ebimnies with the fontinale incombustibule.

..

Frederick der Zweite, &c. Frederick II. Koi de Prusse." Frederic II. King of Prussia, or Notices respecting his Private Life, by Schoening. 63 pages, 8vo. Berlin, 1808.

These observations are the production of the late M. Schoening, formerly first valet de chambre to the celebrated king, mentioned in the title-page. They are intended to rectify several erroneous assertions respecting his majesty, which have appeared in dinerent biographical works. The author begins by giving a description of the person of Frederic; he then meations the manner in which he spent his time, which was strictly regulated for every day in the year. The whole is terminated by a few characteristic anecdotes, many of which are deserving of record.

Frederic II. we are told was not a great eater, a fact in direct opposition to the assertions of all who knew him. It is allowed, however, that he was unfortunate in the choice of his meats, which frequently subjected him to cholics and indigestion. He did not love Burgundy, and was still less fond of old hock, to which he attributed the gout that he inherited from his father. The anecdotes relative to his familiarity with his coachman, are absolutely controverted. This fellow was insolent to all the world, and the king dismissed him from his service ten or a dozen years before his death. It was only at the reiterated request of the count de Schwerin, his master of the horse, that his majesty at length consented to allow him a very moderate pension.

It has been asserted, that the king was accustomed to turn his coats. This is denied, but it is at the same time allowed, that it was usual with him to have them mended. He was fond of snuf boxes, and it has been said, that he expended to the amount of four or five millions of crowns on them. This is deemed a gross exaggeration, but enough is here conceded to prove, that he squandered immense sums on this species of toys. The most common of these is here valued at 2000 crowns, and the most valuable at 10,000: after his death, 180 were found in his possession, and if each of these were to be estimated even at 10,000 crowns, the whole would oply amount to 1,300,000. This, however, serves to prove nearly all that has been asserted on this subject.

The author has added some remarks on the king's mode of thinking on religion, a repetition of which we have some reason to believe, would not be extremely edifying. He also quotes many instances of his contempt of German literature, and his predilection for nobility.

Charles James Fox, &c. "Sir Charles James Fox, Secretary of State, &c. ou Memoires, sur sa vie politique, literaire et privée, traduits d'apres la quatrieme edition de l'original Anglais, 1 vol. 800. Leipsic, 1 rad. 1808." The above titlepage, in which the late Right Hon. Charles James Fox is knighted, has been copied literally.

"Description de la Ville de Dresden, &c." A Description of the City of Dre-den, with an account of its most beau tiful edifices.

The text is in the German and French languages, and the plates of this elegant work, which are 18 in number, have been designed by M. M. Hanmer and Thormeyer, and engraved by Veith, Schuman, &c. The first is a general view of the city;

The 2d plate contains the Japonese palace;

The 3d, the Japonese garden;

The 4th, A view of the Abbey of Neustadt, and of the bridge across the Elbe;

The 5th, 6th, and 7th, are different views of the same bridge;

The 8th is a plate of the Catholic church, taken from the palace of Bruhl. The 9th, a view of Zwinger, taken from the Abbey of Ostra;

The 10th, a view of the picture gallery; The 11th, a view of the church of Our Lady;

The 12th, view of the Church of the Cross;

The 13th, a view of the gate of Pirna,

And from the 14th to 18th, we have views of the Palace of Piliniz; of the Fort of Kænigstein; of the valley of Plauen; of Tharand; and of Mori bourg.

DRAMA.

"Hector, Tragedie en cinq actes, suivie de plusieurs fragmens imités de 'Iliade, &c." Hector, a Tragedy in five acts, accompanied by several Fragments imitated from the Iliad, and one scene appertaining to Helen, suppressed by the author; by J. Ch. J. Luce de Lancival; represented for the first time, on the Theatre Française, February 1, 1809.

M. Luce

M. Luce de Lancival has on this, as bn former occasions, both studied and copied the ancients. He has borrowed their sentiments and their manners, and it may accordingly be said of him:

« Mais je dois jusqu'au bout remplir ma noble tâche ;

"Mais Hector ne peut vivre avec le nom de lâche;

"Et quand c'est au plus brave à subir le trépas,

In the character of Hector we behold a paraphrase of the Iliad; and the same submission to his father, the same respect for the gods, as inculcated by Homer, is every where inculcated and enforced. He is depicted as generous, and disinterested; ever ready to confound himself with the croud, and never separating from them, unless when he is about to immolate himself to the happiness of all. Here follows a specimen of the noble sentiments which are put into the mouth of a hero, whose constant cry is, "Ilion avant tout!"

pas."

The moral of the whole tragedy is, "command your passions and obey the gods." M. Luce represents Priam as a ravisher, and Helena as the victim, rather than the accomplice, of his crime. It is thus she expresses herself on this

occasion:

"Je hais Paris; par lui je suis infortunée; "A mille affronts par lui je me vois con damnée ;

"A Pergame, à la Gréce objet trop odieux, "A peine devant toi j'ose lever les yeux. Je le hais des malheurs qu'il cause à ma patrie;

rière,

flétrie ;

"Et si je me rapelle un plus doux souvenir, "Je le hais de m'avoir forcée à le haïr."

Paris himself, is represented as generous, noble, and brave, qualities which neither correspond with his received character, nor indeed with history. On the other hand, the plot is unperplexed with extraordinary and wonderful incidents, and the author makes it his boast, to endeavour to restore to the stage all the original simplicity of Racine,

GENERAL