Tribunal of Russia, knew where he was confined; not even any of the foreign ministers,

kept.

so closely was the secret

I continued to live without any sort of amusement or diversion whatsoever, and became heartily weary of my wretched existence; I nevertheless experienced in this circumstance the strange power of habit on the human frame; as the first three months of my captivity appeared so intolerably irksome that I could have almost done any thing to get rid of existence, whereas the three following seemed infinitely less painful. I passed the day according to the following plan; I arose at seven in the morning, my breakfast en

sidies of France, the finances of the kingdom were completely exhausted::

The author speaks highly of the valour displayed by the English at the battle of Fontenoy.

It is impossible not to acknowledge they went up to the enemy in the most excellent order and evinced the most undaunted valour; they were cut to picces, the ground was covered with their mangled bodies and strewed with an innumerable multitude of officers; and, after this bloody and dreadful conflict, a general mourning took place among all the best families in the British Isles.

I was sent to the Duke of Cumberland two or three times during the action, with various messages from the Prince de Waldeck and never found him but in those places where the fire was the hottest, and at the head of his infantry, nor did he, or the body of men he commanded, ever seem to care about us, they fought as if they had been alone, and retreated the same.

I had another opportunity to make the same observation two years after, at the battle of Lawfeld. That nation has really something peculiar about them, and which distinguishes them from every other. Their women even preserve all their sang froid in the greatest perils, and amidst the horrors of the carnage.

He attributes to disunion among the various commanders of the allies, not only the loss of opportunities of effecting victories, but many of their most disgraceful defeats: we firmly believe, no worse principle can possibly pervade an

army.

The Count's description of his imprisonment in the citadel at Petersburgh is interesting and it appears that no individual but those composing the Secret

hour. My reading over, I walked up and down my room for a couple of hours, at times agitated with a train of gloomy thoughts, at others indulging in the fondest hopes. About one in the afternoon, a soldier brought in my dinner. I remained two hours at table, sharing my dinner with my servants who ate in a corner of the room, and with whom I conversed to pass the time. At three I drank a cup of coffee, and then took another walk up and down the room till five, for the sake of preserving my body in some degree of exercise. At five I began to read until eight o'clock; a very light supper finished my day, and at ten I retired to rest. Such was my daily occupation.

My officer and his men gradually became attached to me, and began to behold me with an eye of compassion. I observed two grenadiers, in particular, who seemed to possess more feeling than their companions, and who gave me to understand that they would very willingly do any thing that might soften my sufferings and sorrows. One evening, during the officer's absence, one of them said to me that if I would walk on the ramparts I should see the whole city illuminated, that day being one of those many festivals frequently celebrated in Russia. I was delighted at having an opportunity of breathing the fresh air for a few minutes, and we both went out together to see the fortress. There are six bastions and several out-works. The construction is on the best principles. Peter I. had caused it to be erected at the mouth of the Neva, wishing to establish his capital there, and have a navy on the Baltic. As we were examine, ing this fortress, we found on one of the bastions which is washed by the Neva, a piece of ground, and from its projection we were enabled to behold the whole city; this would have been a delightful prospect for any person, but for me, who for a series of time had only beheld my chamber walls, is proved almost heavenly.

The cathedral within the citadel excited

my curiosity. It is one of the noblest edifices in point of architecture. My grenadier entered it with me, but unfortunately while we were within, the door was closed on us, so that we had no means of getting out. I then grew apprehensive lest the poor soldier should hang himself out of despair, in order to escape the punishment which awaited him. I cared not for myself. While he was seeking after the means of procuring our egress, the glare of a lamp, which burns there night and day, enabled me to distinguish two magnificent monuments; they were those of Peter I. and the Empress Anne. I went and sat down in the space

between the two monuments and began musing on the mutability of human

affairs.

Meanwhile my grenadier had found out a small door, near which, a sentinel of the guard was stationed. I slily dropt a ducat in the sentry's hand, and he had the charity to let us pass. We returned joyfully to our sad abode; and this was the first and last time I ventured to expose myself to such accidents.

I will even confess that long after I had been released from that place of confinement, I frequently dreamt I was there still, and that the agitation this produced on my mind, was always accompanied with a sort of fever during four and twenty hours. Vol. p. 76-79.

He describes the state in which the late Empress lay after her death, in the following terms.

