et lui dit: Allons, mon fils, montrez votre talent au poublic: Votre père Tous regarde!'

Young Vestris was reputed to be the fruit of the tender, but unsanctioned, loves of the Diou de la danse, and Mademoiselle Allard, also a dancer at the opera; and the public gave him the happily combined appellation of Vestrallard. He performed ders one day at the ballet, while his father was looking on, exclaimed in rapture, If he goes on thus, I have a great gift store for him; I will allow him to bear my name!' Dauberval, her member of the corps de ballet, who divided with Vestris the favours of Mademoiselle Allard, was observed also eying the young prodigy with vast earnestness, and was heard to say, with a mature of vexation and admiration, Quel talent! C'est le fils de Fes, et ce n'est pas le mien! Hélas! je ne l'ui manqué que d'un

get d'heure."'

Avery few morsels of criticism are all that we shall permit ourshes farther to extract from this amusing publication.

Of Dorat, whose name is generally understood to stand high ming the modern amatory poets of France, after saying that his 'Rises' are a free imitation of those of Secundus, poéte Latin du leme siècle, plein de graces et de volupté,' our Baron adds, ‘il n'y pas l'ombre de volupté dans les baisers de M. Dorat: cela est d'un roid, d'un vide, d'un aride, à dessécher le tempérament le moins aclin à la consomption.'-'Il n'a pu cacher sa surprise de la réputation que la Fare et Chaulieu ont conservée. C'est que, remplies de négligences, leurs poésies respirent la volupté; c'est qu'on y remarque cette douce flexibilité, cette tendre mélancolie, d'une âme passionée et philosophique, dont on ne trouve aucun vestige dans spoésies de M. Dorat.'

En revanche, je ne ferai pas relier, avec les insipidités de Messrs.' Dorat et Desfontaines, la Première Nuit d'Young, traduite en vers franpar M. Colardeau. Dans toute notre jeunesse poétique, il n'y a M. de la Harpe et M. Colardeau qui aient quelque idée de l'harBe, de cette douceur de versification qui dispose insensiblement Tame à une douce et tendre mélancolie, de cette poésie imitative qui, par je ne sais quel prestige secret, établit une liaison entre telle sensation de l'ame, et tel choix de mots ou telle suite de sons.'

Of the original poem which M. Colardeau undertook to translate, expresses himself in the following terms; and however we may despise the censures of critics so prejudiced as Voltaire, the judgTents of a candid and judicious foreigner, like M. Grimm, are always worth attending to.

Ce genre ne peut réussir en France; nous ne sommes pas assez recueillis, assez solitaires; nous ne pouvons lui accorder le temps dont da besoin pour affecter. Un reproche plus réel que je fais à cette

# 2

espèce

espèce de poésie, c'est le vague dans lequel elle fait nager son lecteur. On remarque dans Young et ses pareils plutôt une téte échauffée, une imagination exaltée, effarouchée, qu'un coeur profondément affecté; on ne sait proprement de quoi il se plaint, quels sont ses malheurs; on ne connaît pas les objets de sa douleur, quoiqu'il vous y ramène sans cesse. Il y a dans tout cela trop de cloches, trop de tombeaux, trop de chants et de cris funébres, trop de fantômes; l'expression simple et naïve de la vraie douleur ferait cent fois plus d'effet que toutes ces images; il s'agit de faire couler mes larmes, et non de m'effrayer comme un enfant par des images imposantes et terribles en apparence, mais qui n'effieurent pas mon âme, et n'y laissent aucune trace, aucun sentiment durable.'

Besides Colardeau, however, one M. de Tourneur also conceived and actually executed the project of translating Young's Night Thoughts into French verse. The last named author was likewise known by a translation of Johnson's Life of Savage, to which were added memoirs of Thomson, the author of the Seasons. remarks on this publication, are, at least, lively and curious.

