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Leader (1850-1860), 28th April 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 19, A BATCH OF BOOKS. The Exemplary Novels o...

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      Xes Idees Napoleoniennes.* Ma Voix Est L...

      tion . In 1804 , the hereditary title df tthe Emperor ' s family was recognised by four millions of votes ( 3 , 321 , 675 ; ) , ; and j aince that time the people has not been consulted . . . As the eldest of the nephews of Napoleon , then , I may consider myself the representative dfihe popular choice—I'will not say of ihe Empire , because , in the lapse of twenty years , the ideas and the requirements of France have necessarily-changed . " And to his mother he wrote the following lines , expressive ofihis < own entire disinterestedness : — " Strong in my conviction , which bad long made me look upon the cause of Napoleonism as the cause of the nation in France , and as the only civilising cause in Europe—proud of the nobleness and the purity of my intentions—I had become firmly resolved to elevate again the Imperial Eagle , or fall a victim to my political belief . " _ . _ . ... .. , ' .... et Militaires

      Pass we on to " the defeat . " In the" Considerations " Politiques sur la Suisse , the illustrious exile pointedly alludes to the vengeance France ¦ will yet exact for Waterloo , and speaks with equal confidence of renewing Jena and Austerlitz in order to give liberty to Switzerland and to Europe . But the iron pierced most deeply into bis soul when compelled to seek an asylum on the hospitable shores of perfidious Albion . The change even to the dungeon of Ham was delightful and invigorating . " Banished for twenty-five years , twice betrayed by fate , 1 have experienced all the vicissitudes and sorrows of this life ; and having got the better of the illusions of youth , I find in the native air I breathe , in study , in the seclusion of a prison , a charm which I have not experienced when participating in the enjoyments of foreign countries , where , vanquished , I had to drink out of the same cup as the conqueror of Waterloo ; " We cannot say how far this terrible degradation was literally true , but certainly the Emperor appears to have submitted with cheerful resignation to a necessity that was so

      distressing to the Adventurer . " f . We have only time and space for 'two more of the Idees Napoleoniennes , though it would be no difficult task to write a volume upon such a prolific subject , and the more easily -in -that they have been so practically illustrated by the inheritor of that great man ' s throne . One favourite object with the Emperor was to recal to France all yrhom fear or disaffection had driven into banishment . And this amiable longing was shared by Louis Napoleon when candidate for the Presidentship . " The Republic , " he wrote , " ought to be generous and have faith in its future who have suffered exile and captivityappeal

      prospects ; and for my part I , , with all my warmest aspirations to that day when the country may , without danger , put an end to all proscriptions , and efface the last traces of our civil discords . " But not only did the Emperor propose to restore to their homes and their native land those who had so long endured the sorrows and hardships of expatriation , he also intended to place arms in the hands of every citizen , and to trust to patriotism for the defence of the fatherland . So strongly was he impressed with this " idea , " that his nephew represents him in Elysium angrily demanding of his successors , " Have you organised the National Guard in such a manner as to form an invincible barrier

      • against invasion ? " After pausing for a reply , the mighty Shade answers himself , " No ; you have preserved of my reign nothing but what was transitory , nothing but momentary obligations , and you have rejected all the advantages which palliated its defects . "

      Apbjftjfe, 1855.) T;Jaie 3l&Jl.P::Efo. 4...

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      A Batch Of Books. The Exemplary Novels O...

      A BATCH OF BOOKS . The Exemplary Novels of Cervantes . Translated 'from the Spanish by Walter K . "Kelly . Bohn . A Journey through the United States and Part-of Canada . By the -Rev . Robert Everest , M . A . John Chapman . America and the Americans . Vy W . E . Baxter , Esq ., M . P . Routledge . JS : ec 6 llectidns : ofthe-Mv 3 S ^ dble andtJte Stage . By Henry , Ourling . T . iBosworth . Inez : A Tale of the Alamo . New York : Harner . and Brothers . The Lost Heiress . By Mrs . -Southvorth . ^ Ward and JLock . We are not sufficiently well acquainted -with the Spanish language to be able > to offer , an op inion on the merits of the present version of the Exemplary Novels . All that we can do-is to note down our impressions as English ceaders of the new translation from Cervantes . with which Mr . Kelly has provided us . The Exemplary Novels—or , Moral Tales , as we should have been iemntedto call them—have more freshness and > novelty , in the higher

