formance on the bass-viol, which, considering the difficulties under which he laboured, (the instrument being twice as big as the performer,) was certainly as wonderful as the single-string sorceries of Paganini. Emma, who had just cut her last tooth, was "in fine voice," and favoured us with several exquisite little songs, amongst which we were especially pleased with "Little Jack Horner," and "I had a little husband no bigger than my thumb." Of course the baby could not be expected to take any prominent part in the performances; but her mother called my attention to the singular fact of her screaming in time, which she justly considered as indicating a strong bias towards "the joyous science." When the musical performances were over, the two male babymonsters had a "set-to" with the foils, whilst the young lady in the pinafore and curl-papers executed a waltz with her little sister, -the two exhibitions unfortunately ending in Bob getting a poke in the eye with the foil, which sent him bellowing from the room, and little Emma being gracefully whirled into the fire-place. These casualties put an end to the exhibitions; but I had seen enough to convince me that my sister had formed a very accurate estimate of the talents of her offspring in reference to external accomplishments, and I was soon convinced that she had formed an equally accurate estimate of their mental powers. Before I left the country I surprised little Emma one day, deep in a dog-eared copy of one of Miss Martineau's stories. Bob I found daily absorbed in the study of entomology; he had already made a valuable collection of spiders, blue-bottles, and beetles; and such was his devotion to the cause of science, that he had twice fallen into the fish-pond in a chivalrous attempt to capture a dragon-fly, and had once flattened his nose against a wall when in eager pursuit of a curious butterfly. Gutty had manifested unequivocal symptoms of a talent for poetry, and I was indulged, under a solemn promise of secrecy, with the sight of several sonnets, written in round hand, and addressed to Carlo the pointer, Dicky the canary-bird, and an old scrubby pony called Peter. In consideration of these poetical manifestations, his mother had arrayed the young Petrarch in a suit of black velvet, and had already decided that he should pass through the world without a neckcloth. I take no farther notice of the young lady in the pinafore and curl-papers, who was born before the great era of infant education I am describing. Indeed she had imbibed many of the vices of the old system of instruction, and wasted much of her time in watering the flowers, feeding the poultry, darning stockings, marking linen, and other menial and servile employments, now happily confined to housemaids and humble companions. I cannot conclude this brief sketch without expressing a hope that I may have drawn the attention of my readers to a very interesting subject. There is, I repeat it, in this happy country an immense fund of infant learning daily increasing. The statesman, the philosopher, and the philanthropist are equally interested in promoting its developement. Towards this great end, I would propose the immediate establishment of a baby-college, in connection with the great scheme of national education now in progress. As a necessary part of the discipline to be adopted, I would suggest the total suppression of all games and pastimes which tend to divert the infant mind from the serious pursuit of philosophy and science. In this there would be no hardship, inasmuch as a statute is still in existence restraining the under-graduate members of the University of Oxford from the comparatively venial recreation of marbles. Professors might be procured without difficulty from the various infant schools throughout the kingdom, and their appointment should be vested in the crown. Proposals should be published for the erection of a suitable building, which should contain within its walls a nursery and a dairy, together with suitable accommodations for wet and dry nurses. When the scheme shall come into full operation, it will be necessary farther to establish a Society for the Diffusion of Infant Knowledge, which shall supply the infant public with cheap and popular works in the catechetical form. But perhaps, anterior to any steps being taken, it might be advisable, in conformity with the general practice in such cases, to issue a commission, empowering any number not exceeding ten aged gentlewomen, (to be nominated by the Crown,) to examine on oath all nurses and others employed in the care of children, and report their proceedings to Parliament. I would suggest that the salaries of the commissioners should not exceed three guineas a-week, with their travelling expenses, and half a pound of gunpowder tea. There are, I admit, some objections to the system I am proposing, owing to a certain eccentricity in infant genius. The most highlycultivated blossoms will not always bear fruit. He who is a young philosopher at four, will at six frequently return to peg-top and marbles; and the melancholy picture is exhibited of the intellects of one's children progressing in an inverse ratio to their bodily stature, which makes "the philosophical beholder Sigh for their sakes they ever should grow older." I have known several instances of the most promising monsters at three or four years old gradually become duller and