Grimm's

'Rien à dire de celui-ci, (the life of Thomson,) sinon que c'était le revers de l'autre; aussi son histoire est-elle très-fastidieuse à lire, Il faut, pour le bonheur de ceux qui ont à traiter avec un homme, qu'il ressemble à Thomson; par l'intérêt et l'amusement du lecteur, qu'il ressemble à Savage. Je ne dirai qu'un mot des Saisons de Thomson, comparées aux Géorgiques de Virgile; c'est que la muse de Thomson ressemble à Notre-Dame de Lorette, et la muse de Virgile à Vénus: l'une est riche et couverte de diamans, l'autre est belle, nue, et n'a qu'un simple bracelet. Virgile est un modèle de bon goût; Thomson serait tout propre à corrompre celui d'un jeune homme.'

Those who incline to consider man as a mere machine, says our critic, will find themselves singularly confirmed in that opinion by observing Piron.

'C'était une machine à saillies, à épigrammes, à traits. En l'examinant de près, l'on voyait que ses traits s'entrechoquaient dans sa tête, partaient involontairement, se poussaient pêle-mêle sur ses lèvres, et qu'il ne lui était pas plus possible de ne pas dire de bons mots, de ne pas faire des épigrammes par douzaine, que de ne pas respirer.'Voilà pourquoi M. de Voltaire craignait toujours la rencontre de Piron, parceque tout son brillant n'était pas à l'épreuve des traits de ce combattant redoutable qui les faisait tomber sur ses ennemis comme une grêle.'

Very early in life, he narrowly escaped being massacred in his native village for a bon mot, accompanied, it is true, by a somewhat scurvy practical joke.

]

Il s'était associé à une compagnie d'arquebusiers à Beaune. Messieurs de Beaune ne sont pas fameux par leur esprit, et ils ont le faible de ne pouvoir entendre parler d'anes. Piron fit habiller un âne en arque

busier,

busier, et le conduit à sa suite dans le lieu de l'exercice.

Heureuse

ment on ne le soupçonne pas de cette mauvaise plaisanterie. Le soir, il va à la comédie avec son honorable corps. On lève la toile. Les acteurs parlent un peu bas. Les spectateurs se mettent à crier, Plus but! on n'entend pas. "Ce n'est pourtant pas faute d'oreilles," s'écrie Piron; et voilà tout l'auditoire qui lui tombe sur le corps, et il a toute la peine du monde à se sauver.'

Materials for a most amusing biographical dictionary of all the men of letters and beaux esprits of Paris might easily be collected from this correspondence; and Piron, Dorat, le Gentil Bernard, La Harpe, Marmontel, Arnaud, Thomas, Linguet, Condorcet, would im prominent articles in the miscellaneous compilation.-But te presses, and we must part abruptly. Should we once venture to book back, we shall find so many objects still left unnoticed, and reproaching us with neglect, that our only safety seems to Consist in immediate flight.

ART. VII. An Introduction to Medical Literature; including System of Practical Nosology: intended as a Guide to Stu dents, and an Assistant to Practitioners. By Thomas Young, M.D. F. R. and L. S. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and Physician to St. George's Hospital. 8vo. pp. 602. London. 1813.

AT a time when so much discussion has been provoked, and such activity displayed in pursuit of the best method of instilling the rudiments of grammar and arithmetic, we cannot but persuade ourselves that a proportionate ardor will be excited by every endeavour to improve the higher branches of knowledge, and to diffuse the elements of more exalted science. In this latter class medicine bolds a distinguished rank-whether we consider the enlarged field of information on which it is raised, the numerous subjects for reflection which it comprehends, or the beneficial application of its powers to the comfort and continuance of life. Under these impressions, we are confident that we are performing an acceptable service in accommodating ourselves to the prevailing taste, and in calling the notice of our readers to Dr. Young's recent work on the literature and study of medicine. A brief description of the object and execution of this publication will be no less interesting than useful, and we shall exhibit the author's views and intentions in his own words.

'In a science so complicated and obscure as that of physic, the want of some direction for the assistance of a student has been the more felt, as the difficulty of the execution of such a work has been greater. In no department of human knowledge is the work of literary discrimination more necessary than in physic; in none is it more difficult, and in

none has it been more neglected, at least in this country.--The nonexistence of any work in the English language, resembling that which is now offered to the public, while the subject is of the most undeniable importance, must be admitted as an apology for its appearing with many imperfections in some degree inseparable from the nature of the undertaking. The collection of literary information, and of references to various authors, is a step which ought always to be preliminary to the execution of a detailed treatise on any department of science. Having completed this collection, I have been principally induced to lay it separately before the public by the approbation which has been bestowed on the second volume of my lectures on Natural Philosophy, consisting principally of a similar methodical catalogue of the literature of all the subjects which had been explained in an elementary manner in the first volume. To assist in furnishing the student with a sufficient direction for cultivating any particular department of his profession, in the most advantageous manner, is the principal object of this work.' Pref. pp. 3-8.

