THE WORKS OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH. Fourth Edition. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS, PATERNOSTER-ROw. ARTICLES ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE EDINBURGH REVIEW. MADAME DEPINAY. (E. REVIEW, 1818.) Mémoires et Correspondance de Madame D'Epinay. 3 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1818. THERE used to be in Paris, under the ancient régime, a few women of brilliant talents, who violated all the common duties of life, and gave very pleasant little suppers. Among these supped and sinned Madame d'Epinay - the friend and companion of Rousseau, Diderot, Grimm, Holbach, and many other literary persons of distinction of that period. Her principal lover was Grimm; with whom was deposited, written in feigned names, the history of her life. Grimm died his secretary sold the history - the feigned names have been exchanged for the real ones-and her works now appear abridged in three volumes octavo. Madame d'Epinay, though far from an immaculate character, has something to say in palliation of her irregularities. Her husband behaved abominably; and alienated, by a series of the most brutal injuries, an attachment which seems to have been very ardent and sincere, and which, with better treatment, would probably have been lasting. For, in all her aberrations, Madame d'Epinay seems to have had a tendency to be constant. Though extremely young when separated from her husband, she indulged herself with but two lovers for the rest of her life; - to the first of whom she |