duller, until at ten they have sunk into a state of morbid obesity and mental stupor, worse than the fat boy in " Pickwick." There is, I fancy, at the present time a stout gentleman walking about town, undistinguished in the crowd, whose childhood was fed with the incense of applauding theatres, and who rejoiced in the flattering title of the "Infant Rs." I say nothing of the melancholy situation of a fat middleaged man being doomed to bear through life the horribly-ludicrous soubriquet of the Infant, when perhaps at the same time he may be painfully conscious of having a wife and ten small children, and of weighing fifteen stone! These cases, however, are to be looked upon as exceptions to a rule, and by no means as representing the infant mind of England in the nineteenth century. I trust I have now fairly and honestly, however imperfectly, stated my case, which I submit with confidence to "an enlightened and discerning public." THE CONTRAST. OUR rector in his chariot rolls, F. J. H. JOYCE JOCUND. THE DIARY OF A MANUSCRIPT HUNTER. "As I do live, my honoured lord, 'tis true." HAMLET. THE following narrative is drawn from the papers of the English resident at the court of France during the reign of Henry the Fourth, and if the reader entertains any suspicions of its truth, he may satisfy his doubts by comparing it with the despatches of the same person, still preserved among Secretary Winwood's papers. I. HENRY THE FOURTH AND THE PRINCESS OF CONDÉ. Henry the Fourth of France was a prince comparable to any, in the eminency of his political virtues and the splendid successes of his life. In this he did partake, in a great measure, of Cæsar's constellation, whom, as he resembled in courage, in constancy, in fortune, in wisdom and clemency, and in the suddenness of a violent death, so, above all, was he like the noble Roman in the variety and errancy of his affections. His marriage at an early age with the sister of Charles the Ninth was solemnized by the massacre at Paris, and the murder of his friends and family, who had been invited for this purpose to be present at the celebration of his nuptials. Detained in a jealous court, not by the strength of walls and fetters, but by the corruption of his servants, by an espionage on his words, countenance, and actions, he abandoned himself to the love of women, not from inclination only, but from industry, that, under the mask of carelessness and pleasure, he might calm the jealousies of the state, and soothe the argus-eyes of those who daily threatened his safety. The conduct of Henry the Third, and the wantonness of the Queen of Navarre, furnished him not only with an excuse, but even a plausibility for his conduct; and when, after an interval of three years, he escaped from imprisonment, to become the head of the Hugonots, his ancient partisans and allies, the lessons which he had learned in imprisonment, he practised with less affectation and publicity, but with more efficacy, and no less assiduity. His wife lent herself a sedulous instrument to his intrigues, as much to colour and excuse her own, as to gain unlimited authority over him: and when her mother, Catharine de Medici, came to visit Henry upon public business, she failed not to take with her the choicest beauties of France, for whom, in the day of his captivity, he had declared his affections. Thus his licentiousness was encouraged not only by natural propensity, but likewise by habit and appetite,—by vanity and political intrigue. Nor could the bitter taunts of the assembly at Rochelle about his mistresses and their children produce any other effect upon him than a distate to themselves; as a little water cast upon a strong fire increases its intensity after a moderate interval. In the distraction of the times which followed the death of his predecessor, neither the greatness of his hopes, nor the intricacy of his affairs, could prevail upon him to change his course; true to his former character, those whom he loved in his misfortunes he continued to love when wealth and honour were at his disposal, and even placed them around him as the chief officers and ornaments of his court. Such was Gabrielle d'Estrees, afterwards Duchess of Beaufort, renowned for her singular beauty, and the exquisite sweetness of her temper, who governed his affections with absolute dominion; yet, though she brought him three children, whom he dearly loved, had not death prevented her marriage with him, she had caused a new division in his party. The happiness of his second marriage prevented him not from entertaining in the interim the Demoiselle d'Estragus, afterwards Marchioness of Veurveil; and, unable to resist the importunaey of his desires, he had entangled himself in some slippery promises of marriage. The haughtiness of the lady, and the petulance of her tongue, compelled him to redeem his promises by proceeding capitally against her and her father; and yet, though she never to her dying day forgave him, nor failed to demand the performance of the hopes she had once conceived, he not only continued his visits to her, treating her with the utmost condescension and attention, but seemed to hear with patience, approaching to delight, the freedom and bitterness of her wit. After this lady he fixed his affections upon the Countess of Moret la Hay, and a hundred others, too tedious and impertinent to mention. We, therefore, passing on to the