THE FRENCH ACADEMY.

mittee. The result was, that the glazed palace was at length chosen unanimously, not only by the building committee, but by the royal commission also. Sir Joseph Paxton has acknowledged, not only that the Victoria Lily first started the idea of a palace of glass, but that the wonderful venation in the under surface of its leaves suggested the mechanical arrangement of its iron girders.

TOWNLEY'S ANTIQUARIAN ENTHU

SIASM.

293

year that the Hercules was sold by Mr. Jenkins to Lord Lansdowne. Å different story is, however, told of this Hercules in the account of it in the first Dilettante volume. Mr. Townley is there stated to have had the choice of the two statues at the time they were discovered; to have fixed from description, but afterwards to have repented of his choice.

THE FRENCH ACADEMY.

Paris, finding the extent of the city occasioned much loss of time in their visits, agreed to meet on a fixed day every week, and chose Conrat's residence as central. They met for the purposes of general con

It was from a private meeting that the "French Academy" derived its origin; and the true beThe following anecdote is related ginners of that celebrated instituin Nichols' Illustrations of Litera- tion assuredly had no foresight of ture, upon the authority of Mr. the object to which their conferences Dallaway. Upon receipt of a let-tended. Several literary friends in ter from Mr. Jenkins, the then English banker at Rome, promising him the first choice of some discovered statues, Mr. Townley "instantly set off for Italy, without companion or baggage, and, taking the common post conveyance, ar-versation, or to walk together, or, rived incognito at Rome on the precise day when a very rich cava was to be explored. He stood near, as an uninterested spectator, till he perceived the discovery of an exquisite statue, little injured, and which decided his choice. Observing that his agent was urgent in concealing it, he withdrew to await the event. Upon his calling at Mr. Jenkins' house in the Corso, who was not a little surprised by his sudden appearance, the statue in question was studiously concealed, while the other pieces were shared between them with apparent liberality. Mr.Townley remonstrated, and was dismissed with an assurance that, after due restoration, it should follow him to England. In about a year after, Mr. Townley had the mortification to learn that the identical young Hercules had been sold to Lord Lansdowne at an extreme, yet scarcely an equivalent price." This transaction must have occurred some time before 1790. It was in that

what was not least social, to partake in some refreshing collation. All being literary men, those who were authors submitted their new works to this friendly society, who, without jealousy or malice, freely communicated their strictures; the works were improved, the authors were delighted, and the critics were honest. Such was the happy life of the members of this private society during three or four years. Pelisson, the earliest historian of the French Academy, has delightfully described it: "It was such that now, when they speak of these first days of the Academy, they call it the golden age, during which, with all the innocence and freedom of that fortunate period, without pomp and noise, and without any other laws than those of friendship, they enjoyed together all which a society of minds and a rational life can yield of whatever softens and charms."

