144 English Novelists and Sir Walter Scott, in his lives of the novelists, of the series published by Ballantyne, thus speaks of this department of literature. "Excluding from consideration those infamous works which address themselves directly to awakening the grosser passions of our nature, we are inclined to think the worst evil to be apprehended from the perusal of novels is, that the habit is apt to generate an indisposition to real history and useful literature; and that the best that can be hoped is, that they may sometimes instruct the youthful mind by real pictures of life, and sometimes awaken their better feeling and sympathies by strains of generous sentiment and tales of fictitious woe. Beyond this point, they are a mere elegance, a luxury contrived for the amusement of polished life, and the gratification of that half love of literature which pervades all ranks in an advanced stage of society, and are read much more for amusement than with the least hope of deriving instruction from them. The vices and follies of Tom Jones are those which the world soon teaches to all who enter on the career of life, and to which society is unhappily but too indulgent; nor do we believe that in any one instance the perusal of Fielding's novel has added one libertine to the large list, who would not have been such had it never crossed the press. And it is with concern we add our sincere belief that the fine picture of frankness and generosity exhibited in that fictitious character, has had as few imitations as the career of his follies. Let it not be supposed that we are indifferent to morality, because we treat with scorn that affectation, which, while in common life it connives at the open practice of libertinism, pretends to detest the memory of an author who painted life as it was, with all its shades, and more than all the lights which it occasionally exhibits to relieve them. Dr. Johnson observes, we must read what the world reads, at the moment. It has been maintained that this teeming of the press in modern times is prejudicial to good literature, because it obliges us to read so much of what is of inferior value, in order to be in the fashion; so that better works are neglected for want of time, because a man will have more gratification of his vanity in conversation from having read modern books, than from having read the best works of antiquity; but it must be considered that we have now knowledge more generally diffused. Modern writers are the moons of literature; they shine with reflected light; with light borrowed from the ancients. Greece appears to me to be the fountain of knowledge: Rome of elegance. WORKS OF IMAGINATION. The early arts made chivalrous life, with all its pomp and ceremonies, more august and imposing, and more picturesque, as a subject for description. Literature for a time contributed to the same effect, by her jejune and fabulous efforts at history; in which the athletic worthies of classical story and of modern romance were gravely connected by an ideal genealogy. And thus the dawn of human improvement smiled on the fabric which it was ultimately to destroy; as the morning sun gilds and beautifies those masses of frost work, which are to melt before its noon-day heat. The elements of romantic fiction have been traced up to various sources; but neither the Scaldic, nor Saracenic, nor Armorican theory of its origin can sufficiently account for all its materials. Many of them are classical, and others derived from the scripture. The migrations of science are difficult enough to be traced; but fiction travels on still lighter wings, and scatters the seeds of her wild flowers imperceptibly over the world, till they surprise us by springing up with similarity in regions the most remotely divided. There was a vague and unselecting love of the marvellous in romance, which sought for adventures, like its knights errant, in every quarter where they could be found; so that it is easier to admit of all the sources that are imputed to that species of fiction, than to limit our belief to any one of them. ARABIAN NIGHTS. The Arabian Nights' Entertain ments, translated by Dr. Scott, with additional tales and illustrations by Smirke, 6 vols. post octavo, 37 13s 6d, without plates, 11 16s. With designs by Westall, 4 vols. post octavo. U ARABIAN NIGHTS. Mr. Limbird has published a very cheap edition in one volume, with wood-cuts, for 6s 6d. A new series in three volumes have appeared, but much inferior. To these may be added the Tales of the Genii, and Persian and Turkish Tales. "It has been surmised that the Arabian Nights may have proceeded from the old Pehlevi stock, and from that have been translated into arabic. It is not improbable the land of the fairies, the region of the genii, and the king of those imaginary domains, Gian Ben Gian, are purely Persian, and so much so, that the first part of Ferdousi's Epic