tablishment at Brussels to counteract the Belgian piracies. This establishment would probably have succeeded in checking the system, which was not then carried on to such an extent as it is at present, had not the king of the Netherlands, who applied considerable sums to the promotion of industry, powerfully assisted the principal plunderers. The French booksellers could not oppose the budget of France to that of the Netherlands, and deemed it prudent to withdraw from the unequal contest. The present sovereign of Belgium does not afford the like support, but the Belgian booksellers find in their fellow citizens a sympathy which produces the same results, and which manifests itself in the eagerness to take shares in the bookselling companies that have arisen in Brussels with immense capitals. Thus, for instance, when M. Haumann was forming his company, whose capital amounts to a million and a half, offers to the enormous sum of eighty millions were made by persons desirous of having shares in the last three hundred, deposited in the national bank. To stop this system of piracy the author proposes that France should declare her determination to protect the literary property of all those nations whose government should in like manner determine to protect French literary copyright in their dominions.

That important work, "Dictionnaire de la Conversation," is steadily advancing towards completion. Out of the fifty-two volumes which it is calculated to form, thirty-three are already published. From a statement circulated by the publisher, it comprises contributions from all the principal literary men of France: but the article France itself has particularly attracted our notice, being divided into eleven different sections, each the work of an author of celebrity in his particular department. Among these are Walckenaer, Charles Nodier, Nisard, Bory de St. Vincent, Tissot, and Guizot. It is admitted to be the most complete performance on the subject that exists in the French language.

The 14th volume of the "Archives Curieuses de l'Histoire de France, depuis Louis XI. jusqu'à Louis XVIII." by Messrs. Cimber and Danjou, has just appeared. The 15th and last volume of the first series of this collection is in the press, and concludes with the death of Henry IV.

The first edition of a History of England, by the Baron de Roujoux, which was completed in December last, being already sold off, a second is announced. As a Frenchman the author could not but view events in which both the French and English nations were concerned, in a very different light from what English writers have done; and it is said that without deviating from the strictest impartiality he has adduced a great number of facts, hitherto carefully concealed through the national vanity of Hume and Lingard, that give a new physiogomy and a new interest to his work; which is moreover embellished with 500 engravings.

Levrault has commenced the publication of a work by Ch. Nodier, A. Regnier and Champin, entitled "Paris historique, Promenades dans les Rues de Paris." It is to consist of 100 weekly numbers, with lithographic illustrations; ten of which had appeared in the middle of March.

Another History of England down to the reform of 1832, by M. Hercule Gallard, is announced as being in the press. It is to form fifteen octavo volumes, one to be published every three weeks, and to be embellished with portraits, maps and plans. In a note appended to the advertisement, we are told that a company has been formed for bringing out this work, with a capital of 80,000 francs, produced by 800 shares at 100 francs each; and that each

share confers a right to interest at 6 per cent. payable in advance, one copy of the work, and one eight-hundredth of the copyright.

M. Parent-Desbarres has commenced one of those undertakings which prove the decided taste for historical works at present prevailing among the reading public of France. This is "A Collection d'Histoires complètes de tous les Etats Européens," published under the auspices of Baron de Barante, Villemain, Augustin, Thierry, Mignet, Fauriel, Salvandy, St. Marc Girardin, Michelet, Lacroix (bibliophile Jacob), Baron de Roujoux, and Baron Taylor; and with the co-operation of Dr. Lingard, and Messrs. Botta, Luden, Leo, and most of the celebrated foreign historians, who will themselves revise the translation of their works. The collection is intended to form from twenty to twenty-five octavo volumes, printed in double columns: and will appear either in half volumes or numbers; three of the latter to be published weekly.

As a matter of curiosity, it may be mentioned that, at Bailly's office, in Paris, there have lately been produced two little works in the Ottawa language, both of a religious nature. They have been printed in Roman characters, under the superintendence of the Abbé Baraga, an Illyrian priest, resident at Michigan, in the United States.

The house of Tetot, brothers, in Paris, is busily engaged in reprints of the German classic writers. These consist of Schiller in two volumes; Göthe, with all his correspondence, in five volumes; Tieck in two volumes: and Jean Paul in four volumes. These are nearly completed. Lessing, in two volumes, is commenced, and Shakspeare, by Schlegel and Tieck, in one volume, is announced.

