from the ranks of the students of law, of physic, of theology in some cases, or the still more difficult sciences of politicul and commercial finance. A youth spends his available fortune in the purchase of a stuff gown, or a gold headed cane; but these appendages will not ensure a respectable subsistence. without connexion, patronage, or what is called good luck. Another has exhausted his paternal resources in dissipation, while pretending to be engrossed in earnest study; and his fortune is gone, his parents enraged, and the gold headed cane or the stuff gown not procured. Each in his progress has acquired a literary taste, and neither can tell but that he possesses a creative literary power; so he can think of nothing better than constructing a tragedy, a poem, a novel, or an essay on the state of morality among the inhabitants of the moon. He shuts himself up for three months, lives on bread and weak tea, and, when the great work is achieved, he seeks a publisher. He is requested to name his former work, and mention the publisher, the number of copies sold, opinions of the press, &c. He modestly indicates the red taped parcel as the first offspring of his brain-the rejoinder informs him that when he has acquired a name, the present individual will have much pleasure in making him further known. He naturally suggests that to acquire that same good name, paper and print must be risked by some one, and finally the sedate gentleman opposite, declines the office of forlorn hope in his regard. Thus I will not publish till you acquire renown, not acquire renown till you publish," become the two unsympathising portions of a vicious circle; and instead of moving easily and swiftly between their hands as a sentient mahogany convenience, between the hands of the ci-devant table-turners,

66

"I can

"Fools that rush in where angels fear to tread,"

each by pushing and pulling in the opposite direction holds the engine fast, and a decidedly dead lock is effected.

Let us now suppose our aspirant tired in his chase after a publisher, and decided to win fame at his own proper risk. An agent for the sale and advertisements is easily found; and with a thrill of pleasure the proofs are awaited. Oh labor of love! Oh welcome the comely black and red cheeks of the printing house messenger, handing in the

dirty roll of manuscript enclosing the four leaves of type ! How interesting the title page in the windows, greeting the happy author on the day of publication, but oh how nervous the enquiries after the sale for the first few weeks! - Half a year comes to an end even with the most impatient author that ever held a pen; and the agent unfolds his leger. (We pass over the hot and cold fits suffered from the reviewers' varied treatment). The leger, we repeat, is opened; and the sanguine victim reads the plainly written statement without venturing to give credit to his eyes- Mr. Wildgoose to Mr. Balaam Foolscap, Dr. To warehousing and advertising the DERVISH OF THE DESERT,' £30 16s. 7d. Cr. by sale of 4 copies, deducting commission, 16s." A friendly householder having signed his name as security for paper and print, £87 158., our adventurer's sensations for the next twentyfour hours may be left to the pity of the most apathetic reader.

Of course a great deal of occupation is given to persons in our hero's situation by newspapers and magazines; but who can calculate the quantity of articles rejected or not paid for, or the misery of those who have nothing to occupy them till the last day of each month, but "the hope deferred that maketh the heart sick !"

How wise, in the greater number of cases, for the aspirers after literary celebrity to content themselves with the discharge of some useful plodding occupation; and how unreasonable to expect from the disappointed, irritated, and excitable employès of literature, the calmness or dignity of people placed by their position above the paltry cares requisite to procure daily subsistence!

We are spared the disagreeable task of illustrating our theme by examples from the corps of English literati, by a manifestation of decided discomfort among their brothers of the steel pen on the other side of the channel. We have endeavored ere now to familiarise our readers with the real merits of several of the French literary notables: it is now our less pleasing task to produce some traits of the men which are calculated to temper our high opinion of the writers.

Eugène de Mirecourt, not finding a free field for his labors in the domain of poetry or fiction, has established

himself the historian and censor of the great and little actions, and good and bad qualities, as well as the literary merits and defects of those of his cotemporaries who have acquired a status either in literature, the arts, politics, or finance. Unable to see any faults in some, he chastises others with so unsparing a hand, that besides retaliating to the best of their power with their own proper members, they have recourse to the long arm of the law to level their assailant. But in making out this supplement to the quarrels of authors' already known to the reading world, we prefer the advice of the simple giant to that of the keen satirist, and will begin at the beginning.

Eugène Jacquot, born at Mirecourt in Lorraine, and baptised in 1815, at the very moment when his native town was invested by the Cossacks, was early devoted to the clerical state by his mother. Not feeling a very strong vocation, and blaming himself profoundly therefore, he left home without warning his parents, intending by way of mortification for his lukewarmness, to become a very Trappist, and thus make a complete sacrifice of his own proper will and propensities. In the diligence he falls into conversation with a worldly-minded painter and his wife, and is induced to change his purpose, and essay the life of a man of letters in Paris; and his prentice essays fill the letter-boxes of the journals, from which they are promoted to the stoves of the editors.

