fect, generally speaking, but envy, hatred, and
malice. In the Americans, it has engendered a mingled feeling of respect,
admiration, and jealousy, which appears in the strenuous efforts they are
making to augment their wealth, power, and territory, by every possible
means, and in every possible direction. But in reflecting minds on the
Continent, on the really great in all countries, it has produced the
effect of deep reflection, and anxious investigation. They have already
begun to contemplate the astonishing and long-continued empire of Great
Britain as we, and all subsequent ages, have so long done the
corresponding, and only parallel, dominion reared by the arms of the Roman
legions. In the causes of the greatness, and seeds of ruin, in both, there
is a striking, and to us portentous, resemblance. The analogy has been
already traced by more than one master-hand on the Continent. But none was
better qualified to do justice to the subject, or has treated it in a more
luminous or philosophic spirit, than SISMONDI; and it is to his
observations on the present social state of the British empire that we
have now to direct our readers' attention.

As the views of this great philosopher and historian are almost entirely
at variance with those which now generally prevail amongst us, and to
which the liberal party in every part of the country have in an especial
manner pinned their faith, and, at the same time, seem to be deserving of
very great attention from their novelty and importance, and direct bearing
on the dearest interests of the society with which we are surrounded--we
hasten to premise that, in forming them, Sismondi has at least not been
blinded by any _political_ partiality for the side to which, in _social_
questions, he inclines. He is, as all persons acquainted with foreign
literature well know, a decided liberal, indeed republican, in his
political opinions. Born and educated in the democratic canton of Geneva,
a Protestant both by birth and connexion, the decided opponent of tyranny
in all its forms, of Romish domination in all its guises, he first matured
his powerful mind in writing the history of the Italian republics, and
afterwards had his opinions confirmed by tracing the long annuals of the
French monarchy. The brilliant episodes in the history of the former,
contrasted with the hideous catalogue of persecutions and crimes which
stain the latter, have confirmed in his mind, to a degree which,
conside