With the commencement of the present year a new paper was begun, with the title of "L'Europe," which, like several established last year, is sold at half the price charged for the old journals. It announced itself as the "Journal des intérêts monarchiques et populaires," and, as the Marquis de Jouffroy is the chief editor, its tendency cannot be doubtful. The undertaking is based upon a capital of 750,000 francs, raised by 1500 shares; and a calculation in the prospectus represents that a sale of 10,000 copies will produce the share-holders an annual profit of 24 per cent. in interest and dividends, besides other advantages.

Another new paper is announced at Paris, to commence on the 1st of April, with the title of "L'Eclair," and to be published every other day. A weekly paper, having the same title, will be connected with this undertaking.

"L'Italie," published by Audot, has just been completed with the 140th livraison, forming eight volumes, of which the Papal and Neapolitan States occupy two volumes each. Each portion of the work may be had separately.

Paulin of Paris has announced a Histoire Parlementaire de la Revolution Française, by P.J. Buchoz and P. C. Roux, in forty volumes, one to be published every week till completed.

Hume and Smollett's History of England, with the continuation by the Rev. T. S. Hughes, is reprinting in Paris, in two 4to, volumes.

The late M. Abel Remusat left behind at his death a translation of and comments on a very ancient Chinese work entitled "Foè Kouèki, or account of the Bouddhic Kingdoms; Travels in Tatary, Afghanistan, and India, per

formed about the end of the fourth century, by Chy Fa Hian." This work, revised, completed, and augmented, with new explanations, by the late M. Klaproth and M. Laudresse, has just appeared, in a 4to. volume, with five plates and maps.

The French translation of Baron von Hammer's History of the Ottoman Empire, by M. Hellert, has advanced to the fourth livraison, containing the seventh and eighth volumes. The work will extend to twenty volumes, with an atlas of thirty-six maps and plans.

M. A. Mazuy is engaged upon a new translation of the Jerusalem Delivered, with a life of Tasso, and historical notes, from the French and Arabian chronicles of the eleventh century, in one 8vo. volume, embellished with a portrait and twenty vignettes on wood.

Mr. Valery, librarian to the king at Versailles, and author of Travels in Italy, reviewed in one of our late numbers, has just ready for publication "Voyages en Corse, à l'Ile d'Elbe, et en Sardaigne," in two 8vo. volumes.

M. Hachette has published the first three numbers of "Chateaux pittoresques de la France, ancienne et moderne," to be completed in 100 livraisons in 4to. each containing six plates and two and a half sheets of text.

M. du Sommérard, the proprietor of the Hôtel de Clugny and the rich collection it contains, is about to publish a work on the Arts of the Middle Ages, chiefly as they are illustrated by the remains of the Roman Palace at Paris, the Hôtel de Člugny built on its ruins, and the works of art contained in M. du Sommérard's collection.

M. Monmerqué, so well known by his edition of the Letters of Madame de Sévigné, and many other important works, has advertised for sale by auction his large and interesting collection of Autographs; they will be sold by Silvestre on the 2d of May,

The new French Journal, Le Monde, which we mentioned in our last number, has been jonied by M. de Lamennais, Georges, Sand, and several other distinguished writers, and seems in a fair way to success.

M.M. Monmerqué and Francisque Michel are editing a complete collection of the French dramatic pieces written during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

At the meeting of the Academy of Sciences, held on the 13th of March, a report was read from a committee of the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres, proposing that those two bodies should unite in recommending to the attention of the government a suggestion for attaching to any expeditions that may be undertaken in the territory of Algiers, persons specially appointed to make inquiries into subjects connected with geography, natural history, and the historical sciences.

On the 12th of March, M. de Pradt, formerly archbishop of Malines, celebrated for his various political works, expired at Paris, after a violent attack of apoplexy. He had attained his seventy-fifth year, and always enjoyed excellent health.

Ludwig Börne, the well-known German writer, has also recently died in Paris, where he has long resided.

GERMANY.

The house of Hallberger, at Stuttgart, is publishing in parts, containing eight sheets each, "Der Kaiserstaat Oesterreich, unter der Regierung Kaisers Franz I. und der Staatsverwaltung des Fürsten Metternich."

Dr. Lorinser, of Berlin, has in the press, an 8vo. volume entitled "Die Entstehung und Verhütung der Pest des Orients."

Notwithstanding the exposure of the suspicious circumstances attending the pretended discovery of the history of Sanchoniatho, which appeared to stamp the transaction with the character of imposture, we perceive from an announcement by Schünemann, of Bremen, that the work will speedily be published by him with the title of "Sanchuniathonis Historiarum Phoenicia libros novem, Græce versos a Philone Byblio, edidit, latinaque versione donavit, Friederich Wagenfeld."

