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fully. He was very expert at all bodily ate niece, she is surrounded by a select cirexercises, and spoke French extremely cle of friends, among whom are some of well and with the greatest fluency. His about her own standing; the heroes of the was the most refined elegance, and a mag- empire and the favorites of the Restoration, nificence which was carried to prodigali- all are glad to be admitted, and hear her still ty..... It was not long before my departure that I painted the portrait of the delightful conversation. She has even paintPrince of Wales; it was nearly a whole ed the portrait of M. Poujoulat since she length, and in uniform." passed her eightieth year, and the signs of old age have not sunk deeper than the external wrinkles which years will bring with them.

It would appear that more jealousy was felt against Madame Lebrun in England than any where else, and this portrait of the Prince of Wales heightened it so much, that her rivals attacked not only the artist, but the lady and all her compatriots of the pencil, which occasioned a spirited letter on the part of Madame Lebrun, but which has too much of the woman in it; and we think it was scarcely worth the while of one so strong in her own fame and excellence to notice the production to which it alludes. We were glad to read her remarks concerning the general feeling evinced in England at the murder of the Duke d'Enghien; his unhapPy father went to see her about a month afterwards, so altered that she scarcely knew him. At first he could not speak, but, seating himself in a chair, covered his face with his hands, burst into tears, and then exclaimed, "Non, je ne m'en consolerai jamais!" and in fact he never recovered his former vivacity.

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We trust that we have now interested our readers for Madame Lebrun as much as we could desire, and we cannot do better than recommend them to read the volumes of which we have given but an imperfect sketch. We cannot, however, close it, without mentioning some separate sketches of character, drawn by Madame Lebrun, and placed at the end of the first volume. Some of them are inefficient, and she certainly sees every thing en beau, but as she confines herself to what she herself knew of the parties, we may rely on the correctness of the statements. From them we offer one specimen, with which we shall take our farewell of the gifted Madame Lebrun.

"Jacques Delille was a child during his whole life, but one of the best, the most amiable and spirituel of all children. He was called 'chose légère,' and I have been thet, for no man ever fluttered through life always struck with the aptness of the epimore lightly, without being strongly attached to any thing in this world. Enjoying the present without thinking of the future, he rarely concentrated his mind into deep thought. Nothing was more easy than to acquire a complete influence over marriage is a strong proof of this. He had him, to guide him, or to lead him; and his complained to every one of the heavy chain which he wore, while it was yet time to break it. At last a friend persuaded him to set himself free, and offered him an asylum in his house. Delille accepted the offer, was delighted, determined, and only his things together. In the evening, his asked for an hour in order to get some of friend, finding that he did not come, went to seek him. Well, well,' answered Delille, 'I am going to marry her, my friend, I hope you will be kind enough to serve as a witness.'

Madame Lebrun visited many places in England, such as Brighton, Tunbridge Wells, Matlock, Bath, Warwick Castle, of all of which she speaks in raptures; and, after three years passed in this country, she hastened back to Paris by way of Holland, to meet her daughter, who had arrived there from Russia, and where she remained till she died; her husband and she having become so indifferent to each other, as to be perfectly happy apart. Madame Lebrun made one journey more in order to see Switzerland, and at her return bought a countryhouse at Louveciennes, on the banks of the Seine in sight of the beautiful woods of Marly, and close to the spot to which the famous Madame Dubarry retired on the death of Louis XV. She resumed all her former habits, renewed her musical soirées, at which Catalani often sang, and where she introduced the famous tragie actress, Mademoi"The Count de Choiseul-Gouffier, with selle Duchesnois, to public notice. In 1815, going to Greece, repeatedly asked him to whom he was very intimate, and who was she was plundered at Louveciennes by the go with him. Nothing, however, had been allied troops; in 1818 her only child and agreed on, nothing was settled for this her husband quitted this world, and in voyage. On the day of departure, the 1820 she lost her only brother, to whom she Count went to the Abbé and said, 'I start was fondly attached. In order to recover immediately; come along, the carriage is her spirits, she went to Bordeaux, and now ready.' The Abbé complied, without hashe passes her time between Louveciennes ving made any preparation, and in fact and Paris; she is cherished by an affection- M. de Choiseul had provided every thing. "When they reached Marseilles, Delille

walked upon the shore, and looking at the sea, a deep melancholy came over him. 'I never can,' said he, 'put this immense element between my friends and myself; no! I will go no further.' He then secretly quitted M. de Choiseul, and hid himself in an obscure inn, where he thought he could not be found; but, after much search, M. de Choiseul discovered him, brought him back, and they embarked together.

