our masters in the dialects of politics and of administration, as well as of fashion and cookery? The inevitable answer will lead him to generalize his inference of defectiveness, from a special aepartment, to the body, of our language; and will, at the same time, strikingly exhibit, by results of fact, what is so difficult of direct demonstration-the immense and universal advantages of a logical and scientific superiority of language.

To direct the thoughtful reader's attention to this comparative deficiency, not alone of our political, but also of our popular and literary vocabulary, was the third object, abovementioned, proposed by this publication. Or rather, it was to inculcate by a slight example, the most efficient, perhaps, or at least the most available mode of gradually supplying it-I mean intelligent translation. Translation amongst us -and the reproach may be extended to England-since it has become a mere handcraft, is but a wretched travesty, at least in books of the aesthetical kind. Especially is this the case with versions from the French, in consequence chiefly of the disparity of development alluded to, between the languages. Now, this mutilation, besides the implied insult to the "reading public" and the flagrant outrage upon the author, is censurable, moreover, in neglecting, in abusing, this excellent means of amending and enriching the vernacular language, excellent especially when the dialect of the original is, like the French, the more advanced. But the excuse is ready and recognized. Idiomatic expressions are to be insurmountably reverenced, says one of those pedantic superstitions which, in language, as well as law, politics and the rest, would ever have the manhood of the mind still move in the go-car of its infancy. To hear the herd of our critics descant upon, as beauties of the language, what are really badges of its barbarism-necessarily vulgarities of the populace before they became refinements of the puristsdo you not fancy a crowd of cripples who, though now quite healed by the unconscious overflow of the Siloan waters of advancing science, should not only persist in using

the crutches instead of their legs, but limp about priding themselves upon their enlightened preference, and preaching it to all around?

But the subject is too large for this place. Be the principle as it may, to any one really competent to translate (an accomplishment by the way not so common perhaps as most people think) these peculiarities of expression can offer little or no difficulty, in dialects come, to the stage of maturity to own a literature worth translating. To explain briefly Idioms, as they take rise from an extremely concrete state of the language, so tend to disappear with its proficiency in generalization; thus we find no idioms in the language of philosophy and science. In the merely literary and popular phraseology, the epuration proceeds. variously, according as they are idioms of phrase, or only of terms. The former begin to drop off at an earlier stage of logical refinement, and fall into utter disuse. Already, no English writer would venture to use the greater part of even the famous idioms of Addison, though still canting about them, mechanically, as the last perfections of the language. And amongst ourselves, what educated writer or talker now employs the American idioms of Sam Slick, for example?—which, however, would no doubt have been, today, in a fair way of becoming the Addisonian elegancies of our men of letters, had our society been left, in anything, to the natural growth, and had not the language especially been under the wholesome control, or the nipping criticism, of British literature. Inaccuracy or uncouthness in our translations, then, should find no excuse on the score of idioms of this class; of which any that remain still in use are for the most part general maxims of common sense, such as proverbs, and susceptible, by reason of this universality, of being rendered by equivalent, when not by analogical, expressions.

The idioms of word or term are more permanent and form in fact the chief part of the difficulty in question. In these the progression operates, not as in the other by decay, but by a species of transformation. And the reason is conclu.

sive. The idiom of phrase is a combination, good for only a special purpose, with which it must consequently cease; whereas the word is an element, and thus equally adapts itself to other combinations or modifications. Now, it is precisely in the imperfect development of these derivative forms, in the deficiency of its abstract and generalized vocabulary, that our language, and our translators (from the French especially) seem both to be at fault. But this is ordinarily remediable under the guidance of analogy, and not only so legitimately, but laudably. The process has received special attention in the following version. And if we duly consider the characteristic refinements of style together with the evanescent metaphysics of moral portraiture, which make this book perhaps the most difficult in any language to translate, it will be allowed that the experiment has been put fairly to the test. If at all successful, it may lead our translators to attempt, or at least the public to exact, more care in the manufacture of this the present, and indeed prospective, staple of our original or unpilfered literature. Not, however, that I pretend the translation does not remain very suscep tible of improvement, as I have found but too sensibly on a running revisal of the proofs. In truth it was done hastily, and with the design of ulterior correction, which has been precluded by other engagements deemed of more consequence. At the same time, I do not decline the responsibility at least of two qualities, which it may look, indeed, like satire to profess: The diction is English; the thought is that of the Author, not merely in substance but even form.

In avering fidelity, I should in rigor perhaps except a few effusions of transcendental democracy; which, though excellent, of course, upon occasion, I took the liberty of sup. pressing, at the suggestion of the proverb against "carrying coals to Newcastle."

But here the responsibility of the translator ends. For the residue of the contents, the credit (or otherwise) is fairly due to the publishers, who, with the friend whose name is affixed as editor, have (in consequence of the en

gagements alluded to) discharged me of all attention te the details of publication.

As to the general merits of the work itself, with these few observations, I leave them to the readers to appreciate, or perhaps only postpone them to the issue of the other volume. I close with transcribing from a late Paris Journal (le Na tional) the following notice of the work, announcing the sixteenth edition.

“What remains, at this day, to be said of the Livre des Orateurs, except that it has proved a fortune to the publisher, and a source of new triumphs to the author: the rapid sale of fifteen editions speaks abundantly the opinion of the public. But with M. DE CORMENIN the editions succeed each other without being alike. He touches and retouches unceasingly his elaborate pages; he adds, retrenches, transposes, polishes: he is eminently the writer of the file and smoothing-plane (de la lime et du rabot,) a rare merit in our days, and which evinces in the author a proper respect for both the public and himself.

6

"The edition now issued contains some new Portraits, or rather outlines, in the modest expression of the author. For as soon as an orator appears, TIMON' takes his pencil, draws a profile, sketches a head, completes a bust according to the rank assigned to each in the parliamentary hierarchy. Thus does he constantly keep up to the current of parliamentary life, though, in truth, at present, neither active nor brilliant And as the sessions march on, the Book of the Orators' marches with them, advancing daily more and more in publie admiration, and above all, in pecuniary productiveness." THE TRANSLATOR.

AN ESSAY

ON THE

RISE AND FALL OF ELOQUENCE IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

BY J. T. HEADLEY.

It is

THE end of all eloquence is to sway men. therefore bound by no arbitrary rules of diction or style-formed on no specific models, and governed by no edicts of self-selected judges. It is true, there are degrees of eloquence, and equal success does not imply equal excellence. That which is adapted to sway the strongest minds of an enlightened age, ought to be esteemed the most perfect, and doubtless should be the gauge by which to test the abstract excellence of a oratory. But every nation has its peculiar temperament and tastes, which must be regarded in making up our judgments. Indeed, the language itself of different countries compels a widely different style and manner. To the cold and immobile Englishman, the eloquence of Italy appears like frothy declamation; while to the latter, the passionless manner, and naked argument of the former, seem tame and commonplace. No man of sense would harangue the French, with their volatile feelings and love of scenic effect, in the same manner he would the Dutch their neighbors. A similar contrast often exists in the same nation. He who could chain a Boston audience by the depth and originality of his philosophy, might be esteemed a dreamer in the far West. Colonel Crockett and Mr. Emerson would be very unequal