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led her in some degree for the irre-
ievable loss of his love; but, after a
me, disappointment, as usual, opens
e door to devotion; that passion to
hich the leavings of every other are
nsidered as a worthy offering. The ac-
mplishment of a dream, which borders
the miraculous, raises her enthusiasm
the highest pitch; the probationary
mnths prescribed by Bossuet pass away
a rapid succession of keen-contending
ation; religion gains a final victory
the remains of guilty passion, height
, says the fiction of our author, by
renewed tenderness of Lewis, who
sto sacrifice Montespan; and at the
of eight and twenty, the beautiful
ess de la Valliere finally buries her-
in the convent of the Carmelites.
the pomp of religion gives solemnity
this closing scene, and the perfect
quillity and happiness of the duch-
when penitence has restored her soul
its pristine purity, is described in the
e forcible and affecting manner as
former agitated and wretched state,
conscience vainly warred with
It must be confessed that, on a
tain system, it is impossible to write
memoirs of a frail lady in a manner
e edifying. A person of a different
t of thinking, however, might per-
say, that a system of education,
ch, by teaching one fallible being to
entirely on the guidance of an-
er, which

Enfeebles all internal strength of thought,”
renders a person unequal to the task

of self-government, is one merely adapted to the direction of infancy; and that a form of religion, whose chief use is to fill the void left by the disappointment of criminal passions," by occupying and exalting the imagination, and elevating the soul," is only useful to our second childhood; while both leave the active, important zenith of our day, unguarded, unsupported, exposed to every evil suggestion from within, and every artful seduction from without; and that a decayed court-veteran amusing her joyless age in innocent retirement, by the perusal of histories and romances, and the duchess de la Valliere soothing to rest her ill-starred passion in the reveries of amorous devotion, or expiating her past irregularities by fasts and sacraments, and Ave Marys, if equally happy, may be equally commendable. But Madame Genlis would shudder with horror at notions approaching what she now contemptuously calls philosophy."

The disgraceful ignorance of the translator of many very common French words and idioms, has not only totally obscured the graces of the original, but rendered several sentences almost unin telligible, and produced some curious blunders. We are told, for instance, that Benserade" corrected the king's letter," a billet doux to La Valliere, "or, to speak more correctly, rendered it much worse by the substitution of some spiritual phrases, and brilliant sallies, for the language of · sentiment."

ART. VI. Aubrey: a Novel. By R. C. DALLAS, Esq. 12mo. 4 vols.

a vehicle of moral precepts, we not speak too highly of this work, yet the instruction to be derived from em is eminently weakened by the conct of the principal character. Aubrey

is represented as the most amiable of men; affectionate as a father and a husband, generous as a friend, and endued with the highest sense of honour as a man. Aubrey, who has been compelled

Under what auspices the present work was composed, we are curious to know. Lonon is the date of the French edition; but we have been informed, that its author is now in. 92 favour at the French imperial court: if so, it affords a most melancholy omen of the state of things, that she who once aimed the whole artillery of her genius against nothe establishments, in the exquisitely pathetic story of Cecile, should now sanction ith her applause the sacrifice, not only of the regrets of the guilty and sighs of the penimt, but of the hopes of the young, the future usefulness and enjoyment of the innocent the blooming, to the gloom and indolence, the petty observances, and miserable fanaris, of a cloister. That she who in her * Veillées du Chateau" strenuously endeavoured the communication of useful knowledge and rational ideas to free the young mind frou. perstitions fears and vulgar errors, should now even dare, to commend that ignorance of le laws of nature and common sense to which the women of former times were aban tored, and very clearly insinuate that it is rather a sign of grace to be afraid of appa. tions, is most sincerely to be lamented.

to sell all his paintings in order to extricate himself from the difficulties into which his extravagance had plunged him, sets off to take possession of a curacy of a hundred pounds a year in his own coach and four, a post-chaise and pair following behind! Just escaped from the fangs of his creditors, he goes on in the same uniform course of extravagance, perpetually plunging his family into fresh difficulties, and at last sinking with them into the lowest abyss of penury. Too much interest is thrown over such a character for the advancement of morality: fine feelings. must not be admitted as an excuse for faulty conduct, nor preceptive morality be substituted for practical. In every respect, except a systematic excess of expenditure beyond income, which is extravagance in its strictest sense, Aubrey is a perfect character: but these general perfections are too well calculated to extenuate the individual exception. Some art is employed in parrying off our just censure for his criminal imprudences by exciting commiseration for his misfortunes. We should have said less upon this pervading error of the novel if Mr. Dallas had not rather prided himself on its moral tendency: in his dedication of it to M. Bertrand de Moleville, he says I should probably not have thought of presenting a novel to you had not the progress of its subject (the severe trial of principle in adversity) brought to my mind the wonderful resignation and prudence of every class of the emigrants from France. In describing the difficulty of submitting to the reverses of fortune, I recollected their accommodating their desires and wants to their means. Those who had once lived in the highest style of magnificence, having saved some little portion of their property, retrenching every superfluity, &c. &c.' Now it was impossible not to feel the total inapplicability of Aubrey's character to this conduct: to accommodate his means to his desires was the last lesson he learnt, and if he retrenched any superfluity, it was not till after he had exhausted, not only all his money, but all his credit.

