families are usually less than those of the latter. A country where the births were to the marriages in the ratio of 4 or 43 to one, might, supposing its inhabitants were placed under more favourable circumstances, increase faster in population than one where the births were to the marriages as 5 or even 51⁄2 to one. But other things being the same, in countries where the marriages bear a high proportion to the population, and the births to the marriages, there must, it is obvious, be either a rapid increase of population, or a very great degree of mortality; and hence it follows, that in an old-settled and densely peopled country, it is, speaking generally, a favourable symptom when the marriages do not bear a high proportion to the population, nor the births to the marriages. Such a country may not be advancing rapidly in population; but, which is of infinitely more consequence, it may be safely inferred, that the rate of mortality in it is not very high, and that the condition of the population is comparatively prosperous.

We are afraid we have fatigued our readers with these details. But whatever importance they may attach to them, we believe they are mostly such as they will not meet with in any English publication. The English originally led the way in the science of political arithmetic. The admirable work of Graunt on the London bills of mortality, published in 1662; the Essays of King and Sir William Petty; Dr Halley's paper in the Philosophical Transactions for 1692; and some tracts of Dr Davenant, were among the earliest efforts in this line of enquiry. Since that time, however, it has been comparatively neglected by us; and were it not that a knowledge of the law of mortality, and of the expectation of life, is required in deciding questions with respect to annuities, it may be doubted whether the least attention would now be given to any one of the enquiries in which we have been engaged. In Germany, and to a considerable extent also in France and Italy, an acquaintance with the principles of political arithmetic and statistics is justly considered as forming an important part of the education of a gentleman; but in England it is otherwise. What with Nonsense verses at school, and Novel-reading, Apocrypha controversies, and Phrenology afterwards, we have no time to attend to such matters. Notwithstanding all that is said about the march of intellect, and the efforts to multiply sixpenny systems, it is a fact that even the science of geography, interesting and important as it is, is at this moment, and has long been, at a lower ebb in Great Britain than in any country of Europe, Spain not excepted. In despite of the superior means of information at our command, we have not published a single com

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plete treatise on geography during the last hundred years, that is not utterly contemptible. Those among us who wish to acquire any really accurate or useful information with respect to the condition of foreign countries, or even of their own, must have recourse to foreign works. For this reason, we think, the translators of M. Malte-Brun's Geography have done good service to the public, by rendering so valuable a work accessible to the English reader. If the part which is to treat of the United Kingdom be as well executed as that which treats of the United States of America, it will do something to supply one of the greatest desideratums in British literature-a tolerable account of the British dominions.

ART. II.-Collection Complète des Pamphlets Politiques et Opuscules Littéraires de PAUL-LOUIS COURIER, Ancien Cannonier à Cheval. 8vo. Pp. 510. Bruxelles, 1826,

THE HIS is, in many respects, one of the most curious and interesting books that we remember to have seen of late years. As the author is little known beyond the literary and political circles of Paris, and as his works, besides their extraordinary merit in point of composition, are full of important information respecting the state of things in France before and since the Revolution, we shall make no apology for giving some account of them to our readers, having been fortunate enough to procure a copy, which we understand the vigilance of the police has frequently rendered very difficult.

Courier was the son of a proprietor in Touraine, that is, a landholder, not noble, and of independent, but moderate fortune. At an early age he devoted himself to the acquirement of classical literature, and made extraordinary proficiency in the Greek language, which through life continued to be his favourite study. He made some progress also in the mathematics; and having entered the artillery, served with distinction, first in the campaign of 1792, and afterwards in those of Italy and Germany. He rose rapidly to the rank of chef d'escadron in the horse artillery, but retired after the battle of Wagram in 1809; a measure which, we are told by the editor of this collection, was recommended to him by his love of independence, and to his superiors, by his impatience of subordination and the severity of his humour, unrestrained by any deference for rank.

