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Leader (1850-1860), 21st April 1860, Edition 1 of 2, Page 381, Untitled Article

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      April 21 , 1 SG 0 . J The Leader and \ Saturday Analyst . 381

      Untitled Article

      JVI Louis Figuier , succeeds admirably iri putting- together under a familiar and interesting form all the principal scientific discoveries which have occurred during the last twelve months . . Astronomy , meteorologv , agriculture / mechanics , every tiling relating to the domains of science finds a place-in this useful book ; and a mere elance at-the table of contents will show : how much is being- ^ continually done throughout the civilized world for the benefit of the human race , and the - furtherance of our every-day comforts . Of course , one of the principal subjects discussed by M . Figuieron the present occasion is the Great Eastern , and the details he gives of that vessel , borrowed chiefly from M . T . Raymond ' s article m the Journal des Debats , are well worth perusal . The chapter relating to medicine and physiology has likewise seemed to us peculiarly suggestive ; nor must we omit mentioning the biographical article On ° ALEXAKDEU VON HUHBOLBT . _ _

      _ Before goin <> -on to notice other publications of the same kind as the " dnneeSciaitifique , " we must say a few words of M . FiGOKR'a « Sistoire des JSferveiUeux dans les Temps Modernes . * \\ hat a subject to analyze , with all that we know about spirit-rapping , table-turning , animal magnetism , and other like contemporary phenomena ! Would M . Figuier be bold enough to fly into the face of the Spiritual Magazine , ; uid to strip the magicians of our own times of the garb of sup-rnaturalism with which they have bedecked themselves ? Yes ; taking his . stand on the domain of historv , he attempts to prove " .. Qua vtms les prodiges qui out excite en clivers temps la surprise on l ' admiration des hommes ^ s ^ xpliquent avec biseule eonnaissanee de no ' tre organisation physiolngique . ^ After iin introduction , in which our author glances at the history of

      the 31 erv £ il 7 eiix from the remotest ages down to the present t mih > , we have fir * t an account of the extraordinary facts connected with the so-called demoniacal possession of the toudiin IJrsulitie nuns under the reign of Louis XIII .. This singular episode , which M . Aiteed D 3 eVig > -y has turned to such good account in his novel Cinq Mars , is fully explained by M . Figuier from contemporary documents , and / the evidence supplied by the law and ecclesiastical witiiesses of that iifrair enables hirn to appreciate , with , much clearness the true clmracto of whitt TJrcain GBiXDiaK ' a enemies ^ . endeavoured to proclaim as a case of bond fide demenopathy We were not aware Ihatanv pcM-son , in the year 1859 ,- would be found enthusiastic existence of the devils smodeusKasas

      enough " to maintain the A , , and Ckrbeiius , as inmates of the unfortunate nuns ; but perhaps some confirmed : Jansenist , from his quiet study at Utrocht , has already shrugged up his shoulders at the bare idea of M . Louis Ptguier ' s questioning the miraculous character of -the convulsions which occurred about one century ago at the tomb of the deacon PWs in the famous , cimetiere Saint Medard . These phys . olog-. cal phenomena would have been simply ridiculous but for the horrible circumstances attending upon them , and winch J \ I . Louis I iguie * relates at ( nil length in his volume . Ko doubt the continued system of persecution followed by the King of France , against the . Jansenists was both a blunder and a crime , but it is painful to see the PortRovui reformation , so grand ,, so useful so import ant m its be-ihninV- ' . represented a century later by .-n few erm-k-bnuned old women , ' mid giving rise to the following epigrammatic lines : —

