The theatres can, I fear, make but wry faces at the grand national spectacle, which has left them with empty benches, and provided so many rival amusements; they cannot maintain their ground against the clubs, where a more exciting evening's entertainment is to be had for less money, and in many of which one pays four sous (the price of a quadrille at the guinguettes) for liberty to make a speech. It would be better, however, to pay one's four sous for a listener, if such a thing could be found. Generally the whole assembly talks at once, and the president's office is reduced to that of ringing his bell without ceasing. He has been compared to the hare's foot, which we see suspended by a string at the door of many apartments in Paris, as a simple and elegant substitute for a bellhandle.

One scene, witnessed a few days ago on the Boulevard Beaumarchais, is too remarkable to be passed over. It was the eve of the féle of St. Joseph, the patron saint of the carpenters. At a certain corner, a great fire had been kindled of sawdust and shavings, round which was assembled a crowd, seemingly of "the trade," who were engaged, amidst acclamations of joy, in burning a bust. It was not possible to obtain a distinct view of the features of the personage who had the honour of figuring in this auto-da-fe of the carpenters, but conjectures as to who it might be were thrown out in abundance by the passers-by.

"Good heavens !" exclaimed some, in a tone of consternation, “in what a time do we live! Here is '95 over again. The workmen are burning M. Guizot in effigy."-"No, it is M. Duchâtel,-I saw the face!"-"No, it is the bust of the organization of labour."

These and many other guesses were hazarded, and many were of opinion that the people were burning in effigy a personification of the National Guard. "Ah, if his poor wife were to pass by," said a spectator, pointing to the blackened bust, "it would be enough to kill her."" And his children, too," said another tender-hearted passenger, in a pathetic tone.

At length, one who had been looking on in silence, determined to discover what unfortunate contemporary had thus incurred the displeasure of the sovereign people, managed to force his way into the centre of the group. But the features of the bust were by this time quite unrecognisable. Searching out, therefore, among the executioners of the decree of the Mob Majesty, for the one whose countenance bespoke the most affable and condescending temper, he ventured to ask the name of him who had been thus justly sacrificed ; the assumption that the sentence was just, though he did not know on whom, showed his courtier-like skill, and was rewarded accordingly. He obtained an answer. It was the bust of-will anybody guess?-I am afraid you must give it up. It was the bust of Voltaire!!! Shall I leave your mouths open with astonishment till next month, or shall I give an explanation. It was not for his enmity to Christianity that he was condemned, but for an insult offered in a certain couplet* to the trade of a carpenter, which, in his own day, as carpenters did not then read, had escaped detecThe couplet occurs in the Epitre à Uranie, where, speaking of the Saviour, he says,

"Long temps vil ouvrier, un rabot à la main,

Ses beaux jours sont perdus dans ce lache exercise."

tion, but the schoolmaster has been abroad, and a young professor of the plane had just found him out. Singular that for this offence vengeance should have overtaken him after the lapse of a century. His attacks on throne and altar, his cold sneers at everything beautiful and sacred, might be forgiven; but an affront to the carpenters, a wound to our vanity, "Jamais! Jamais!"

* ἀνήλιον.—Where the unpierced shade

+

Imbrown'd the noontide bowers.-MILTON.

No stir of air was there;

Not so much life as on a summer's day

Robs not one light seed from the feather'd grass,

But where the dead leaf fell, there did it lie.-KEATS.

THE DANISH SEAMAN'S SONG.

FROM THE DANISH.

"Kong Christian stod ved høien Mast," &c.-EwALD.

KING CHRISTIAN stood by the high mast,
In cloud and smoke,—

With his axe he hammer'd away so fast,
That helm and skull around he cast-
Sunk every foeman's yard and mast,
In cloud and smoke.

"Fly!" cried he, "fly! who now fly can!
Who stands for Denmark's Christian !

In fight and smoke?"

Niels Juel, to storm and cry gave heed— "Now is the hour!"

And hoisted up the flag blood-red,

Flew blow on blow-fell head on head-
As he shouted through the storm, "Give heed!
Now is the hour!

Fly!" cried he, "fly! who safety seek!
Who stands for Denmark's Juel now speak
In fight this hour!"

O North Sea! how our lightnings rend
Thy murky sky!—

There in thy lap chiefs seek their end—
For thence their shafts death-terror send,
-Shouts through the battle break, and rend
Thy murky sky!

From Denmark flames thy "thunder-shield;"
Then cast thyself on heaven and yield !—
Or fly!

Thou Danish road to fame and power,
Thou gloomy wave!

Oh, take thy friend, who ne'er will cower,

But danger dares, where'er it lower,

As proud as thou, in thy storm-power,
Thou gloomy wave!

And quick through shouts of joy and woe,
And fight and victory, bear me to

INDEX

TO THE TWENTY-THIRD VOLUME.