As a specimen of the style, however, for no other part of the merit of a novel can be judged of by a specimen, we shall quote the following sentences;

"Dr. Searle had led a life which the world had suffered to pass without reproach, and which he could himself contemplate with satisfaction. His independence, his cha

rity, the gentleness of his manners, and his neutrality in politics, or rather his sincerity, which exalted him above party, and con vinced men of different opinions, that he was had conciliated the good will of all; and the solely influenced by truth and general good, consciousness of having performed his duties to the best of his ability, of having befriended the poor, and of having set an example to the rich, left him at peace with his own mind. The early mastery of his passions, and his temperance in the enjoyment of the good things of this world, had preserved him from bodily sufferings; and his approach to the termination of his life was the gentle pro gress of unthwarted nature. His faculties were in their wane, his frame was enfeebled, but the grave had no terrors for him, and he was descending to it with ease and cheerful. ness. It was not till his voice became inaadible, and his attention wavering, that he en tirely resigned his pulpit; and taking the advice of his friends, gave up his remaining years to repose of body and of mind. His with excellent powers, still possessed a great understanding, which had been endowed degree of its elasticity, and his conversation, though unequal, retained a sufficient charm to attract both old and young, so that he con tinued to have what company he chose, whenever he pleased. At the time he be came acquainted with Mr. Cowper by means of his nephew, as we have seen, he constitution was unimpaired, he was active was turned of sixty; but the vigour of his in the exercise of his faculties, his preaching and his practice were consistent, and winle these endeared him to the poor, his fortune and his manners ensured him welcome among the rich."

tory of Mr. Cowper: the interest of this The best part of this novel is the his episode hurries the reader away, and i: requires the tearless eye of a stern critic to detect its incongruities and imgbabilities. With the old story in our recollection, we shall not pick the cha from the wheat. The character of Cowper is consistent and well drawn; his love with Fanny Ross, his marriage, and his desertion of her, form altogether a most simple and pathetic tale; there is too much of contrivance, however, in the coincidence of her funeral and his return to a broken-hearted wife; the interest of the story is weakened by this violent interruption of its simplicity.

The character of Sensitive is deline› ated with spirit; and if we may return from the last to the first pages, we shall say that the narrative of Aubrey's love with Emily, and of the circumstances which more immediately led to his mar riage with this estimable and decom

plished woman, is very interesting; it has all the air of romance, without any gross violation of the probabilities of real life.

We are inclined to believe that Mr. Dallas is not incapable of writing a good novel; but he must lay down the whole of his plan before he begins, and not rust to his good genius at the moment,

for the extrication of his hero from difficulties into which he has incautiously led him.

Aubrey will not do him discredit: we have noticed its most prominent faults, and it seems not a little unfair, that, for its excellences, we must refer to the work.

ART. VII. The Modern Griselda; a Tale. By Miss EDGWORTH, 8vo. pp. 170.

THE modern Griselda is the exact op osite of the ancient one. Possessed of cuth, beauty, wit, and every fashionale accomplishment, she imagines herself titled to rule with absolute command husband who adores her. At first her perious disposition only manifests itIf in a restless and captious fear of not ing sufficiently beloved; in a jealousy every person and thing capable of verting, for a moment, the attention of r husband, or affording him the slightpleasure of which she is not the urce. By degrees, "this monopoliag humour" meeting with no opposin, encreases to absolute tyranny-distes ensue, and her husband's assertion his own free agency is resented somees by reproaches, sometimes by sullen ence. Griselda gradually loses the wer she has abused; as a last and only bedient for recovering her past ascenacy, and reducing her ill fated part- to complete submission for the future proposes a separation, little thinking t the man whom she still "loves betthan any thing in the world, except rer," can ever bear to live without No conciliatory offers, however, ne on his side, his love was irrecover y gone, pride and a delusive hope of I victory, preclude all submissions on , and at length they part--for ever. h is the outline of this little tale-to that it is filled up with sprightliness, grace, with brilliancy of wit, and ness of simile and allusion, is only say that it is Miss Edgworth's, and it is worthy of its author. One g, however, struck us as unworthy Liss Edgworth, and very unlike the eral strain of her writings. In se1 passages of the tale before us, her sex are treated with harshness, and hink with injustice. Mrs. Granby, ost amiable and complying wife, who es as a foil to Mrs. Bolinbroke, the ime of the story, incurs her ill will

by gaining the esteem of Mr. Bolin broke, and the admiration of a company where she had attempted, preposterously enough, to turn her into ridicule: Griselda is at length provoked to aim at the unoffending lady a gross and palpable sarcasm. "Emma," continues the nar rative," was at length awakened to the perception of her friend's envy and jealousy; but

"She mild forgave the failing of her sex,” Surely had any male writer of this en. lightened age brought so foul an accusation as that of a general propensity to envy, against the female sex, all women of generous dispositions and cultivated minds would have felt themselves justly hurt at the charge, as illiberal and unfounded; what then must be their feelings when a female, of high literary reputation, and endowed in an eminent degree with the power of pourtraying cha racter, and revealing the human heart, wantonly and apparently without being aware of its heinousness, alludes to this odious vice as an acknowledged failing of the sex, which has the honour to reckon herself among its numbers! By the quotation from Milton, which ap pears to be given as the moral of the tale, the ladies, we apprehend, will feel themselves almost as much aggrieved.

