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CHARACTERS OF CELEBRATED FRENCH WOMEN.

LOUISA LABÉ.

THIS female was generally known by the appellation of la belle cordiere, or the charming rope-maker, in reference to the profession of her husband. She was born at Lyons in the year 1527, and became, as she advanced to womanhood, highly celebrated for her beauty, her talents, and her gallantry. At a very early age she discovered a marked predilection for the arts; and her taste for martial exercises formed the most singular trait in her character: at the age of sixteen she forsook her studies, to follow either her father or a lover to the siege of Perpignan, where she gave proofs of great courage and military skill.

Soon after this expedition, she married Ennernond Perrin, a merchant possessed of very considerable property, who traded chiefly in cordage, and who resided on his estate near Lyons, in a house very elegantly furnished, with spacious and magnificent gardens, and which gardens led to a place called Belle Cour: near this place a street was afterwards built, named La belle Cordiere, in honour of the beautiful Louisa Labé.

She formed in this house a library of the best and most approved authors; and her dwelling soon became the resort of men of literature, and persons of the first distinc

tion, who resided in or near Lyons. In these assemblies, over which Louisa presided as the inspiring Muse, every thing was collected which could gratify the understanding, delight the imagination, and captivate the senses. The charms, the talents, the societies held at the house of la belle cordiere, excited jealousy, and provoked scandal amongst the Lyonese ladies: the writings of Louisa, which breathed all the voluptuousness of her character, or which, with well pointed wit, satirized the frivolity and envy of her adversaries, afforded new provocation for their vengeance. Certainly her conduct was such as to give a fair foundation for censure; but if she was licentious, she was never venal: fortune and rank had no claim to her favour, unless accompanied by genius and talent, and they were always honoured before riches or nobility.

The most distinguished of her writings is a fiction, entitled "Debat de Folie et d'Amour." The piece abounded in turns of wit, and original and beautiful thoughts. Erasmus and La Fontaine are said to be indebted to this piece for the idea of The Praise of Folly, and L'Amour et la Folie. All the elegies and sonnets composed by Louisa Labé, are still held in very high esti→ mation by the French.

HISTORY ANATOMIZED. No II.

A GRAND VIZIER WAS ASSASSINATED AT CONSTA NTINOPLE, AND THE TURKISH EMPIRE WAS AGITATED WITH VIOLENT DISTURBAN CES, ON ACCOUNT OF A SOLDIER BEING D ISCHARGED.

MAHO MET-BASSA, if we are allowed to credit the historians of his country, was a great warri ior, and a profound politician: his virtues were not obscured by ferocity; he was mild and compassionate, he loved his fellow creatures, and used his power only to ma ke them happy. His preferment,

however, was not the consequence of an illustrious birth, ever burdensome to those who know not how to maintain its splendour; his merit alone had raised him to the second dignity in the State. After being a private soldier under Selim I., as a Minister of Soliman II., of Selim II., of Amurath II., he evinced how requisite it was to know how to obey, to be competent how to command.

This great man, ever watchful for the good of the State, anticipated in time of peace the calamities of a war. By dint of

a prudent economy he filled the coffers of his Sovereign, so as always to be prepared for an emergency. Amurath II. had a protracted war to sustain against the Persians: his Vizier supplied him with all that he might want, without the people having to complain of any vexation. This war being wisely conducted, had a glorious issue. The Vizier then, according to his usual custom, had recourse to economy to replace the exorbitant expences the war had occasioned he discharged a great number of soldiers, and reduced the pay to the peace establishment.

:

One of the discharged soldiers being left destitute of every support, and unaccustomed to work, turned Dervis. This monk, according to the statutes of his order, being obliged to beg alms in the streets, would go and stand in those places where he knew the Grand Vizier was to be met. The minister, who was very charitable, used to give him each time no inconsiderable sum. The Dervis, by degrees, accustomed himself to resort to the palace of the minister, and the slaves in the habit of seeing him, would let him go in.