"When separated from his friends, he never forgot them, and wrote often to them. He sent me several letters from Athens, where he said he had inscribed my name in the temple of Minerva, and from Naples I, in my turn, wrote to him that I had, with much more reason, inscribed his on the tomb of Virgil.

"The Abbé Delille passed his life in high society, of which he formed one of the most brilliant ornaments. He not only repeated his verses in the most delightful manner, but his refined wit, his natural gaiety, gave an unspeakable charm to his conversation. No one could tell a story like him, and he delighted all circles by a thousand recitals, a thousand anecdotes, | without ever mingling scandal or satire with them, therefore it may be said, that every one loved him, and he loved every body. The latter good quality, if it be one, I think proceeded from the weakness of character of which I have already spoken. He knew not how to hate or to resist ; if he had promised to dine with you, even at the moment of coming, any one else who came to seek him, might take him in another direction, and you might expect him in vain. I recollect that we one day reproached him for not having kept his word with us, and he had an answer ready. I always persuade myself,' said he, 'that he who comes to seek me is more eager to have me than he who expects me.'

Some instances of his simplicity strongly remind me of La Fontaine. One evening, when he came to supper at my house, I said to him, 'It is very late; you live so far off, that I am uneasy at seeing you return at such an hour, driving your cabriolet yourself.'-'I always take the precaution of putting a night-cap in my pocket,' said he. I then proposed making up a bed for him in the saloon. 'No! no! said he; I have a friend who lives in your street, and I often sleep there; it is not the least inconvenience to him, and I can go there at any time.' And in fact he slept at his friend's.

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tality of the Soul. He read it to Chaumette, and when he came to the verse which ends thus,

Tremble! for you are immortal,'

he stopped, looked round the court, and in a strong and steady voice repeated, 'You also tremble-you are immortal.' Although Chaumette was confused, he murmured some threats. I am quite ready,' answered Delille; 'I have just read you my will.' For this once, the courage of the good man was successful, for Chaumette told his friends that it was not yet time to put Delille to death, and protected him from that moment. The poet, however, thought it prudent to emigrate; he went to England, where he was received and sought after by all distinguished persons.

"The powers of his muse were always reserved for his legitimate sovereigns. Under the reign of the usurper, who made the whole world tremble, he published his poem of 'La Pitié,' and returned to France. He was courageous enough also to resist the deceitful caresses of absolute power. He did not fear to incur misfortune, provided that he preserved his self-esteem, the esteem of his friends, and the general admiration, all of which he enjoyed to his last hour."

ART. II.-1. Geschichte von Böhmen, grösstentheils nach Urkunden und Handschriften. (History of Bohemia, for the most part from MSS. and original Documents.) Von Franz Palacky. Prag. 1836. Vol. I.

2.

Starozitnosti Slovanske. (Slavonian Antiquities.) Pred P. I. Szafarik, w Praze. 1836. In Numbers. Nos. I. and II.

A CRITICAL study of the language of a country, tracing its development from its most ancient forms and structures, affords perhaps the surest basis for the labors of the historian. In this department, the exertions of the Slavonian learned world were eminently successful in the latter half of the last, and in the beginning of the present century; so much so, that they not only got the start of their studious neighbors, the Germans, but may be said to have given the impulse to, and even to have pointed out the true course of, grammatical and etymological research, which the industry and acumen of

"No one ever more enjoyed life. Always ready to laugh, and to be amused, Delille's happiness resembled that of a child. Nevertheless, this man displayed the greatest energy during the revolution: His courageous refusal to compose an Ode to the Goddess of Reason, when a Grimm was destined to bring to a climax. Chaumette demanded it of him in 1793, is The Abbé Dobrowsky, whose name is well known. He was aware that his re-immortalized in the Slavonian half of Eufusal was a sentence of death, and he then rope, as the patriarch of those whose labors wrote his fine dithyrambic on the Immor have thrown light upon the rich mine of