      "Do par le Roi , defense a A > i <" , De fairc miracle en . a lieu . ' We shall not stop to offer any remarks oi * the Protestant prophets who sprang up during the administration of Louis XIV ., with the war of the Camisnrds , and whose doings occupy also a long chapter iu M . FiguiiuTs work . The divining rod used by the magicians of antiquity is the fourth subject , which our au thor examines : it has « t least the merit of not being . connected with tragical events , such as those described in the three other divisions of tl o book ; but it is no less u notable monument of human weakness and of the irresistible propensity we all feel or superna ural facts " von at epochs—we might have said , especially at epochswhen ' 1 ™ igion ""

      mn < niotism , tablcrturning ' , spirit-rapping . ThoZUo SohntiftqZe was the first publication undertaken by Messrs . Hacitisttk ior the purpose of givmg iv kind of ) Wtw of the invention and discoveries made during the year ; but literature as well " s science has its annals , and those annals should bo preserved ; hone J Ho Annie LiMraireXcMf hy M . J ^ n ^ v , an ^ ow published for the second time . It ia true that if nil the works mi ^ a from 1 o French press or performed on the French st « i |? e were like M i 4 v « kAxj ' s bcrniol or M . Dumas , jun / s fbro Prodir / ue , xt would bo ' fnrbottov to leave them unmentionod ; but as a fjol-olT against Huch productions wo find Madame Bdoamikb & correspon-Sine nnd the Life of Madame SwwoiriNK . # Mus ^ j botlimtocji ! and instrumental , has likewise found its chronicler . M . Seudo , the acoor p ] i . od critic of the Xevue des Deux * Mondas , takes his 5 Sonf . de by Bide with Messrs . Fiouiek and Vapkbkau , and So cc » in the Ann $ e Mvsicahl Biohahd Waoneu , Schumann , the miiflio of the future , in fact , nil those who m . atake nowe for l > ar-^ nv " ml qecentrioitv ov geniun . The lasUinmed serial does not Celr tbo the closing- one in the collection , m the newspapers are Edy * XirtWiiir the Ann 6 o MhtoriQuc , the Am * Behgtcusc ,

