XXVII.

BIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF THE REVEREND ALBAN BUTLER.

IT remains for the Reminiscent to mention his life of the Rev. Mr. Alban Butler, and to say with Tacitus*, "Hic liber memoriæ patrui mei "destinatus, aut laudatus erit aut excusatus.' Mr. Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints, though a voluminous work,-(12 vols. 8vo.)-has undergone numerous editions: two different translations of it into the French language have been published; it has also been translated into Spanish, and the Reminiscent believes, into the Italian languages. Several abridgements of it have been published. The only objection made to it is, its alleged admission of too many miracles and visions. To those, who deny the existence of miracles, we do not now address ourselves,-all other christians may be confidently asked, on what principle they admit the evidence for the miracles of the three first centuries, and reject the miracles of the subsequent ages? Why they deny to St. Austin, St. Gregory, the venerable Bede or St. Bernard, the confidence which they place in Justin, St. Irenæus, Theodoret or Eusebius?

* In vitâ Agricolæ.

The style of the "Lives of the Saints" is excellent; it partakes more of that of the writers of the seventeenth century, than that of the modern style of writing; Mr. Gibbon mentioned it to the Reminiscent in warm terms of commendation, and was astonished when he heard, how much of the life of Mr. Alban Butler had been spent abroad. Speaking of the "Lives of the Saints," he calls it "a work of merit, the sense and learn

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ing belong to the author, his prejudices are "those of his profession." As it is known what prejudice means in Mr. Gibbon's vocabulary, Mr. Alban Butler's relatives accept the character.

XXVIII.

BIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF THE CHANCELLOR L'HÔPITAL:—AND OF THE CHANCELLOR D'AGUESSEAU,--WITH A SHORT HISTORICAL NOTICE OF THE MISSISSIPPI SCHEME.

XXVIII. 1.

The Chancellor L'Hôpital.

THIS venerable magistrate, elegant scholar and excellent man, has been always considered in France, as one of the greatest personages, whom the nation has produced. On the Reminiscent's intimating to the late sir Samuel Romilly, that he was in want of a literary hobby, -(the horse, the Englishman's friend, has never employed much of his time),-for his amusement in the long vacation, which was just opening to them, that eminent and amiable person recom- « mended the life of l'Hôpital to his attention, and furnished him with some materials for its composition. It is gratifying to the Reminiscent to recollect that, when he presented the result of his labours to sir Samuel, it received the honour of his approbation.

It is observable that, in the literature of France, panegyrics and funeral orations fill a considerable space: those, who are most disposed to contest her claim to universal pre-eminence in

U

XXVI.

BIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF THE ABBOT DE RANCE-ST. VINCENT OF PAUL HENRI MARIE DE BOUDON-AND THOMAS À KEMPIS.

1. IN the Abbot de Rancé, the reader will find an account of a holy monk, who revived in the latter ages, the spirit, the devotion, and the practice of monastic discipline, when it was in its perfection and full vigour.

It has been frequently asserted, that the conversion of the abbot de Rancé was owing to the following romantic circumstance: A lady, it is said, of high rank, and great personal charms, attracted his affection: arriving at her house, late at night, he ran up a stair-case, which led to a room, in which she and her father usually sate at that hour after tapping at the door, and hearing no reply, he softly opened it, and beheld her corpse. This supposed adventure has frequently

:

"Pointed a moral and adorned a tale."

JOHNSON'S Vanity of human Wishes.

But the Reminiscent believes he has shown, in his biographical account of the abbot, that there is great reason to suspect its truth.

Viewing the extreme austerities of the monks of La Trappe, one might conclude that they were the most miserable of human heings; but all who

visited and dispassionately observed them, agreed, that their outward appearance led to a very different conclusion. It exhibited their habits of mortification and penance; but all had a look of serene piety and contentment, which charmed every beholder, and excited their veneration and love: those, who examined them most critically, were most sensible of their happiness.

2. The readers of the life of St. Vincent of Paul, will probably agree with the Reminiscent in doubting, whether, at the day of general retribution, when every child of Adam will have to account for his works, even one will appear with more numerous deeds of heroic and useful charity*.

* The accuracy of this strong assertion has been thought questionable; the Reminiscent believes that all, who peruse his biographical account of St. Vincent's life, will be convinced of its perfect accuracy.-His great amelioration of the condition, both spiritual and temporal, of the French galleyslaves, which led at no distant period to the total extirpation of that cruel infliction,—was perhaps, till Mr. Wilberforce's exertions for the abolition of the slave trade, the greatest victory ever obtained in the cause of humanity,—but it was one only of a multitude of heroic deeds of charity, by which St. Vincent endeared himself to God and man.

While the Reminiscent is on this subject, he cannot refuse himself the pleasure of noticing a class of persons, the number of whom, even in this wicked town, as it is called, he is authorized by his own experience and observation, to prònounce considerably greater than is generally thought,humble and unpretending individuals, whose earliest and latest thought is, what, according to the gospel, should be the great end and aim of us all,-to increase in ourselves and others, the love of God and our neighbour; who become beggars for the