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Allusion has been previously made to Mr Mitford's peculiar political partialities, which are exhibited in a curious manner in these Observations on Christianity. In reference to the history of the origin of our religion, he not only speaks superciliously of the tyrant multitude' and 'the sovereign populace,' but even treats with respect the high rulers of the Jewish church and the Pagan authorities who resisted and took vengeance on the founders of Christianity. Another celebrated Greek historian, famous for his unbelief, avows that the religion of Christ appeared to him an innovation, and he was for the old religion: our author does not go so far, but he is evidently swayed by the same reverential feeling towards the "gods on earth." He justifies Caiaphas in pronouncing sentence upon Jesus, absolves Pontius Pilate, and concludes that the sacrifice, predestined by Almighty Providence, was accomplished-if not without human crime, yet, the signal treachery of one man only excepted, without any that we seem warranted to impute." In the same manner he ventures to remark in the Observations upon Heathenism,' that the alarm of the Roman government at the growing reception of Christianity was not unreasonable; and he asserts that persecution on account of religion was not unknown among the Greeks and Romans, and maintains that it was not wrong. *

The literary labours of Mr Mitford were by no means restricted to history and theology; while he held a command in the militia he published a Treatise on the Military Force, and particularly the Militia of the Kingdom;' his sentiments relating to which have been already adverted to, in the history of his conduct as a senator. In 1791, he printed a pamphlet on an important point of political economy, which then occupied public attention. It was intitled Considerations on the Opinion stated by the Lords of the Committee, on Corn, in a representation to the King upon the Corn Laws, that Great Britain is unable to produce Corn sufficient for its own Consumption;' in which he maintained, in opposition to the parliamentary report, that it was not only possible, but easy, for our island to furnish a quantity of wheat sufficient for the use of its inhabitants.

Architecture was also a subject to which Mr Mitford directed his attention, as appears from his work, intitled 'Principles of Design in Architecture, traced in Observations on Buildings, Primæval, Egyptian, Phoenician or Syrian, Grecian, Roman, Gothic or corrupt Roman, Arabian or Saracenic, Old English Ecclesiastical, Old English Military and Domestic, Revived Roman, Revived Grecian, Chinese, Indian, Modern Anglo

Idem, vol. ii. pp. 44-49, and pp. 160 and 176.

Gothic and Modern English Domestic: in a Series of Letters to a Friend.'

Mr Mitford was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries; and he held the professorship of Ancient History in the Royal Academy.

In 1802 he acquired a large addition to his property, in the Revely estates in Yorkshire, which had belonged to the family of his maternal ancestors. He, however, continued to the end of his life to make Exbury, in Hampshire, his country residence, having a year or two before the period just mentioned rebuilt his paternal mansion at that place. It is situated on the coast between Lymington and Southampton, nearly opposite to Yarmouth in the Isle of Wight. In this delightful situation, the beauties of which have been illustrated both by the pen and pencil of his old tutor Mr Gilpin, did Mr Mitford pass the evening of his days; and here at length his death took place, on the 10th of February 1827.

By his wife Mr Mitford had six sons and a daughter:1. William, a lieutenant in the Royal Fusileers, who died, unmarried, in 1790;-2. Bertram, who died young;-3. Henry, a captain in the Royal Navy, who perished at sea in 1801, leaving a son, who died shortly after, and two daughters;4. John, now a commissioner of bankrupts ;-5. Bertram, an Irish commissioner of enquiry;-6. Charles, who died young; and Frances.*

CATALOGUE OF THE WORKS OF W. MITFord.

1. An Inquiry into the Principles of Harmony in Languages, and of the Mechanism of Verse, Modern and Ancient. 1774, 8vo.; 2nd edit. 1804.

2. A Treatise on the Military Force, and particularly the Militia of the Kingdom.

3. Considerations on the Corn Laws.

4. Principles of Design in Architecture.

5. History of Greece. 1784-1819, 5 vols. 4to.

6. Observations on the History of Christianity. 8vo.

*Gentleman's Magazine for March 1827.-Literary Gazette, Nos. 531,

533, 536.

J. C. THIEBAULT DE LAVEAUX.

JOHN CHARLES THIEBAULT DE LAVEAUX was a native of Troyes, in Champagne, and was born November 17, 1749. When very young he was sent to Paris, to prosecute his studies in classical literature; and by the talents and application which he displayed, and the progress which he made towards the acquisition of knowledge, he afforded the highest satisfaction to his family and friends, as well as to those who had the conduct of his education. Having thus honourably terminated his course of academical instruction, he accepted of an offer made him to become professor of the French language at Basle, a situation productive of considerable advantage both in point of credit and emolument. After a few years he removed to Stuttgard, and was nominated professor of French literature, and member of the Caroline University in that city; where he devoted his time to useful labours and studies with laudable assiduity. Frederic II having received information of the industry and learning of the young professor, desired to see him. Many philosophers and men of letters enjoyed at Berlin the favour of the monarch. Laveaux hesitated not to avail himself of the opportunity thus afforded for advancing his fortune; he made his appearance before the king of Prussia, formed connexions with the learned and ingenious writers who ornamented the court and assisted in the literary pursuits of that prince, attracted the esteem of all with whom he became acquainted, and shewed himself worthy of the royal favour which he experienced in being appointed to fill a chair in the university of Berlin.

