nately follow, the system of dedicat- ness and spoil the wisdom of metaing a certain number of pages in physical exactness. Each chapter each chapter of their work to a dis- is thus a kind of allegory, in which sertation on one of the moral vir the events can never be looked upon tues, is more calculated than any in any other light than so many other to counteract the effect which different emblems of the little pithy they are so desirous of producing. adage, which is to be placed at A novel never can succeed, in which their conclusion: and the whole the fable merely serves as a vehicle narrative creates that species of disfor tedious disquisitions on theoreti- gust and disbelief, often experienccal ethicks, or still more tedious ebul- ed by the instructors of youth, who litions of mawkish sentimentality. fail to convince their pupils, because These essays, considered as essays, they refer every thing that happens may be very good, but unfortunate- to prove the maxim which they may ly they are not at all entertaining: be inculcating at the time. A ficand novel-readers insist on being tion so constituted, to borrow an obamused, in the first place, and mere-servation of Madame de Stael, will ly submit to be instructed in the "like allegory, always march besecond. They will be satisfied tween two rocks: if its end be with publications of this sort, if in marked out too clearly, it tires; if their perusal they experience de- it be concealed, it is forgotten; and light without reaping benefit, but if it endeavours to divide the attennot, if they are to reap benefit with- tion, it no longer excites interest." out experiencing delight. The mo- If these arguments shall not apral must therefore be the invisible pear convincing to the novel-writer, power, which directs the events of there is a fact, which proves more the story, because, if it becomes the than a thousand volumes, how satisactuating and visible power, it des- factory they are to the novel-reader. troys the dramatick effect, and con- This method of foisting morality on sequently, the illusion of the fiction. his attention, very soon becomes In such a case, as the author has evident to him, however negligent a two objects in view, to make us feel peruser he may be; a certain tact a moral truth, and to charm by the informs him, where this sermonizrecital, which is to prove it, he ing begins, and he will very soon generally loses one of them in the find out, where it is to conclude; necessity which he feels of obtaining it will, therefore, be omitted, as rethe other. He either represents gularly as it occurs, and what is the abstract idea vaguely, in order worse, be treated with contempt to preserve the probability and con- and derision, as an unseasonable innexion of his incidents, or he sacri- terruption of the story, and a sufices truth and nature, to be mathe- perfluous introduction of piety and matically precise in his phitosophi- virtue. We should almost be cal speculations. In either case he ashamed to acknowledge how freis unfortunate: in the first, he cannot quently this has been our own pracamuse, because every sentiment tice, if we were not aware that there which he utters, and every situation are many others equally averse to which he describes, is considered as such works of supererogation, and merely figuring towards the ethical who, like ourselves, leave these result, and of little importance to realins of prosing unexplored, and the denouement of the tale: in the proceed onwards to the first passage latter, he cannot instruct, because where the narrative is resumed. the language of the passions will Not that either they, or we, think sometimes glance across the cold- that the morality of a publication *is of trifling import, but that it is in life. We know that such things... too much to have a long strain of do not occur in the world-that philosophical observations, which they are not natural--and they are afterwards to be reduced in- therefore occasion either our anger to one terse and emphatick sen- or our contempt. Sæpe jocum, tence, thrust into our notice upon sæpe bilem movent.

every transaction and occurrence

[To be Continued.

THE FUDGE FAMILY IN PARIS.

Edited by T. BROWN, the Younger, Author of the Twopenny Post-Bag.
From the Edinburgh Magazine, for June, 1818.