He visited the palace so frequently that he became acquainted with every private entry. On a certain day of a grand ceremony, there were guards stationed at the gate, and who were not to allow any but persons of distinction to enter the palace. The Dervis presented himself as usual, but upon being refused admittance, he got in at a secret door, and reached the apartment were the Vizier held his audience.

When he appeared before him, he presented to him a paper, and Mahomet-Bassa thinking that it was a petition for money, tucked up his gown to reach his purse: the Dervis then drew a poniard, which he had concealed, and levelled a blow at the Vizier, who, upon feeling he was wounded, uttered a cry, and rose to seize the assassin, but he fell backwards and expired immediately.

The Dervis attempted to escape in the crowd, but one of the guards who had run to the audience-chamber, upon overhearing the scream of the Vizier, arrested him. He was conducted before Sultan Amurath, who had him put to the torture in order to

discover whether he had any accomplices; but the man remaining obstinately silent, was ordered to be flayed alive. Amurath loved his Vizier, and bitterly lamented his death.

Every Dervis in Constantinople was sentenced to suffer death, the same as all who were suspected of being enemies to the Vizier, amongst whom were some of the most eminent personages in the State, who, through jealousy, were incensed against that great man.

IS

THE BEAUTY OF A LADY OF LIMOSIN
OF
SEVERAL HUGUENOTS

THE OCCASION
THAT WERE CONDUCTED TO PRISON BEING
SET AT LIBERTY, AND THAT NO ONE
PRESUMES TO PURSUE THEM.

MAGDALENE DE SANCTAIRE, the widow of Guy de Saint Exuperi, had retired, upon the death of her husband, to the castle of Miraumont, where she had determined to spend the remainder of her days. She was not one of those women who, under an outward display of prudery, endeavour to disguise secret irregularities. Unacquainted with the artifices of vice, she used no circumspection besides that which virtue dictated, and received the respectful homage of the neighbouring nobility, who, on account of her beauty, thronged round her.

There happened to be rather a considerable number of them collected at the castle of Miraumont one day, when she discovered Montal, Deputy-lieutenant of Limosin, who, at the head of some troopers, was taking several of the inhabitants to prison, merely because they were suspected of being Huguenots.

Magdalene de Sanctaire could not behold those unhappy sufferers to be treated so cruelly, without feeling for them: the more she viewed them, the more she compassionated their hard fate: she therefore wished to afford them relief, and after weighing for some time in her mind the means of succeeding, she turned towards the gentlemen who encircled her, and addressed them thus: "You complain of my never affording you an opportunity of evincing how much you wish to serve me: I am now ready to satisfy you. You must go along

with me to liberate those unfortunate men whom Montal has loaded with chains, and is conveying to a gaol. They are men, let us consider what they suffer, without inquiring into their belief."

This said, the beauteous widow, dressed in a riding habit, marched at their head against Montal and his troop, whom she routed, and then set those at liberty whom he was carrying into confinement. The Deputy-lieutenant, exasperated at a woman forcing him to relinquish his prey, assembled seventeen hundred men, ravaged the country, and laid siege to the castle of Miraumont. The amazon sallied out with her troop, whom love rendered invincible, fell upon Montal, who, notwithstanding his superior numbers, was again defeated. He was seeking an asylum in a neighbouring castle, when he received a cut that felled

him from his horse. He was taken up and carried into an adjacent house, where he expired a few hours after.

Henry III. upon receiving the intelligence of what had taken place at the castle of Miraumont, commanded several officers to go with a force to besiege it, and as soon as they had rendered themselves masters of it, to cause it to be destroyed.

This piece of news was spread all over the province, where Magdalene de Sanctaire was respected, on account of her birth and of her virtues: all the nobility thought it a duty to assist a lady who was the ornament of her days, and offered their services to her. Such as had been commanded to attack her, became conscious that all their efforts would prove useless, and dared not even shew themselves in the province. (To be continued.)