--Thus shall it befall
Him who to worth in woman overtrusting
Lets her will rule; restraint she will not
And left to herself, if evil thence ensue,
She first his weak indulgence will accuse,"

brook,

Surely it is ungraceful in a woman to take arms against the liberties of the sisterhood!

Several apt and original similies em, bellish this tale, we shall cite two.

"Griselda excites envy, and though she may not have more faults than her neigh

bours, they are more noticed, because they are in the full light of prosperity. Did you ever remark the number of mots that swarm in a single ray of light, coming through a shutter of a darkened room? there are not more mots in that spot than in any other part of the room, but the sun-beams show them more distinctly. The dust that lives in snug obscurity, should consider this, and have mercy upon its fellow dust."

"Who ever has seen a balloon-The reader, however impatient, must listen to this allusion-Whoever has seen a balloon, may have observed, that in its flaccid state it can be folded and unfolded with the greatest ease,

and it is manageable even by a child; but when once filled, the force of multitudes cannot restrain, nor the art of man direct its course. Such is the human mind-so tret able before, so ungovernable after it fills with passion: By slow degrees, unnoticed by out heroine, the balloon had been filling. It was full; but it was yet held down by strong cords: it remained with her to cut or not to cut them."

Miss Edgworth seems to confess that she has in some degree, imitated “The Art of Tormenting."

CHAPTER X.

POETRY.

THE poetical productions of the last year are neither very numerous, nor, with few exceptions, very important. Common sense, expressed with propriety in sy verse, from its frequent repetition, has lost the power of pleasing; but the eposterous novelties and barbarisms of language, with the affectation of sentient and fine feelings, which characterize the works of our modern minor poets, tite a disgust far more intolerable than the honest dullness which they have sueded. In our wearisome progress through the books which are noticed in the sent chapter, it was no small relief to meet with Col. Mercer's volume of eleand interesting poems, and the bright promise of future excellence displayed Cap. Elton: such works are not only honourable to the authors, and worthy of fice for their intrinsic merit, but reflect credit on the British army itself, and may of inestimable value in fostering the spirit of literature in a profession which, by ation, is peculiarly qualified to adorn the country which it defends. Mr. Hudford's Wiccamical Chaplet, and Mr. Spencer's Year of Sorrow are also worthy commendation: the latter for its pathos; the former for its humour. It is hower to Mr. Walter Scott that the poetry of the present year is the most deeply inbted: his edition of Sir Tristram, the celebrated production of the bard of Ercelane, displays a most accurate and intimate acquaintance with the literary anquities of Britain; and his own " Lay of the last Minstrel" has raised him to a manent rank among the classical poets of his country.

T. I. Sir Tristram ; a metrical Romance of the thirteenth Century. By THOMAS OF ERCILDOUNE, called the Rhymer. Edited from the Auchinleck MS. by WALTER SCOTT. Bro. pp. 500.

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chiefs shall ride,

land shall weep.

ading through floods of carnage, bridle-deep; The cries of terror and the wailing wide, di rouse the prophet from his tranced sleep, sharp shall ring with woe, and all the FINLAY'S WALLACE. If this hiding-place could be discovered, many are the curious points of history and romance which True Thomas could elucidate. Is he one of the even men who sleep, and have long lept, in a den under the cliff of Ocean, is the uttermost parts of Germany, where there is snow all the summer time, and in the winter, though men see the light of the sun, yet the sun is not seen? All men may see them there; they are sound in body; their colour is not changed; either do their garments wax old, and therefore the people have them in great worship and reverence. A covetous wretch once attempted to strip one of them of his cloathing, and his impious

arm was dried up in the attempt. Or is he in the cavern under the roots of the hazel-tree, on Craig y Dinas, where king Arthur and all his knights are lying asleep in a circle; their heads outward; every one in armour, his sword and shield and spear by him, ready to be taken up whenever the Black Eagle and the Golden Eagle shall go to war, and make the earth tremble with their affray; so that the cavern shall be shaken, and the bell ring, and the sleepers be awakened and come forth? Till, however, the prophet of Erceldoune can be found, that he may give an account of himself, we must be contented with such of his

works as remain, and such scanty information respecting him as can be gleaned from old authors and contemporary records. He has been peculiarly fortunate, to remain for so many centu ries the favourite of his countrymen, and to have his genuine remains elucidated, by an editor so eminently qualified for the task, by his peculiar taste and talents and erudition.

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