Buffoonery cenfured ibid ibid Compared with the Roman Senate Conduct of the Commons refpecting Mr. Haftings 395 395 His Impeachment illustrated Motives of the Minifter Further Arguments ibid 396 Fictitious Votes Condemned by the Chancellor Compliment to the Lord-Chancellor 397 398 399 ibid 4.00 Character of Francis the First Reign of Lewis the Fourteenth Advantages of France Government of France Page ibid 476 477 ibid ibid Advantages of it to France Her Artifice 478 ibid THE ENGLISH REVIEW, For JANUARY, 1787. ART. I. Travets in North America, in the Years 1780, 1781, and 1782. By the Marquis de Chaftellux, one of the Forty Members of the French Academy, and Major-General in the French Army ferving under the Count de Rochambeau. Tranf tated from the French by an English Gentleman, who refided in America during that Period. With Notes by the Tranflator. In Two Volumes Octavo. 12s. Robinfons. London, 1786. HOWEVER ftrange or paradoxical the affertion may appear, it is certain that a paffion, or rather an enthufiafm for liberty, is one of the ftriking characteristics of the French nation at prefent. An admiration of the Englifh character in general, and of the English conftitution in particular, has been prevailing for half a century. The celebrity of the British name, fince the reign of Queen Anne, recommended our government and laws to the admiration of foreigners; and the warm panegyric of Montefquieu, in his "Spirit of Laws," introduced this fubject to the French republic of letters. Since that period the philofophers and authors of France have adopted a zeal for liberty and the rights of mankind; and have equalled, if not exceeded, Harrington, Sydney, and Locke, in their de teftation of tyranny, and paffion for a free government. As in France there is a greater intercourfe between men of letters and men of the world than in any other country, the opinions and fentiments of the former have a rapid and general fpread, and tend in a particular manner to form the ENG. REV. Vol. IX. Jan, 1787. A mind, mind, and influence the character, of the young. The ar bitrary adminiftration of a tyrannical government, which they feel and deteft, heightens the patriot paffion; the freeft fpeculations on politics are indulged in confidential circles; and a revolution, favourable to liberty, is prepared in the minds of men, provided there was a great emergency to call forth, and a middle order between the nobles and people in the state, to concentrate and direct the fentiments and efforts of enlightened individuals. In the Corfican war, admiration of the courage, as well as compaffion for the fate, of the unhappy iflanders, were general in Paris; a generous partiality for the republic rifing in the new world, animated and armed individuals in their caufe before the French nation commenced or declared hoftilities against Britain. The Marquis de Chaftellux, the author of these travels, was known to 'the literary world by his treatife Sur la Felicite publique; in which he avows the nobleft principles of philanthropy and freedom before he joined the French army in America during the last war, as major-general, under the Count de Rochambeau. Animated with a youthful zeal for the profperity of nafcent republics, and partaking the fpirit of his nation, whofe interests were inimical to thofe of Britain, the reader may expect, in the courfe of his travels through America, a flattering picture, rather than a juft portrait. Nor will he be difappointed. Our traveller feems to have left his philofophy at Paris, and, delivering himself up to the delufions of imagination, to have invested every object with a glow of colours that are above nature, and beyond the life. The following is his account of General Washington: • Here would be the proper place to give the portrait of General Washington: but what can my teftimony add to the idea already formed of him? The continent of North-America, from Boston to Charles-Town, is a great volume, every page of which presents his eulogium. I know that, having had the opportunity of a near inSpection, and of clofely obferving him, fome more particular details may be expected from me; but the strongest characteristic of this refpectable man is the perfect union which reigns between the phyfical and moral qualities which compose the individual; one alone will enable you to judge of all the reft. If you are presented with medals of Cefar, of Trajan, or Alexander, on examining their features, you will still be led to ask what was their ftature, and the form of their perfons; but if you discover, in a heap of ruins, the head or the limb of an antique Apollo, be not curious about the other parts, but reft affured that they all were conformable to thofe of a God. Let not this comparison be attributed to enthufiafm! It is not my intention intention to exaggerate; I wish only to exprefs the impreffion General Washington has left on my mind; the idea of a perfect whole, that cannot be the produce of enthusiasm, which rather would reject it, fince the effect of proportion is to diminish the idea of greatness. Brave without temerity, laborious without ambition, generous without prodigality, noble without pride, virtuous without feverity; he seems always to have confined himself within those limits, where the virtues, by clothing themselves in more lively, but more changeable and doubtful colours, may be mistaken for faults. This is the feventh year that he has commanded the army, and that he has obeyed the congrefs; more need not be faid, especially in America, where they know how to appreciate all the merit contained in this fimple fact. Let it be repeated that Conde was intrepid, Turenne prudent, Eugene adroit, Catinat difinterefted; it is not thus that Washington will be cha racterized. It will be faid of him, 66 at the end of a long civil war, he had nothing with which he could reproach himself." If any thing can be more marvellous than fuch a character, it is the unanimity of the public fuffrages in his favour. Soldier, magiftrate, people, all' love and admire him; all speak of him in terms of tenderness and veneration. Does there then exift a virtue capable of restraining the injuftice of mankind; or are glory and happiness too recently eftablished in America for envy to have deigned to pass the seas? In fpeaking of this perfect whole, of which General Washington furnishes the idea, I have not excluded exterior form: His ftature is noble and lofty; he is well made, and exactly proportioned, his phyfiognomy mild and agreeable, but fuch as to render it impoffible to fpeak particularly of any of his features; fo that in quitting him you have only the recollection of a fine face. He has neither a grave nor a familiar air; his brow is fometimes marked with thought, but never with inquietude; in infpiring refpect, he infpires confidence; and his fmile is always the fmile of benevolence." The tranflator, who feems to be as well acquainted with American affairs as the Marquis de Chaftellux himself, gives his teftimony to the accuracy of this defcription: "Future "hiftorians," fays he," will be grateful to the Marquis de << Chaftellux for this exquifite portrait, every feature and every tint of which will ftand the test of the fevereft fcrutiny, and be handed down to diftant ages in neverfading colours." We will not take upon us to determine what diftant ages may think, but to us this character appears fo vague, indistinct, ambiguous, and equivocal, that we know not whether to look upon it as a panegyric or a burlefque. The perfect union which reigns between the phy<fical and moral qualities of the individual; his confining himfelf to thofe limits, where the virtues, by clothing << themselves in more lively, but more changeable and << doubtful colours, may be mistaken for faults; and that, at the end of a long civil war, he had nothing wherewith " he could reproach himself;" convey a negative kind of 66 A 2 praise, |