RECOLLECTIONS OF AN ANTIQUARIAN.

GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT IN LITERATURE.

THE art of making paper took place about the period of 1016, and this certainly contributed much towards a general application to learning, by rendering the acquisition of books less difficult and expensive than it had formerly been. Paper was at first made of cotton; but towards the end of the eleventh, or the beginning of the twelfth century, it was made of linen rags, as at present.

Great skill and excellence were attained in writing the volumes with which the libraries of princes, nobles, and monasteries abounded; some were written with liquified gold on the most beautiful vellum, and the other colours used were particularly clear and perfect: the characters had no other fault than that attached to their established shape; and it may be easily perceived that the pen was conducted without the least embarrassment.

Froissart presented a volume to Richard the Second, beautifully written and illuminated; it was bound in crimson velvet, with ten studs of silver gilt, and roses of the same in the middle, with two large clasps No. 152,-Vol. XXIV.

of silver gilt, richly worked with roses in the centre. The subject of the work was love.

Bookbinding for manuscripts preceded the art of printing; and clerks, who could write a good hand, were kept in constant pay for the purpose of transcribing them. The written books were sent to the binder, who received directions from the writers how they were to be bound. As authors and books increased, the transcribing clerks made a tolerable livelihood by their labours, and the bookbinders grew rich, and bought up manuscripts so as to furnish a shop very creditably for those times, and generally left their sons a good stock. The introduction of printing, though it hurt the writing clerks, brought a considerable accession of business to the bookbinder, who now not only bound for others but himself, and, printing his own copies, had employment enough in binding his own books; thus he became a bookseller, and bookbinding be came a distinct business.

To use the words of an elegant and scientific writer on the subject of the ancient manners and customs of our forefathers," the vicissitudes of learning, the I

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encouragement of this noble improvement || pious collection of books, and also of natu

of the human mind, have been so numerous," that it is a labyrinth in which the writer of short essays would find himself bewildered; I shall therefore proceed to give some account of those receptacles of learning among us, Libraries.

After the establishment of religious societies, they had munificent rooms set apart for study, and to receive the collections of books; the monks, having little employment, soon encreased their contents by the addition of legends, chronicles, and leger books. Kings, princes, and barons, also had their collections furnished by the pens of members of monasteries and professional clerks or scribes.

ral and artificial rarities, fossils, Roman and Greek antiquities, &c. Many of the nobility also vied with each other, in collecting every thing that was curious and admirable: and the Earl of Sunderland, in the reign of George I. had a library arranged in five large apartments, and supposed to be the finest in the kingdom.

The first public library in Oxford was set up in Durham-hail, (where Trinity College now stands) by Richard Hungerville, of Bury, who was Lord Treasurer of England, and Bishop of Durham, in the time of King Edward III.

About the year 1367, another library was erected by Thomas Cobham, Bishop of Worcester, upon the old congregation, ad

A lamentable destruction of manuscripts, as we have observed in a preceding Num-joining to St. Mary's Church: it begun by ber, took place, on the destruction of religious houses: and when a castle was sacked, there was little regard paid to manuscripts, for few military characters were possessed of much respect for learning and such manuscripts as did escape, and reach the time of Henry VIII. and the succeeding reigns, were generally destroyed, because most of them related to subjects connected, in some degree, with the Roman Catholic faith, then become obnoxious to the ruling powers.

After the encouragement of the art of printing, books multiplied and became so moderate in their price, that many public libraries were founded, with their contents chained to the desks, a custom universal in churches, but which ceased when books became more numerous. James I. although deemed pedantic, yet afforded, by his example, infinite service to literature; and both public and private libraries were now increased in a far greater proportion than was permitted in the succeeding age, during the unhappy reign of his son.