He was now in his six-and-thirtieth year, and he devoted the

remainder of his life to the cultivation of his estate and to literary pursuits. The abuses of the government in his earlier years, more especially the domineering spirit of the nobles, the corruptions of the Romish church, and the impure lives of the higher clergy, seem to have given him an incurable prejudice against the aristocracy and the Catholic priesthood. Thus, though baptized, as is usual, by the name of the estate, de Meré, he never would take it, de peur qu'on ne le crût gentilhomme.' In all his writings he designates himself either Vigneron,' or Bu'cheron,' or simply peasant, and takes a pride in representing himself as living the life of his neighbours in that station. He is their adviser in difficulties, their advocate when attacked; and after a strenuous warfare waged against local abuses, petty oppression, and ecclesiastical corruptions, he appears at last to have fallen a sacrifice to his zeal: For, while engaged in exposing these malversations by publications, which he contrived, notwithstanding the vigilance of the police, to put forth from time to time, he was assassinated within a few steps of his own house, to which he was returning from a journey. Qui fut l'assassin? (says his biographer) comme on ne peut former là-dessus que des conjectures, il est juste et prudent de garder le silence.'

He appears to have been a man of inflexible honesty, and, in the relations of private life, kindly and amiable. But his humour was eccentric, and his prejudices as strong as many of those which he spent much of his life in combating. The abuses of certain institutions had unfortunately given him a bias against their use; and he often expresses himself in a tone of irreverence upon sacred subjects, less, perhaps, because he was inclined to treat them with disrespect, than because he was sensible of the pernicious ends to which they were often perverted.

It is, however, with his writings that we have here to do; and the merits of these are of a very high order indeed. They abound in plain, strong, masculine sense, illustrated with classical allusions, naturally and happily introduced, and seasoned with wit more brilliant than is almost anywhere else to be found-for it has the keen edge of Swift's satire, with a style of more pointed epigram, and the easy playfulness of Voltaire, without his pertness and flippancy. His statements and narratives are short, and so clear, as to present a sudden and lively picture; his arguments are models of conciseness and force. He is truly a writer of extraordinary powers, and nothing could have prevented him from attaining a very eminent place among the literary men of his age, but his never having composed a work of any considerable magnitude, upon a subject of permanent importance.

The caustic severity in which he indulges, and indulges too frequently, is, for the most part, called forth by some instance of oppression, some actual case of great abuse in important things; but sometimes also it is excited by his own real or fancied wrongs, and then it sits less gracefully upon him. He seems never to have condescended but once to solicit a favour, and that was when, in compliance with his kinsman Clavier's dying request, he became a candidate for the vacancy occasioned by his death in the Academy of Inscriptions. The election took place during the ascendency of the ultra faction; and the same body which had rejected the father of modern Grecians, the illustrious Coraii, preferred to Courier certain courtiers, 'qui,' (in the words of the court journal) à dire vrai, ne savent point de Grec, mais dont les principes sont connus.' This refusal, where he felt he had been guilty of a condescension, rankled in his proud spirit, and gave occasion to a very severe attack upon the Academy, in a letter addressed to its members; containing, no doubt, a great deal of truth, but conveyed in terms of the most unsparing sarcasm, and with all the exaggeration incident to compositions professedly satirical. Although, from taking its origin in feelings of a personal nature, this is a far less pleasing composition than those which are inspired by a just indignation at oppression or abuse, and a strong sense of the wrongs of others; yet we shall extract one or two passages, as illustrating the character we have given of his style. Ce qui me fache le plus,' says he, speaking of his rejection,

C'est que je vois s'accomplir cette prediction que me fit autrefois mon pere" Tu ne seras jamais rien." Jusqu'à present, je doutais, (comme il y a toujours quelque chose d'obscur dans les oracles,) je pensais qu'il pouvait avoir dit,-" Tu ne feras jamais rien;" ce qui m'accommodait assez, et me semblait même d'un bon augure pour mon avancement dans le monde; car, en ne faisant rien, je pouvais parvenir à tout, et singulierement, à étre de l'Academie !* Je m'abusais. Le bon-homme, sans doute, avoit dit, et rarement il se trompa,-" Tu ne seras jamais rien;" c'est-à-dire, tu ne seras ni gendarme, ni rat-de-cave, ni espion, ni duc, ni laquais, ni academicien.'