Berger, of Leipzig, will speedily publish a Life of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, founder of the Homoeopathic system of medicine, written by himself, with plates.

The house of Behr, in Berlin, has announced for speedy publication "Histoire ancienne et moderne de la Moldavie, de la Valachie, et des états indépendants des Transylvains et des Valaques transdanubiens," by Michael de Kogalnitchan, formerly a Moldavian officer.

The number of the journals published in Austria amounts to 72, 21 of which are furnished by Vienna. The Lombardo-Venetian kingdom issues 34; Milan alone 25, Venice 6, and Verona 4.

It has been remarked as a singular phenomenon, that in Germany, which is so fertile in almost every department of literature, there are very few new dramatic productions. In regard to comedy in particular, the lovers of the theatre must put up almost exclusively with the mostly barbarous translations from the French. The result of the offer by the firm of Cotta of a prize of 300 florins for a good comedy in one act, furnishes an additional proof of the neglect of the drama. Out of several hundred pieces that were received, only eight were deemed worthy of being submitted for examination to the critical tribunal, composed of Lewald, Menzel, and Seydelmann; and of these eight one only was deemed worthy of any consideration. It is apprehended that, unless some provision be made by the Diet for securing to German dramatic authors a property in their works, as in France, the German stage must long continue to be a mere echo of the French.

Opitz and Frege, of Güstrow, will shortly publish a critical history of the Roman emperor Trajan, by Dr. Heinrich Franke, of Wiemar, with the title "Zur Geschichte Trajans und seiner Zeit."

We observe in the German journals the announcement of a pamphlet with the title of "Schlagende Beweisführung dass Napoleon Bonaparte niemals existirt hat" (Striking Proof that Napoleon Bonaparte never existed), which professes to be translated from the second Paris edition. Another singular announcement has also attracted our notice: it is the translation of a French work by M. B. Chablot, the tendency of which may easily be guessed from the title "The Death Struggle of the British Leopard; reflections on the present time and that which is immediately to follow," and from the

motto, "England has not a guinea which is not steeped in the blood of all nations!" How easy would it be to prove that there is not a nation in Europe whose wounds England has not expended her gold in healing!

The historico-critical work by Dr. Steiner, "Codex Inscriptionum Romanarum Rheni," will appear at the Easter Leipzig fair, in two 4to. volumes, containing about a thousand inscriptions.

The first part of the first volume of a History of Bohemia, by a native writer, Franz Patacky, has made its appearance. This work, chiefly from documents and manuscripts, promises to supply, in a satisfactory manner, a want that was much felt.

The reviewer of Eckermann's Conversations with Göthe (see F. Q. R. No. 35, pp. 16, 17,) has assumed that some remarks of Göthe's on a German poet, whose name is concealed by three stars, applied to Heine. A writer in the "Blätter für literarische Unterhaltung," assures us that this is a mistake. "We know," says he, "from the author's own lips, that these observations of Göthe's refer not to Heine but to Count Platen, and that he suppressed the name out of tenderness for this then living and often very unhappy poet."

At Vienna, M. Ferdinand Wolf is preparing a work on the stage representations of the middle ages, and of the dramatic art in Europe, up to the age of Shakspeare and Lopez de Vega.

DENMARK.

A periodical work in German, with the title of "Skandinavische Bibliothek" (Scandinavian Library), has recently been commenced at Copenhagen, edited by J. L. von Schepeler and A. von Gähler. It is intended to comprise translations of the latest and most attractive productions of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish literature.

SWEDEN.

An interesting work, in French, by C. Forssell, has just appeared at Stockholm, with the title of "Une année en Suède; ou Tableaux des Costumes, Mœurs, et Usages des Paysans de la Suède, suivis des Sites et Monumens historiques les plus remarquables," in forty-eight plates, with explanatory text,

4to.

RUSSIA.

We are assured that the Russian "Conversations-Lexikon," which has advanced to the sixth volume, is rich in contributions on the history, geography, statistics, and industry of Russia, on the social relations of its various tribes, and in biographical accounts of its distinguished statesmen. The work employs at this moment all the eminent Russian literati, who have become contributors to it, so that there is a momentary stagnation in all branches of Russian literature, in which considerable activity till lately prevailed.