THE schoolboy, agape at the tinsel splendour and seeming miracles of a holiday pantomime, longs for a peep behind the pasteboard parapets that limit his view. When the falling curtain puts a period to Clown's malicious buffoonery and to the blunders of persecuted and long suffering Pantaloon, he marvels as to the subsequent proceedings of the lithe and agile mimes who have so gloriously diverted him. He is tempted to believe that Harlequin sleeps in his motley skin, that Columbine perpetually retains her graceful rose-wreaths and diaphanous muslin. He can hardly realize the relapse of such glittering apparitions into the prosaic humdrum of every-day life, and would gladly penetrate the veil of baize that shrouds from his eager eyes the mirth-provoking crew. Better that he should not. Sadly would his bright illusions fade, sore be his disenchantment, could he recognise the brilliant Harlequin in yon shabbygenteel gentleman issuing from the stage door, and discern her of the twinkling feet rewarding herself with a measure of Barclay for the pirouettes and entrechats that lately ravished his youthful vision.

Not unlike the boy's desire for a peep behind the scenes, is the popular hankering after glimpses of royal

privacy. The concealed is ever the coveted, the forbidden the most desired. Keep an ape under triple lock, and fancy converts her into a sylph; it was the small key, the last of the bunch, that Bluebeard's bride most longed to use. For the multitude, the Chronicles of Courts have ever a strong and peculiar attraction. With what avidity is swallowed each trivial detail concerning princes and their companions; how anxious are the humble many to obtain an inkling of the every-day life of the great and privileged few, to dive into the recesses of palaces, and contemplate in the relaxation of the domestic circle, those who in public are environed by an imposing barrier of ceremony, pomp, and dignity. In the absence of more precise and pungent particulars, even the bald and fulsome paragraphs of a court circular find eager readers, who learn with strange interest the direction and extent of a king's afternoon ride, and the exact hour at which some infant principule was borne abroad for an airing. Less meagre and more satisfactory nourishment is afforded to popular inquisitiveness by the writings of those who have lived in the intimacy of courts. Seldom, however, do such appear during the lifetime both of the writer and of the

Dix Ans à la Cour du Roi Louis Philippe, et Souvenirs du Tems de l'Empire et de la Restauration. Par B. APPERT, de la Société Royale des Prisons de France. Berlin and Paris, 1846.

VOL. LXI.-NO. CCCLXXV.

A

personages to whom they chiefly refer, income from other sources was ample; and when they do they are often value- his position honourable, and even disless, further than as a sop to public tinguished; his friends, true or false, curiosity. Truth is rarely told of were reckoned by hundreds. But miskings by those who enjoy, seek, or fortune, swift of foot, overtook him in hope aught from their favour. These the zenith of his prosperity.

Heavy split upon the reefs of flattery, as a pecuniary losses, chiefly resulting, as disgraced courtier does upon those of he implies rather than informs us, spite and disappointed ambition. And from ill-advised loans and generous again, history affords us examples of assistance to unworthy persons, immen, who, having, through miscon- paired his means. Concerning his duct or misfortune, lost the counte- disgrace at court, he is more explicit. nance of their sovereign, resorted, to He attributes it to the envy and inregain his good graces, to shameless trigues of courtiers, against whom, as adulation and servile panegyric. a class, he bitterly inveighs. That

We do not include in any of the his office was one well calculated to three categories just named, the make him enemies, if he conscienauthor of the book before us. We tiously fulfilled its duties, is made should not be justified in attributing evident by various passages in his to interested motives his praises of his book. During ten years that he former patrons; but belie