Frederic having thus placed his protegée in a station which afforded ample scope for the exercise of his talents, he still farther testified his regard by employing him in the composition of a French and German Dictionary, a task for which his previous studies and literary acquisitions had rendered him highly competent. The work after a time made its appearance, and it was received by the public in a manner extremely flattering to the feelings of the author.

Though thus settled at a great distance from the metropolis of his native country, and, cut off from immediate intercourse with a number of his personal friends and the literary associates of his youth, he still carried on a correspondence by means of letters with many of them, and particularly with the Abbé Raynal and with the learned author of the Voyage d'Anacharsis le Jeune.' His industry and application at this period are sufficiently obvious, from the number and extent of the works which issued from his pen. The Dictionary, already mentioned, was published in two volumes, the first in 1784 and the second in the following year. But previously to the appearance of this work he produced a French translation from the German, of- Dialogues with Children on some of the Narratives in the Bible;' Les Nuits Champetrês; Le Maitre de Langue, ou Remarques Instructives sur quelques Ouvrages Françaises ecrits en Allemagne;' and 'Cours Theorique et Pratique de Langue et de Litterature Française;' &c. In most of these, as well as his later productions, his labours were dedicated to the illustration of the grammar and philology of the French language, the general taste for the study of which in foreign countries, and particularly in Germany, tended to render his researches peculiarly interesting.

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Circumstances at length induced M. de Laveaux to quit Berlin and return to France. After the death of his illustrious patron in 1786, he employed himself in composing an historical tribute to his memory, published two or three years afterwards, under the title of Vie de Frederic II, Roi de Prusse,' 7 vols. 8vo. But, though in common with many other cultivators of literature, he must have experienced a great misfortune in the death of this distinguished monarch, who, like Cæsar, was graced with both MINERVAS, his removal was in no respect immediately consequent to that event. M. Boinvilliers, corresponding member of the French Institute, in a memoir of Laveaux, published in a periodical work, ascribes his leaving Prussia to domestic motives.* He was married and had two daughters, to whose education he paid the utmost attention, and he was naturally desirous that they should acquire those accomplishments which he doubtless conceived the land of his nativity would most advantageously afford them. But, independent of other inducements to return to France, he was strongly influenced by the consideration of the great political changes which took place towards the close of the last century. His predilections were in favour of popular principles; and anticipating improvements in the state of society from the revolution, he was desirous of sharing in the advantages enjoyed by his compatriots.

* Revue Encyclopédique, Août 1827, p. 525.

VOL. I.NO.

II.

L

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He accordingly took up his residence at Strasbourg, where he accepted the office of editor of a journal which the bookseller Treuttel set up under the title of Courrier de Strasbourg.' The political opinions which he advanced in this paper gave offence to the public authorities, and M. Dietrich, the mayor of Strasbourg, suppressed the publication, a stretch of authority which Laveaux complained of in no measured terms. He then removed to Paris, sometime before the 10th of August 1792; and he appears to have become a busy agent in the succeeding scenes of anarchy and violence. The following short notice of his revolutionary career has appeared in a work published at the commencement of the present century :

"Laveaux, a journalist of Strasbourg, and afterwards member of the commune of Paris, was active in all the commotions and in all the massacres in the prisons excited by the Jacobins subsequently to the 13th of July 1792; he promoted the abolition of the regal government and the trial of Louis XVI; he was one of the authors of the insurrection of the 10th of August; and on the 17th of that month he became one of the judges of the tribunal appointed to sentence to the scaffold the royalists, under the pretext of their being the authors of that very insurrection."*

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How far these most disgraceful imputations are correct we have not the means of deciding: and unfortunately for the reputation of Laveaux, the author of the memoir already cited, M. Boinvilliers, takes no notice whatever of this period of his life. Another biographer states, that he occupied alternately various employments after the establishment of the republican government, and for some time was chief editor of the Journal de la Montagne.' That office however exposed him to so many recriminations, and was in many respects so hazardous, that at length he relinquished it for the more peaceful occupations of literature. Whatever may have been the general opinion entertained concerning his principles or conduct, it is impossible to deny him the credit of having possessed considerable abilities. He obtained an official situation under the prefecture of the Seine; and his conduct in the management of the business which fell to his share proved so satisfactory, that under the consular government he was removed from his subaltern station, and nominated chief of division and inspector-general of the prisons and hospitals of the department. He retained his post till the second restoration of Louis XVIII.+

His leisure was devoted to literature, and "it was at this time," as one of his biographers informs us, "that he collected

* Dictionnaire des Hommes Marquans de la Fin du 18me Siècle, vol. ii. p. 363.

+ Dictionnaire Historique, par M. le Gen. Beauvais, p. 1649.