imagination, such the grace and flexi bility of talent of a man, for whom poetry was nothing more than an amusement, which was scarcely noticed in his brilliant political career,-of a man, who, concentrating in himself alone all the power of the republic, never allowed the people to think that he had ceased to be a sovereign; of a man, who, by the superiority of his character, and of his talents, governed all Italy as he governed Florence; who preserved it in peace, and retarded, as long as he lived,

the calamities with which it was overwhelmed two years after his death."

Of the character of Mr. Roscoe's style and manner in the work before us, any comments of our's must be perfectly unnecessary. His elegance and happy simplicity are well known to all classical readers. At all times chaste, and exalted wherever his subject permits, he will always rank in the first class of prose writers, judging of future ages, not only by the present, but by those which have gone before.

IN the various changes which have taken place in the different departments of literature, since its revival in this country, no species of writing, perhaps, has more completely thrown off its ancient appearance than those fictitious narratives, which form so large a portion of the publications continually issuing from the press. It might, probably, be more correct to speak of them as an entire new class of compositions, taking their rise within the last century; for though the name romance may be met with, we believe, as early as the ninth century, yet the class of works extant at that period, and for a considerable time afterwards, under the name of romances, is as essentially different from modern productions of that name as can well be conceived. No one can trace any resemblance between the contents of the voluminous folios, the "Legends, Renowned Histories, and Romances," of the early ages, and the offspring of the pens of writers of our own time, the Walpoles, Radcliffes, and Godwins, who have ranked eminent in this branch of writing.-Still less can any similar features be discovered between such ancient authors as we have mentioned, and the distinguished individual, known only with certainty to the public as the author of Waverley.⚫

This writer, indeed, stands almost as much apart from his contemporaries as they from the early romances; he has

formed out an entire new path for himself, a path in which he had no predecessors, and in which he has left all imitators far behind. With a bold and faithful pen, he has interweaved the story of fiction with accurate delineation of the manners and characters of a people, and has succeeded in this union beyond what could have been expected. To bestow praise on a writer who has so frequently laid claim to, and as frequently received the meed of popular applause, would be useless.

It will be remembered, that the first three works from the pen of this author were a series descriptive of the manners of the Scottish people, and in Scotland was laid the scene of his subsequent productions, till the appearance of Ivanhoe, Waverley, Guy Mannering, the Antiquary, Tales of my Landlord, &c. had established his fame in public opinion. The incidents in these were laid, at what may be called, recent periods; and correct information, not only as to the historical events alluded to, or interwoven in them, but as to the nature of the opinions, habits, and motives of the people who lived in them, might, without much difficulty, be obtained. A part of the materials were thus easy to be had, but it required the hand of no common artificer to make such a use of them as the author of Waverley has done.

In Ivanhoe, however, the writer was destitute of this assistance. It was a

this kind of writing commenced earlier.

romance, the personages of which were inhabitants of this country, at a time, the customs and usages of which, are utterly unknown, or of which, at best, very scanty information can be gleaned. The people were split into two contending classes, who regarded each other with that jealousy which was natural to the situation in which they were placod. In the unsettled and comparatively uncultivated condition of the European States at that time, men's minds were naturally attracted strongly to those events in which, as affecting the civil and political constitutions of countries, every one conceived himself more or less interested. To these events, therefore, the historians of the times have turned their attention, neglecting those minor occurrences which most strongly characterize the habits of a people. Besides, the games and amusements of the several classes of society, and a variety of other points essential to the accurate delineation of times and people, are seldom mentioned by contemporary writers, except in slight allusions, as things too familiar and well known to require any particular notice or description. It is from the consideration of circumstances like these, that a correct estimate can alone be formed of the difficulties to be surmounted by the author of a work like Ivanhoe, and of the praise due to success in such an undertaking. These difficulties the author of Waverley completely surmounted, and produced a work where we know not which most to admire the beauties of the story, or the skill which the author displayed, in availing himself of those very scant historical memoirs of the times, which, as we have before mentioned, have descended to the present period.