      sense of those twords , than nine-tenths . of the professedly " new fictions published'in the present day . Giving us hardly . move than a . glimpse , now ana then , df the exquisite humour of Cervantes , some of these stories exhibit little triumphs df character-painting—of nirture represented in miniaturewhich arc worthy even of the master-hand that drew Don Quixote and his matchless Squire . There is a mixture of ingenuity and simplicity , of carefully-disciplined Art and genially free Nature in , the . Exemplary Novels , which , in -our opinion , renders . them quite original as works of their class . We prefer , for example , the charming story of The Little Gipny Girl ( from TVhich the libretto of Weber ' s Preciosa was taken ) to all that Boccaccio has over written . Let our readers begin with this tale , and we have no doubt that the present collection of the Exemplary Novels ¦ vr ' tli shove with Don Quixote that most honourable of all positions in the Library— 'the popularlysituated shelf which is within everybody ' s reach .

      Qur two last now books about America are not very remarkable . Mr . Everest . is an ardent democrat . He is a little shocked at the Institution of Slavery , hut * in every other respect he cites the United States as dffbring a model to the world . In this country—although our traveller writes with vigour and clearness , uind collects fuots with patience and intelligence—we are afraid that the circulation of . hiB book may be rather unfavourably . rtffectod by the uncompromising extremities to whioh his opinions carry him . Though differing from him ourselves in some of'his principles : and in many of his deductions , wo can most willingly give him full oredit for a manly fcankaess-which tourists of all shades of opinion would do well to'emulate ; and . we aan fovm no . batter wish for the success of his book than that readers in general may bo . disposed to follow our example . Our second traveller in America , . Mr ; .. Baxter , being more conservative and conventional than Mr . BvB »« 8 t , i 8 dikely . * o : gQt on bettor . iHo appeals to that . large public which likes ' . reapoctoiblo : platitudos . When Sir A . Alison , Mr . Wurren , and Mr .

      . Tupper , axe -actually thought capable of writing -history , fiction , and poetry by some thousands of persons who—excepting the hours they devote ± o reading—exhibit no extraordinary imbecility in the yarious transactions oi their lives , there seems to be no reason why Mr . Baxter should not become very successful , in certain circles , as an amusing American traveller . Mr . Curling ' s book of go 63 i p aboTit soldiers and actors is written in the penny-a-line style , with quotations in almost every other sentence , and some morsels of smart writing thrown in here and there to make the . work attractive to the Gent . public . We have found this " Mess-table Chat" " Green-room Gossip" an extremely dismal little volume to read . The author informs us that his stage-stories are mostly derived from the conversation of ""the celebrated comedian Samuel Russell . " If Mr . Russell was

      not more amusing as an actor than he was ( judging only by Mr . Curling ? B report ) as a teller of anecdotes , it strikes us that the public of his day mubt have enjoyed . a remarkably serious entertainment when they went to the theatre to see him . perform . We have sat in the company of a considerable number of country clergymen in our time ; but such singularly pointless and helplessly dreary stories about nothing at all ,- as Mr . Curling ' s stories from the mouth of Mr . ^ Russell * Tvere never before inflicted on us . The militarypart of the work is ; a trifle . better—one article in it , called " My First Detachment , ' * being almost amusing , by contrast with the Kuasell stories But , upon the whole , we shall accurately convey to our readers what our own impression has been of The Mess-table and the Stage , if we venture on substituting a new title for the title chosen by the author , and mention the work in the strictest confidence as—The Bore ' s Own Book .

