Page images
PDF
EPUB

beheld and experienced the humiliating servitude arising out of universal monarchy. It is also asserted, that religion was the only question that could have united all men in one common cause, and prevented the pope from becoming the grand lama of the West, or one of the modern Cæsars from being as powerful as the ancient ones. A pontiff (Boniface VIII) had already conceived the idea of placing the imperial crown on his own head; and one emperor (Maximilian I.) had resolved to cover his with the imperial tiura. It is the 5xed opinion of our author, that nothing can be more false than the position, "That the successive progress of knowledge would have insensibly produced the same results, and spared all those miseries that arise out of internal commotions and long wars. Ile thinks, that without the great event of the Reformation, the world would have stil remained in utter darkness; and he maintains, that it has not only changed the state of the Protestant countries, but also that of the Catholic ones, who have been insensibly reformed" by the benefit of its example.

[ocr errors]

It is almost unnecessary to remark, that this is a most important work, and that the decisive approbation of a celebrated literary society, existing in a catholic country, and enjoying the confidence of its monarch, forms a singular event during the present age.

BIOGRAPHY.

"Notice sur la Vie eb les ecrits de Don Félix de Azara."-A Notice relative to the Life of Don Felix D'Azara, by C. A. WALCKANAER.

It was in consequence of a geographical error that Columbus, who was in search of the luxuries of Asia, discovered a new world to Spain. At first, a prodigious number of literary productions were published concerning the wonders of America, and eagerly perused by those who were incited by a desire of gold and of novelty, rather than of instruction. But at length, the Spaniards and the Portuguese having obtained a bull from the court of Rome, conferring a large portion of the earth on their monarchs, another line of policy was immediately marked out, and has been until of late most strictly followed. From that moment they both displayed such a spirit of jealousy, that they not only excluded foreigners from the countries which they had already discovered, but even from the very territories with which MONTHLY MAG. No. 201.

they still remained unacquainted. They. considered all those who wished to penetrate into the remote regions of America as the usurpers of their own future acquisitions, and not only seized the ships, but punished the navigators.

Accordingly, during more than two whole centuries, Europe remained in the utmost ignorance relative to every thing connected with Southern America; and had it not been for the French revolution, and the circumstances attendant on that singular event, a veil would have still concealed those interesting regions from the prying eyes of curiosity and of science.

Don Felix d'Azara, who was destined to visit it, and to describe the Spanish settlements in the New World, is a native. of Old Spain. He was born at Barbu males, near Balbastro, on the 18th of May, 1746. His parents resided on this estate, at a distance from the great theatre of the world, and founded their happiness on the most pleasant of all duties that of superintending the education of their children.

Don Felix, the younger son, appears to have commenced his studies at the University of Huesca, in Arragon, and after having completed the philosophical branch of instruction, was sent to the military academy of Barcelona. In 1764 he became a cadet in the 11th regiment of Galician infantry, and had an interview with his elder brother, from whom he was afterwards separated during an interval of thirty-five years.

In 1767, the subject of this memoir was nominated an ensign in the corps of engineers, and in 1775 obtained the rank of lieutenant. It was in this capacity that he accompanied the expedition destined against Algiers, and being one of the first who landed, he immediately received a severe contusion from a ball composed of copper, which was cut out by a sailor with his knife, while the youth lay senseless on the beach. whole years elapsed before the wound closed; it re-opened five years after while residing in America, and was finally cured without any medical appli

cation whatsoever.

Five

[blocks in formation]

peace; these were fixed and agreed upon by the treaty of the Pardo, in 1778. On this occasion, commissaries were nominated on both sides, to determine the limits of the possessions appertaining to the respective states, in conformity to the conditions that had been agreed upon by the contracting parties. Don Felix D'Azara happened to be one of those selected by the court of Madrid, and he was promoted on this occasion to the rank of lieutenant-colonel of engineers, Sept. 11, 1780.

In consequence of these arrangements, the subject of this memoir in 1781 embarked at Lisbon, and set sail for America on board a Portuguese vessel, Spain being at that period at war with England. Previously to this he had been attached to the marine service, and while at sea, learned that he was appointed captain of a frigate; for the king had thought proper that all the commissioners should appertain to the naval service.

The Spanish engineers soon terminated their labours; but as the Portuguese, by the strict execution of the treaty, would have been obliged to abandon the country which they had got possession of, they not only endeavoured to defer the conclusion of their operations, but also to elude the articles of agreement.