'Ce n'est pas là, messieurs, ce que craignait votre fondateur, le ministre Colbert. Il n'attacha point de traitement aux places de votre academie, de peur, disent les memoires du temps, que les courtisans n'y

* In another of his writings, M. Courier, having occasion to mention some Florentine men of letters, who might have remained unexposed but for a controversy of which he is speaking, archly observes:- Jamais on ne se serait douté, qu'ils sussent si peu leur métier, et leur ignorance, ne paraissant que dans leurs ouvrages, n'eût eté connue de personne.'

voulussent mettre leurs valets. Helas! ils font bien pis: ils s'y mettent eux-mêmes; et apres eux, s'y mettent encore leurs protegés, valets sans gages, de sorte que tout le monde bientôt sera de l'Academie, excepté les savants! comme on conte d'un grand d'autrefois, que tous les gens de sa maison avaient des benefices, excepté l'aumônier.'

Oh! l'heureuse pensée qu'eut le grand Napoleon, d'enregimenter les beaux-arts, d'organiser les sciences, comme les droits reunis ; pensée vraiment royale, disait M. de Fontanes, de changer en appointement ce que promettent les Muses—un nom et des lauriers! Par-là tout s'aplanit dans la littérature; par-là, cette carriere, autrefois si penible, est de venue facile et unie. Un jeune homme, dans les lettres, s'avance, fait son chemin, comme dans les sels ou les tabacs. Avec de la conduite, un caractere doux, une mise decente, il est sur de parvenir, et d'avoir à son tour des places, des traitemens, des pensions, des logemens, pourvu qu'il n'aille pas faire autrement que tout le monde, se distinguer, étudier. Les jeunes gens quelquefois se passionnent pour l'étude; c'est la perte assurée de quiconque aspire aux emplois de la littérature; c'est le mal à tout avancement. L'étude rend paresseux: on s'enterre dans ses livres; on devient reveur, distrait, ou oublie ses divers visites, assemblées, repas, ceremonies; mais ce qu'il y a de pis, l'étude rend orgueilleux ; celui qui etudie s'imagine bientôt savoir plus qu'un autre, pretend à des succès, meprise ses egaux, manque à ses superieurs, neglige ses protecteurs, et ne fera jamais rien dans la partie des lettres. · Si eût etudie, s'il eût appris le Grec, serait-il aujourd'hui professeur de langue Grecque, garde des livres Grecs, academicien de l'Academie Grecque, enfin, le mieux renté de tous les érudits? Haase a fait cette sottise. Il s'est rendu savant, et le voila capable de remplir toutes les places destinées aux savants, mais non pas de les obtenir. Bien plus avisé fut M. R., ce galant defenseur de l'eglise, ce jeune champion du temps passé! Il pouvait, comme un autre, apprendre, en étudiant; mais il vit que cela ne le menait à rien, et il aima bien mieux se produire que s'instruire, avoir dix emplois de savant, que d'etre en état d'en remplir un qu'il n'eût pas eu, s'il se fût mis dans l'esprit de le meriter, comme a fait ce pauvre Haase, homme, à mon jugement, droit mais non habile; qui s'en va pâlir sur les livres, perd son temps et son Grec, ayant devant les yeux ce qui l'eût du preserver d'une semblable faute. modele de conduite, littérateur parfait

ne sçait aucune science, n'entend aucune langue,' &c.

We do not give the names of the individuals here described, for it is impossible to say that the attack upon them may not be unjust, when we see the spirit that dictates the greater part of M. Courier's remarks on the Academy.

One of the first and most interesting of the pieces contained. in this volume is a petition to the two Chambers, dated 1816, and setting forth, with much simplicity and pathos, the sufferings of the district in which M. Courier lived, under the oppressions