Medical education amongst us is carried to the highest perfection, as far as regards the assistance to be derived from lectures and hospitals; but there has always been wanting a guide in the closet, a director in literary research. It is no less true than strange, that no attempt to supply this deficiency should have been made before; and that while the acquirement of the other learned faculties, as well as of moral and political, metaphysical and natural philosophy, has been facilitated by the aid of the most distinguished ornaments of those professions and sciences, physic alone should have been suffered to remain unassisted, in this respect, by any of its professors, in a country so justly celebrated for its medical attainments. The work before us will remove the stigma, and complete our system. It is not, however, to the student alone, that this introduction will be found of use, it will prove equally serviceable to those far advanced in knowledge. The mere perusal, indeed, of the catalogue of references will often be alone sufficient to awaken recollection by reviving the trains of interrupted impressions, through the association of system, or the influence of names; and of such an auxiliary, practitioners, from the nature of the science, are continually in need.

Preparatory to directing the student in his medical studies, Dr. Young has with great propriety called his attention, in a preliminary essay, to the general education upon which those studies must be engrafted; to the professional expectations which may reasonably encourage his pursuits, and to the moral and intellectual qualifications required to attain the objects of his ambition. The principal part of this essay consists of an elegant translation of a work by Professor Vogel, enlarged and illustrated by the reflections of the author. This dissertation abounds with useful instruction and strong sense. The character of the science and profession

of

of physic here delineated inspires us with exalted notions of their excellence, when carried to the perfection thus prescribed. ·

50

Medicine not only comprehends so very extensive a range of knowledge, but its truths are often so profound, and so much concealed from a cursory inspection, so intricate, so much disguised, distorted and obscured by a multitude of delicate and invisible causes, that nothing less an the all-commanding eye of the most enlightened understanding, an the all-penetrating and all-searching power of genius, can possibly recognise that which is hidden in darkness, can follow that which is remote into the last traces that it imprints, can distinguish certainty from opinion and probability, can separate the essential from the accidental, and finally, can analyse and develope any subject of investigation completely as to leave no further doubt respecting any of its properwhich are cognisable by human means.'-Prelim. Essay, p. 7. Perhaps there is no science which requires so penetrating an intellect, so much talent and genius, so much force of mind, so much acuteand memory, as the science of medicine. For the full attainment f its proper and ultimate object, it requires also indispensably the sion of stability of judgment, rapidity of decision, and immoveable firmness and presence of mind, readiness of recollection, coolness, flexibity of temper, elegance and obsequiousness of manners, and a profound knowledge of mankind, and of the secret recesses of the human heart. p. 9. These qualifications can only be obtained by means of a good education, united with opportunities of becoming acquainted with the world, and habits of intercourse with society.'

The course of general and of medical education here laid down, as necessary to be pursued, coincides so nearly with the present general practice that it will be readily admitted to be right. In conclusion we are furnished with a demonstrative refutation of some opinions published by Dr. Brown, in discouragement of our reliance pon the efficacy of medical practice.

'This discussion appeared essential, since if it were true that the medical science of the most celebrated professors could effect so little, ander circumstances so favourable as he has supposed, the public would have scarcely any motive left for encouraging a pursuit so fruitless, nor an individual for devoting himself with zeal and enthusiasm to the attainment of knowledge, where nothing further than doubt and difficulty could reasonably be anticipated.' p. 25.

We come now to the body of the work. Medical literature is very extensive; and to render so large a collection manageable by a student, it requires to be reduced and distributed into systematic order. Here peculiar difficulties occurred, since there is no science in which selection is so important and so difficult,' p. 43. One cause of this difficulty is the state of medical literature, which for the most part is either desultory and detached, or involved in artificial and erroneous combinations. To comH 4 bine