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Leader (1850-1860), 30th June 1860, Edition 2 of 2, Page 15, HISTORICAL BOMANCE* I T is the fashion W...

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      Walt Whitman And His Critics. * Ritefere...

      Afterwards he deals with the intellectual , rational , and moral ¦ powers- showing throughout in his treatment an intimate acquaintance with Kant ' s transcendental method , and perhaps including in his development the whole of the German school down to Hegel ; at any rate as . " interpreted - ' by Cousin and others in Fiance , and Emerson in the United States . He certainly includes Pichte , for he mentions the Egotist as the only true philosopher ; and consistently identifies himself not only with every man , but with the Universe and its maker ; and it is in doing so that the strength of his descriptions consists . It is from such an ideal elevation , that he looks down on good and-evil , regards them as equal , and extends to them the like measure of equity . . ' '

      Instead , therefore , of receiving- these . " Leaves of Grass " as a marvel , they seem to us the most natural products of the American soil . They are certainly filled with an American spirit , breathe the American air , and assert the fullest American freedom , Nay , it may be said also that they , assert the fullest Yankee licence . . liespecting the latter feature , his American puffers , in the disguise of critics , charge the author with irreligion and indecency ; and these charges are unblushingly reprinted by his publishers , among the critical recommendations of his performances , as if thereby they ¦ would attract a numerous class of prurient readers .

      All this is undoubtedly an unworthy trade trick , to be thoroughly denounced , condemned , and punished . That class of readers , however , will be disappointed , as the passages intended are only so many instances adduced in support ' of a philosophical principle ; not meant for obscenity , but as scientific examples , introduced as they might be in any legal , medical , or physiological book , for the purpose ¦ of instruction . " They chiefly relate to the sense of touch , and might be found in substance in any cyclopedic article on the specific topic . . . So much for the matter of the book . As to the manner , it is the same as that with which Mr . Martin Tupper has made us familiar

      in his " Proverbial Philosophy , " and Mr . Warren in his " Lily and the Bee . '' There is nothing that we Can see miraculous in such , an imitation . The result is a rhapsody , somewhat Oriental in appearance , prose in form , but rhythmical in its effect on the ear > producing a disjointed impression , such as might be produced by a bald prose ¦ translation . of Klopstoek ' s famous odes , which would then present so many unconnected assertions , expressed in ~ extravagant diction ; / The style of the work is therefore anything but attractive— -calculated rather to puzzle than to please . It is , however , as n printed book , got up ina splendid manner , arid is electrotyped for the sake of cheapness , the publishers evidently" designing to sell it by millionsif possible . .. . ' ¦ ¦ ¦ -. ' .

      , __ . . . . . ,,, , ,.. Notwithstanding all its drawbacks , we 4 » ave little-hesitation ni stating that they will probably succeed , on the principle , perhaps , of the quack , who calculated there were many more fools than wise men in the world . No . matter , if the fools are made wise by the perusal of these . * ¦ ' Leaves . " They may be ; it is not utterly impossible , but we doubt it .

      June 30, I860.] The Leader And Saturday ...

      June 30 , I 860 . ] The Leader and Saturday Analyst . 615

      Historical Bomance* I T Is The Fashion W...

      HISTORICAL BOMANCE * I T is the fashion With our living novelists to prefer modern subjects as ' tlTe'ba . sis bf ~ d ? e" ^ r ~ eT ^ tIp ^ J 5 itTO ^ s : —T-here ^ appears-to-bea tacit acknowledgment amongst our later writers of fiction that a description of men and things belonging to the present time is more likely to prove acceptable to the general public than an historical survey of the different peculiarities , customs , feelings , and prejudices of generations , so far removed in the retrospect of ages as all connected with thorn to havo become but so many traditionary recollections . For ourselves , we can scarcely subscribe to this opinion ; since , apart from the peculiar interest attaching to everything which partakes in the slightest degree of the nature of antiquity , in productions ' - ' belonging : to the latter class above mentioned , the elements of instruction and anmsement are so happily amalgamated and fused together as necessarily to invest them with thinkthere

      a double value in tlio eyos of the reader . We do not , - fore , that the author of " -The Luck of Ladysm ' edc " has miscalculated his chances of popularity in laying the scene of his present ptory in the reign of Richard Conn ? de Lion , during the period ¦ of that monarch ' s absence in tho Holy Land ; he bus , on the contrary , pitched upon the very subject , of all others , the most likely to secure for his production a favourable reading from all classes of the novel-loving public . It is not , however , to be denied that the difficulties attendant on tho compilation of a successful historical novel are infinitely greater than those which beset the modern ronmncist . The former implies on tho part of tho writer tho posses . sion of a largo fund of erudite information , winch is only to bo acquired by much laborious research and discriminate study . Ho does not paint directly from Nature's landscape , but from a landscape of that landscape which , in virtue of its grout antiquity , has become somewhat dim and difficult of minute examination . Thus

      the objituclos with which the .. writers <> f modem fictions have to contend are multiplied in the case of their brethren of the opposite school . Without doubt the greatest of all historical novelists is Sir Walter Scott ; and though wo do not intend , neither would it bo fair , to . judge of | . he present or any other production by ho high a standard ; ' yet , in turning over tho pages of u work in which , tho name of lliohard Coour do Lion , though he himself is not introduced personally on tho seeno , is continually occurring , our thoughts naturally revert to that bountiful and inimitable