on the

was in the daily habit of seeing contrary, that, although familiar with them, and of distributing the greater courts, he is no mere courtier. Had portion of their charities, the queen he been more of one, his fortunes and Madame Adelaide, he tells us, might now be better. From a very never made him the slightest reearly age, Monsieur Appert devoted proach ; but, on the contrary, inhimself to the prosecution of philan- variably approved his proposals and thropic plans and researches, having requests, none of which, he adds, for their chief objects the amelioration tended to his personal advantage. of the condition of the lower classes, The king, on various important occathe reform of convicts, the education sions, showed great confidence in him, of the army, and that of children and a strong sympathy with his philwhio, by the desertion or vices of their anthropic labours. Nevertheless, the parents, are left destitute and un- occult, but strong and persevering inprotected. He has frequently been em- fluence employed against M. Appert, ployed by the French government, and at last prevailed, and he was removed has occupied various important posts. from the court, laden with costly preWhen only one-and-twenty, he was sents from the royal family, who appointed director of a model-school assured him that they would never forfor the army. With reference to his get, but always acknowledge, his long humane schemes, he has published and devoted services. After his dismany volumes on the education of grace, he sold a villa he possessed at soldiers and orphans, on the prisons, Neuilly, and left Paris, with the inschools, and other correctional and tention of founding an experimental benevolent institutions of France. colony of released convicts, and of the With these we have nothing to do. children of criminals. Whether this His present book is of a lighter and experiment was carried out, and how more generally interesting character. far it succeeded, he does not inform us. For ten years he held the office of He is now travelling in Germany, almoner to the Queen of the French, visiting the schools, prisons, and miliand to her sister-in-law, Madame tary institutions, and writing books Adelaide. The charities of these concerning them. The King of Prusroyal ladies are, as we shall presently sia has received him favourably, and show, on a truly princely scale. To given him every encouragement; the this almonership no salary was at- sovereigns of Belgium, Denmark, Batached; M. Appert performed its varia, Saxony, and Wurtemberg, arduous duties gratuitously, and es- have written him flattering letters, teemed himself well rewarded by the and promised him all facilities and confidence and good opinion of the assistance during the stay he proposes illustrious persons he served. His making in their respective dominions.

It was at Berlin, in the spring of the rest, and that I have nothing to rectify present year, that M. Appert com- in what I have written." Nothing, pleted, after very brief labour, his three perhaps, to rectify, but much, wo volumes of Memoirs. He confesses should think, to add. Monsieur Apthat they were written in haste, and pert's notes, judging from one or two whilst his mind was preoccupied with verbatim specimens, were both copious the objects of his German tour. This and minute, and must include very is to be regretted, for the result proves many interesting particulars and anecthat the work was too quickly done dotes of the remarkable persons with to be well done. The motive of his whom he came in contact during the precipitation is unexplained, and we varied phases of a busy and bustling are not told why it was necessary to life. Could he not, without indelicacy complete, by the 15th of March, a or breach of confidence, have given us book destined to appear but in late more of such particulars ? His meautumn. Did the snail-wagen pace-of moirs would have gained in value had the German buchdruckerei need half a he deferred their publication some tei year for the printing of a thousand or fifteen years; for then many now pages? Surely not; and surely M. living would have disappeared from the Appert might have given himself a scene, and he might have spoken freely little more time, - have indulged us of things and persons concerning whom with more detail, — have produced, he now deems it prudent or proper to instead of a hasty outline, a finished be silent. But personal recollections picture. His materials were ample, of the present French court, even his subject is most interesting; he is no when loosely and imperfectly set downl, novice in the craft of authorship. Be- cannot fail to command attention and sides his opportunities of observation excite interest. And much that is at court, he has enjoyed the acquain- novel and curious may be culled from tance, in many cases the intimacy, of M. Appert's pages, although we regret, a vast number of notable persons, as we peruse them, that they should military, diplomatic, scientific, lite- have suffered from too great haste rary. Ministers and deputies, peers of and an overstrained discretion. France and nobles of the old regime, M. Appert opens his memoirs in the generals of the empire and distin- year 1807, in the prosperous days of quished foreigners, were reckoned upon Napoleon, whose ardent admirer he is. his list of friends; many of them were The earlier chapters of his book, relating regular partakers of his periodical din- to the Empire and the Restoration, ners at his Paris hotel and his Neuilly have less to recommend them than the villa. It was in his power, we are later ones, and we shall pass them convinced, to have produced a first rapidly over. At the age of fifteen ho rate book of its class, instead of these became a pupil of the imperial school hasty and unsatisfactory sketches. of drawing. Here he carried off the Each night, he tell us, especially since first prizes, was made sub-professor, the year 1826, when he was first and hopes were held out to him that attached to the Orleans family, he he should take a share in the education wrote down, before retiring to rest of the King of Rome. But this was the events of the day. And yet such is in 1812; the decline of the empire had luis haste to huddle over his work that begun, Russia had given the first he cannot wait to receive his volumi- blow to Napoleon's seemingly resistnous memoranda and correspondence, less power ;

- the hopes of the young but trusts entirely to his memory. As professor were never realized. Upon far as it goes, this serves him pretty the return of the Bourbons, after well.