We found the coffin placed in the large hall, which was hung with black, and adorned with festoons of silver brocade. The apartment was so brilliantly lighted up, that our eyes could not bear the glare of the immense number of wax lights. The coffin, covered with a pall of gold cloth, trimmed with Spanish lace, was placed on a platform a few steps higher. A rich coronet adorned the head of the late Empress. Four ladies, dressed in deep mourning, and entirely covered with crape veils, stood by the side of the coffin. Two officers of the body guard, in full uniform, stood on the first step, and on the top one, at the foot of the coffin, an Archimandrite was reading aloud passages out of the bible, and relieved at intervals, the night being no interruption to this part of the ceremony. On stools placed around the coffin, were deposited the Imperial Crown, which is most magnificently adorned with the most precious stones, together, with several other ancient crowns of the kingdoms of Casan Astracan and Siberia; and those of every order of knighthood, namely, that of St. Andrew, St. Alexander Neuski, St. Anne, and St. Catherine, as well as those of Prussia,

Sweden and Poland.

General de Korff had warned me that it

tears.

One day we halted in a village to refresh and rest ourselves. The manor belonged to a lady of quality, who received me and my officer with infinite politeness. Her house was managed in a good stile, and our table was exceedingly well supplied. But while the good lady was giving us such good cheer, my commissary was demanding a thousand ducats from her steward, and laying his hands on all the horses and cattle both in her house and the village; the steward came in haste to his mistress, who, with tears in her eyes, came to me to complain of this oppressive act. I observed it was out of my power to change any thing in the scale of propor tionate contributions; on which she replied, she would readily pay the sum demanded, provided her poor vassals were allowed to retain their cattle, which was their only resource and means of existence. I own I felt my heart more oppressed at the tune Her words were than she could herself. interrupted with sobs, and what added still to the pain I experienced, was the sight of her two daughters, who stood weeping by her side, and joining their entreaties to those of their respectable mother. tears rendered their beauty still more inte resting, and I felt myself ready to do any thing to oblige these amiable children. I sought after some expedient at least in order to diminish their affliction, and prove to them that I was not cruel and barbarous,

Their

informed us at once what was the nature of his work;

Having left her, I gave orders that all the cattle belonging to her and her vassals should be kept separate, during the remainder of our expedition, from that enormous quantity of cattle we had already got with us. My expedition over, I again joined General Werner, who testified to me his satisfaction at the success we had met with. I took this opportunity of fulfilling my promise: "General," said I," you see we come back with our hands full, but I hope you will not deny me a present for myself, having been the chief of the expedition. "Tis not money that I am asking for," (I knew all along he had the King's permission to keep this last article for himself, and that he was not insensible to its allurements) "my claims are confined to the obtaining of this cattle, which I would not allow our soldiers to mix with the rest."-"You may have them with all my heart," replied the General. I called the good lady's people, and told them they might take back their property to the village; I sent a trumpet along with them, in order that they might not meet with any impediment. Their mistress was so much affected at this act of mine, that she wrote to all her relations throughout Silesia, begging them to express to me her gratitude. I then truly felt that next to the pleasure of doing good, there cannot be a greater than that of obliging persons of a sensible and grateful disposition. p. 141.

This volume also contains, a history of the Revolution effected in Sweden by Gustavus III., which is given at some length and together with various personal adventures, in different parts of Europe, intermingled with rational and manly observations, imparts to these volumes a character of good sense, free from the frivolity, which too often disgraces personal memoirs: instruction of various kinds may be gathered from them, without injury to the heart or to morals public or private.

The Miseries of Human Life; or the Groans of Samuel Sensitive, and Timothy Testy with a few Supplementary Sighs from Mrs. Testy. In twelve dialogues. Third Edition, foolscap 8vo. pp. 332. Price Ss. boards. Miller, London, 1806.

It happened that we accidentally opened this volume at the last page, so that the

ridentem dicere verum

"Quid vetat ?"

