"Shall I relate to you the history of that particular louis,—all the adventures it has met with, and to how many uses it has been applied?"—P. 3.
MORAL TALES
BY
MADAME GUIZOT
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH
BY
MRS. L. BURKE
LONDON
GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS
THE BROADWAY, LUDGATE
NEW YORK: 416 BROOME STREET
PREFACE.
The writings of Madame Guizot are highlycelebrated in France, and though something ofthis celebrity may be due to her position as thewife of an illustrious statesman and historian,it must also be remembered, that this very positionwas calculated to draw forth a severercriticism than would usually be passed on oneless favourably circumstanced. But the worksthemselves have merits of far too decided anorder not to command attention in any case,and they especially deserve the notice of Englishparents, from their entire freedom from theexaggeration of sentiment and love of effect, sooften justly complained of in a certain portionof the Literature of France.
In her Tales, it has been the aim of MadameGuizot to secure the attention of her youthfulreaders by an attractive narrative, in which thechief personages are children like themselves, andthe events and situations such as might occurin their own experience, and then to lead theirminds to important conclusions by the naturalcourse of the story, and without the repulsive inter[Pg iv]ventionof mere lecturing or argumentation; andwe think it will be admitted, that in the presentseries, she has been eminently successful. TheseTales are so simple and natural, that they may beunderstood by even younger children than they areactually intended for, while at the same time theyare so full of good sense, and touch so vividlythose springs of action which influence alikeboth the young and the old, that many of themwill be read with as much interest, and sometimeseven with as much advantage, by the parent as bythe child. Though perfectly unpretending instructure and language, the most fastidious tastewill acknowledge them to be the productions of ahighly refined and cultivated mind, while theyequally display all the charms of an affectionateand parental disposition, conjoined with a lofty,though a gentle and rational morality.
It is only necessary to observe, in conclusion,that the Translator has endeavoured to preservethroughout the simplicity of style which distinguishesthe original, and to convey its meaningwith all the fidelity which the difference of thetwo idioms would permit. A few unimportantexpressions have been modified or omitted asunsuitable to English taste, or likely to convey,in t