They were happy, and they resolved to be silent; nor was this

bond and compact of friendship to be constituted a public body, and violated till one of them, Malle- establish itself by letters patent, ville, secretary of Marshal Bassom- offering them his protection. The piere, being anxious that his friend flatterer of the minister was overFaret, who had just printed his joyed, and executed the important L'Honnete Homme, which he had mission; but not one of the memdrawn from the famous Il Cortigi- bers shared in the rapture, while ano of Castiglione, should profit by some regretted an honour which all their opinions, procured his ad- would only disturb the sweetness mission to one of their conferences. and familiarity of their intercourse. Faret presented them with his book, Malleville, whose master was a priheard a great deal concerning the soner in the Bastile, and Serisay, nature of his work, was charmed the intendant of the Duke of Rocheby their literary communications, foucauld, who was in disgrace at and returned home ready to burst court, loudly protested, in the style with the secret. Could the society of an opposition party, against the hope that others would be more protection of the minister; but faithful than they had been to them-Chapelain, who was known to have selves? Faret happened to be one no party interests, argued so clearly, of those light-hearted men who are that he left them to infer that Ricommunicative in the degree in chelieu's offer was a command; that which they are grateful, and he the cardinal was a minister who whispered the secret to Des Marets willed not things by halves; and and to Boisrobert. The first, as was one of those very great men soon as he heard of such a literary who avenge any contempt shown senate, used every effort to appear to them, even on such little men as before them and read the first themselves. In a word, the dogs volume of his Ariane. Boisrobert, bowed their necks to the golden a man of distinction, and a common collar. However, the appearance, friend to them all, could not be refused an admission; he admired the frankness of their mutual criticisms. The society, besides, was a new object; and his daily business was to furnish an amusing story to his patron Richelieu. The cardinalminister was very literary, and apt to be so hipped in his hours of retirement, that the physician declared, that “all his drugs were of no avail, unless his patient mixed with them a drachm of Boisrobert." In one of those fortunate moments when the cardinal was "in the vein," Boisrobert painted, with the warmest hues, this region of literary felicity, of a small, happy society formed of critics and authors. The minister, who was ever considering things in that particular aspect which might tend to his own glory, instantly asked Boisrobert whether this private meeting would not like

if not the reality, of freedom wasleft to them; and the minister allowed them to frame their own constitution, and elect their own magistrates and citizens in this infant and illustrious republic of literature. The history of the further establishment of the French Academy is elegantly narrated by Pelisson. The usual difficulty occurred of fixing on a title; and they appear to have changed it so often, that the academy was at first addressed by more than one title :Academie des beaux Esprits; Academie de l'Eloquence; Academie Eminente, in allusion to the quality of the cardinal, its protector. Desirous of avoiding the extravagant and mystifying titles of the Italian academies, they fixed on the most unaffected, L'Academie Française; but though the national genius may disguise itself for a moment, it can

THE LUNATIC AND THE SPORTSMAN.

not be entirely got rid of, and they assumed a vaunting device of a laurel wreath, including their epigraph, "a l'Immortalite."

MODERN SNAIL-EATING.

295

acceptance, I do not think that those who consider (as most " Gorgois" do) stewed eels a delicacy ought to be too severe on "Limacotrophists!" -(Notes and Queries.)

CONCHOLOGY AND COLLECTORS.

Conchology, as seen in museums and cabinets, is but a collection of husks and rinds of things that are dead and gone. We treasure the envelope, having lost the letter;

THE LUNATIC AND THE SPORTSMAN.

The practice of eating, if not of talking to, snails seems not to be so unknown in this country as some of your readers might imagine. I was just now interrogating a village child in reference to the addresses to snails, quoted under the head of the book is destroyed, and we preFolk Lore, vol. iii., pp. 132 and 179, serve the binding. Not one person when she acquainted me with the in a hundred who decorates his not very appetising fact, that she apartment with shells can tell and her brothers and sisters had whether the living creatures they been in the constant habit of in- once contained had eyes or no eyes, dulging this horrible Limacotrophy. were fixed to the rock or drifted "We hooks them out of the wall," with the sea-weed, were purely she says, "with a stick in winter herbivorous, or, by an insinuating time, and not in summer time (so but unamiable process, dieted on it seems they have their seasons), the vitals of other molluscs their and we roasts them, and when neighbours.-(Quarterly Review.) they've done spitting they be a-done; and we takes them out with a fork, and eats them. Sometimes we has In an article on "The World 'at a jug heaped up, pretty near my Large'"-the purport of which is pinafore full. I loves them dearly." to show that men who are reputSurely this little bit of practical edly sane often act very insanelycottage economy is worth record- a writer in Chambers's Journal reing. Your correspondent, C. W. B., produces this good old story :—“A does not seem to be aware that " a gentleman of fortune visited a lunragout of borror (snails)" is a regular atic asylum, where the treatment dish with English gipsies. Vide consisted chiefly of forcing the Borrow's Zinculi, part 1. c. v. He patients to stand in tubs of cold has clearly not read Mr. Borrow's water, those slightly affected up to remarks on the subject:-" Know, the knees; others, whose cases were then, O Gentile, whether thou be graver, up to the middle; while from the land of Gorgois (England), persons very seriously ill were or the Busue (Spain), that the very immersed up to the neck. The gipsies, who consider a ragout of visitor entered into conversation snails a delicious dish, will not touch with one of the patients, who apan eel, because it bears a resemblance peared to have some curiosity to to a snake; and that those who will know how the stranger passed his feast on a roasted hedgehog, could time out of doors. "I have horses be induced by no means to taste a and greyhounds for coursing," said squirrel!" Having tasted of roasted the latter in reply to the other's hotchiwitchu (hedgehog) myself question. "Ah! these are very among the "gentle Rommanys," expensive." "Yes; they cost me I can bear witness to its delicate a great deal of money in the year, fatness; and, though a ragout of but they are the best of their snails was never offered for my kind." "Have you anything

