ceptions into the minds of others. The style of Madame de Sévigné is evidently copied not only by her worshipper, Walpole, but even by Gray; who, notwithstanding the extraordinary merits of his matter, has the double stiffness of an imitator, and of a college recluse.

Letters must not be on a subject. Lady Mary Wortley's Letters on her Journey to Constantinople are an admirable book of travels; but they are not2 letters. A meeting to discuss a question of science is not conversation; nor are papers written to another, to inform or discuss, letters.3 Conversation is relaxation, not business, and must never appear to be1 occupation; nor must letters.5 Judging from my own mind, I am satisfied" of the falsehood of the common notion, that these Letters owe their principal interest to the anecdotes of the court of Louis XIV. . . . . I do not pretend to say that they do not owe some secondary interest to the illustrious age in which they were written; but this depends merely on its tendency to heighten the dignity of the heroine, and to make us take a warmer concern in persons who were the friends of those celebrated men and women, who are familiar to us from our childhood.

SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH, "Memoirs."

1 The minds, l'esprit-2 they are not, ce ne sont pas-3 nor are papers, etc.......letters, et des écrits d'une personne à une autre, sous forme de renseignements ou de discussion, ne sont pas non plus des lettres-4 appear to be, avoir l'air-5 nor must letters, les lettres ne le doivent pas non plus-6 judging from my own mind, à en juger d'après mes propres impressions-7 satisfied, convaincu- this depends merely on, cela provient simplement de.

THE VALUE OF GENUINE TALENT.

There is one circumstance I would preach up,1 morning, noon, and night, to young persons for the management of their understanding. Whatever you are from nature, keep to it;3 never desert your own line of talent. If Providence only intended you to write posies for rings, or mottoes for twelfthcakes,5 keep to posies and mottoes: a good motto for a twelfth-cake is more respectable than a villanous 6 epic poem in twelve books. Be what nature intended you for, and you will succeed; be anything else, and you will be ten thousand times worse than nothing.

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There is a strong disposition in 10 men of opposite minds to despise each other." A grave man cannot conceive what is the use of 12 a wit13 in society; a person who takes a strong common sense view of a subject,14 is for pushing out by the head and shoulders 15 an ingenious theorist, who catches at 16 the lightest and faintest analogies; and another man,17 who scents the ridiculous from afar, will hold no commerce 18 with him who tastes exquisitely the fine feelings of the heart, and is alive to nothing else; 19 whereas talent is

1 There is one circumstance I would preach up, il est une recommandation que je voudrais répéter—2 management, direction-3 whatever, etc......keep to it, quelques facultés que vous ait départies la nature, tenez-vous y line, sphère-5 twelfth-cakes, gâteaux de Rois6 villanous, méchant-7 what nature intended you for, ce à quoi la nature vous a destiné 8 anything else, tout autre chose-9 there is, il existe-10 in, chez-11 to despise......, à se mépriser......--12 what is the use of, à quoi sert-13 a wit, un bel-esprit-14 who takes, etc...... of a subject, qui envisage les choses avec un vigoureux bon sens-15 is for pushing out by the head and shoulders, est d'avis qu'on mete à la porte par les oreilles et les deux épaules-16 catches at, s'attache à— 17 and another man, tel autre-18 will hold no commerce, ne veut avoir aucun commerce- 19 and is alive to nothing else, et n'apprécie pas autre chose.

talent, and mind is mind in all its branches! Wit gives to life one of its best flavours; common sense leads to immediate action, and gives1 society its daily motion; large and comprehensive views, its annual rotation; ridicule chastises folly and impudence, and keeps men in their proper sphere; subtlety seizes hold of3 the fine threads of truth; analogy darts away to the most sublime discoveries; feeling paints all the exquisite passions of man's soul, and rewards 6 him by a thousand inward visitations for the sorrows that come from without.8 God made it all! It is all good! We must despise no sort of talent ; they all have their separate duties and uses; all, the happiness of man for their object; they all improve, exalt, and gladden life.

66

SYDNEY SMITH,

Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy."

GASTON DE FOIX AT THE BATTLE OF RAVENNA. (A.D. 1512).