Why, nothing forbids that truth should be told, told too, chearfully, jocosely, nay facetiously, and if not roguishly, nobody likes it better than we do. We consider a right to laugh as a part of the lex non scripta of the British Constitution; and with the valiant Queen Bess we "think foul scorn" that any prince or potentate on earth should prevent John Bull, or any of his family, from shaking, either his sides, or his head, ad libitum. There is indeed a distinction between being laughed with, and being laughed at; the rule we believe, is to let those laugh who win: though others say, let those laugh who can; for those who win will.--The publication before us, which in a very few weeks has reached a third edition, by laughing: the author laughed (in his fully proves that something is to be won sleeve) while composing it; the printer's devil-while it was at the press; the bookseller-when he saw his first and second editions exhausted; and its kind readers-during a summer recess from the arduous occupation of studying the good of their country: Risum teneatis amici? But, what is there in the Miseries of human life" to excite this passion? It is a picture of minor misfortunes, rendered ludicrous by the importance attached to trifles. It is the crdinary vexations of humanity, the burrs which stick to whoever walks in the paths of life, which teaze if they do not wound, and irritate if they do not distress, heightened by association, assimilation, and ingenious description. The dialogue is well conducted, diversified by occasional allusions to classic writers, including scraps of Latin, and some of Greek, for the most part happily applied, though we think them sometimes chosen rather for sound, than for sense.

The author has struck out an idea сараble of receiving innumerable forms. Every stage of our existence has its miseries; from those of "the schoolboy, who, with satchel on his back creeps unwillingly to school," and "the lover who composes his woeful ballad made to his mistress's eye-brow," and "sees Helen's beauty in a complexion of Egypt." Every profes

mo

That such calamities may bear being and we joked at, we willingly adnit; heartily commend the author before us, for restraining his wit within the bounds of good manners. Had he treated serious subjects with levity, or unmanly sarcasm, we should have manifested our indignation; had he transgressed the laws of decorum, or of politeness, of virtue, or of religion, we should have thought no castigation too severe for him; but as the exciting of innocent mirth appears to have been his intention, we think him intitled to our thanks, and wish him on the part of the public still further "demonstrations joy." We may add, Ridendo castigat

mores.

The twelve dialogues comprise the Miseries of the Country; of Games, Sports, &c. of London, of Public Places, of Travellers, of Social Life, of Reading and Writing, of the Table, Domestic Miseries, and Miseries Miscellaneous. Such are the "miseries that flesh is heir to." Now for a few specimens taken at haphazard.

The delights of hay-time! as follows:After having cut down every foot of grass upon your grounds, on the most solen assuances of the Barometer that there is nothing to fear-after having dragged the whole neighbourhood for every man, woman, and child, that love or noney could procure, and thrust a rake, or a pitch-fork, into the hand of every servant in your family, from the housekeeper to the scullion-after having long overlooked and animated their busy labours, and seen the exuberant produce turned and re-turned under a smiling sun, until every blade is as dry as a bone, and as sweet as a rose-after having exultingly counted one rising haycock after another, and drawn to the spot every seizable horse and cart, all now standing in readiness to carry home the yegetable treasure, as fast as it can be piled-at such a golden moment as this, Mr. Testy, to sce velaine upon volume of black, heavy clouds suddenly rising, and advancing, in frowning columns, from the South West; as if the sun had taken half the Zodiac-from Leo to Aquarius-at a leap:—they halt-they muster directly over head;-at the signal of a

has completely swept the field, and scattered your whole party in a panic flight, he suddenly breaks up his forces, and quits the ground; leaving you to comfort and amuse. yourself, under your loss, by looking at his colours, in the shape of a most beautiful rainbow, which he displays in his rear. p. 30.

While deeply, delightfully, and, as you hope, safely, engaged at home in the morning, after peremptory orders of denial to all comers whomsoever, being suddenly surprised, through the treachery, or folly, of your ser vant, by an inroad from a party of the starched, stupid, cold, idle natives of a neighbouring country-town, who lay a formal siege, (by sap,) to your leisure, which they carry on for at least two hours, in almost total silence:"Nothing there is to come, and nothing past;

But an eternal Now does ever last!" During the last hour, they alternately tantalize and torment you, by seeming, (but only seeming,) to go,-which they are induced to do at last only by the approach of a fresh detachment of the enemy, whom they desery at your castle-gate, and to whose custody they commit you, while they pursue their own Scouring excursions upon the other peaceful inhabitants of the district, p. 40.

The plagues of that complicated evolution called " right hand and left," from the awkwardness of some, and the inattention of others;

illis." p. 50.

