cities of Europe, and especially of Italy, and always chronologically arranged, show, as the busts are almost always contemporaneous with the originals, in a remarkable manner, in reference to sculpture, the changes and the decline of the art, and the revolutions, which taste on the same subject underwent, in the same people in the succession of time.

If this country ought to have a literature, distinguished by prominent features from the English, she will obtain this, not by deviating from English models in those numerous branches, in which English literature fears no comparison-but in leaving the track beaten by the English in those habits of rivalry, calumny, and efforts to belittle the object of their envy, in which English writers in their half political and half literary warfare, with writers of other nations, so frequently indulge; and this to a degree decidedly beyond any similar disposition manifested in other countries. In some sciences the eyes of impartial comparison will discover better models in other languages, than the English; and it is the interest of the learner to repair to these sources for supplies. In this spirit have those gentlemen from Massachusetts acted, who by their endeavors to introduce German literature into this country, have invited the attention of their countrymen to a new and original literature, and to almost unexplored fountains of deep learning.

But to recur again to the almost voluntary blindness of the English to foreign merit. Englishmen drink, swear, and fight for old England, and that is all fair; but they also lie for old England; and for this, as far as it It consists concerns us, who read their works, a remedy must be found. in repairing as often as possible to the original sources-instead of contenting ourselves with second hand judgments, when we have seriously to pass upon any foreign work.

Such mean practices are the more to be condemned in the English, as they possess themselves a magnificent literature; and this country has other inducements to impartiality. Her children are not taught to hate such or such a people, as a matter of policy. She has no neighbors, against whom her writers think it necessary to keep up by the ministry of the hired patriotism of certain writers, a spirit of enmity-she has no national enemy.

On all those great political questions, which concern the rights and the independence of the people, there is here but one opinion, and one party: the party of the whole. Here such points are settled forever; while in the most enlightened countries of Europe, parties founded on radically opposite opinions, struggle with each other, and yield the field only step by step. Now what happened towards the close of the last century to the "French

*

* Some nations of continental Europe enjoy, and they may enjoy, as well as others, in the progress of time in a still higher degree, all the essential blessings of civil and religious liberty-never, however, to the same extent, as in this country. Suppose in one of those countries a form of government established similar to that of the United States; there must exist a party, powerful in number, wealth and talent, who will have suffered heavy losses in the change. In this party, and the victory over it will have been difficult and bloody-is a never dying germ of reaction; and indeed, it appears to us, that such a form of government in such a country, could be founded only on a complete previous extermination of this party. But in a political reform, accompanied with proscription, carnage and civil war, men, like the founders of American Independence, will not come

and English" party will have its analogy in all these countries in our days. Every party recommends the example, and extols to the skies that nation, or party in a nation, which defends a principle analogous to its own. So it is with an English tory in France, where liberal principles have now firmly taken root, a country without either character in her men, or virtue in her women, or religion in either, or taste in any thing; in short, good for nothing, but for producing wine, dancers, frippery, &c. &c. &c., with all the one thousand pretty things, which you read in the Quarterly Review. One must indeed pity these poor Frenchmen, who still believe it possible, to live in their country. (See Quarterly Review passim, and so late, as in a number of 1828, on the "Memoirs de Mdme. de Genlis.")

Again: in the eyes of a French ultra or Jesuit, a stubborn steadfast Tory, such as Sir Thomas Lethbridge, or Lord Eldon, or the Marquis of Londonderry, &c. who are such valiant defenders of the "statu quo" only because retrograding is altogether impossible, are the very models of perfection. And although the Jesuit is a violent Catholic, and although one of the principal scribblers of that party, speaks of "rigueurs salutaires" in alluding to the night of St. Bartholomew, and although his friend, the Tory maintains and proves, that the Frenchman is not fit for enjoying the rights of a reasonable being, "because of his idolatrous and damnable religion;" yet there is in both such an unconquerable aversion to community of rights, or any thing that might raise their fellow citizens to their level, that they prefer to join in an unnatural and disgusting alliance, than make the least concession to their countrymen.

In our days every thing is, we might say, stained with politics, whether the writer speaks of foreign or domestic subjects. Every thing ought, therefore, to be read with a certain caution-not with the good natured practice of many persons, who always believe a little more, and a little less, that the thing may be neither cold nor warm, but just lukewarm,-but with an enquiry, whether the writer is a party man, and what the opinions of his party on the subject under consideration are?