occasion of our present narrative, intend to take a view of him only in the last years of his life, when he had reached the age of fifty-eight (1609). At this time he was, for his years, of a strong and sound complexion; a hardy education, continued exercise in peace and war, had seasoned him to labour and endurance: subject to no indisposition but such as an amorous appetite might produce, and some slight fits of the gout; of a moderate stature, a shape well-formed and compact, deficient neither in strength nor agility, nor in beauty of feature, or complexion; of an aspect most agreeable beyond belief, especially when he spoke or moved. For promptitude in his actions, readiness in his answers and retorts, he was inimitable: though sometimes over lavish in his speech, to his own prejudice, but oftener to the prejudice of truth-yet his conversation was not deficient in majesty and awe, tempered with sweetness, equalling himself to the level of the meanest; and yet, when it suited him, expressing such majesty and dignity towards the greatest as made them tremble at his words, and even at his countenance. He still retained, even after his conversion to the Roman Catholic faith, so much of the reformed religion as to place the principal exercise of his devotion in private prayer. He was a zealous attendant at the public exercises of the Romish Church; but failed not to express impatience at any symptoms of hypocrisy or affectation of extraordinary zeal. Thus stood matters when, in the summer of the year 1609, some overtures of marriage took place between the Prince of Condé and Marguerite de Montmorency, youngest daughter of the Constable of France. The Duchess d'Angouleme, the maiden's aunt, a lady much respected by the king, undertook to communicate with him upon the subject, and to introduce the young lady at court for that pur pose. The intended bride was in the morning of her age, not fully sixteen, of an exquisite shape and beauty; her behaviour and speech so excellently tempered between the confidence of her own value and innocence, and the modesty of her youth and education, that in all company where she came she breathed an air of sweetness and delight, like a choice flower whose disclosing beauties draw the eyes of the beholders, and sheds its beauty and fragrance around. Henry, who was grown weary of his mercenary mistresses, (as kings have the continual dissatisfaction of never being certain that they are loved for themselves,) was instantly set on fire by her presence: and those considerations which should have kept him back,-regard for his reputation, his greatness, his years,-served but to betray him, and to flatter and encourage the vehemency of his passions. He at once grew impatient of every little absence, omitted no occasion to court and entertain her; and, when interrupted by other circumstances, ceased not to pursue her with such intent and devouring looks as if his whole soul had been seated in his eyes. The courtiers, curious to observe the slightest motions of princes, were presently full of whispers on the subject, which busy rumour scattered abroad with increased intensity. The fair Marguerite, whether prompted by her own vanity, or the craft of those about her, failed not to cast a melting and relenting eye upon him; and her friends, who at her first introduction anticipated a difficult and thorny negotiation for her marriage with the prince, now found their proposals accepted with cheerfulness and welcome. The Prince of Condé, until the king's second marriage, had always been brought up in expectation of succeeding to the crown: and, for greater security, those about him had taken especial care to instil into him a pertinacious hatred of the reformed religion. He was quick and prompt in apprehension, eloquent of speech; but in stature little, and of so bad an aspect as though nature had prematurely stamped upon him an evidence of those vices he had not yet had time to evince. He was now about the age of twenty-two, still retaining some swelling thoughts of his family's ancient greatness and blighted expectations; but his fortunes were miserable, for his father having been the head of a party, all his lands and estates were engaged for the payment of his father's debts, and himself and his mother compelled to depend upon an ill-paid pension from the king for a scanty and precarious subsistence. The king despised and suspected them both; and though divers propositions had been made for the prince's marriage, some with great advantage to his fortunes, the king, not desirous to see princes of the blood increase too fast, had ever found means to break them off. But this motion was begun under so propitious a star that it was eagerly admitted, and found a rapid conclusion, and the dowry of one hundred thousand crowns, which the father gave with her, was employed in clearing the prince's estate. The king promised them his countenance and support, settling upon them for the present a pension of twelve thousand pounds sterling. I pass over the ceremonies of the affiance and marriage; it sufficeth to say, all things were concluded as the young lady desired, by whose will the king's heart was absolutely steered. The court made short and frequent removes, sometimes to Paris, sometimes to places in the neighbourhood, (as men in fevers are impatient of the same posture,) but the king stirred nowhere without VOL. III. 2 N |