Assailed on all 10 sides by powerful adversaries, Louis XII. perceived that he must rely for security on the prompt and successful efforts of his Italian troops. He therefore directed 12 Gaston de Foix* to use all his diligence to bring the allies to a definite engagement. To such a commander little incitement

1 Gives, imprime à-2 its, lui donnent-3 seizes hold of, saisit4 fine, délicats-5 darts away to, s'élance jusqu'à-6 rewards, dédommage- for, de-8 from without, du dehors- they all, tous ils. 10 On all, de tous-11 he must rely......on, il ne devait compter...... que sur 12 ....directed, ordonna......à.

*Gaston de Foix, Duke de Nemours, nephew of King Louis XII., was born in 1489.

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was necessary;1 and Gaston immediately hastened to3 Ferrara to determine with the Duke on1 the measures necessary to be adopted.5 He had at this time under his command eighteen hundred men at arms, four thousand archers, and sixteen thousand infantry, and being joined by the Duke of Ferrara, with an additional body of troops and an extensive train of artillery, he proceeded towards Romagna. The Cardinal legate de Medici and the Viceroy Cardona, who were at the head of fifteen hundred men at arms, three thousand light horse, and eighteen thousand foot,10 retired towards the mountain of Faenza, choosing rather toll harass the army of the French and cut off their supplies, than to risk the fate of Italy on the event of a single battle. The French general was determined, however, not to remain inactive, and arriving under the walls of Ravenna, he instantly commenced the attack, but, notwithstanding the utmost 12 efforts of the assailants, they were obliged to relinquish the attempt.13

Whilst Gaston de Foix was rallying his soldiers to 14 a second attack, he received intelligence 15 of the approach of the enemy,16 and before he was prepared to oppose them in the field,17 he found that they had raised intrenchments within 18 three miles of Ravenna.

1 To such, etc......necessary, un pareil commandant n'avait guère besoin d'encouragement-2 and to be left out-3 immediately hastened to, se rendit en toute hâte à- to determine......on, pour arrêter......

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5 necessary to be adopted, à adopter-6 men at arms, gens d'armes7 infantry, hommes d'infanterie- an extensive train......, un corps .....considérable-9 light horse, hommes de cavalerie légère-10 foot, fantassins- choosing rather to, aimant mieux-12 the utmost, les plus grands-13 to relinquish the attempt, de renoncer à l'entreprise14 was rallying......to, était en train de rallier......pour-15 intelligence, la nouvelle-16 of the enemy, des ennemis-17 prepared to oppose them in the field, en mesure de leur tenir tête en bataille rangée-18 within, à une distance de.

In this conjuncture, his situation was critical. To persist in the siege of the city was impossible, whilst an army equal in number to his own lay ready to seize the first opportunity of a favourable attack. To assail the allies in their intrenchments and force them to an engagement, whilst his enemies might harass him from the fortress of Ravenna, seemed equally inexpedient. The sufferings of the soldiers and horses from the want of accommodation and provisions, would not, however, brook3 delay, and Gaston resolved, at all events, to storm the enemy in their intrenchments, and force them to an open conflict. . . . . ..... The French army arrived unmolested within a short distance of the allied camp.5 Perceiving, however, that the allies did not choose to quit their intrenchments, they formed their line,7 with the artillery in front, and for the space of two hours the adverse armies employed themselves in 10 cannonading each other; in the course of which a great slaughter was made without any decisive effect being produced." In this contest the allies had, from 12 their situation, a manifest advantage; but the Duke of Ferrara, perceiving the fortune of the day inclining 13 against the French, hastened 14 with his artillery to their relief, and having obtained an advantageous position, which commanded the in

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1 Lay ready, était là, prête-2 from, par suite de-3 would not, however, brook, ne permettait pourtant aucun-4 within a short, à une faible allied camp, camp des alliés 6 the allies, ceux-ci- they formed their line, ils se mirent en ligne in front, en avant-9 for, durant 10 employed themselves in, furent occupées à se-11 in the course of which......was made without any......being produced, ce qui causa......sans produire aucun...... 12 from, par suite de-13 perceiving......inclining, voyant que......inclinait-14 hastened, se porta rapidement.