      Inez : a Tale of the Alamo , is " respectfully" dedicated to " the Texan patriots , who triumphantly unfurled and waved aloft the banner of the Lone Star who wrenched asunder the iron bands of despotic Mexico ! andwreathed the brow of the QueenState with the glorious chapletof civil and religious liberty !" In spite of this martial preliminary nourish , the perusal of the JBLrst chapter of Inez was quite enough to convince us that the book was the production of a fair lady—^ a young and artless cr eature , as we -love to think her . Let us report with all due gallantry on her book . The period of the story is the time of the Texan war . Though a novel in one volume , Inez contains three heroines : —No . 1 , " slight and drooping . " No . 2 , tall , haughty , and

      intellectual , with a forehead " unusually prominent and white . " No .. 3 , Inez herself—a passionate beauty , with " large Spanish eyes , restless and piereino-, flashing out at times the thoughts of her inmost soul . " While these tliree ladies , in various ways , interest and charm us , there is an entirely original character'i n the shape of a wily and unscrupulous Jesuit priest , who , from time to time , shocks and terrifies us . Further , we have to recommend the book-to'p ious parents and guardians , as written under the influence of the strictest Protestant principles ; and to introduce it to young ladies in general , as containing some very nice " love , " seasoned pleasantly with j ust enough fighting to make the whole story agreeable . to

      In the caee of The Lost Heiress , we have to plead guilty following-a highly improper course . We began this novel at the end—or , in other words , tried to get at the story by a Bpecies of nefarious short-cut . The first passage we opened on , under these circumstances , was the following description of a bride and bridegroom on the wedding morning : — She had attired herself with that poetical beauty which—say as you will—onlylove can inspire and teach for the beloved one ' s eyes . Her morning dress was pure and delicate-white cambric , slightly edged with the finest lace . Her luxuriant hair of golden auburn fell in resplendent ringlets down her beautiful and blooming face . Expectation had heightened the vivid flush of her cheeks , and kindled ithe brilliant light of her eyes .

      Then there was the quick , light sound of horse's hoofs galloping up to ithe doorthe elastic spriug of the rider from the saddle—hurried footsteps up the , portico —^ a word with the servant in waiting at the door-Aand in another instant Falconer was in the room and Maud was . in .. his . arms , jpressed to his bosom—wa * m heart to heartflushed cheek to cheek—and the golden " ringlets . to Iravenlocks . ; It -was-a-close , silent , impassioned embrace of fervid , pure , young love—a love ineffable and full of joy—a joy too great for speech ! She was the first to recover self-possession—< wi ( h her beautiful face dyed with blushes , she gently strove to release herself . And he , with a love too tender to constrain , freed her , still lightly holding one white hand , and gazing with unutterable affection upon her charming downcast fdco . . And howhandaome he-looked , with his fine , . athletic , yet graceful form , * alid dark resplendent countenance , full of * strength and fire . He spoke . firat—" Maud ! my own Maud ! fairest angel ! lookup . ' let J »« sec , yaur blessed eyes ! "

      _ . „ , , Smiling a little . at his enthusiasm , she lifted her white lids and shot one swift , J * l \ y glance into the dark splendour of his eyea ' , and thon dropped them again ,: ina confusion so beautiful and bewitching that hor lover nearly lost his reason , and snatched and strained her to his bosom in a . delirium of passionate delight . At this point , with moistened eyes , blushing choeks , and palpitating heart , wo closed the book . Voluptuous tine writing may be all very well for readers of a certain class . 13 ut the critic is bound by tho nature of his arduous vocation to be an austere man . When he finds a lady with resplendent ringlets snatched to a gentleman ' s bosom in a delirium of passionate delight , ho retires , shaking his head , and leaves all remaining raptures to the luxurious general public !

      Wanjpeuings In Corsfca. Wanderitiffs .In...

      WANJPEUINGS IN CORSfCA . Wanderitiffs . in Corsica . Translated from the Gorman of Gregoroyiufl by Alexander Muil / Edinburgh : Constable and Co . Corsica , for its . size , is the most interesting country in the world . Its history is full of action , distinct and dramatic j its pooplo and thcrr customs arc to this day marked and peculiar ; it hoasts many men who may bo culled " ¦ heroes" of the heroic Btamp—and the most notorious horo in tho world w « B a Ooraican in . birth , blood , and breeding . A good book , tolling us " all about Coraica , " as a lady-reader would say , was , therefore , something devoutly to bo wished , and it comes in these two volumes . We hare curiosity satisfied on all points . Tho writer travels about Corsica , deaenbea

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 28, 1855, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_28041855/page/19/