On this occasion they were but too well assisted, either by the indolence or culpable connivance of the Spanish governors. Thus Don Felix, at that precise period of life when activity and ambition are most prevalent, found him self detained in a distant portion of the world, under the vain pretext of terminating an affair which seemed resolved, by one of the contracting parties, to render interminable. It was then he first conceived the notion of constructing a map of the interior of this immense country, of which the frontiers only had hitherto been completed. He took upon himself all the expenses, the difficulties, the risks, and the perils, which such a grand and hazardous enterprise neces sarily subjected him to. From the viceroys, to whose orders he was obliged to conform, he neither found nor expected any assistance; on the contrary, he had reason to fear opposition on their part, and was even obliged to execute some of his projects unknown to them.

It may be here necessary to observe, that in consequence of the impediments already alluded to, the geography of this part of the globe had always been studiously concealed. For what little was

known, the world was indebted to the zeal of the French geographers, and the materials furnished by the Jesuits. The celebrated D'Anville in 1721, had composed a chart of Paraguay, comprehending the government of Buenos Ayres, which he afterwards re-touched in 1765 and 1779. That of Bellin, published in 1756 in the History of Paraguay, by Pere Charlevoix, was still more correct; for he had procured a variety of authentic materials from the Jesuits. These, to gether with Don Juan de Lacruz, were the precursors of M. D'Azara, who spent no less than thirteen years in completing his scheme; and had it not been for his rank and employments, together with the zeal of the officers under him, it could never have been accomplished. In those immense deserts, intersected by ruins, by lakes, and by forests, and almost entirely inhabited by savage and ferocious nations, it proved an undertaking of no common difficulty, labour, and fatigue, to execute those delicate operations which were necessary to a work of this kind.

At the commencement of his labours, colonel D'Azara provided himself with glass toys, ribands, knives, and trinkets, which he distributed in a liberal manner, in order to obtain the friendship of the savages. The whole of his own baggage consisted of some linen, together with a little coffee and salt; while tobacco, and the herb of Paraguay, were provided for those who accompa nied him. These indeed, had nothing except what they carried about them; but they always procured for themselves a great number of horses; sometimes to the amount of twelve for each individual, not for the purposes of carrying their baggage, for that, as has been al ready hinted, was trifling; but because they were in great plenty, easily taken care of, and but little capable of undergoing fatigue.

The travellers were also accompanied by large dogs. It was customary with them to rise an hour before day to prepare breakfast; after this repast, the servants were detached to collect the horses, which were scattered in the neighbourhood, some of them two or three miles off. Having mounted, they set off two hours after sun-rise, and as there was no track, a guide, well acquainted with the country, constantly preceded them at the distance of three hundred paces; and he was always alone, that his mind might not be distracted by

conversation.

conversation. After him followed the spare horses, and then the troop; the whole continuing to journey in this manner, without stopping, until two hours before sun-set.

It was then that the vicinity of some marsh or rivulet was selected, for the purpose of halting during the night. Persons were detached on all sides, some to procure wood for the purpose of burning, and others to seize on the wild cows, or such tame ones as appertained to any of the neighbouring habitations: if these were not to be procured in this manner, a herd provided before-hand followed in the rear. In some parts, wild animals were found in suflicient plenty to feed the whole body. Provided none of these could be found, it was customary to carry along with them con's flesh, cut into thin long pieces, which had been dried in the sun. These were roasted on wooden spits, according to the custom of the country; and as bread was not used by the inhabitants, jerked beef constituted the sole aliment of our travellers.

Previously to encamping, it was always customary to take certain precautions against the vipers, which are very numerous. For this purpose, the horses were walked about in these places where it was proposed to spend the evening, with a view of either killing or displacing the reptiles, which at times occasioned the death of some of the former animals. When the period of repose, had arrived, each individual provided himself with a piece of cow's flesh, and laid himself down on the earth; for M. d'Azara was the only one who had a hammock, which was either suspended to pieces of wood prepared for the purpose, or a trec. During the night, each one had his horse by his side, in case of an attack from wild beasts, the vicinity of which was always announced by the dogs.

In those countries where the savages were objects of dread, different precautions were taken; for M. d'Azara, on such occasions, never travelled but during the night, and was always preceded and accompanied by armed nien; yet notwithstanding his utmost endeavours, he was attached several times, and lost some of his followers,

It was in this manner that the subject of this memoir subjected himself to dangers and fatigues with a view of obtain. ing information; and his journies, his

astronomical observations, his geogra phical remarks, together with his investigations in natural history, his correspondence, and his military duties, served to occupy the whole of his time. After having studied the climate, and drawn a plan of the country, he was desirous of becoming acquainted with the quadru peds and birds. To attain this species of knowledge, he made war upon these animals; and as it was difficult to preserve them with all their original lustre and brilliancy, care was taken to draw up a description of each the moment he obtained possession of it. On this occasion, no assistance whatsoever was derived from books, until the colonel at length obtained a translation of Buffon, by Don Joseph Clavijo y Faxardo: after this, he had an opportunity either to ve rify or disprove the facts asserted by this celebrated Frenchman, to whom a number of species familiar to our travel. ler, were totally unknown. Indeed, it is evident that he has enriched natural history with a multitude of new discoveries. He had conceived an idea, that many of Buffon's descriptions were imaginary, and that in respect to some of the birds he had been grossly imposed upon, by means of feathers surreptitiously stuck into the different animals.