more?" "Yes; I have a pack of mad bird, on account of these sinhounds for hunting the fox." "And gularities. The crane expands its they cost a great deal too?" "A wings, runs round in circles, leaps, very great deal." "And I have and throwing little stones and pieces birds for hawking." "I see; birds of wood in the air, endeavours to for hunting birds. And these swell catch them again, or pretends to up the expense, I daresay?" "You avoid them, as if afraid. Watermay say that, for they are not birds, such as ducks and geese, dive common in this country. And after each other, and cleave the then I sometimes go out along surface of the water with outwith my gun, accompanied by a stretched neck and flapping wings, setter and a retriever." "And throwing an abundant spray around. these are expensive too?" "Of Deer often engage in a sham battle course. After all, it is not the or a trial of strength, by twisting animals of themselves that run their horns together and pushing away with the money: there must be men, you know, to feed and look after them, houses to lodge them in—in short the whole sporting establishment." "I see, I see. You have horses, hounds, setters, retrievers, hawks, men-and all for the capture of foxes and birds. What an enormous revenue they must cost you! Now, what I want to know is this, what return do they pay?what does your year's sporting produce?" Why, we kill a fox now and then-only they are getting rather scarce hereabouts and we seldom bag less than fifty brace of birds each sea

66

for the mastery. All animals that pretend violence in their play stop short of exercising it; the dog takes the greatest precaution not to injure by his bite; and the ourang-outang, in wrestling with his keeper, attempts to throw him, and makes feints of biting him. Some animals carry out in their play the semblance of catching their prey; young cats, for instance, leap after every small and moving object, even to the leaves strewed by the autumn wind; they crouch and steal forward ready for the spring; the body quivering and the tail vibrating with emotion, they bound on "Hark!" said the lunatic, the moving leaf, and again watch, looking anxiously round him. "My and again spring forward at another. friend"-in an earnest whisper-Rengger saw young jaguars and "there is the gate behind you; cuguars playing with round subtake my advice, and be off out of this place while you are safe. Don't let the doctor get his eyes upon you. He ducks us to some purpose; but as sure as you are a living man, he will half-drown you!

son."

PLAYFULNESS OF ANIMALS.

stances like kittens. Young lambs collect together on the little hillocks and eminences in their pastures, racing and sporting with each other in the most interesting manner. Birds of the pie kind are the analogues of monkeys, full of mischief, play, and mimicry. There is a story told of a tame magpie, which was Small birds chase each other seen busily employed in a garden about in play, but perhaps the con- gathering pebbles, and with much duct of the crane and the trumpeter solemnity and a studied air drop(Psophia crepitans) is the most ex-ping them in a hole about eighteen traordinary. The latter stands on inches deep made to receive a post. one leg, hops about in the most ec- After dropping each stone, it cried centric manner, and throws somer- "currack !" triumphantly, and set sets. The Americans call it the off for another. On examining the

THE ENGLISH WIFE ON SATURDAY EVENING.