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ledgment of those laws."

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propose to me, citizen General, to af. ford you the means of your securing General Toussaint Louverture. Such conduct on my part would be treasonable and perfidious, and your degrading proposal convinces me of your unconquerable repugnance to believe me susceptible of the least sentiment of delicacy and honour."—"Twelve years, General, have we been fighting for liberty, for those rights, which like yourself, we have gained at the price of our blood, and I have always been averse to believe that the French, after making such great sacrifices to obtain them, would wish to deprive of them a people, who glory in forming a part of the great nation, and in participating in the advantages which they have gained by the revolution."

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1806, Dessalines perishing during the commotion. It appears that Christophe was no stranger to his being taken off, and on his death the war became fierce between Christophe and Pethion. The province of the north, and the first division of the province of the west, continued in submission to Christophe: while the province of the south, and the second division of that of the west, adhered to the General Pethion. An assembly of deputies was convoked at Port-au-Prince, the majority supported Pethion, but the minority protested against their decision, and at the beginning of 1807, a civil war may be said to have been kindled-A new assembly was convoked at the Cape under the influence of Christophe, which de. creed the constitution of the 17th Feb. 1807, nominating Christophe President for life, and Generalissimo of the military and naval forces of the island: At the same time the province of the south-west established the republic of Hayti, with a constitution similar to that of the United States; Pethion being President for four years. In the mean while Christophe, with admirable dexterity, placed bis military, naval, fiscal and civil establishments, in the most vigorous and efficient, condition, and pushed the war against his rival with much activity, but with little

success..

The blacks, however, disunited and betrayed, yielded at first to General Le Clerc, almost without resistance. Dessalines and Christophe were almost the only chiefs who offered resistance. They were proclaimed out of the pale of the law, and at length overcome by superiority of numbers. Christrophe evacuated Port-au-Prince, firing the town, and effecting a junction with Toussaint Louverture, at the head of about three thousand men. When the perfidy of the French had acquired the possession of Toussaint's person, the war seemed suppressed, but it presentOn the 28th March 1811, Christophe ly burst forth with renewed energy declared himself hereditary monarch under the command of Dessalines. The of Hayti, under the title of Henry L, climate favoured the efforts of these and he abolished all councils, except heroic blacks, and, before the end of an executive council composed of his 1805, the French army at St. Domingo officers and courtiers. His wife, Maria ceased to exist. A national assembly: Louisa, a black woman, married on met on the 1st Jan. 1804, and restored the 15th July 1763, was styled Queen, to the island its primitive name of and the eldest son was to be called Hayti. Dessalines was elected Gover- Prince royal of Hayti. From this epoch, nor-general for life. The island was the government publications declaimed divided into six military departments, against demagogues and anarchists; each commanded by a General of di- the insignia of royalty, the forms, cerevision. Christophe was the oldest of monies, and most trifling subjects of Dessalines' officers, and he was put court etiquette, were regulated by royal into the government of the department ordinances, and, on the 5th April folof the Cape. The baneful example of lowing, appeared an edict creating an Napoleon's ambition soon spread its hereditary nobility of princes, dukes, influence to St. Domingo, and Dessa- counts, barons, and knights, with an lines proclaimed himself Emperor, with allotment of heraldic devices, and arla right to appoint his successor to the morial bearings. The instability of throne. On the 29th July 1805, the human affairs and the vanity of human second year of their independance, nature were never more powerfully Dessalines appointed Christophe, Com- or more, ridiculously displayed, than mander-in-chief of the army of Hayti. in this sudden assumption of titles, he The republican party rose against the raldry, and feudal rights, by negroes, usurped government, and, under a man ignorant and rude, who, but a few of colour named Pethion, a virtuous years before had toiled under the cacitizen and a skilful officer, command-price, the insolence, the lash of their ing the division of Port-au-Prince, mercenary and brutal owners. On the they overthrew the usurpation in Oct. 7th- of the month (April), Christophe

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issued an edict constituting an Archie. piscopal See in the capital of Hayti, and suffragan dioceses in the different cities of the kingdom.

But that, which is more honorable to Christophe, was the Code Henrie, published by him on the 20th Feb. 1812. The laws of his empire care divided into nine heads, and the complexion of the civil code approximates to the similar division of the Code Napoleon. Divorce is prohibited; death and the confiscation of property is enacted; morals and the catholic reli, gion are especially protected; and the institution of a jury is not admitted. The coronation of Christophe took place on the 2d June 1812; the public functionaries from the Spanish part of the island, and the British naval officers on the station, were present at the ceremony, which rivalled in pomp and magnificence the coronation ceremonies of the most luxurious courts of Europe. M. Brelle, Archbishop of Hayti and Duke of Anse, consecrated his Majesty with the formula and reli gious pomp of the Roman Pontificate. The coronation oath was merely to maintain the then existing order of things, and to resist the re-establish ment of white domination. On the senior British officer, drinking Christophe's health at the banquet, the sable monarch rose and drank," to my deur brother George III-may he prove an invincible obstacle to the ambition of Napoleon-and may, he always be the constant friend of Hayti."

