pear, perhaps, out of place in a few
pages which purport only to give an account of some French drawings: all
we would urge is, that, in France, these prints are made because they
are liked and appreciated; with us they are not made, because they are
not liked and appreciated: and the more is the pity. Nothing merely
intellectual will be popular among us: we do not love beauty for
beauty's sake, as Germans; or wit, for wit's sake, as the French: for
abstract art we have no appreciation. We admire H. B.'s caricatures,
because they are the caricatures of well-known political characters,
not because they are witty; and Boz, because he writes us good palpable
stories (if we may use such a word to a story); and Madame Vestris,
because she has the most beautifully shaped legs;--the ART of the
designer, the writer, the actress (each admirable in its way,) is a very
minor consideration; each might have ten times the wit, and would be
quite unsuccessful without their substantial points of popularity.

In France such matters are far better managed, and the love of art is
a thousand times more keen; and (from this feeling, surely) how much
superiority is there in French SOCIETY over our own; how much better
is social happiness understood; how much more manly equality is there
between Frenchman and Frenchman, than between rich and poor in our
own country, with all our superior wealth, instruction, and political
freedom! There is, amongst the humblest, a gayety, cheerfulness,
politeness, and sobriety, to which, in England, no class can show
a parallel: and these, be it remembered, are not only qualities for
holidays, but for working-days too, and add to the enjoyment of human
life as much as good clothes, good beef, or good wages. If, to our
freedom, we could but add a little of their happiness!--it is one, after
all, of the cheapest commodities in the world, and in the power of every
man (with means of gaining decent bread) who has the will or the skill
to use it.

We are not going to trace the history of the rise and progress of art in
France; our business, at present, is only to speak of one branch of art
in that country--lithographic designs, and those chiefly of a humorous
character. A history of French caricature was published in Paris, two
or three years back, illustrated by numerous copies of designs, from the
time of Henry III. to our own day. We can only speak of this work from
memory, having been unable, in London, to pr