SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

TRAVELS,

The Pyrenees. with Excursions into Spain. By Lady Chatterton. Author of " Rambles in the South of Ireland." Re. Re. In two volumes. HigToav, Saunders and &ley. The Revolutions, Insurrections, and Conspiracies of Europe. By W. C. Taylor, LL.D.. Trinity College, Dublin. Author of '• The Natural History of Society." &a.

Is two volumes

FICTION,

The Hornet or Family. Cares and Family lop. By Frederika Drainer. Trauslatant

bybiaryHowitt. Intwovolumes Longman and Cb

LADY CHATTERTON'S FRANCE, PYRENEES* AND SPAIN.

ALTHOUGH Lady Crterreirron passed a good deal of her time among the Pyrenean spas, and made a couple of short incursions across the Spanish frontier, The Pyrenees with. Excursions into Spain is not an accurate description of her book, for it contains more, though less. Her journey commenced at Boulogne; whence she proceeded to Paris ; and thence to the South of France, by Orleans, Blois, Tours, Poitiers, Angouleme, and Bourdeaux. Arrived at Bayonne, she made an excursion into Spain by the diligence as far as St. Sebastian ; and then returning, visited the, watering-places of the Pyrenees, and the principal places in the. provinces at their base, besides Laking such mountain-excursions as her strength permitted, and once she accomplished the feat of crossing them into Spain in a sedan-chair.

This is not exactly the line of a mere tourist, though the dis-

tricts have all been visited by writers of tours : but the attraction in Lady Casyrzaxon's works depends perhaps less upon her sub- ject than her mode of treating it. She is of the class of fine needlewomen—the materials may have little intrinsic worth, but become valuable by the taste and delicate skill displayed in the workmanship. To the sentiment of the sex, the quickness of feminine perception, and the refinement of a well-bred woman, she adds a buoyancy and animation that fall short of being lively only from the restraint of habit or delicacy of temperament. She has also an amiability of character, or bonhommiei which attracts the reader by its touches of nature; together with a clear sense, which takes just views of things without regard to general opinion, whether popular or learned.

But mere nature will do little ; and Lady thwrreteros. has qualities which serve the turn of art. She is read in polite literature, whether modern or archaeology of "the quality "—as FBOISSAHT ; she has not only a cultivated taste for the picturesque, but an artist's eye for upholstery and interior, decoration without regard to fashion ; and she appears to be familiar with the local story of the places she has visited ; at all events, her allusions- to the history of the scene or the traditions of the locality have more freshness than inanufacturing-writers produce from the guide-book:

The Pyrenees and Spain is a very agreeable medley of: description; personal narrative, and sketches of local manners varied,by histori- cal allusions and traditional story, and interspersed with critical re- flection and sensible remark—slight perhaps, but true.

Nothing is perfect; and the imperfections of Lady CHATTER.

Ton's book are its length, its slightness, and its want of plan. The last want is in some sense inseparable from all travels ; but when a person does not journey out and out, but rambles from one place to another in a limited district, making each spot the starting- point of lesser ramifications, this want is greatly aggravated. In fact, the only natural termination is the tourist getting tired of the reality : the essence of which fatigue may be infused into the description. This feeling of inattention, arising from too long a demand upon the attention, is increased by the slightness and sameness of much of Lady CHATTERTON'S matter, and by the length of the two octavo volumes. We know not, however, that the book could be shortened, for one part is as necessary as another ; yet there is scarcely interest to excite or result to reward a continuous perusal. A separation into parts might have broken down this effect, and facilitated casual reading; as Boulogne to Paris—Paris to Bayonne—Excursion into Spain, and so forth. These circumstances render The Pyrenees and Spain better for

occasional than continuous reading: a part is better than the whole, and probably extracts than a part ; though the pervading refine- ment may be lost, and the character of the authoress be missed, as well as the interest of the larger features.

TASTE OF NAPOLEON AND LOUTS THE FOURTEENTH.

I do not like Napoleon's taste in the furniture and decorations of his palaces. It has a tawdry and upstart appearance, shows an affected imitation of the Roman, and has none of that genuine grace and natural or hereditary royal splendour of Louis the Fourteenth's style. Napoleon's is too full of the emblems of conquest; it speaks of newly-acquired power, and is oppressed with massive and tasteless gilding, which seems the outpouring of unexpected wealth.

It has perhaps more imposing magnificence, but does not inspire half such pleasant feelings, as the luxurious beauty of the old Bourbon style. In fact, the character of an age, or of the person who rules the taste of an age, is seen in nothing more plainly than in its effect on the arts. The painted ceilings, &c. of Napoleon's time arc full of battle-scenes : in all the decorations we see helmets and instruments of warfare, or tokens of con- quest; and even the silken hangings of the walls are often supported by bayonets. The figures are harsh and stiff; showing, indeed, the youthful vigour of minds just emerged from that temporary barbarism which overspread France at the Revolution ; whereas the decorations of the old Bourbons are full of pleasant images of repose. The graceful shepherdesses and exquisitely-carved Cupids and Venuses are the result of many centuries of internal repose and civilize. tion ; perhaps, indeed, their effeminacy and voluptuousness show a state of over, civilization, and consequent decadence.

NICETY- AT• THE GALLOWS.