" Whilst correcting the last Waterloo, he lost his sub-professorpage of these souvenirs, I have received ship, on account of his well-knowie the enormous mass of notes and auto- Bonapartism; and because, whilst graph letters which ought to have giving a lesson in mathematics, he been of great utility in the composition employed, to mark the curves and of the book; and, on referring to the angles of a geometrical figure, letters various documents, I am surprised to which made up

. pereur?". Soon

afterwards

, however, faithfully upon every subject of inte- he again obtained occupation, although In tor;

of a far humbler description than that and quite as natural—at least in the to which he had once aspired. He dark. These he invested with the was employed in the organization needful toggery — neither fresh nor of elementary and military schools, fashionable, we presume, but serving upon the plan of mutual instruction. the purpose. Finally, he fastened In this he was most successful, and sticks, intended to represent mushis reports to the Minister of war kets, to the shoulders of the figures, proved that, in three years, one hun- which he posted in a row against dred thousand men might be taught trees bordering the high road. Up to read, write, and cipher, at the small came the diligence. “ Halt !” shoutexpense of three hundred thousand ed Doré, in the voice of a Stenfrancs, or half-a-crown per man.

“Halt! or my men fire!” The 1820, although then only twenty-three frightened driver pulled up short ; years old, he was intrusted with the conductor and passengers, seeing a inspection of the regimental schools row of figures with levelled fire-arms, of the royal guard and first military thought they had fallen into the power division; and his connexion with the of a whole army of banditti, and army brought him acquainted with begged for mercy. Doré came formany of the Bonapartist plots at ward in the character of a generous that time rife. Although often confided protector, sternly ordered his men to in by the conspirators, who were aware abstain from violence and remain of his attachment to the Emperor, he where they were, and collected from took share in none of their abortive the trembling and intimidated passenschemes for placing Napoleon the gers their purses, watches, and jewels. Second on the throne of France; but, “I forbid you to fire,” he shouted to nevertheless, he was looked upon his quaker gang, whilst pocketing the with suspicion by the government of rich tribute ; " they make no resistthe Bourbons. Still, however, he was ance ;

; I will have no useless bloodpermitted to become the director, shed. The conductor, delighted to without salary, of a school established save a large sum of money secreted in in the prison at Montaigu, appropri- à chest, quietly submitted: the pasated to military criminals. To this sengers were too happy to get off prison, in the year 1822, were sent two with whole skins, and the women non-commissioned officers, by name thanked their spoiler, called him a Mathieu and Conderc, implicated in humane man, and almost kissed him, the conspiracy for which General Ber- out of gratitude for his sparing their ton lost his head. Yielding to his lives. The plunder collected, the sympathies and to the prayers of these driver received permission to continue two young men, who were bent upon his journey, which he did at full speed, escape or suicide, M. Appert promised lest the banditti should change their to assist their flight. He did so, suc- minds and forget their forbearance. cessfully, and the consequence was his Doré made his escape unmolested, own imprisonment at La Force, where leaving his straw regiment on picket he was placed in the room subse- by the road side, a scarecrow, till quently occupied by the poet Beranger. daybreak, to the passing traveller. Pending his trial, he had for servant The few persons acquainted with a celebrated thief of the name of Doré, M. Appert's share in the escape of of whom Vidocq, the thief-taker, more Mathieu and Conderc, proved stanch than once makes mention in his curious upon his trial: nothing could be proved books. This Doré, who, for a robber, against him, and he was acquitted. was a very decent fellow, and who The affair gave rise to long and bitter served M. Appert with the greatest controversy between the Liberal and punctuality and fidelity, once had the Royalist newspapers. Of course M. audacity, alone and unassisted, save by Appert lost his place under governhis own ingenuity, to sto a diligence ment, and he now had full leisure to full of passengers. With a skill that busy himself with his philanthropic would have made him an invaluable investigations. To these he devoted confederate for a London or Paris his time ; but the police looked upon kite-flyer, he constructed several ex- him as a dangerous character, and, in cellent men of straw, the size of life, May, 1823, orders were again issued