At length Don Felix wrote to Spain, and stated that he had fulfilled his com mission, and wished to return to Europe; but without effect. What added greatly to his chagrin, was the repeated persecutions endured by him on the part of several of the Spanish governors, who took umbrage at his scientific labours, and conceived almost ridiculous jealousy of his attainments! At last, however, he obtained leave to return home, and accordingly sailed for Spain in 1801. On his arrival, he immediately published his history of birds and quadrupeds, the only portion of his studies that be dared to present to the public without the consent of his court. This was dedicated by him to his brother Don Nicholas, who was at that time ambassador from Spain to the court of France.

He himself soon after repaired to Paris to visit him, but they did not continue long together, for this fraternal intimacy was dissolved by the rude hand of death, on the 23d of January, 1808, on which day his Excellency expired in his brother's arms. The king, on this, imme diately sent for him home, and conferred upon him an honourable appointment,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

as

"Miembro de la junta de fortifica tiones У de fensa de ambos Indias;" and he still remains in tranquillity in Spain.

One peculiarity respecting this officer, who had attained the rank of brigadier of the Spanish armies, still remains to be noticed. Early in life he was advised by a physician of Madrid to abstain from bread, which was thought to produce indigestion, and consequently disease. Both instantly disappeared on altering his regimen; and from that moment other aliments seemed to be more agreeable to him than before. He ever after lived on flesh, fish, and vegetables, and was accustomed to observe, that the Indians, who were unacquainted with bread, attained greater ages than any others. Linguet, who wrote a treatise to prove that all our disorders, whether physical, political, or moral, proceeded from the cultivation of corn in Europe, and the use of bread as an aliment, would have been well pleased to have acquired a knowledge of this extraordinary fact!

"Memoires de M. Le Baron de Besenval, Lieutenant General des Armées du Roi, &c."-Memoirs of the Baron de Besenval, Lieutenant-General of the Royal Armies under Louis XV, and XVI. Grand Cross of the Order of St. Louis, Governor of Haguenau, Commandant of the Provinces of the Interior, Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment of Swiss Guards, &c. 4 vols. 8vo. printed at Paris, and imported by Mr. De Boffe, Nassau-street, Soho.

The three former volumes of this work were published many years since, and are not in our possession.

The fourth volume of the Memoirs of the Baron de Bosenval contains his own works, consisting of literary miscellanies and poetry. In the course of the campaign of 1757, several general officers formed themselves into a kind of literary academy at Drevenich, and we are here presented with the contributions of the author.

66

The first article is entitled the "Spleen," a malady to which the writer, if we may credit his letter to the younger Crebillon, was a stranger to. "When I composed that little work, I never meant to treat of my own case,” says he, for, in fact, this never was my case. I was never subject to chagrin; a certain gaiety of character, some wit, and a body calcula ted for every species of toil, such was my condition at twenty years of age, when I was seized with the whim of de.

monstrating that misfortunes are insepa◄ rable from every possible situation!"

The "Spleen," consists of a dialogue between a stranger and the author, in the garden of the Thuilleries. The un. known person, who took delight in the dark alleys, and was shy of looking at or conversing with any one, is prevailed upon to tell his history. He was destined by his family to be an ecclesiastic; but he soon abandons the house of his uncle, a distinguished prelate, with an utter disgust to the mitre, and obtains a lieutenancy in the army. He soon dis covers, however, that those who command others are themselves little better than slaves; " and disgusted with every thing around me," adds he, “I began to recollect with regret the quiet life I had once led. I loved my profession however, yet I was subjected to superiors entirely destitute of talents, who blamed me often for their own faults, and not unfrequently obliged me to support their, ill humour. My brother officers also be came jealous of me on account of my thinking differently from them, and were pleased to ridicule my habits of applica tion. With one of these I fought and was wounded, but even this was deemed by me less disastrous than if I had killed my adversary, and been obliged to seek an asylum in a foreign land against the rigour of the laws." On his recovery our adventurer fell in love, and even neglected his duty in consequence of his attachment to a young lady of great vivacity, who pretended to entertain a par ticular attachment to him; but he soon overheard a conversation in which the object of his affections turns him into ridicule, and is completely cured! Meanwhile his two elder brothers die of the small-pox, and his father transmits him an account of this event in a letter full of attachment and paternal solicitude. On his return home, instead of being treated with a certain degree of rigour as heretofore, he is now considered as the hope of the family, and being an only son, his father insists on his being married. He accordingly be comes the husband of a former General's daughter, whose fortune soon frees the family estate from embarrassments, and enables him to live in a certain degree of splendour,very pleasing to a young man fond of gaiety. He now obtains a regiment, and takes leave of his wife, of whom he was never very fond, in order to repair to head quarters. On his ar

