op Whately teaches), for about his figure
and himself we have no more authentic testimony.

Let the reality of M. Robert Macaire and his friend M. Bertrand
be granted, if but to gratify our own fondness for those exquisite
characters: we find the worthy pair in the French capital, mingling
with all grades of its society, pars magna in the intrigues, pleasures,
perplexities, rogueries, speculations, which are carried on in Paris,
as in our own chief city; for it need not be said that roguery is of no
country nor clime, but finds [Greek text omitted], is a citizen of all
countries where the quarters are good; among our merry neighbors it
finds itself very much at its ease.

Not being endowed, then, with patrimonial wealth, but compelled to
exercise their genius to obtain distinction, or even subsistence, we
see Messrs. Bertrand and Macaire, by turns, adopting all trades and
professions, and exercising each with their own peculiar ingenuity. As
public men, we have spoken already of their appearance in one or two
important characters, and stated that the Government grew fairly jealous
of them, excluding them from office, as the Whigs did Lord Brougham.
As private individuals, they are made to distinguish themselves as the
founders of journals, societes en commandite (companies of which the
members are irresponsible beyond the amount of their shares), and all
sorts of commercial speculations, requiring intelligence and honesty on
the part of the directors, confidence and liberal disbursements from the
shareholders.

These are, among the French, so numerous, and have been of late years
(in the shape of Newspaper Companies, Bitumen Companies, Galvanized-Iron
Companies, Railroad Companies, &c.) pursued with such a blind FUROR and
lust of gain, by that easily excited and imaginative people, that, as
may be imagined, the satirist has found plenty of occasion for remark,
and M. Macaire and his friend innumerable opportunities for exercising
their talents.

We know nothing of M. Emile de Girardin, except that, in a duel, he shot
the best man in France, Armaud Carrel; and in Girardin's favor it must
be said, that he had no other alternative; but was right in provoking
the duel, seeing that the whole Republican party had vowed his
destruction, and that he fought and killed their champion, as it were.
We know nothing of M. Girardin's private character: but, as far as
we can judge from the French public prints, he seems to be the m