Slavonic philology, rendered we suspect, a part of conquerors for so long a period to. greater service to succeeding linguists, by wards Bohemia; little disposition can be exthe publication of his many philological pected in authors of either nation to appretracts, but especially of his "Lehrgebäude ciate or display the good qualities of their der Slavischen Sprache" (1809), than they rivals. Those distinguishing shades of cha have been willing to allow. The establish- racter which the reflecting mind loves to ment, too, of the Bohemian Academy of trace in different nations, and which, while Sciences, which formed a rallying point for they afford the true standard by which to unconnected contributions of men of science judge of actions and events, form at the saine in all departments, and tended to awaken a time the poetical element of history, are toospirit of inquiry into historical matters in delicate to retain their freshness when the all classes, was productive of the greatest painter is influenced by low passions or naservice. The archieves of the powerful tional prejudice. In the case of the Franks families, which had long been closed to the and Bohemians, the contrast between the researches of the learned, were gradually national characters was not only rendered opened, and many distinguished individuals more striking by differing political intercame forward and made voluntary offerings ests, but was also inflamed by religious of valuable paleographic and historical docu- zeal.

ments to the National Museum at Prague. The traditional descriptions of the primiThe epoch has thus been gradually ush-tive state of society in most nations repreered in when a critical and satisfactory his- sent the development and exercise of power tory of this interesting people might be at- in scenes of war and rapine, in the oppres tempted with some prospect of success; and sion of weak neighbours, and resistance to among the various candidates for the repu- those which are more formidable. Natation arising from the undertaking, none tions like children, learn to appreciate their show fairer claims to the attention of the power by its effects in destroying. But no public than M. Palacky. A series of small-legends, describing a social state scarcely er tracts, on subjects connected with the his- emerged from nomadism, possess a higher tory of his country, especially, however, and purer poetical charm than those whose his prize essay," Würdigung der alten Böh-scenery lies in the valleys of the Moldau, mischen Geschichtschreiber," had sufficient- the Eger, and the Mies. Destitute of all ly displayed the extent and solidity of his ostensible historical support, except the name studies in the sphere of national history; of the forest. the mountain, or the castle, to and, when the Estates of Bohemia declared it desirable to have the history of the country treated by a man properly qualified for the task, M. Palacky was appointed their historiographer. But the solid advantages that ought to have followed this charge, we mean unlimited access to the archives and sources under the control of government, as well as the full liberty of treating at least the most ancient disputed topics according to his conviction, were, as we shall see, not included in that nomination.

But, before we proceed to enumerate the difficulties with which the historian at the present day has to contend, it may not be amiss to state why the history of Bohemia possesses a peculiar interest when treated by a native, and considered from the Slavonian point of view; as many of our readers may think the most interesting parts of the annals of that nation so closely interwoven with the history of Germany, as to be equally well understood from the accounts of the German historians.

From the hostile position in which, from the earliest times, the two great families of Germans and Slavonians have stood with regard to one another; more especially, however, from the former having played the

which M. Palacky seems to think many of them owed their origin, a stranger can only look on them as mythological conceptions of the simple and unalterable dictates of nature, such as are met with among many nations of a poetical turn, but which nowhere have preserved themselves freer from the degrading leaven which the flatterers of la ter despots have so often mixed up with them in their versions of these first and holiest effusions of the muse. The less enlightened among the Bohemians, however, cling to them as true historical accounts of the patriarchs of the nation, while even the critical scholar fondly renews his often failed attempt to extract history from them, must be regarded as proofs, not only of their high antiquity, but of their being deeply founded in the national character. Some of these legends which have given full employment to poets and romancers, may be known to our readers from Museus' work, Volksmährchen der Deutschen," the prettiest tales in which are of Slavonian and not of German origin. Many of them are found again, sometimes with variations, among the Poles, and the same names even occur in the two countries, but both nations have names and legends peculiar to themselves, as for in

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stance, the Czech of the Bohemians and wisdom, and justice, had raised him to Piast among the Poles. In the "Würdi- be judge over the whole nation. He gave gung der alten Böhmischen Geschichtschrei- his name to the castle of Krakow* in Bober," M. Palacky alludes to the legend of hemia, which had, however, fallen into ruin in the 11th century, and was overthe Patriarch Czech, from whom the coun grown with trees. Krok was most probatry takes its name (Czechy.) bly a descendant of Samo, perhaps even his son, as he must have lived before the conclusion of the 7th century.