THIS belongs to a

class of commo- while he would look with indignadities for which there has been a tion on the writer who should atpretty effective demand in this coun- tempt to filch away the reputation try ever since the Revolution of 1688, of men in the private walks of life, but which could not be vended with he is seldom very scrupulous, impunity among any other people on whether he be Whig or Tory, about the globe than Britons, or the transat the fairness or propriety of the at-15 18 lantick offspring of Britons. Even tacks that are made upon those who with us, such an article as this has move in so exalted a sphere. A D been frequently adjudged to be con- good joke of this kind is too good a traband and seizable, yet the manu- thing to be confined in its enjoy facture still goes on, connived at, if ment to one class, or political party; not protected, by certain expoun- and it is honourable to those who are ders of the law, who have long been the objects of it, that they are known no favourites of John Bull, and who to have sometimes enjoyed it as much now and then show him a little in- as others. Nothing gives impor dulgence in return. It would cer- tance to such trifles but an ex officio tainly be very unfair to impute any information, or, in the absence of such partiality to the established aut this, a grave and elaborate defences vitam aut culpam dignitaries of the of the personages aimed at, the task law, and still more so, to attach any commonly of some feeble: servile blame to those official gentlemen aspirant, who hopes, in this way, to whose duty it is to bring such fa- obtain the notice of his superiours... bricks to the examination of com- One of the most intolerant of the.f petent judges. Whatever there is London reviews seems to treat the 19 to censure in such a work as this, little work which has called forth must, therefore, be placed among the these remarks with more temper oddities of the celebrated personage and sagacity than its pages usually we have just mentioned. Whether display. The great fault. of the it be from the natural surliness of his book, it seems, is not that it is too 10 temper, which requires a powerful severe, but that it is not so enterstimulant to excite his risible facul- taining as some of its predecessors ties, or from high notions of his own of the same class. This is the true is the true prerogatives, fostered by those who method of discussing its merits, find it more convenient to cajole or demerits. Yet, as it has been than to brow-beat him, it is certain bought, read, laughed at, and talked that it has always been held to be about not a little, our country reaone of the privileges of an English- ders may wish to judge for themman to treat the foibles of his rulers selves in this matter. with very little ceremony; and,

K

It must be confessed, after all, that by far the cleverest of the party. Thomas Brown, the Younger, does The old gentleman does little credit overstep a little the modesty of truth to his patron's discernment, being and nature, at least of propriety, in rather a mean blundering fellow, some of his verses. The private apparently as destitute of talent as character or conduct, even of publick of principle; and the tutor, who is men, does not appear to us a legiti- a greater admirer of his late Imperial mate subject of animadversion and Majesty of France than of the memsarcastick exhibition. There is not bers of the Holy Alliance, seems to much of this, indeed, but what there be quite out of his element in such is is too pungent for our palates; society. We shall give a pretty and we shall, therefore, decline long extract from the first letter of serving it up to our readers. An our favourite Biddy, which will not admirer of this sort of writing may only afford a specimen of the greater allege in extenuation that it hurts part of the book, but also make the nobody, but merely serves to amuse reader acquainted with the characthe passing hour, till some other ters and pursuits of the whole set. striking novelty takes its turn, when She is writing from Amiens to her it is consigned to oblivion. It is, at friend Miss Dorothy, of Clonskilty, all events, a practical proof of the in Ireland. liberty of the press in this country; and while the fearful or selfish may inveigh bitterly against the occasional abuse of this hberty, the patriot will recognize the source from whence it flows, and find his indignation moderated, when he reflects that the evil cannot be completely separated from the good in human institutions, and that, in this case, the latter predominates in a degree altogether incalculable. But we are committing the very fault which we have already condemned, by treating the matter too gravely. The readers of Thomas Brown the Younger's pages will decide on his demerits, but are not likely to be much influenced by the dogmas of those who think it a much greater crime to laugh at Lords Castlereagh and Sidmouth, than to be the patrons of defamation and impiety.

"Our party consists, in a neat Calais job,
of papa and myself, Mr. Connor and Bob.
You remember how sheepish Bob look'd at Kilrandy,
But, Lord! he's quite alter'd-they've made him a

Scott's Visit, of course-in short ev'ry thing he has
An author can want, except words and ideas:--
And, lo! the first thing, in the spring of the year,
Is Phil. Fudge at the front of a Quarto, my dear!
But, bless me, my paper's near out, so I'd better
Draw fast to a close: this exceeding long letter
You owe to a déjûner à la fourchette,
Which Bobby would have, and is hard at it yet.-
What's next? ob, the tutor, the last of the party,
Young Connor:-they say he's so like Bonaparte,
His nose and his chin, which Papa rather dreads,
As the Bourbons, you know, are suppressing all heads
That resemble old Nap's, and who knows but their

honours

May think, in their fright, of suppressing poor con

nor's?