He accepts and fulfils the duties of one or two offices, but is still driven back to the pen by an uncontrollable impulse; in the second stage his articles are printed but not paid for, and in the third, he gets a scanty and irregular recompense. Thirsting for fame and a first place in periodical literature, he finds himself foiled by the simple fact of the best places in the chief newspapers being filled by Auguste Maquet, Paul Meurice, Couilhac, and others, each and all signing their names Alexandre Dumas. Simultaneously appear Les Medicis, Une fille du Regent, and La Guerre des Femmes, in the columns of Le Globe, Le Commerce and La Patrie; and every time that Eugène prays for leave to labor in the fields of these demesnes, he is met at the gates by such responses as were erewhile given in Puss in Boots, "All these vast estates belong, and will

belong, till time stands still, to the Most Arrogant the Marquis de la tailleteries to fuq sát o 100buite

Our author's patience and cash being equally exhausted, he borrows 500 francs, and in four days he puts together Fabrique de Romans Alexandre Dumas et Cie. He applies to an adventurous printer, who, though he foresees a legal prosecution in perspective, puts the libel in type, and the impatient author gets 30 copies stitched, and sent to all the influential men of letters in Paris. i

The brochure caused tremendous excitement; impatient readers cudgelled each other for possession of a copy, and in the editor's room of Le National, a paper then supported by Armand Marrast, Duras, and Mallefille, there was one consentient exclamation, Here is the truth at last." veral passages were selected for insertion in next day's No. when unluckily they stumbled on this passage:

Se

“And now comes your turn, Messrs. Mallefille, Paul Meurice, Hippolyte Augier, Auguste Maquet, Fiorentino, Couilhac; you the principal artisans, you the foremen of this manufacture; you who do not blush at being the partner of this trafficker of sentences, and selling him soul and spirit!, &c. &c."

+ 1

One of the Assailed, Mallefille, being on the spot at the moment, the hitherto pleasurable excitement gave way to a very disagreeable feeling of consternation; and in due time and place, a duel that might have crushed many an exciting tale and biting criticism in the bud, harmlessly exploded, and left Mallefille and Mirecourt sworn friends to this day.

While these events were in progress, Alexander brought his foe before their honors" who condemned. Eugene to fifteen days detention, but without costs or seizure of the pamphlet; and he improved the opportunity by posting over some new compliments to the credit of his victim in La Silhouette. Iminediately on their appearance, a sturdy young gentleman appeared in the office of the paper; and with his riding whip he made journals, manuscripts, and other light articles fly in all directions, demanding with might and main the address of the defamer: this Enfant Terrible was Alexandre Dumas fils.

Next day two bulky men, of war with curled moustache and military gait, called on Mirecourt, and on his ac

knowledging the authorship of Mese Prisons, demanded satisfaction on the part of Alexander Dumas. si a dovolá

I am at his orders, gentlemen.""But it is only right to apprise you that we come on the part of Alexander Dumas the son, not the father." "Oh that is a different affair.". He rang the bell and desired the servant to bring his son; and the nurse soon appeared leading in a child four or five years old, and his face smeared with barleysugar.

Mirecourt then addressed his visitors with a very serious air, "Messieurs, I am certain that my son feels as lively an interest in my honor, as the son of M. Alexander Dumas in that of his father: you will therefore please to demand, satisfaction from him in the present instance."

The friends arose from their seats, and exclaimed against the stupid joke played off at their expense.

"I grant that the joke is not in good taste; but it will serve to shew the ridiculous character of your proceeding, M. Alexander Dumas is in good health; him I have attacked, and it is from him I expect a dema id for satisfaction. I have nothing to do with his son. If f happened to kill or wound him, would not the world say, lo! the defamer has murdered the child of the defamed. This is what I propose. Let M. Alexander Dumas authorise his son to go to the ground in his stead, and I will place myself at his disposal tomorrow morning."

The visitors however disappointed, could not gainsay the justice of the proposal: they withdrew, and did not repeat the visit.

A regular Parisian Edmund Curll, proposes to our literary adventurer to write a chronicle on the subject of Marian Delorme: He takes the hint, but rather disappoints his loosely inclined patron by the decent and moral style of the work, which gives a very lively picture of society in the Paris of Louis XIII.

The work is ready but the fitting time of publication is wanting. The revolution of February allows neither time nor inclination to the Parisians, to study old world memoirs, and the author has enemics by the hundred. After some time it comes forth in a feuilleton with the name of Mery attached. Towards the conclusion Mirecourt puts his own. proper signature to the work, writes a very flattering biography of the Marseillais Proteus by way of introduction to the second edition of the chronicle and being assailed by Dumas and his corps in the Memoirs and the journals at their command, Curtt urges him to proceed, with Les Contemporains, making fise of them as fitting instruments for parrying the attacks, and assaulting in turn, Dumas,