Shah Nameh, introduces them to our attention. But the conception of the Eastern genii seems referible to a still older source,-to the ancient Chaldeans." Sharon Turner. British Novelists, with prefaces by Mrs. Barbauld, 50 vols. royal duodecimo, 107 10s. Ballantyne's Novelist's Library, edited by Sir Walter Scott. This work, though recommended by the powerful name of Sir Walter Scott, has proved a failure. DON QUIXOTE. Translated from the Spanish of Cervantes, with seventy-four fine engravings, after the designs of Smirke, in 4 vols. octavo, 81 8s, large paper, 81 8s. With plates from Westall's designs, 4 vols. post octavo, 2l2s. A young man was perceived walking with a book in his hand, and as he read, every now and then he burst into an immoderate fit of laughter: Philip III. who witnessed it, exclaimed, “Either that young man is mad, or he is reading Don Quixote." It was the latter. Could but Cervantes have witnessed this incontestible proof of the immortality of his work. And yet Cervantes wanted not only the comforts, but the necessaries of life. DUNLOP. The History of Fiction, by John Dunlop, with a critical account of the most celebrated works of Fiction, 3 vols. post octavo, 21 2s. A complete and well written book upon this curious and entertaining subject. FIELDING. The Works of Henry Fielding, complete, with an essay on his life and genius, by Arthur Murphy, Esq. post octavo, 10 vols. 41 10s. There is a good old edition printed by Andrew Miller, in 6 vols. may be obtained for 31 10s, with a portrait by Hogarth. Andrew Miller, the bookseller, gave Fielding £800. for the copyright of his Amelia. SMOLLETT. The Works of Tobias Smollett, in cluding all his novels, with his life, portraits, 6 volumes, octavo, 31 3s. GOLDSMITH. The Vicar of Wakefield, by Oliver Goldsmith, Westall's illustrations, duodecimo, 8s. Miniature editions in various forms. This beautiful little work remained unnoticed, and was attacked by the reviews, until Lord Holland, who had been ill, sent to his bookseller for some amusing book: this was sent; and he was so pleased, that he spoke of it in the highest terms to a large company who dined with him a few days after. The consequence was, that the whole impression was sold off in a few days. Johnson informed me he had made the bargain for Goldsmith, and the price was sixty pounds, and a sufficient price too when it was sold, for then the fame of Goldsmith had not been elevated, as it afterwards was, by his Traveller; and the bookseller had such faint hopes of profit by his bargain, that he kept the manuscript by him a long time, and did not publish it till after the Traveller had appeared. Boswe.l. Whatever defects occur in the tenor of the story, the admirable ease and grace of the narrative, as well as the pleasing truth with which the principal characters are designed, makes the Vicar of Wakefield one of the most delicious morsels of fictitious composition on which the human mind was ever employed. The principal character, that of the simple pastor himself, with all LE SAGE. Diable Boiteux. There is no book in existence in which so much of the human character, under all its various shades and phrases, is described in so few words as in the Diable Boiteux. Every page, every line bears marks of that sure tact and accurate developement of human weakness and folly, which tempt us to think we are actually listening to a superior intelligence. Sir Walter Scott. LE SAGE. Gil Blas, translated from the French of Le Sage, with engravings from the designs of Smirke, 4 vols. royal octavo, 6Gl 6s. Few have ever read this charming book without remembering as one of the most delightful occupations of their life, the time which they employed in the perusal; and there are few also who do not occasionally turn back to its pages with all the vivacity which attends the recollection of early love. It signifies nothing at what time we have encountered the fascination, whether in boyhood, when we were chiefly captivated by the cavern of the robbers and other scenes of romance, whether in more advanced youth, but while our ignorance of the world yet concealed from us the subtle and poignant satire which lurks in so many passages of the work; whether we even learned enough to apprehend the various allusions to history and public matters with which it abounds, or ignorant enough to rest contented with the more direct course of the narrative. The power of the enchanter over us, is alike absolute under all these circumstances. If there be any thing like truth in Gray's opinion, that to lie upon a couch and read new novels was no bad idea of paradise, how would that beatitude be enhanced, could human genius afford us another Gil Blas! Le Sage, excellent in describing scenes of all kinds, gives such vivacity to those which interest the Gastronome in particular, that an epicure of my acquaintance used to read certain favourite |