Let us apply this to English travellers or "tourists." The Englishman travels much, and generally believes himself privileged, because he has travelled over much space. What is the reason, that these numerous "tours" have lost their credit? It is a fact, that they have lost their credit, and people laugh at thern, and believe of them, for want of better means to ascertain the truth, just as much, as they desire to find true, or as suits their taste, and that taste has been formed, we know not how.

forward, or will not be heard. So in France, the real patriots of 1789, had, in 1793, either shed their noble blood on the scaffold, or had fled.

All countries with an overstocked population, and with an exceedingly unequal division of fortune, are afflicted with that necessary curse, large standing armies; and contain, besides, a large proportion of poor and degraded people, who, having nothing to lose, would impress upon the violent political commotions, that might happen in such countries, a peculiar character, and throw the fate of the country too often into the hands of individuals.

That this country has the best existing, and we believe, almost the best possible form of government, is perhaps not less due to her unparalleled natural advantages, and the vast field of enterprize, which her citizens have opened before themselves, than to the talents and virtues of the men, who were the principal actors in her revolution; and, we may add, of those who, in difficult emergen cies, knew how to maintain and to consolidate the principles of the revolution,

Most of these tours, in regard to the knowledge that can be collected from them, are utterly worthless, because,

1st. What is good in them or matters of fact, can be read in the works, from which they are extracted.

2d. On account of the famous English sneer.

3d. Because the Englishman out of England, travels and speaks only with Englishmen, goes always, where he is sure to find Englishmen, and thinks nobody worthy of his society, but Englishmen,

4th. Because, when he deigns to visit parties, it is exceedingly difficult to judge from the outside of a house or the furniture of a room, or even from the observations, that can be made, while dancing a cotillion, of the manners, the morality, the instruction of a nation.

5th. Because those tourists,' generally, do not speak the language of the country. This is unequivocally perceptible from their books, even af ter they have passed through the usual revisal, and it is the natural consequence of their method of living in foreign countries by themselves, carefully avoiding the people, they come to study, and describe; in fact like Europeans in the cities of Barbary or Turkey.

6th. Because the English people are weak enough, to buy, and even to read books, that flatter, in howsoever coarse a manner, their national prejudices.

In

But the general peace, and the immense increase of travelling, have recently brought people near each other. The consequence has generally been better feelings, and more esteem for each other. They have seen that they could learn from one another, when they expected it least. France, for instance, where Shakspeare was looked upon only a short time ago, as a semi-barbarian,* English politics and literature are now zealously studied, and the ladies are obliged to make many faces in pronouncing what they are compelled to call English jawbreakers.

When Monzoni, a man of genius, who had drank into the spirit of our times, arose in Italy, his appearance was hailed by all literary Europe. They did not wait for his death to do justice to his merits-and this was a homage paid at once to our common alma mater, Italy, and to the spirit of our times, a spirit, and we say it positively, because the contrary is still froquently asserted, at once more liberal and more profound, nobler and juster, than that of our fathers-inferior to the spirit of the times to come, but immensely superior to that of the centuries that have passed.†

That this must be so, is obvious from the nature of things. We add, that one of the most powerful promoters of the cause of liberality is the irresistible contagion of liberal principles in politics, in all civilized countries. Civilization is spreading; and after it, and inseparably from it, results the want of liberty. This is well known by those despots, who impede the progress of knowledge, not because they hate knowledge in itself, but because an enlightened mind sees clearer in proportion into their machinations.

*People had formed their opinions on Shakspeare, just as many honest people settle their opinions. It was not by reading Shakspeare, that they found him to be a savage; but they did not read him, because they had been told by some one, they would find him so. This opinion drew support from two powerful allies; me tional vanity and laziness,

And all that, we hope, without Mr. Owen's system..

But when a government is the expression of public opinion, wars must of course become less frequent. Wars, undertaken to satisfy the personal ambition of the sovereign, and others carried on to distract the attention of the people, will come to a close. The nation will be aware, that it pays for the war; and that there are many speculations, internal improvements, for instance, that pay infinitely better their expenses, than even a successful war. Unpopular wars become almost impossible; and before a war becomes popular, there must be good reasons. As wars become less frequent, commercial and literary intercourse are kept alive, and the very root of national prejudices is extirpated.

