity knew the nation is too volatile to wait a quarno bounds for some years after the Rev-ter of a year for anybody. The experiolution of July, which he materially aided in Bordeaux; and, like many men of local reputation, he was led into the fatal mistake of supposing that he could achieve similar honours in the capital. He came to Paris about 1837, and enlisted as a contributor in Le Journal de Paris, a doctrinaire print, edited by M. Jules Le Chevalier. But he was transplanted too late his provincial modes of thought and expression had become inveterate: the fiery eagerness with which he advocated moderation verged upon the ludicrous; and after a short time he concluded his Parisian campaign by quarrelling with M. Guizot, whom he recklessly assailed in a pamphlet. He then bade a long adieu to Paris, and returned to edit Le Courrier de Bordeaux. But a man who has been tried and found wanting in the capital is no longer the wonder of his townspeople; and M. Fonfrede was suspected of having been faithless to the democratic cause. He was, therefore, The best of the so-called reviews are the Revue des Deux Mondes and the Revue de Paris. They are composed much in the same manner as our magazines; and although masterly pieces of criticism are often to be found in them, these, being invariably signed, are necessarily regarded merely as the opinions of an individual, and exercise no influence beyond what is derivable from the name. During the Molé ministry, when the whole energies of the press were taxed to the uttermost, |