the ancients; and Voltaire calls him the best comic poet that ever existed. The fertility of his genius is astonishing: he spent the greatest part of his life in writingTM comedies, boths in prose and verset, which were much applauded. It is to be regretted that morals are so much neglected in his productions, and that he did not teach what he himself practised in private life2. The qualities of his heart were truly estimable; he was mild, sensible, generous, and enjoyeda universal esteem. His talents were not confined to composition only, but he was also an eminente actor. His last comedy was the Hypochondriac* or* Le Malade Imaginaire. Whilst Molière was performing the principal character of that playe, and pretending to be dead, he was seized with an illness, of which he died the next day.

P qui ait jamais existé ;— passa ;- r à écrire ; tant;—t qu'en vers; à regretter; qu'il ait tant négligé les mœurs ;-y qu'il n'ait pas ; dans sa vie privée ;-a il jouissait d'une ;b bornés;-c excellent; rôle ;-e pièce ;-f et qu'il contrefaisait le mort;-g saisi d'une.

SALADIN.

THE great Saladin conquered Syria, Persia', and Mesopotamiak; and soon after bent his thoughts to the conquest of the kingdom of Jerusalem. Lusignan assembled the Christians in Galileam, and marched against Saladin; but he lost the battle, and the Christians were nearly all killed or taken prisoners. The captive king, who expected" to be put to death, was astonished at being treated by Saladin in the same manner asp prisoners of war

a la Syrie; la Perse; conquérir;- la Galilée;

P comme;

מ.

la Mésopotamie; il songea à s'attendait ;- étonné de ;-

are in our days by the most humane generals. The conqueror being arrived at the gates of Jerusalem, which could no longer defend itself, granted to the queen, Lusignan's consort, a capitulation shes did not expect. When he entered the city, many women threw themselves at his feet, entreating him to give up to them"-some, their husbands, others, their children, or their fathers, who were his captives, and he consented, with a generosity unequalled in that part of the world. Saladin's victories made all Europe tremble, and he died at Damascusa admired even by the Christians. During his illness, instead of the usual standard, he caused his troops to carry the shroudd in which he wase to be interred; and the standard-bearer cried aloud, This is the whole of what remains to Saladin conqueror of the East, after all his conquests! It ish said that the alms he left by his will were to bek equally distributed among1 poor Mahometans, Jews, and Christians; shewing by this disposition that all men are brothers; and that when we assist them we should not enquire what they believe, but what they suffer. He persecuted no one for his religion, and he was at once a humane conqueror, and a philosopher.-VOLTAIRE.

a le sont de;-r femme ;-s à la quelle elle;-t entra dans;" de leur rendre ;- les unes ;-y y consentit ;- -z sans exemple ; -a Damas;-b des ; il fit porter à ses troupes ;-d le linceuil; e devait;f à haute voix ;-g Voici tout ce qui reste à ;- On; i testament; devaient être ; aux ;-m que quand ;☐ secourons; il ne faut pas ;-P s'informer de;- personne; -rà la fois.

RACINE.

He studied earlys and with care the Greek tragic poets, and perfected his tastet after" that reading. ⚫ de bonne heure ;-t se perfectionna le goût;-u d'après;

This poet is remarkable for the elegance of his style, and for the art with which he delineates the softest passions. His poetry is highly harmonious. correcty and graceful. He is reproached with too much sameness in the intrigue of his plays, and in the character of his heroes; but the beauties he displays are so far superior to his defects, that he is allowed the first rank among the French tragic poets, which is, however, contested by Voltaire.

Racine's son has supported the glory of his father; his poem ons religion contains passages of the greatest beauty. His odes are much esteemed, and some of them worthy of J. B. Rousseau.

peint; pure;- pleine de grâces;-a On lui reproche ;b de similarité;-c si ;-d qu'on lui donne ;-e qui cependant lui est disputé; f soutenu; 8 poème de;-h quelques unes

d'entr'elles sont.

A SCENE IN MOLIERE'S MISer.