"It is curious to see, that even in Cosmas's time (1125), no remembrance had been preserved of the Ante-Slavonian inhabitants of Bohemia. Cosmas had not the least notion of such a thing; he imagined Czech's arrival in the remotest times fancifully enough, in a land surrounded with mountains as with a wall, covered with forests which teemed with swarms of bees, with wild beasts, and birds of the air; with rivers and brooks full of fish, in a land which the plough had never touched, nor human foot had trodden. The ancestor of the Czechs, his household gods upon his shoulders, ascended the mountain Rzip, saw the wide-spreading lovely land before him, recognized the goal of his toilsome journey, sacrificed in grateful emotion to the gods, taught his followers to call the land after his own name, kissed the earth of his new home, and prayed for the blessing of Heaven upon his race in all future generations.”

Of the successors of Czech, Samo is named by the Burgundian chronicler Fredegar. He is said to have freed Bohemia and Moravia from the intolerable yoke of the Avars in 627, and to have reigned till 662. From this period to the reign of Charlemagne, no light of history breaks upon Bohemia, and in the interval, the chroniclers have fixed the epoch of the legends to which we alluded above, and which M. Palacky calls "scanty reminiscences among the people, out of times of old, bound up with names which have an undeniable historical foundation; but this tissue of facts must be admitted into history with so much the more caution and sifting, the oft ner it has changed its form in the progress of time.

We subjoin the historian's short sketch of this legendary period.

"After the father of the race, Czech, who first came with his followers in remote antiquity across three rivers into this land of bliss, Krok is the oldest mortal whose memory has been preserved by Bohemian tradition. According to the oldest legends, he had his golden seat in the castle of Wyssehrad, and ruled with mighty, al though not unlimited power, over the greater part of Bohemia. Later tradition saw, however, in him nothing but a rich landed proprietor, whose virtues,

*Literally, "The High Castle," still existing at Prague,

"Krok left behind him no son, but three daughters, Kasa, Teta, Libusa, whose remarkable qualities of mind he had cherished and formed. Kasa distinguished herself by her skill in the powers of nature, in medicine, and technical invention; she was considered to possess magical power, and her lofty sepulchral barrow, on the banks of the Mies, was long remembered and respected by the people. Teta was more taken up with matters of religious observance; she explained to the people the nature of the gods they adored, and regulated the religious ceremonies. The castle of Tetin, not far from Beraun, on the banks of the Mies, recalls her memory at the present day.

"But the youngest, Libusa, excelled both her sisters, not only in qualities of mind, but in excellence of heart. She seemed to have inherited all her father's virtues, and the people called her to govern the country in his stead. She looked with penetrating and unerring eye into the necessities of the present as well as of the future, and guided with judgment the public affairs of the Bohemians. She was wise and just on the judgment-seat, firm in resolve, chaste in her manners, and mild and amiable in her social relations. In the Wyssehrad, her father's castle, she kept a princely court, and distributed justice to the people. In important cases, the three sisters came together, and lent each other

support.

"Libusa sat once in judgment on two powerful brothers, the sons of Klen, who were contesting their patrimonial inheritance, and was scoffed at for her sex by the disputants, who refused obedience to her commands. After this mortification, she abdicated the supreme power, and desired the people to choose a duke. The choice was left to herself, inasmuch as they promised to acknowledge as their duke whomsoever she should choose for her husband. She sent, therefore, a solemn embassy to Przemysl, the master of Staditz, to offer him her hand and the dignity of duke in Bohemia. The messengers found him with the plough in his hand, tilling the field, which, up to the present day, retains the name of the King's Field. He obeyed the summons with pleasure, put on the signs of his new dignity which they offered, and mounted the horse which conveyed him amidst the train to the sovereign in the Wyssehrad."