The profligate conduct of Charles II. and the infatuation of his brother, prevented the public from turning their attention to literature: after the Revolution of 1688, the people had time, security, and property to indulge their propensity to learning; and private collections of valuable books began to be made, Sir Hans Sloane made a co

being furnished with desks and books; and was much increased by the bounty of the founder, King Henry IV. his sons, and others of his nobility, both spiritual and temporal, till about 1480. Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, built a new library over the divinity school, which he had just before founded for the use of the University. This library was first opened in 1480, but within eighty years after was destroyed by the Commissioners appointed by King Edward VI. to visit the University, in order to purge it from the corruptions of popery. This was the state of things when Sir Thomas Bodley, Knight, considered the damage that learning had sustained, and what great use a public library would be to the students; for though printing was common, books were scarce and very dear, so that a scholar of moderate fortune could only have those that were merely requisite for the performance of his exercises. Sir Thomas Bodley was himself an excellent scholar; a lover of learning in others, and the proprietor of a plentiful estate. He obtained leave of the University to furnish Duke Humphrey's library once more with desks, seats, and books, at his own cost. He sent agents on purpose to purchase books in France, Italy, and Spain; and in a few years, found his library increase so rapidly, that it was found necessary to erect another building adjoining to it; this

was in the shape of a roman T, and was also furnished with all things necessary. This friend to learning died on the 28th of January 1612.

It would occupy too much of our limited

space to reckon up all the benefactors to this place: the world has had several printed catologues of the books in the Bodleian library; and an account of the manuscripts was published twenty years ago.

SKETCHES OF PUBLIC CHARACTERS.

THE LATE DR. BLAIR.

the merits of others, and delighted in their well earned celebrity.

He could not, however, be so insensible of his own superior merit, as not to be truly pleased with his success, and to think of it with satisfaction. As he was never gloomy or morose, he took an active and a pleasing interest in every thing, whether important or trifling; and this habit of mind, tempered with the most unsuspecting simplicity, united to the most eminent talents, and an unshaken integrity, while it secured to the last his own relish of life, endeared him to his friends, and rendered him an invaluable member to society. Few men have been more universally respected

THIS eloquent divine, who so well discharged his professional duties, was also eminent for the excellence of his private character. He was born in Edinburgh the 7th of April 1718, and his father was a merchant in that city. After the usual tuition of the Grammar school, he was entered in the year 1730 in the University at Edinburgh; and having been there eleven years, he took his degree, as Master of Arts, int-1739, and in the year 1741 he entered on the clerical profession; the following season he obtained the living of Fifeshire. In 1758 he was promoted to the High Church of Edinburgh, the first ecclesias-by those who knew nem, more sincerely tical charge in precedency and importance in Scotland.

In the year 1777, Dr. Blair sent into the world the first volume of his celebrated sermons, which were completed in four volumes in 1796. Soon after the publication of the second volume, he obtained in 1780, a pension on the Exchequer in Scotland, (2007.) at the express desire of her late Majesty.

He derived, from family associations, a strong sense of clerical decorum; his heart impressed by sentiments of true religion and the obligations of morality, he was guided in his intercourse with the world by the same correctness and delicacy that ever distinguished his writings, and he was remarkable, through life, by the prudence, purity, and dignified propriety of his conduct. His well cultivated mind was formed for enjoying happiness; its admirable faculties prevented his inclining to any of those eccentricities, so often adopted by men of genius: free from every spark of envy, he knew how to appreciate

esteemed in the circle of their acquaintance, or more tenderly beloved in their domestic connexions.

On the 27th of December 1800, feeling himself near his end, and retaining to the last moment the full possession of his mental faculties, this excellent man expired with the hope and composure which became a Christian pastor, universally lamented by that city which he had so long instructed, and of which he had been so bright an ornament.

SIR JOHN BARNARD.

THIS excellent citizen of London was distinguished both as a magistrate and a senator, and did his duty in each situation with the most scrupulous integrity. The following anecdotes, in the life of this worthy man, afford the truest character that can be given of him.

"Sir Robert Walpole, whom Sir John frequently opposed, when he thought his measures improper, paid him one day a great compliment: they were riding out in two different parties, in a narrow lane, and

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