In 1813, the numerous defections of his subjects presaged his future; fall, and the ultimate triumph of the freer, and consequently better principles of his republican rival. But his military genius gave him a temporary advan tage over his more moderate and en lightened adversary. The defections of his subjects exasperated the natural ferosity of Christophe's disposition, and stimulated him to acts of great barbarity. On the restoration of the Bourbons in 1814, Christophe flattered himself that his conduct and pretensions would be more favourably view ed by Louis, than they had been by Napoleon. But Louis dispatched a commission to St. Domingo with proposals tantamount to requiring a gradual recurrence to the old regime. The negro Monarch received the terms with just indignation. He summoned a council of the nation at his palace of Sans Souci, on the 21st Oct. 1814, and the exposé of the instructions and designs of the French government awakened the utmost enthusiasm in the population. Christophe prepared for

the most determined resistance, and, in his instructions to his officers, he ordered them to provide torches and combustible materials sufficient to burn all the towns on the landing of an enemy to destroy every species of public or private building, to blow up the bridges, break down all dikes and causeways, to devastate the country, and to retire with the whole population into the mountains, and, finally, to spare neither age nor sex of those enemies who fell into their hands, but to inflict upon them the "most horrible species of punishment." These orders were in unison with the general spirit of the people. One of the French agents was taken with his papers, which were published, and himself examined and exposed to the interroga. tories of all the people, but no further injury was permitted to his person. The French King with great meanness subsequently disavowed this embassy, in the Moniteur of the 28th Jan. 1815. Christophe, to secure the people to his interests, now gave greater liberty to the press; he decreed a gratuitous instruction for the people, made efforts to abolish even the French language, hiring numerous English artists and instructors, and ordering all instrue. tions to be conveyed in that language, On the 20th Nov. 1816, he refused to receive the new commissioners sent to Hayti by the King of France, declar ing that he would not treat, with France but upon the basis of independence and equality of national rights, and the commissioners, having received similar answers from Pethion, returned to Europe. The negociations with the French had displayed the personal superiority of Pethion over his rival, who saw the necessity of moderating his tyranny; and, on the 14th July 1819, he abolished an odious law confining the proprietorship of land to general officers. Pethion in the beginning of 1818, had died, and was succeeded by Boyer, whom he had nominated his successor; and this new President commenced his government by conquering from Christophe the country called the Grande-Anse, which he attached to the republic. The just and moderate government of Boyer was so strongly in contrast to the sordid, barbarous, and selfish policy of Christophe, as to detach all his subjeats from their allegiance. In Sept. 1820, the garrison of St. Marc were so excited at the indignities which Christophe imposed upon their Colonel, by means of the Governor of the city, that they rose en masse, put the Gover nor to death, and sent a deputation to

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Boyer offering to form a junction with the republic. Boyer hastily assembled an army of fifteen thousand men, and marched to support the insurgents. Christophe was labouring under a paralytic affection, and, shutting himself up in his fortified palace of Sans Souci, dispatched his army against the insurgents of St. Marc; but on withdrawing these troops from the capital, the people of the metropolis rose in rebellion against him; and on the 6th Oct., the General, Richard Duke of Marmelade, proclaimed to the troops, the abolition of royalty, which was reIceived with enthusiasm by all classes of persons. Christophe's body guard, of about fifteen hundred picked men, still adhered to his interests. He was

borne amongst these troops, addressed them with praises and assurances of reward, and dispatched them under command of his brother-in-law to meet the enemy; but news was soon brought to Christophe, that these household troops had gone over to the republicans, demanding the deposition of their former sovereign. Upon hearing this, he retired to his chamber in despair and shot himself through the heart, on the 8th Oct. 1820, being fifty-three years of age. His body was ignominiously exposed on the high-ways for several days-bis son was massacred, but his widow and two daughters were allowed by Boyer to retire in safety; and they immediately sailed for England, and have since lived in the vicinity of London in a state of genteel independence. All titles, and the attributes of nobility were forthwith abolished by Boyer, who established the republican government throughout the former territories of Christophe; and, finally by his skill and prudence, succeeded in amalgamating the Spanish part of the island with the new republic of the blacks.