Lamentations of Harpagon, who has lost his treasure. Stop thief! Stop thief! Stop the assassin; Stop the murderer! Justice, just heaven; I am undone, I am murdered, they have cut my throat; they have stolen my money! Who can it bem? Where is the thief? What is become of him"? Where is he? Where does he hide himself? What shall I do to find him? Whither shall I run? Whither shall I not run? Is he not there? Is he not here? (he listens.) Who is there? ..... Stop! (he thinks he sees some one, and seizes his own arm,°) give me back my money, rascal!—Ah! 'twas myself . . . my mind is distracted, and I know not where I am, who I am, or what I am doing. Alas! my

...

i au voleur; perdu ;- on m'a coupé la;- peut-ce être ;— n qu'est il devenu ;-o il croit voir quelqu'un, et se prenant par le bras; rends moi mon;—9 troublé ;

dear money, my dear money, my dear friend, they' have deprived me of thee; and, since thou art taken from mes, I have lost my support, my consolation, my joy; all is over with me; I have nothing more to do in this" world. Without thee I cannot live. Alas! I am exhausted*, I am dying, I am dead, I feel myself already buried. Is there no one that will recall me to life, by restoring my money, or informing mea who has taken it? (he fancies he hears a voice.) What?.... What do you say?....'tis nobody. Whoever has done the deed, he must have carefully watched the moment, and chosen the time whend I was talking to that treacherous son of mine. Let me depart: I'll fetch3 the magistrate, and put every one in the house to the rack-servant-maids, valets, son, daughter, and myself also. But, what do I see? How many people assembled yonder! I cast my eyes upon no one without being suspicious of him', and every thing appears to me a thief. What are they talking about therem? of him who has robbed me, no doubt. What noise are they making above? Is the thief there? Pray, my friends, if you have any news of the thief, I beseech you to tell it me. Is he not concealed amongst you?.... What! they all look at me, and laugh: no doubt they have a share in the theft. Now for the police, the sheriffs, the

ron-- tu m'es enlevé ;- fini pour;-u je n'ai plus que faire au ;-- je n'en puis plus ;-y je me meurs ;-- N'y a-t-il personne qui veuille me ressusciter en ;-a en m'apprenant; qui que ce soit qui ait fait le coup; il faut qu'il ait épié le moment avec beaucoup de soin; le temps où;-e à mon traître de fils ;f Sortons ;-- aller querir;-h faire donner la question à toute la maison;-i à servante;-k que de gens; Je ne jette mes regards sur personne qui ne me donne des soupçons ;-m De quoi est ce qu'on parle là ;--" De grâce ;— savez des ;-p me regardent tous; q-part à ;- Allons des commissaires de police; des prévôts;

judges, irons, gibbets, and executioners. I'll have every one hanged, and if I don't find my money I'll hang myself at last".

- Je veux faire pendre tout le monde ;—" à la fin.

J. B. ROUSSEAU,

He wrote comedies and

THE* lyric poet of France. operas, which did not succeed, but he became famous by his odes, and all the French writers who have courted the lyric muse have remained below him; he is fertile in new and bold thoughts, and his style is sublime, harmonious, and full of energy, but void of sensibility. His intimacy with Voltaire having ended in a quarrel, the two poets lampooned each other without mercy ever afterwards.

* encensé ;-y au-dessous de lui; il manque de sensibilité; L'amitié qui le liait à; ayant été rompue ;-c se firent une guerre d'épigrammes;-d depuis ce temps là.

ALFRED (THE GREAT.)

At a period when England was torn by civil wars, and a prey to the cruelty of the Daness, a man appeared, destined by Providence to avenge his country, to defend its rights, to enlighten the age in which he lived, and to adorn humanity. Alfred the Great was the fourth son of Ethewolf, king of England; he succeeded to the throne on the death of his brother Ethelred, in the year 871. After several actions with the Danes, the unfortunate Alfred was obliged to seek his safety by flight", and to retire to° the cottage of one of his peasants,

e Dans un temps où;-f et était en proie ;-g Danois ;-h parut. un homme; à venger;-k à la mort; plusieurs combats contre ;- obligé de; dans la fuite; de se retirer dans;