      creation of the above-mentioned author , " Tho Talisman , " in which we are familiarised with the sayings and doings of most of the historical personages , who flourished in the reign of England ' s lionhearted king , and in which the enthusiastic spirit of . the . times and the generous ardour which fired the breasts of the gallant Crusaders , is depicted in a manner unrivalled by any succeeding efforts of his admiring and emulative followers . The story of " The Luck of Ladysinede , " though laid in the twelfth century , has but little connection with the great religious movement which then agitated all the courts of Europe . The author has contented himself with exhibiting the state of our island at home during the expedition of its chivalrous monarch , giving us a slight insight into the manners and feelings of that remote period of our national

      history , and initiating us in the motives of some of the conspirators associated with the league at that time forming for the subversion of the royal authority . In all this we can candidly state that the author has perfectly succeeded . His descriptions are graphic , and the various specimens he presents to us of the rude , unlettered aristocracy of the times , and the wild romantic notions of honour by which even the most reckless of men were at that time actuated , possess the unmLstakeable stamp of originality , vigour , and life-like consistency and .. reality . Of these , perhaps , the best and most el . tborately-drawn character is that of Sir Godfrey de Burgh , the riotous knight of Ladysinede , also guardian and nearest of kin to the rich heiress , Lady Gladice . The book opens with a mystery . A child , a boy , some six or seven years of age , a sometime

      sojourner in De Burgh ' s household , being placed in a clandestine manner under the protection of the Abbot of Bivelsby by one GiacomOj an Italian priest , and chaplain , to Sir Godfrey , the knight grows wrathful , and determines at all hazards to regain possession of the child . He is , however , under some sort of fear of his chaplain , and he and his friend , Sir Nicholas le Hardi , determine to effect their object by stratagem . In this they ultimately fail , the abbot and the priest taking such precautions as effectually to disconcert all their preconceived arrangements . The knight then attempts , from interested motives , to do violence to the inclinations of his ward , and either by force or argument to entrap her into a marriage with Le Hardi . In taking the

      necessary steps for the attainment of this end , the rough aristocrat is somewhat restrained by a rude feeling of chivalrous respect for the sex and condition of his victim , ' and Ls Hardi , upon his own responsibility , makes several attempts to carry off the maiden by force , in none of which he succeeds . It would be utterly impossible , however , to give any satisfactory analysis of a story so cornplicated as the one bejbre us . We do not use the word " complicated" in aiiv sense injurious to the book ,, There is in it no building up of incidents , no diniculty in distihguishiug and discriminating between ' the variety of characters which gradually dispose themselves upon the scene ; we simply mean to infer that the author ' s materials are of a kind too broad and comprehensive , or

      rather not sufficiently limited and confined within a given circle to admit of any mere reviewal of the leading details sufficient to convey to the reader an adequate notion of the plot . It is one of those stories that must be read in order to be duly understood and appreciated . The mystery is besides so well devised , and so successfully kept up till the conclusion of the narrative , that we should be sorry to spoil any reiider ' s enjoyment by a' pfeTrfatinrretacTda tioii of it . The slight underplot connected with the fortunes of Isuia , the perjured nuii and discarded wife , is perhaps one of the most interesting portions of the book . To the lover of historical fiction , whose object it is to combine instruction with amusement , we can heartily recommend " The Luck of Ladysmede " as an excellent story , full of concentrated interest , and containing much valuable information relative to the social and political state of our country in the time of the celebrated Crusades ,

      * Tho Luck Uflmdyamedc. A Novel. Two Vol...

      * Tho Luck uflMdyamedc . A Novel . Two vols . William IHuokwood and Sons .

      Lancashire Romance.* A New Novel, Entitl...

      LANCASHIRE ROMANCE . * A NEW novel , entitled " Suarsdale , " but lately issued from the press , is likely to claim , both on the part of the critic and tno public , a considerable share of attention . It is , in fact , one of the best works of fiction we remember to have road for some time . I . he language is vigorous and stinin" -, and well calculated to give zest to a story wliiwh is in itself equally instructive , amusing , and original One of the chief feature in tho book is tho introduction ot the East Luncushire dialect , wliioh tho author lnis hero rendered m all its peculiarity . And though the reader ni . iy find some dilhoulty in interpreting tho numerous " iiliomatical expressions presented to himnotwithstanding tho evident pains tho autlior has boon at to

      , obviate such diftiuulty , yet tho character of tho eccentric Lanoiisnire man is so well portrayed , ntid tho dialect itself is evident y so genuine and free from exaggeration , that it would be impossible for any tnie lovor of nature to winli it entirely away . In fact , this novel has evidently been written with tho intention of liunilianzing tho reader with Lancashire and Yorkshire agitations , liib , and manners , thirty years ago ; and iUe author ha * tuJ « mcaro fcu aupply himself with tm ' uh materials un have enabled him to aeeomplisii his task with clearness mid perspicuity . The distrust and mi * pioio » which everywhere mot tho introduction of machinery as a tmusUtuce for hand labour , and which , in this part of tho country , uuyo birtu to a formidnblo resirttanee—tho violunco of tho people , labouring

      * Timmitth; Or, Jjfo On Tho Lmumohhut An...

      * timmitth ; or , JJfo on tho Lmumohhut and Vurkahiro XuMor Ihwtjf Yoarx At / o . Thruo vola . Smith , Wider , and Co , l > anfinc ; or , Hurled Alive . A Noy « l , by tho Author of Monto OhriBto . " a ' ranelatcd by J . Hay Ilodtison , Jan . Thouma Hodgson .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 30, 1860, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_30061860/page/15/