CHAP. VII. Of polite learning in France. WE have hitherto feen, that wherever the poet was permitted to begin by improving his native language, polite learning flourished; but where the critic undertook the fame task, it has never rifen to any degree of perfection. Let us now examine the merits of modern learning in France and England; where, though it may be on the decline, yet it is ftill capable of retrieving much of its former fplendor. În other places learning has not yet been planted, or has fuffered a total decay. To attempt amendment there would be only like the application of remedies to an infenfible or a mortified part; but here there is still life, and there is hope. And indeed the French themselves are fo far from giving into any defpondence of this kind, that on the contrary they admire the progrefs they are daily making in every fcience; that levity, for which we are apt to defpife this nation, is probably the principal fource of their happiness. An agreeable oblivion of paft pleasures, a freedom from folicitude about future ones, and a poignant zeft of every prefent enjoyment, if they be not philofophy, are at leaft excellent fubftitutes. By this they are taught to regard the period in which they live with admiration. The prefent manners and the prefent converfation furpafs all that preceded. A fimilar enthufiafm as ftrongly tinctures their learning and their tafte. While we, with a defpondence characteristic of our nation, are for removing back Bri tifh excellence to the reign of Queen Elizabeth, our more happy rivals of the continent cry up the writers of the present times with rapture, and regard the age of Lewis XV. as the true Auguftan age of France. The truth is, their prefent writers have not fallen fo far fhort of the merits of their ancestors as ours have done. That felf-fufficiency now mentioned may have been of fervice to them in this particular. By fancying themfelves fuperior to their ancestors they have been encouraged to enter the lifts with confidence; and by not being dazzled at the fplen dour of another's reputation, have fometimes had fagacity to mark out an unbeaten path to fame for themselves. Other caufes alfo may be affigned, that their fecond growth of genius is ftill more vigorous than ours. Their encouragements to merit are more fkilfully directed, the link of patronage and learning ftill continues unbroken. The French nobility have certainly a moft pleafing way of fatisfying the vanity of an author without indulging his avarice. A man of literary merit is fure of being careffed by the great, though feldom enriched. His penfion from the crown juft fupplies half a competence, and the fale of his labours makes fome small addition to his circumftances; thus the author leads a life of fplendid poverty, and feldom becomes wealthy or indolent enough to difcontinue an exertion of those abilities by which he rofe. With the English it is different; out writers of rifing merit are generally neglected; while the few of an established reputation are overpaid by luxurious affluence. The young encounter every hardfhip which generally attends upon afpiring indigence; the old enjoy the vulgar, and perhaps the more prudent fatisfaction of putting riches in competition with fame. Thofe are often feen to fpend their youth in want and obfcurity; these are fometimes found to lead an old age of indolence and avarice. avarice. But fuch treatment muft naturally be expected from Englishmen, whofe national character. it is to be flow and cautious in making friends, but violent in friendships once contracted. The English nobility, in fhort, are often known to give greater rewards to genius than the French, who, however, are much more judicious in the application of their empty favours. The fair fex in France have alfo not a little contributed to prevent the decline of taste and literature, by expecting fuch qualifications in their admirers. A man of fashion at Paris, however contemptible we may think him here, must be acquainted with the reigning modes of philofophy as well as of drefs to be able to entertain his mistress agreeably. The fprightly pedants are not to be caught by dumb fhew, by the fqueeze of a hand, or the ogling of a broad eye: but must be purfued at once through all the labyrinths of the Newtonian fyftem, or the metaphyfics of Locke. I have feen as bright a circle of beauty at the chymical lectures of Rouelle as gracing the court at Versailles. And indeed wisdom never appears fo charming as when graced and protected by beauty. To thefe advantages may be added the reception of their language in the different courts of Europe. An author who excels is fure of having all the polite for admirers, and is encouraged to write by the pleafing expectation of univerfal fame. Add to this, that thofe countries, who can make nothing good from their own language, have lately begun, to write in this, fome of whofe productions contribute to fupport the prefent literary reputation of France. There are therefore many among the French who do honour to the prefent age, and whofe writings will be tranfmitted to pofterity with an ample fhare of fame: fome of the most celebrated are as follow; Voltaire, Voltaire, whofe voluminous yet fpirited productions are too well known to require an eulogy; does he not resemble the champion mentioned by Xenophon, of great reputation in all the gymnaftic exercifes united, but inferior to each champion fingly, who excels only in one? Montefquieu, a name equally deferving fame with the former; the Spirit of Laws is an inftance how much genius is able to lead learning. His fyftem has been adopted by the literati; and yet is it not poffible for opinions equally plaufible to be formed upon oppofite principles, if a genius like his could be found to attempt fuch an undertaking? He feems more a poet than a philofopher. Rouffeau of Geneva; A profeffed man-hater, or more properly speaking, a philofopher enraged with one half of mankind, because they unavoidably make the other half unhappy. Such fentiments are generally the result of much good nature and little experience. 1 Pyron, an author poffeffed of as much wit as any man alive, yet with as little prudence to turn it to his own advantage. A comedy of his, called La Metromanie, is the beft theatrical production that has appeared of late in Europe. But I know not whether I fhould moft commend his genius or cenfure his obfcenity; his ode à Priape, has juftly excluded him from a place in the academy of Belles Lettrês. However, the good-natured Montefquieu by his intereft procured the ftarving bard a trifling penfion. His own epitaph was all the revenge he took upon the academy for being repulfed. Cy Git Pyron qui ne fut jamais rien Crebillon junior; A writer of real merit, but guilty of the fame indelicate faults with the former. Wit employed in dreffing up obfcenity is like the art ufed in painting a corpfe; it may be thus rendered tolerable to one fenfe, but fails not quickly to offend fome other. Greffet is agreeable and eafy. His comedy called. the Mechant, and an humorous poem entitled Ververt, have original merit. He was bred a jefuit, but his wit procured his difmiffion from the fociety. This laft work particularly could expect no pardon from the Convent, being a fatire against nunneries! Dalembert has united an extenfive fkill in fcientifical learning with the most refined tafte for the polite arts. His excellence in both has procured him a feat in each academy. Diderot is an elegant writer and fubtil reafoner. He is the fuppofed author of the famous Thefis which the abbé Prade fuftained before the doctors of the Sorbonne. It was levelled againft Chriftianity, and the Sorbonne too haftily gave it their fanction. They perceived its purport, however, when it was too late. The college was brought into fome contempt, and the abbé obliged to take refuge at the court of Berlin. The Marquis D'Argens attempts to add the character of a philofopher to the vices of a debauchée. The catalogue might be encreafed with feveral other authors of merit, fuch as Marivaux, Le Franc, Saint Foix, Deftouches, and Modonville; but let it fuffice to fay, that by these the character of the prefent age is tolerably fupported. Though their poets feldom rife to fine enthufiafm, they never fink into abfurdity; though they fail to aftonish, they are gencrally poffeffed of talents to please. The age of Lewis XIV. notwithstanding these refpectable names is ftill vaftly fuperior. For befide the general tendency of critical corruption which shall |