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Christophe had hoarded 240,000 dollars at Sans Souci, and 46,000,000 of piastres, (10,000,000 sterling) was found at Fort Henri. This sum accords with the boast which the Count Lemonade had officially made, that the Emperor intended to pave and ceil, the rotunda of his palace with coin. Christophe was guilty of the most atrocious cruelties; his pecuniary exactions were enormous; he had been munificent to his superior officers, but as to the great body of his people, he had merely substituted the attachment of them as slaves to the soil, instead of the former system of rendering them the property of white individuals. All the lands of the former proprietors he reserved to himself, except a few es

tates with which he had rewarded bis Generals. The produce in kind, of his reserved lands, the customs, and other taxes yielded him a considerable revenue. The intellect displayed by Christophe was sufficient to relieve the negro from the charge of being of an inferior nature; but how much more exalted was the character of his rival Pethion, who taking his country-men from the debasement of slavery, converted them into free citizens, established over them an enlightened system of government, and after for ten years executing the supreme magistracy with vigour and justice, dies poor, and leaves his country free. Christophe was of Herculean form, and possessed of fortitude, and desperate bravery. In the severest conflicts he would animate his ranks by exhibiting the rage and fury of a tiger. He was vindictive in the extreme, and hesitated at no cruelty which gratified his passions, or was calculated to promote his interests. His mind possessed extraordinary vigour, but he appears to have been incapable of profound thought, or of acquiring comprehensive systems. A certain tact of governing had taught him the necessity of public officers being pure, and that their duties ought to be performed with diligence and dispatch. His establishments were therefore well conducted. He had learnt that manufactures, agriculture, and commerce, are essential to the prosperity of a state; that large public buildings are necessary to its grandeur; and that morality is essential to its stability. He was therefore always endeavouring to cffect these causes of national prosperity by the most arbitrary, and often mistaken ordinances, forgetting that their only sources were the liberty of the subject, and the security of property. The arena of his exploits was hardly large enough to entitle him to acconspicuous place in the page of history, but, considering his attainment to a throne from a state of the most abject ignorance and slavery, considering the barbarous eondition of those whom he had to command, and that with such materials, during a period of revolution, he contrived in a few years to found an empire, to build a superb city, and to form both civil and military establishments far surpassing any possessed by the neighbouring colonies of the three commercial nations of Europe, we cannot but allow that his qualities were at least equal to the average of those, who are celebrated as great princes, or as successful warriors.

NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS. ASS

Le dernier des Césars, &c.-The Last of the Cæsars; or, the Fall of the Roman Empire in the East. By M. le Comte de Vanblanc. 1 vol.

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In M. de Vanblanc are united those various qualities requisite to form an estimable public character; one of the most distinguished orators and zealous patriots of France. We are therefore agreeably surprised to see him, by the publication of the poem we have just announced, shine amongst the most estimable poets of the present day. The subject of this poem is one of the best that the history of man could offer. It is not, as in the fliad, the coalition of some petty princes against a city of Asia Minor, a subject of small importance in itself, and which the poet was obliged to make subordinate to the developement of the anger of one of the Grecian chiefs. It is not, as in the Eneid, the invasion of a little country in ancient Ausonia, which precedes the union of the chief of the enterprise with the daughter of the weak sovereign of a petty state. It is not, like the Jerusalem Delivered, a conquest, certainly a respectable one, which occasioned no permanent revolution in the destinies of the people of Europe for Asia. It is the irruption of a horde of men barbarous in their manners and religion into Europe; it is the capture of the last rampart, and the capital, of the colossal Roman Empire of the East, overwhelmed by its ferocious conquerors; it is the absolute destruction of -that empire. The execution appears to us equal to the magnificence of the subject. The marvellous is in some degree ca hecessary part of an epic poem:in employing it, M. de Vaublanc has not made use of mythology, as being common-place; nor of magic, vas he might by that means have rashly put himself in comparison with Tasso : he has therefore been obliged to create a new species of the marvellous.

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A young and beautiful virgin, a descendant of the kings of Parthia, whom the vicissitudes of fortune had obliged to take refuge at Bysantium, resolved to unite herself to the God of the Christians by solemn vows: at the moment of the consummation of the sacrifice, Sandialla penetrates into Bysantium, y and carries away Theodora, which is the name of the young virgin, with

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whose fate, an ancient oracle had de

clared, was involved that of the empire. The captive, after having met with great dangers by sea and on the rocks, is transported to the camp of the Mussulmanns, who, under the command of Mahomet II., their emperor, besieged Bysantium. Mahomet and Sandialla are both in love with Theodora ; but Sandialla is more tender and respectful, and Theodora is not entirely insensible. Nothing restrains the furious love of Mahomet: the poet artfully contrasts these different sentiments. At the moment, when to possess Theodora Mahomet is going to use violence, and when, to free herself, Theodora intends to kill herself, she is taken up to heaven. The oracle which attached her fate to that of Bysantium is then accomplished.

