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Article REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Page 1 of 8 →
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Review Of New Publications.
REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS .
Private Memoirs relative to the last Tear of the Reign of Lewis XVI . late King of Franrt . By Ant . Fr . Bertrandde Mofevilfe , Minister at that Time . Translaleifrom the orig inal Manuscript of the Author , which hits never been published . 3 vols . Svo . About 420 pages each . Price 11 . Is . Cadell ancl Davies . ' ENJOYING the confidence of Lewis XVI . invested at one time with a high official situation , ancl employed afterwards in a very delicate and danserviceit is not to be doubted but Mr . B . de M . was acquainted
gerous , with all the operations and intrigues of tbe period he describes . Making all due allowance , therefore , for the prejudices that will naturally arise in the breast of a Royalist in favour of his Sovereign , and against the enemies of both , this work appears to abound with a \* arietyof genuine information . The author begins by exhibiting a view of France previously to the assembling of the States General in 1789 ; he asserts , in express opposition to the opinion of most of the court paity , that their convocation was absolutely
accessary , and points out the causes of the mischiefs that followed . On this occasion , notwithstanding his profound attachment to the king , he very ingenuously attributes no inconsiderable-portion of these to his own weakness , and the criminal perversity of -Maurepas . ' In the course of these memoirs , I more than once lament the indecision of that unfortunate prince ; his repugnance to adopt the bold measures which mig ht have saved him ; his being " deficient in that energy of character ,
that self-confidence which imposes on the multitude , who are more ready to believe that he who commands with firmness and an sir of authority , possesses the means of enforcing obedience . But I will venture to say , that the \ 'ery faults above enumerated did not belong- to . his natural character , but were
engrafted upon it by the selfish indolence of M . de Maurepas , that ancient minister , Avhorn tbe court flatterers were not ashamed to call the Nestor of France , because he resembled Nestor in age ; having been discarded in the former reign , he was now recalled to direct tbe first steps of Lewis XVI . in the career of royalty . - Previous to the recall of this minister , the young prince had been noted for an auk ward forwardness of manner , and impatience of contradiction ,
through which , however , a goodness of heart and love of justice always appeared . He did not find in his pupil any of those passions so common to his years , but the seeds of all the precious qualities with which Providence en-CIOAVS the minds of those princes who do honour to the throne , and are destined for the happiness of the people . What task could be more easy and honourable than that which this pretended monitor had to fulfil ? His care and attention were not required to render the young monarch virtuous , but
to unfold those virtues he already possessed , and so to direct them , that those qualities which forma great prince mig ht take the lead of those which merely form a man of probity ; to teach him to estimate the talents of men , that he might thereby be empowered to employ them conformably to their abilities , He-ought , at the same time , to have given him such an idea of his own powers and resources , as would have inspired him Avith a reasonable degree of confidence in himself , and have enabled him to aft with that steadiness Avhich always creates respect : for a prince of good understanding , who is conscious of his own value , may sometimes appear superior , buf will never appear inferior to himself .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Review Of New Publications.
REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS .
Private Memoirs relative to the last Tear of the Reign of Lewis XVI . late King of Franrt . By Ant . Fr . Bertrandde Mofevilfe , Minister at that Time . Translaleifrom the orig inal Manuscript of the Author , which hits never been published . 3 vols . Svo . About 420 pages each . Price 11 . Is . Cadell ancl Davies . ' ENJOYING the confidence of Lewis XVI . invested at one time with a high official situation , ancl employed afterwards in a very delicate and danserviceit is not to be doubted but Mr . B . de M . was acquainted
gerous , with all the operations and intrigues of tbe period he describes . Making all due allowance , therefore , for the prejudices that will naturally arise in the breast of a Royalist in favour of his Sovereign , and against the enemies of both , this work appears to abound with a \* arietyof genuine information . The author begins by exhibiting a view of France previously to the assembling of the States General in 1789 ; he asserts , in express opposition to the opinion of most of the court paity , that their convocation was absolutely
accessary , and points out the causes of the mischiefs that followed . On this occasion , notwithstanding his profound attachment to the king , he very ingenuously attributes no inconsiderable-portion of these to his own weakness , and the criminal perversity of -Maurepas . ' In the course of these memoirs , I more than once lament the indecision of that unfortunate prince ; his repugnance to adopt the bold measures which mig ht have saved him ; his being " deficient in that energy of character ,
that self-confidence which imposes on the multitude , who are more ready to believe that he who commands with firmness and an sir of authority , possesses the means of enforcing obedience . But I will venture to say , that the \ 'ery faults above enumerated did not belong- to . his natural character , but were
engrafted upon it by the selfish indolence of M . de Maurepas , that ancient minister , Avhorn tbe court flatterers were not ashamed to call the Nestor of France , because he resembled Nestor in age ; having been discarded in the former reign , he was now recalled to direct tbe first steps of Lewis XVI . in the career of royalty . - Previous to the recall of this minister , the young prince had been noted for an auk ward forwardness of manner , and impatience of contradiction ,
through which , however , a goodness of heart and love of justice always appeared . He did not find in his pupil any of those passions so common to his years , but the seeds of all the precious qualities with which Providence en-CIOAVS the minds of those princes who do honour to the throne , and are destined for the happiness of the people . What task could be more easy and honourable than that which this pretended monitor had to fulfil ? His care and attention were not required to render the young monarch virtuous , but
to unfold those virtues he already possessed , and so to direct them , that those qualities which forma great prince mig ht take the lead of those which merely form a man of probity ; to teach him to estimate the talents of men , that he might thereby be empowered to employ them conformably to their abilities , He-ought , at the same time , to have given him such an idea of his own powers and resources , as would have inspired him Avith a reasonable degree of confidence in himself , and have enabled him to aft with that steadiness Avhich always creates respect : for a prince of good understanding , who is conscious of his own value , may sometimes appear superior , buf will never appear inferior to himself .