Au reste, (as we say.) the young lad's well enough,
Only talks much of Athens, Rome, virtue, and stuff;
A third cousin of ours, by the way-poor as Job,
(Though of royal descent by the side of Mamma,)
And for charity made private tutor to Bob
Entre nous, too, a Papist-how lib'ral of Pa !"

We can still do no better than proceed with Biddy. Dress is of course the main topick with this volatile young lady when she gets to Paris. The musick of the opera is, it seems, very bad, yet " their singing" cannot be a greater "breach of the peace" than her description of it is a breach of delicacy. But their dancing makes ample amends; and then comes a love adventure of a very promising appearance. " A fine sallow, sublime, sort of Werterfac'd man," had made the descent of the French mountains (the Promenades Aëriennes) along with Bid

With imagining how it would sound in the papers,
And how all the Misses my good luck will grudge,
When they read that Count Ruppin, to drive away

vapours.

Has gone dawn the Beaujon with Miss Biddy
Fudge.

"Nota Bene. Papa's almost certain 'tis he-
For he knows the Legitimate cut, and could see,
In the way he went poising and manag'd to tower
So erect in the car, the true Balance of Power!"

This clear cool-headed family are wrong after all, for the "legitimate cut," and "the true balance of power," are found at last to belong to a linen-draper and a Bonapartist. Mr. Bob is too exclusively a gourmand for so young a gentleman.

"As to Marshals, and Statesmen, and all their whole
lineage,
For aught that I care, you may knock them to spinage;

But think, Dick, their Cooks-what a loss to man-
kind!

What a void in the world would their art leave be

hind!

Their chronometer spits-their intense salamanders-
Their ovens--their pots, that can soften old ganders,
All vanish'd for ever-their miracles o'er

And the Marmite Perpétuelle bubbling no more!
Forbid it, forbid it, ye Holy Allies,

Take whatever ye fancy-take statues, take money,
But leave them, ob leave them their Perigueux pies,
Their glorious goose-livers, and high pickled tunny!
Though many. I own, are the evils they've brought us,
Though Royalty's here on her very last legs,
Yet, who can help loving the land that has taught us

Six hundred and eighty-five ways to dress eggs?

"You see, Dick, in spite of their cries of God-dam,' 'Coquin Anglais,' et cæt'ra-how generous I am!"

Mr. Connor, the tutor, is too dy. As it was certain that he must solemn a personage to mix with be a lover of hers, and as she was these giddy people. But we canalso satified that he had the air of a not take our leave of the Fudge prince, it was very natural to hold a Family without paying our respects family council on so important an to the old gentleman himself. He

occasion.

" Now hear me this Stranger-it may be mere folly

But who do you think we all think it is, Dolly?

Who's here now incog-he, who made such you
Remember, in London, with Blucher and Platoff,
When Sal was near kissing old Blucher's cravat off!
Pa says he's come here to look after his money,
(Not taking things now he used under Boney,)

why you than the grate King of Prussia,

Which suits with our friend, for Bob saw him, he swore,

is but a blundering fellow, as we have already said. Here is an extract from his journal, addressed to Lord C., in proof of it. None but a wrong-headed man, as much so almost as the madman he mentions, while employed upon such a mission, and by such an exalted personage, would write in these terms:

1

WONDER.

From the European Magazine, for June, 1818.

IT seems the peculiar property of though a good mathematician, was weak understandings to wonder at sent, well-pensioned, from Vienna what they see, and to spend that to Rome, in order, probably, to write time in being surprised, which men some account of that celebrated of sense would employ in discover- place, for the entertainment of his ing the meaning of that which caus- benefactor, the Emperour. He ed such surprise. Pere Scliner, a wondered at every thing he saw in Jesuit of peculiarly siow talents, al- his passage through Italy, exclaim