In Kenilworth this writer again laid the scene of his story in times, which are now considered the property of antiquity; and here again he charmed and delighted the imagination by the magic, with which he transferred to his own pages the rich and beautiful glow of chivalry, which hung over the age of Elizabeth. But this was not the chivalry which blazes through Ivanhoe. In the time of Richard the Lion-Hearted, the feudal system of polity flourished in full vigour, and with it bloomed its fairest flower, which Burke, more in the spirit of a poet than of a politician, describes as "that sensibility of prin

ciple, that chastity of honour which felt stain like a wound, which inspired courage while it mitigated ferocity, which ennobled whatever it touched, and under which vice itself lost half its evil by losing half its grossness." But it was not thus under Elizabeth.-The sensibility of principle was blunted by selfishness and interested suspicion; cabal and court intrigue destroyed confidence and sincerity, and it required no extraordinary share of penetration to see, that the age of chivalry was on its decline; but though in its decay, it was not quite gone. In the early years of Elizabeth, her court was filled with men of rank and honour, who paid a romantic homage to their virgin Queen; in which loyalty was mingled with admiration and respect, and sometimes with a softer feeling. That Elizabeth was not insensible to love, however she pretended to despise his power, the names of Essex and Leicester bear witness.-But her's was the love of one, who, while she felt its power, was indignant that she should stoop to it. She felt that she was superior to her sex in many things-she aspired to be superior in all-she had at her command splendid and dazzling talent, and wished that her passions should be likewise under subjection. In this she failed; and her conduct, in more instances than one, shews, that a union in one individual of greatness and littleness of mind, is not utterly impossible. The author of Kenilworth seized on the distinguishing peculiarities of the character of Elizabeth (and it was a difficult one) with the power of a master, and produced a novel of which she was the prominent feature-in which she was pourtrayed by turns as a queen, as a woman, and as a lover-a novel, which, to say all that can be said in its praise, was worthy of its author.

But the writer had not the difficulties to encounter in Kenilworth, which he had so successfully overcome in Ivanhoe. The early dramatists offered a wide field from which a knowledge of the times might be gathered. Any one who reads one of Tonson's comedies. has a competent idea of the gallants, the bullies, the men of honour-the various characters of the day.-But Tonson is only one of a multitude from which such information might be gathered. Fletcher, Shirley, Chapman, and others of equal or superior merit,

are open to every one, whom love of literary pursuits, or of beautiful writing, incites to search these repositories of ancient life and manners.

But we fear we have exhausted the patience of our readers, by detaining them so long from the subject of this article. The Fortunes of Nigel is an historical novel, laid in the reign of James the First, and its beauty consists not so much in the interest of the tale, as in the apparent fidelity with which the personages are pourtrayed. Before, however, we go further, we ought to mention, that the book is prefaced by an able introduction, purporting to be an account of a dialogue between our old acquaintance, Capt. Cuthbert Clutterbuck and the Eidolon, or Representative Vision of the author, communicated in a letter from the aforesaid Cuthbert, to another of our friendsthe Rev. Dr. Dryasdust. This, however, we pass over, and hasten to the principal subject of our remarks. It is introduced by a description of the shop or booth of an ingenious but whimsical and self-opinionated mechanic, David Ramsay, by name. This worthy, who holds the place of Horologer to his Majesty, has, according as we are informed, to the common usages of the days, a couple of stout-bodied, able apprentices, Jenkin Vincent, commonly called Jin Vin, a wild, hair-brained, sharp and active lad, and his companion, Francis Tunstall, who, in virtue we suppose of the gentle blood to which he lays claim, and of which Jin Vin is destitute, supports himself with somewhat more regularity and steadiness. The occupation of these youths is to perform the office of salesmen, by standing in the outer shop or booth, and soliciting the passengers for custom, not without occasionally, as might be expected, indulging in a little im pertinent wit against those whom they conjecture unlikely to become purchasers, and whose appearance or other peculiarities may render them objects of ridicule or dislike. While this is going forward, a kindly Scot chances to pass by, and the city wit of the apprentices is immediately directed against one, whose country at that time was so unpopular, and the natives of which were so much the objects of jealousy and suspicion to the English people. The Scot, however, endures his persecution with tolerable patience, and passes on; Eur. Mag. Vol. 81. June 1822.

not without a prophecy on the part of Jenkin, that it would not be long ere the Caledonian was involved in a brawl, -and so it turned out: for shortly after, a riot commenced, which ends in the Scotchman being roughly treated by the populace, from whose rage he is rescued by the efforts of Ramsay's two apprentices-who, on the first hearing of the brawl, were on the alert to take a share in the sport-not, however, without being so much injured, that he is conveyed to Ramsey's shop in a state of insensibility.

We are here introduced to another of the characters,-a friend of David's, whose description it may not be amiss to extract, as affording a specimen of the dress and general appearance of a wealthy citizen of the time.