      The three volumes recently published of Voltaire ' s complete ! works * contain some of his most celebrated productions , the | S&cle ' do Jjpicis XIV ., Hisioire de Charles XII . , et de Pierre le Grand . As a narrative simply written , full- of interest and of dra-. luatic effect , the Q 7 tarles XII . is undoubtedly Voltaire's inasterpiece , . rind , it would b , e difficult to overrate it ; hut the Siecle de \ Loti ?' . < i XIV ., although considered by many as quite equal , if not superior to it , seems to us decidedly below the reputation it has long enjoyed . ! Never vvas there a m&re one-sided , prejudiced view of France . under the reign of the Grand 3 Ionarqiie , and contemporary inenioirs and state papers have so completely demolished . Voltaibe ' s glowing account , that the Sieele de Louis XIV . must be acknowledged to be as untrustworthy as any piece of official panegyric can possibly be . In the case of a writer like the PatriarcJi of I ^ emey , it may be desirable tp have in print even the smallest scrap of his writings ; but tli £ same rule couhi hardly apply to inferior litterateurs—SL ¦ P ^¦ X ^^ T : , for instance . Thus M . llAcnETTE seems to us to haye acted very wisely in selecting for publication thirteen only out of the numerous comedies , vaudevilles , and other plays owned by that prolific autlior .-f- JRicJtard Cosur dc ' Uon , JLc Deserteur , and mure particularly Le Philosophe sans le sav-oir , arc decidedly the best of these compositions . Referring to Le ~ PIdlosophe , " a recent critic says : — " iG ' est' de tout point y un chefd'oeuvre . ¦ Une situation forte , des caracteres bien traces , et que releve encore le contraste , des scenes terribles sans emphaseet sans exsigcration , on touehantes sans fausse sensibilite , un style dont le nature ] constant nVxclut ni relevation ni lo pathetique , expliquenfc I ' enthousiasme de Diderot , . . . " The only fault we have to find with this volume is tliab no biographical notice of Sebaine has been prefixed , as in the case of Pascal , IIacijsE , Boileau , and the other authors which , furin part . of the collection . Between the plays of Sedajne and the modern vaudeville there are many differences , arising from the altered state -of society at the present time , and other causes which it would take too long to enumerate . A coiiiedy , tiierefpre , such , as La Gagcureivipreuue , should convey to our mind : something- totally distinct froin the idea whicli we associate with the plays of M . Bayakd 4 ; Wo do nbfc . mean to assert the superiority of contemporary playwrights over the dramatic authors belonging to the ancicn regime , but let our readers just imagine the fertility of a litterateur who , in the space of thirty years , composes two hundred and twenty-five dramas , making * up together \ a grand total of three liundred and ninety-IJirce art , * . Such was M . Bayard , like his celebrated namesake , a true chevalier sans peur el saps reproche . The collection of his works in twelve volumes , published by M . Haciiei'te .,. contains a fewdelightful scenes , and is also interesting as a sketch of Fronch societv during the first hall'of the present centviry . ^ It is true that the view which M . Bavard gives us of mankind , is rather ¦ superficial , jqul now that George Sand has given up composing ¦ metaphysical and radical novels , we do not know of any writer entitled to be considered as a faithful exponent of those wants and aspirations which are unceasingly at work below the brilliant surfaco in France . One mot ivy which has induced George Sand to forsake the preaching of socialism in her novt'ls is , perhaps , the one stated formerly by Alfif . ki : — Jo connalssaxs les grands , je na conna . iss . ais pas les pcfits—at all events , Some of her more recent productions , intended as a delineation of rural life , arc , we conceive , far nrefentble to Cunsudo or to Leila , and , without being a composition cjf the very highest order , Promenade autour d ' utt Village ^ is well written nnd interesting . Whilst we are alluding to novels , let us not forget a series of three pretty tales || by the Count i > E Gjiammokt . Bossujst is one of the French classics , and the commentaries , expositions , annotations written on his works , if collected together , would frighten , by their bulk , the most confirmed bibliographer . To-day M . Felix Morel , one of the professors of the French . University , takes in hand thewell-knowu JDiscouvs mrVMtstotro Uiu * ver . selle , ^ uud examines itastho rename'du . oaraclere , dugGnice , at des doctrines of tho author . If we were asked to name one of JJossukt s productions- —the one which we consider his masterpiece , wo are hot qnito Bure that we would select the Xtittaours aur I Jli . sioire Universelle , but still we must acknowledge that M . Moukl points out , in a very clever manner , the merits of the work under review , amd his broohuro is worth reading . After an interval of ton years M . Saintk-Ueuvk haa published the concluding volumes of his Port Royal ** About the composition of this hiHtory thcro must be , and there are , various opinions . Its irroat defect is its want of unity ; it is CHuentially fragmentary in its character , and the author ' s fondness for ^ m ^ -wnting lnls ed him to throw his aqcount of the Port Royalists into tlici Hhnpo ot a irallery of brilliant flkotchos connected together , nobody known voiy well how . Pascal , Aknauj . d , Nicoijo , and evon Uacinis " . '" ' ; illy find their place in the annuls of Jmmm'm ' hmi ; but ii an allUHion , a

      Untitled Article

      * < OEnvrea compUtoa do Voltaire . 12 o . Voh , 9—11 . Haohotte ; t aSuvros oho is ! os do SMaino . J 2 o . lluohotte . t ThWrodoM . Bayard , avoo , tno NotiooparM . B . SoiUOB , dol'Aoad 6 mio JbVancaia . 12 o . Vol . xii . IJuohette . ¦ § Pravewfo antoar d ' nn Village Pur OjaoaaB Sand . 12 o . Ilaoh , ^\\ ' Loa Gonmommes rauores . Par lo Oomto DB Ouammont . 32 o . H J 2 tu < L aur I'UMoiro Vnlooraollo do Bowiet . Par JF » ux MoiiBi . 12 o . Paria ot Londros ; Hwohotto . Fort Bow l , Pur O . A . ( dAiNTH-IjEUVB , 8 vo . Vob . IV . arid V . I urlfl ot LondroB , Huohotto .

      Untitled Article

      « - Mtetolro < los MervoUletuv dans les Temps Modcrnc * . Pur fcouis Fxauimt . Vole . I ,, II . 12 o . llaohotto . i > JUAnito ZMtvairo ot Vramatiquc . Par M . S . VAJ'BanAU . 2 d Ar tn ^ o . 12 o . Huohotto . , 1 $ XJAnntoMvaiwlo . Par M . T . $ bu » o . lo ann ^ o . 12 o . Ilfvohotto .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 21, 1860, page 381, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2344/page/17/