As you are hastening down the Strand, on a matter of life and death, encountering, at an archway, the head of the first of twelve or fourteen horses, who, you know, must successively strain up with an over-loaded coalwaggon, before you can hope to stir an inchunless you prefer bedevilling your white stockings, and clean shoes, by scampering and crawling, among, and under, coaches, scavengers' carts, &c. &c. in the middle of the street. p. 66.

After the play, on a raw wet night, with

a party of ladies,-fretting and freezing in the outer lobbies, and at the street-doors, of the theatre, among chair-men, barrow-women, yelling link-boys, and other human refuse, in endless attempts to find out your servant, or carriage, which, when found at last, cannot be drawn up nearer than a furlong from the door. p. 86.

After loudly boasting of your superior skill in stirring the fire and being requested by the lady of the house to undertake it,-suddenly extinguishing every spark, in playing off what you had announced as a chef-d'œuvre of the poker.

The lady, Mrs. Testy, has also her catalogue of miseries, such as

A termagant cook, who suffers neither yourself nor your servants to have a moment's peace-yet as she is an excellent cook, and your husband a great epicure, (excuse me, Mr. Testy,) you are obliged to smother your feelings, and seem both blind and deaf to all her tantrums. p. 275.

Working, half-asleep, at a beautiful piece of fine netting, in the evening-and on returning to it in the morning, discovering that you have totally ruined it.

After having consumed three years on a piece of tambour-work, which has been the wonder of the female world, leaving it, on the very day you have finished it, in the hackneycoach, in which you were exultingly carrying it to the friend whom you intended to surprize with it as a present: afterwards, repeatedly advertising all in vain.

After dinner, when the ladies retire with you from a party of very pleasant men, having to entertain, as you can, half a score of empty, or formal females; then, after a decent time has elapsed, and your patience and topics are equally exhausted, ringing for the tea, &c. which you sit making in despair, for above two hours; having, three or four times, sent word to the gentlemen that it is ready, and overheard your husband, at the last message, answer" Very well-another bottle of wine." By the time that the tea and coffee are quite cold, they arrive, continuing, as they enter, and for an hour afterwards, their political dispates, occasionally suspended, on the part of the master of the house, by a reasonable complaint, to his lady, at the coldness of the coffee;-soon after, the carriages are announced, and the visitors disperse.

At a ball when you have set your heart on dmcing with a particular favourite,-at the moment when you delightedly see him advancing towards you, being briskly accosted by a conceited simpleton at your elbow, whom You cannot endure, but who obtains, (because you know not in what manner to refuse,) the honour of your hand" for the evening.

Théorie du nouveau Système des Poids et Mesures, e-Theory of the New System of Weights and Measures, as applied to minting, the manufacture of plate, alloying, refining, &c. with tables for workmen concerned in their different branches, by M. le Page d'Arbigny, late first clerk and director of the Mint at Paris. Desvaux, 5 francs.

In this work, the author gives an abridged account of the new system, particularly as far as may be useful to goldsmiths and silversmiths, and those departments of commerce which relate to the precious metals; this occupies eleven sections, comprising, 1, the basis of the new system; 2, weights; 3, comparative value of the precious metals; 4 on numerical value; 5, intrinsic value; 6, tarif of the different values of specie, tokens, plate, &c. French or foreign; 7, on refining; 8, on the mark or stamp; 9, on the Argue (a term nearly corresponding to our public assay); 10, rules and examples; and, 11, a general idea of the mode of conducting the assay. The writer then details various laws and decrees relative to this subject: these of A great number of tables succeed, intended course interest the French public only. to establish a comparison between the old and new systems. The work is terminated by a table of foreign coins of every nation, and their correspondence with the French standard, and also their reduction into livres, &c. by decimal arithmetic. This last article will particularly interest those foreigners, who have commercial concerns, or may have occasion to travel in France.

In our last number we noticed the numerous difficulties which harrassed the commercial operations of the French, occasioned by the introduction of their new system of weights and measures. The present article bears additional testimony to the truth of those remarks; and we doubt not but that M. d'Arbigny feelingly regretted the necessity of his publication, independently of any melancholy ressou venirs which might be awakened in his mind, by a recollection of the political causes of that necessity.

This subject also seems to be a part of the struggle between France, and other nations, whether she shall impose on them her regulations, or they shall continue free to retain their own.