"The stranger's dress was, though grave, rather richer than usual. His paned hose were of black velvet, lined with purple silk, which garniture appeared at the slashes. His doublet was of purple cloth, and his short cloak of black velvet to

correspond with his hose; and both were adorned with a great number of small silver buttons richly wrought in filigree. A triple chain of gold hung round his neck; and, in place of a sword or dagger, he wore at his belt an ordinary knife for the purpose of the table, with a small silver case, which appeared to contain writing materials. He might have seemed some secre tary or clerk engaged in the service of the public, only that his low, flat, and unadorned cap, and his well-blacked shining shoes, indicated that he belonged to the city. He was a well-made man, about the middle size, and seemed firm in health, though advanced in years. His looks expressed sagacity and good humour; and the air of respectability which his dress announced was well supported by his clear the Scottish idiom in his first address, but eye, ruddy cheek, and grey bair. He used in such a manner that it could hardly be distinguished whether he was passing upon his friend a sort of jocose mockery, or whether it was his own native dialect, for his ordinary discourse had little provincialism."

apothecary the sufferer is recalled to his senses, and after a dialogue between him and Master George Heriot, the wealthy and celebrated citizen who has been described, interspersed with some satirical remarks of Master Jerkin on the stranger's apparel, which is, it seems, somewhat of the most threadbare, the following information is gathered, viz. that his name is Richie or Richard Moniplies, that he is servant to the young Lord Glenvarloch, the hero of the work, who, owing to circumstances which may as well be afterwards explained, is come from Scotland to England, where he lives in lodgings very unsuitable to his rank, under the name of Mr. Nigel Olifaunt, "as keeping ourselves," as Richie observes, "retired for the present, though in Scotland we be called the Lord Nigel," and having given Master George his Lord's address, he departs.

. We have not yet intimated to our readers that, besides the clocks and watches, and other horological indescribables, which filled not only David's house, but also his brain, so completely that he could scarce for a moment divert his attention from the abstruse calculations of his occupation, he had another and more attractive piece of furniture, his daughter, pretty Mistress Margaret, who possessed considerable personal, and some mental attractions, not unmixed with a spice of coquetry and other womanly failings, which had taken root the earlier from her being what is called a spoiled child. This damsel's charms had touched the heart of Jin Vin.

We are next introduced to Mr. Nigel Olifaunt, or to speak more properly, Lord Glenvarloch, waiting with some impatience and anxiety for the return of his follower Richie Moniplies, who at length appears and gives an account of the cause of his prolonged absence. It appears that the said Moniplies had gone out to present or cause to be presented to the King, a supplication for a sum of money owing by his Majesty to Glenvarlock, and which Richie imagined he could accomplish through his interest at court, which interest at length, in reply to his master's questions, turns out to be the friendship of one of the yeomen of the kitchen. Richie, however, presented the petition, but with such awkward ness that the King threw it away from

him in anger, without looking at it— and it was from this fruitless expedition that the forlorn ambassador was returning, when he attracted the notice of David Ramsay's apprentices as before related.

The next morning Nigel is visited by Master George Heriot, who having been under considerable obligations to Glenvarlock's father, gratefully embraces an opportunity of repaying them to his son, who, unacquainted with Heriot, and wishing to live unknown, at first receives him coolly. The worthy goldsmith, however, persuades him to accept his assistance, which is the more needed, as, unless some method is hit upon for procuring payment to Nigel of his debt from the exchequer, his paternal estate is in danger of going to sale in order to satisfy a wadset or mortgage for 40,000 marks, due ostensibly to Peregrine Paterson, the conversator of Scottish privileges at Campvere, "who," as Heriot informs him, " only lends his name to shroud no less a man than the Lord Chancellor of England, who hopes, under cover of this disguise to gain possession of the estate himself, or perhaps to gratify a yet more powerful third party." This conjecture of Heriot's proves correct, the Chancellor is to obtain the estate for the Duke of Buckingham, the King's imperious favourite. Heriot advises Glenvarlock to go to court and present his supplication to the King in his own person, and furnishes him with money to enable him to appear there in a suitable equipage, and shortly after leaves him in order to go to show to the King a piece of plate of superior workmanship.

In his way to court, after having called at our friend the Horologer's to invite him and pretty Mistress Margaret to dine with him to meet Glenvarlock, whom he had previously prevailed upon to partake of "a mess of white broth, a fat capon, well larded," and other dainties, he stops to get Nigel's supplication engrossed by a scrivener, and proceeds to the palace, where he is instantly admitted, gold and silver” being, as James remarks on the goldsmith's being announced, "ever wel

James, after having bargained for the plate, complains to Heriot of the restless persecution which he undergoes from suitors of his own country, and describes the fear and danger in which