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

rival, he finds discipline neglected, and I behold all the curious phenomena; but every thing wrong; a reform immediately on discovering that I was now inaking takes place, on which his officers become myself master of facts alone, without discontented, the Minister at War de- learning the principles on which they were clares himself his enemy, and he disco- founded, this also was abandoned. Navers, to his cost, that of all despotisms tural history presented me with nothing ministerial despotism is the greatest! more than a mere nomenclature. Metaphysics occupied but little of my attention, as I was soon bewildered in the obscure consequences arising out of a vague hypothesis. Geometry, although it satisfied my mind for the time, yet absorbed my faculties too much; morals, by developing the human heart, reproduced but too lively an image of the cause of my afflictions: and, in short, I did not find that consolation which I

To divert himself, he now forms a connexion, and that too with another man's wife! and in the mean time his own enters into all the gaiety of the capital, and takes a gallant. On this he separates from her and lives by him. self, in order to enjoy all the comforts of celibacy. But here again he is unhappy; for he is troubled with the recital of other peoples' misfortunes, exposed to a thousand petty jealousies, and experiences ingratitude from almost everyone, The stranger, disgusted with the capital, now rejonus his regiment, and enters on a campaign in Germany. A favourable occasion presents itself; he distinguishes himself and contributes greatly to the gaining of a battle; but in the moment of victory he recieves a wound, is carried off the field, and on his recovery finds that his bosom friend, thinking he was dead, had arrogated to himself all the merit, and obtained the rank of a General from court. In addition to this, he learns at the same time, that Madame de Rennon, to whom he was so dearly attached, has withdrawn from the world and retired to a convent. On this be is seized with a fit of devotion, sends for a priest, and becomes very religious; but on his recovery, he relapses into his former habits of life.

Having resigned his commission in disgust, on his return home he beholds his wife on her death-bed; and soon after this, he marries his son to a young woman more distinguished for weakh than any other qualification. She and her relations at hrst produce a coolness in the family, which soon leads to a lawsuit: on this our splenetic friend enters into a second marriage; but here is again disappointed, for his new wife's whole fortune is swept away in the course of a single day, by the failure of a conunercial house, and she herself fails a prey to affiction.

He now flies to books for consolation, but here again he is disappointed. "I soon become disgusted with history, on perceiving the truth of some of the most interesting incidents appertain ing to it questioned, and even overturned, by the critics. On this, I substitute natural philosophy in its stead;

looked for in study. I recurred therefore to other objects of amusement. I purchased dogs, pictures, and china; in short, I acquired all those agreeable but useless and ridiculous things which constitute the sole merit of half the world. Yet bere again I proved unfortunate, for I broke my leg while hunting, ou which my pack of hounds became useless; and I immediately renounced shooting, in consequence of putting out the eyes of one of my gamekeepers, who happened to be concealed from my sight in a neighbouring copse, while I was levelling at a partridge!

“On this I attached all my happiness to the enjoyment of those consolations that still remained; but the amateurs had by this time found out that my collection of originals were all copies except one, which was spoiled in cleaning; while the whole of my porcelain was destroyed in a single night, by their proving too heavy for the wall of the saloon a which they were displayed.

66

Perceiving now that I myself was not born to be happy, I determined at least to make others so. I fled the society of mankind; but seeing the many vexatious prosecutions to which the unhappy peasantry were subjected by those imposts produced by the luxury of individuals rather than the necessities of the state, I determined to protect and to solace them. I accordingly addressed myself to those hard-hearted and indolent des pots, who, in consequence of the accumu fated misfortunes of a too extensive so♦ ciety, have been entrusted with an unlimited degree of authority, But the intendants attempted to demonstrate the necessity of that cruel law, inseparable, according to them, from all order-the sacrifice of the interest of individuals to the general good. Although forced to

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »