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The parapets half demolished had their embrasures entirely destroyed. Their places were distinguished only by the cannon, the greatest part of which were dismounted and separated from the broken carriages. In the midst of this scene of carnage, I discovered the body of a Russian cannoneer decorated with three crosses. In one hand he held a broken sword, and with the other firmly grasped the carriage of the gun at which he had so valiantly fought.

All the Russian soldiers in the redoubt chose rather to perish than to yield. The general who commanded them, would have shared their fate if his valour had not saved his life. This brave soldier had sworn to die at his post, and he would have kept his oath. Seeing all his companions dead around him, he endeavoured to precipitate himself on our swords, and he would have inevitably met his death, had not the honour of taking such a prisoner arrested the cruelty of the soldiers. The Viceroy received him with kindness, and committed him to the care of Colonel Asselin, to conduct him to the Emperor." P. 143.

"The next day (8th September) we returned, at an early hour, to the field of battle. What was predicted the preceding evening had actually taken place. The enemy, seeing the intrepidity with which we carried their redoubts, despaired of maintaining their position, and resolved to evacuate it during the night. As we passed over the ground which they had occupied, we were enabled to judge of the immense loss that the Russians had sustained. In the space of a square league, almost every spot was covered with the killed or wounded. On many places the bursting of the shells had promiscuously heaped together men and horses. The fire of our howitzers had been so destructive, that mountains of dead bodies were scattered over the plain; and the few places that were not encumbered with the slain, were covered with broken lances, muskets, helmets, and cuirasses, or with grape-shot and bullets, as numerous as hailstones after a violent storm. But the most horrid spectacle was the interior of the ravines; almost all the wounded who were able to drag themselves along, had taken refuge there to avoid the shot. These miserable wretches, heaped one upon another, and almost suffocated with blood, uttering the most dreadful groans, and invoking death. with piercing cries, eagerly besought us to put an end to their torments." P. 150.

During this memorable day the Viceroy performed the greatest deeds of valour. He was found at all points, exhorting every officer to his duty, and reminding him, that on this day depended the glory of France. He was seen at all the batteries, causing them to advance in proportion as the enemy gave way, and braving every peril, he himself instructed the cannoneers how to direct their fire. He encouraged his troops

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and led them to the attack, and when once he was obliged to yield he threw himself into the middle of the square formed by the 87th regiment, and set it in motion.

The French purchased their victory with an immense loss. The number alone of the generals wounded amounted to thirty. The whole army bivouacked on the ground it had gained. This encampment was most cruel; neither men nor horses had any thing to eat, and the want of food exposed them to all the rigour of a cold and frosty night.

We have been rather diffuse in detailing the events of this dreadful battle, to give to our readers an idea of the price with which even the most brilliant success is at all times purchased. In proportion as the French armies advanced into the interior of Russia, the Emperor Alexander, seconding the wishes of the nobility, endeavoured to render it a national war. Accordingly the nobility and the priests by persuasion, threats, and bribes, induced all the peasants who were dependent on them to rise en masse against the French. In vain Napoleon held out at Rouza such an example as should persuade the peasants to abandon their lords; for the evil which succeeded was equally destructive with that which he had endeavoured to counteract. It is true that the natives no longer attacked the French, but they laid waste the country and fled to the woods. In this way, though Napoleon now could march unmolested to Moscow, the peasants fell with double vigor on his famished and starved companions when they began their retreat. In order to increase the spirit of vengeance, and heighten the enthusiasm of the Russians, Alexander brought religion into play, and this never failing resource added fresh strength to the cause of the Czar. In the cathedral of Moscow this monarch having received from the hands of the patriarch the precious image of St. Serge, he delivered it to the army, hoping that they would be protected by this representative of the saint. Rallying under this sacred standard the Russians marched to the battle of Moskwa; and the obstinacy with which they fought, shews the necessity of calculation and foresight against all possible circumstances before a conqueror attempts to march against a people who fight not only for the preservation of themselves but for that also of their religion.

"Chè doue alzar Religion si ecede
Lo standardo di guerra, si combatte
Con labenda sugli occhi; e la pietate
La medesma pietà rabbia diventa."

After the battle of Moskwa the triumphant army marched in three columns towards the capital of the Russian empire. Napoleon

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Napoleon, impatient to get possession of it, pursued the enemy with his accustomed vigour, on the high road of Smolensko; while Prince Poniatowski, at the head of the firth corps, marched on the right by way of Kaluga. The Viceroy, with his corps, continued on the left flank, and taking the road of Zwenighorod, proceeded towards Moscow, where the whole army was to assemble. On their march the French found the country one uniform scene of horrible desolation. Those who fled, burnt in despair their houses and the grain and forage which were scarcely gathered."

[To be concluded in our next.]

ART. IV. The Happiness of States: or an Inquiry concerning Population, the Modes of subsisting and employing it, and the Effects of all upon Human Happiness. By S. Gray, Esq. London, Hatchard; Edinburgh, Oliphant and Co. 1815.

WE like an author who begins at the beginning of his subject, and were accordingly very much pleased to find Mr. Gray setting out upon his inquiry into the " Happiness of States," by endeavouring to ascertain whether men are happier in existence or non-existence. Theognis, a foolish Greek, was of opinion that "for earthly beings, the best of all things was not to be born," and that for those who had undergone that misfortune, the next best thing was, 66 as soon as possible to pass the gates of Hades, and to lie buried under much earth." But our author calling to mind that Theognis was a poet, and withal very poor, is determined to make his evidence go for nothing; and as to the howling of the Thracians at the birth of a child, and their joy at a friend's decease, he meets the difficulty which seems to arise from such feats, by observing, that "life must have been a very miserable thing in Thrace." Upon the whole, then, taking the world as it usually goes, Mr. Gray is quite satisfied that existence is preferable to non-existence; and he adds, that mankind at large have promptly and ardently decided in favour of the former, as being fully more comfortable and happy, all things considered.

This point being settled, the next thing to ascertain, in seeking after the summum bonum of states, is, "the grand object of individuals and nations." Now, on this subject there is of course a great variety of opinions; some, and among others the

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late Emperor of France, holding that commerce and colonies constitute this "grand object;" others majutaining that agriculture will more certainly realize it; from these we have bursts of enthusiasm about large farms and drill-husbandry and a third set seem to think, says Mr. Gray, that the "grand object" of a nation is to exist merely for the sake of being taxed. But he, with more wisdom in his views, and with a decided preference in his mind for the end instead of the means, lays it down as the basis of all his reasoning, and as a datum not to be disputed, that happiness is the "true grand object" of every wise nation and individual.

This very original idea being struck out, the author is naturally led to inquire into the nature and springs of happiness; and it gives us pleasure to find him, after a few prolusory strokes of ratiocination, arrived at this conclusion. Happiness, says he, consists in enjoying health corporeal and mental, having something to eat and drink, something for shelter, and something to do. When to this is added virtuous dispositious, the blessing of having a few friends, and of being secure from enemies, it must be admitted that the definition comes as near the truth as could be expected, on a subject not strictly scientific.

All this, however, not only implies a certain degree of improvement in society, but it also suggests the topic which is taken up in Mr. Gray's third chapter, namely, "the social improveability of man." Our author, be it mentioned to his praise, holds nothing in common with those dreamers of dreams, who indulge in visions of human perfectibility; for, on the contrary, he has found out that in proportion as men become more learned, they become worse-tempered; and particularly, as they get deep in polities and political economy, they grow every In fact, it day more snappish and intolerable in their manners. is deeply impressed upon his mind, that the good temper which was recommended by the first teachers of Christianity, instead of being improved by erudition and science, has been materially "become morose, hurt by them. Our learned men, it seems, haughty, distant, passionate, and overbearing; and for the most part, they are destitute of that quality which tends so much to social good, economy. Fortunately however, in general, it seems to be pretty much in proportion to the progress which a man has made in one particular species of learning or science, that his sociality is hurt. A general knowledge, such as this adept would call superficial, or a smattering of many different kinds, on the whole improves the sociality of the temper."

What a misery must it be for a man's family, when his mind is engrossed with any particular study in which he happens to succeed! We know that Newton's bed-maker was wretched beyond

beyond expression while he was prosecuting his discoveries in optics; and it was probably in consequence of his profound attainments in political science, that Mr. Pitt judged it expedient to decline matrimony. According to this view of things, however, we can have no possible doubt that our author is a very good-natured man, and quite uninjured in all his social qualities.

By what means, then, is man to be improved? We succeed with beech-trees and fir- trees to a certain extent, and even with sheep and horned cattle; and in the next generation we may count upon the beech-nuts and fir-tops, the rams and the bulls, for a tolerably fair exhibition of all the good properties which we have established in the present. But man is neither a beech tree nor a horned animal, and of course, we must, according to Mr. Gray, for ever despair of his improvement.

"Suppose it were possible," says he, "by an universal system of education, acted upon for an age, to make the great mass of parents perfectly good and social, which is an idea that will never be seriously entertained by any one acquainted with human nature, or human affairs, have we accomplished the task of cor, recting nature? No. We are not much nearer giving complete goodness to the sperms which are to form the succeeding age, than before. Good and social parents, like those of the opposite character, produce bad and unsocial, as well as good and social, children indiscriminately. Our race is, therefore, with regard to what constitutes about two thirds of the whole, just where it was.

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The case, we admit, is bad enough; and as we are not sufficiently enlightened in physiology to venture a prescription for the behoof of the sperms which are to form the next age, we must just leave them to make as good men, as their materials will admit of, in the old way.

After Book I. comes Book II. which has for its subject the very important doctrines of CIRCULAND, or that which is to be circulated. Lest this new term should not on its first appearance convey a very precise meaning, we beg leave to state that it is used to denote any marketable commodity, whether it be the raw produce of the soil, manufactured goods, labour of the hands, agility of the body, or the exercise of ingenuity and talent. Every thing is circuland which enables the possessor to make a charge upon the common fund of national wealth, or, in other words, whatever is wanted by others, and for which they are willing to pay, is, to him who holds it, to all intents and purposes, circuland, The skill and character of a physician, for example, are his circuland; the grimaces of a harlequin and the voice of a singer are their circuland; while a quarter of wheat, a sack of flour, and a loaf of bread are the respective

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