The characters of the principal personages of the poem are drawn with the greatest vigour; and one of the most brilliant is that of Sandialla. This young hero, son of the celebrated Scanderberg, had been taken from his parents when a child: brought up in their religion, and gained their respect by his eminent qualities: he distinguishes himself at the siege of Bysantium, with the fiery courage of Achilles, and the impetuous ardour of Renaud: but, however brilliant his character, he never eclipses the Greek Emperor, Constantine Paleogalus. Always active and vigilant, this prince is constantly employed in fortifying the posts of the besieged town, or fighting upon the breaches, defending, even with his latest breath, the unhappy Bysantium against the ferocious Mussulmanns, who penetrated into every part of the city. He encouraged the timid soldiers with the powerful example of heroic valour; and his caution and prudence restrained those who would have rashly exposed themselves. A great many gentlemen of the most illustrious blood of France abandoned their fire-sides to shut themselves up in Bysantium, where they proudly sus tained the glory and honour of the French armies.

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In the composition of his poem M. de Vaublanc has made some bold attempts, many of which are happy; one of them, however, is not admissible; it is that which induced him to personify weakness, which is only a moral being, or rather the almost total privation of all the estimable qualities. The exterior marks of effeminacy are capable

of being made to produce the most seductive images in poetry. This has been happily exemplified by Boileau in that celebrated line,

"Soupire, entend ses bras, ferme l'œil et s'en. dort."

Weakness, on the contrary, can scarcely be perceived but through the apathy of him who is influenced by it.

The style of this poem is generally noble and energetic. The first canto is the least vigorous: inspiration, which is the distinguishing characteristic of a poet, M. de Vaublanc did not then sufficiently feel. The other cantos possess that magnificence of style which belongs to the subject. Happy are those to whom may be applied, as well as to M. de Vaublanc, the famous device, currit eundo. We regret that our limits will not permit us to transcribe any part of this poem which would justify our opinion of its merit, and which ought to place the author among the most distinguished poets of the present day. There are, undoubtedly, some parts a little laboured. The happy facility, which is remarkable in the versification throughout, proves that this production was not a work of labour, bat an agreeable recreation from his political pursuits.

Tableaux Itinéraires, &c.--Itinerary, or Road-book of the Distances from Paris to the principal Towns of France, and to all the Capitals in Europe. By M. Collin. Unbound. 12s. 6d.

This work is a valuable companion to all who are travelling from one country to another, and consists of Six Maps. The first is, a general Map, to shew the plan of the work; 2nd a Comparative Table, in four Languages, wherein the distances from place to place is calculated, not only in French leagues, but in the leagues used in the other countries, included in this Itinerary; 3rd-Roads from Paris to London; 4th-from London to Edinburgh, and Dublin, being a continuation of the preceding Map; 5th-from Dublin to the principal Towns in Ireland being a continuation of the preceding; 6th-from Paris to Amsterdam; 7th-from Paris to Stockholm and Co. penhagen; 8th-from Paris to Berlin; 9th-from Paris to Petersburgh and Moscow, being a continuation of the preceding Map; 10th-from Vienna, Laybach, and Trieste, to Constantino

ple, being a continuation of the preceding; 11th-from Vienna to Petersburgh, being a continuation to the route from Paris to Vienna; 12th-from Paris to Naples; 13th-from Paris to Madrid; 14th-from Madrid to the principal Towns of Spain and Portugal; 15thfrom Paris to Brest, to Sables d'Olonne, to Rochelle and Rochefort,

This work is equally useful to travellers, merchants, and geographers. In the composition of it, the author has consulted all the Road-books and Itineraries of different countries, the best Maps, and the most authentic documents that could be accessible for such a purpose.

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Only two works upon the Egyptian Hieroglyphics, before this publication appeared, had attracted the attention of the public,-one called, Edipus Egyptiacus, by Kircher (the only one of his numerous works that is, or ought to be, much esteemed;) the other, by Warburton, forming the fourth book of his work, entitled, "The Divine Mission of Moses," and which has been extracted and translated into French, by M. Leonard de Valpennes.

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These two works threw some light upon the dark subject of Egyptian Hieroglyphics, but were far from satisfying scientific curiosity. The author of the work before us attempts, by a new system, to elucidate the mystery of hieroglyphics; but, like a truly learned man, he has done it with great circumspection.

The examination of some Egyptian hieroglyphics, twelve years ago, suggested to the author the idea of analyzing the Hebrew language, and comparing the primitive elements of that language with hieroglyphics. This comparison appeared to him necessary, in order to explain hieroglyphical writing by alphabetical writing, which might lead to the explanation of most of the hieroglyphics.

Seduced by the hope of finding the real principles of etymological science, and the signification of Egyptian symbols, the author confesses, that he did not enough consider the difficulties of the work he undertook, and presumptuously (to use his too modest expression) gave himself up to a new kind of etymological analysis. He examined all

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