Let us then remove from the mind and the heart, those obstacles of true liberality. Let us prepare, and advance those studies, which will form the proper and adequate enjoyment of the better educated classes; and these classes are rapidly increasing in number. Let us prove, that in a heart expanded by sober reflection and enlarged views, there is room enough, for liking and loving more than a certain limited number of individuals, our countrymen, or perhaps, our townsmen; that this liberality in nationalities, which never condemns by wholesale, will not injure our patriotism; that there are still remaining a thousand sentiments, interests, attachments, remembrances, habits, &c. &c., that will endear our country to us above every other; that we shall only exchange a blind instinct for a reflecting and purified patriotism; and that there is, in fact, infinitely more true patriotism in pointing out, what in foreign countries is worthy of our imitation, than in praising blindly and fanatically, every thing that is ours, because it is ours. It seems to us, that it is generally not suspected, to what extent these national prejudices, which, as well as professional prejudices, are universally disclaimed, are possessed and cherished by most of those, that so boastingly disclaim them,

An important step, in furtherance of this purpose, will have been taken when the study of modern languages shall have become general; or even, when it shall have been substituted for studies, comparatively less useful; and, we repeat it, because we think this study of infinite importance, and that by means of the methods of Messrs. Hamilton and Bolmar, of which we shall speak in the next number of this Review, it may be rendered comparatively easy.

Travelling in foreign countries, is certainly a very interesting supplement of the liberal education, of which this article speaks. But few persons, however, have the means, the independence, and the liberty to spend considerable time in travelling. He who makes a short and rapid tour through a country, may be amused and gratified. But as for instruction, if he does not read much, and converse with the natives of the country, he might as well have remained at home. And a person, who, without leaving his fireside, has read a good number of foreign works, especially modern, and more than all, reviews and other periodical publications, will know infinitely more about all that is best worth knowing in foreign countries, than a tourist, who has filled his common place book with a great many important trifles, such as we generally find recorded, if the entreaties of their friends can prevail upon them to favour the public with the perusal of those letters, which were positively not written for publication...

The worst part of the business is, that a great number of these observations are absolutely false, either because they are fabricated to make dull pages attractive; or from the haste, with which they are composed, or from want of explanation of many things, or from ignorance of the manners and the language of the country, of which the work speaks. All these deficiences the tourist supplies with contrivances of his own, avoiding, however, all these scruples of modest doubt, which tend to enervate the style.

But if we have combined reading and travelling, we have certainly the best data, for putting many opinions, very generally received among us, to the test; for giving an opinion on those subjects, of which the value can be ascertained only by comparison-and we shall thus have more correct ideas of the import of certain laudatory and condemnatory terms and phrases.

We shall have opportunities enough, to discover errors and prejudices, and even to correct them, if we venture frankly to disclose our thoughts, and especially, if we are listened to. If, however, there be any truth in the observations of a friend of ours, who has had some experience in these matters, and to whom we have communicated the contents of this article; we do not know whether the most pleasant consequences of our toils would be, to let others see, especially in conversation, that we have some fewer prejudices than they. He pretends, in speaking of what he calls the miseries of a traveller, (but we leave it to the reader, to decide how much of his observation is founded on facts,) that although there is so much declamation about a dangerous and infatuated mania for every thing foreign, there is much more real danger in the optimism with which we find every thing that appertains to our own country, admirable as it is. If a person allows himself some remarks, which he believes, he could well sustain with proofs, his openheartedness and sincerity, at first acceptable, appear afterwards rather good natured;' and he finally discovers that we are infinitely more anxious to instruct him, than to receive instruction.

He says further, that if such a person understood the real interests of his reputation with those, with whom he lives, he would remember, that many questions are reduced to comparison, and the terms are wanting in those, who do not know the subjects to which he alludes-that if he has been accustomed to hear contradictory opinions patiently, and to abstract or correct his judgment sincerely, from such discussions, it is not always so with friends, who have heard and uttered an opinion so often, and always without contradiction, that they regard it as true of course, and permanently settled; and are very much inclined to attribute his contradiction to a ridiculous desire of display-that while he defends the absent, the absent retaliate, perhaps, in ridiculing, or criticising in a tone not less authoritative, his friends and countrymen, and possibly, with quite as much reason and impartiality.

Our friend goes so far as to say, that if the traveller in question, consulted his own interest, he would remember, that there is a radical obliquity in the human mind, although its corresponding protuberance has not yet been labelled on the skull by phrenologists-which leads to the belief, that the natural foundation of their own reputation must be the ruin of the reputation of others; and that they cannot raise themselves, without depressing