In the circle of Rakonitz.

one of those

The word Libusa would probably be | Slavonian as "false and fair," translated by an English amatory poet-the instances of national injustice which are so lovely one. Przemysl signifies, literally, prevalent. But the Bohemian turns with "forethought;" and thns the legend, whe- confidence to his history, which shows his ther it possesses historical value or not, be- country to have been a steady supporter of comes interesting as one of those beautiful true civilization, and a firm champion of the allegories invented in the infancy of nations, dignity of human nature, in contests in which or at least before poets were infected by the his opponents have mostly been the very vices and affectation of the learned in the Germans who pretend to look down upon schools. The Polish legends have their him. We must not omit another legend, howWanda, also the daughter of a Duke Cracus, the founder of Cracow; but in a war-ever, in which the ladies of Bohemia of a like nation her story assumes more resem- later date are represented as not being quite blance to that of Jemiramis; her fame is so gentle in their natures as Libusa. founded on martial deeds, and like the Assyrian heroine, she puts an end voluntarily to her existence, by jumping into the Vistu-hemian antiquity is that of a war which la. We do not know if it be fair to state an isolated fact as an instance of difference of national character, but the lower classes among the neighbouring Germans seem to be little satisfied with the domestic and peacable character attributed to Libusa, and a suit of armour is actually exhibited as her's in the arsenal at Vienna, where the guide calls particular attention to the long sharp-pointed covering of the feet, with which he asserts the Bohemian queen, when mounted, used to pierce the hearts of the men whom she encountered in battle.

"The most remarkable tradition of Bo

broke out upon Libusa's death, between the male and female sexes. The latter, it seems, upon the death of this princess, arrogated to themselves the sovereignty of Bohemia, and, under the guidance of the high-minded Wlasla, a friend of Libusa's, endeavoured for years, by force of arms and artifice, to carry their point.At length, however, the men succeeded in capturing and destroying their strong castle, Dziewin (maiden's tower), whose lofty towers and battlements proudly rose at the opposite side of the river to the Wyssehrad."

The ruins of these old castles, or rather The Bohemian national character, as it at present displays itself to the traveller who their sites, which are still shown, together looks a little deeper than the surface, cor- with other spots connected with Bohemian responds perfectly with the tone which pre-traditions, throw an irresistible romantic vails in these ancient legends. The inhabit- charm round Prague and its neighbourhood, ants are lovers of peace without being faint- to which the heart of every stranger, exhearted; they are studious and thoughtful cept that perhaps of an Austrian employé, without sinking into unproductive abstrac- must yield. And yet, strange enough, it is tion; their love of music, which is more to the nation which, from its position with universal than in any other land, is accom-respect to the Bohemians, can have the fewpanied by a lively and poetical fancy; but est points of sympathy with them, that we all these, and other remarkable traits, are have hitherto had to look for the history of shrouded from the other polished nations that people. of Europe by their using an unknown and difficult language. This very language, however, although, to judge from its orthography, one expects to find it harsh and guttural, is a most faithful interpreter of the character of the nation, and is so rich in mild, conciliating, sympathising, and endearing expressions, that the Bohemian would find it difficult to substitute any foreign dia

lect for his own.

Our readers will have anticipated the remark, that a character of this description is likely, under oppression, to assume an abject appearance, and to offer the resistance of calculation or cunning to the outrages of superior force; accordingly, a proverb exists among the Germans, stigmatizing the

The lately discovered Königinhofen MS., part of which has been communicated to the British public by Dr. Bowring's translation, together with the gleanings to be obtained from the German chroniclers, Ditmar, Adam of Bremen, Helmold, Saxo-Gramaticus, and others, enable the historian to give the following restoration of the Wyssehrah at Prague.

"The Wyssehrad was, undoubtedly, to the inhabitants of Bohemia what Ancona and Rhetra were to the Slavonians of the north, the chief seat of their pagan wor

The proverb is interesting for craniologists: "Der Slawe hat es faust-dick hinter den Ohren," which may be translated, "The Slavonian has bumps as thick as a fist behind his ears,"

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