There existalsome curious old customs in Abbeville : a man condemned to.

be hung, might be saved if a woman offered, of her own accord, to marry him. This piece of good fortune happened to a robber at Hautvilliers in 1400; but the girl was lame, and he actually refused her, saying to the hangman, " Alle claque, je n'en yens mie ; attaqu' me !"—" She limps, I do not at all like her for a wife; tie me up!"

SOUTHERN WEATHER.

Our mountain expeditions are as much impeded by bad weather here as in Scotland or Ireland. The beau ideal of a Southern climate is not often realized, and we are disposed to find far too much fault with our own, and particularly with that of poor dear Ireland. I can state as a positive fact, that during the various wild and mountain expeditions we made in the South and West of Ire- land, during the year 1838, there were not more than six days in which the bad weather at all incommoded us; whereas, in this greatly-extolled South of France, we have had almost constant rain or storms ever since our arrival at Bayonne, about six weeks ago. During our expedition in Spain to St. Sebastian, we bad rain. In our fortnight's residence at Biaritts, the mountains were very seldom visible, and it was so cold that I was obliged to have recourse to some of my winter-clothing. During the eleven days we were at Pau, the mountains were only clear during a part of one ; and in our day's journey from Bayonne to Pau, and the day from Pau to Bigorre, no mountain-tops were visible. The days we spent at Bigorre were likewise showery and dark ; and it was only on the morning we left it that the snow-mountains appeared.

MONTPELLIER.

Here we have Southern suns and Southern fruit, &c.; but where—oh where are those charms of the South, people rave about? I neither see nor feel any of them: no flowers, no luxuries—such a contrast to the North of Germany, where every house, or even cottage, has its balcony of choice flowers. In this attraction even gentlemen's houses are deficient. For the last few days the weather has been so suffocatingly hot we could scarcely bear any clothes on : last night it suddenly changed, and obliged us to put four times the quantity of bed-clothes; and even then 1 awoke shivering. Is this in reality the far- famed Montpellier, whose name is connected in our Northern minds with all that is beautiful, soothing, and cheerful? Oh, how much less pleasant is the original than all those lovely nooks and sunny slopes which bear the name of Montpellier, in dear England! The glare and dazzle from white walls and roofs put me in mind of Brighton, but the air is not so pleasant nor invigo- rating as that of our famous bathing-place.

GERMANS AND FRENCH.

The French are, perhaps, more fascinating, more gay, and often pleasanter, for the present moment ; but their conversation does not leave such agreeable impressions on the mind, and seldom is so profitable ; it is more brilliant, but not half so just. I have seldom talked for an hour with a well-educated Ger- man without feeling I had gained something; at all events, acquired food for thought. The French make one laugh, and their lively wit is delightful; but they very seldom make one think. The middle classes of Germans appear much more civil than persons of the same rank in France. I doubt whether Frenchmen of the present day are so civil as those of other countries ; perhaps, because they have had the reputation of being more so, and therefore take less trouble. We laughed a good deal at a scene we witnessed at the table-d'hôte yesterday, where a Frenchman, after helping himself to all the best pieces of the roast fowl, turned to the lady next him, and said, with a most insinuating smile, " Madame, ne mange pas de volaille ? "

PEASANTS OF POOR SPAIN.

The number of Spanish peasants who come over the mountains here from Aragon add very much to the enjoyment of the place. Their dress, particu- larly that of the men, is more picturesque than any I ever saw, though I thought none could be more beautiful than that of the Catalonians we saw in the Valley of Aran. These wear a high conical hat, with a broad brim, em- broidered and tasseled ; a coat of green velvet, with a richly-embroidered collar and breast, a waistcoat of brocaded satin, a red or sometimes lilac silk scarf tied round the waist, brown striped velvet culottes, garters embroidered in gold, blue stockings, and sandals. Some have a large brown cloak hanging over one shoulder, which does not conceal their brilliant attire, and they hold it with such a graceful and regal air, that one cannot imagine those majestic and most independent-looking beings can be peasants.

FRENCH AND ENGLISH.

The society here [Faux Bonnes] is very pleasant: we have met several French families, who are extremely agreeable, and disposed to be very sociable. With all our boasted common sense and steadiness, the English show less tact in adapting themselves to the peculiar circumstances of their position, than the French, who, however volatile they may be, have much savoir-vivre ; which, after all, is true wisdom. They do not perpetually want to be where they are not, and what they are not, but are satisfied, or appear to be so, with their age and their position. Hence it is that there is leas striving to belong to a parti- cular set in society, and that elderly women are satisfied to go about with their own grey hair and enjoy the true pleasures of age ; while young girls are satisfied to be young girls, and seem less in a hurry to exchange their simple, almost childlike attire, and little homely pleasures, for the uncertain joys and greater honours of a married life. In all ranks here it is the same : a peasant la contented to be a peasant, and to dress like one—a servant like a servant ; whereas in England, on the contrary, each person strives to appear of a rank to which he does not belong.

We have no term in English equivalent to sacoir-vivre ; yet how much does it express—a whole life of happiness and sociability ! The English should sometimes reflect on this, for they have no natural savoir-vivre. We do not instinctively seize upon and pursue the manner of life most calculated to make ourselves or those about us happy. The French certainly possess far more than we do the valuable art of know- ing how to enjoy themselves; and one meets with much fewer dull people than in England. There is less of that flatness and pretension which often render country neighbours so disagreeable to each other in our dear land.