MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 93 



the mode in which he lias performed his task is honourable to him. 

 Clear and well arranged, and simple in its details, it is at once a Manual 

 of Geology, and a Guide-Book to lead us to become geologists. The 

 idea was a very happy one, and we trust to see it followed up. The 

 illustrative wood-cuts are exceedingly graphic and beautiful; and their 

 number and variety is one strong recommendation to the work, as many 

 geological details are absolutely incomprehensible to the student, unless 

 aided by diagrams and plates. 



We shall again return to the work ; the late period at which it reached 

 us, and a pressure by notices, preventing us doing more than calling- 

 attention to it. 



Ernest Campell. By JOHN AINSLIE, Esq., Author of " Aurung- 

 zebe." 3 vols. Cochrane and Co., London. 



This work has a fault which is just now very prevalent amongst novel 

 and romance writers, namely, an injudicious choice of time. " Wave'r- 

 ley"and *' Ernest Campbell" are co-temporaries ; and though "Waverley" 

 and "Ernest Campbell" are works of totally diverse character the 

 mere fact of having; reference to a particular era, and to a particular 

 train of circumstances connected with the Chevalier Charles Edward's 

 advance into England, they are unavoidably brought into collision. 

 Putting aside this evident want of discretion, the production is one of 

 considerable interest, full of varied scenes and vigorous delineation of 

 character, mingled here and there with some extravaganzas ; witness 

 Abimelech Digrium, who, although he affords Mr. Ainslie an excellent 

 vent for a little vulgarity and a world of nonsense, seems to us something 

 like an excrescence thrust too prominently forwards ; and if he be occa- 

 sionally wonderfully amusing, he is oftentimes exceedingly ridiculous. 



The hero Ernest, we find as an orphan, located with a catholic priest 

 in the north of England : in this condition he is thrown into the society of 

 the daughter of Squire Berkley, and a regie, they fall in love : this is 

 discovered, and Ernest very unceremoniously dismissed : the Squire's 

 heart, however, relents, or, rather, he holds out his daughter as a bait, 

 and very summarily recruits Ernest for the service of Prince Charles, 

 then advancing on Manchester. After this, he goes through a somewhat 

 complicated series of adventures and " hair-breadth 'scapes," the most 

 stirring being dependent on the atrocious villany of a Mr. Crighton, a 

 man so utterly dyed in crime, that we loathe in place of analysing his 

 character, and who eventually turns out to be his uncle. 



Mr. Ainslie thus speaks of the Royal Adventurer: " Campbell had 

 been completely prejudiced against this prince : he had considered him 

 even in the light of a silly adventurer, who, without any great moral 

 courage, had still sufficient of animal sensibility of danger to enter upon 

 hazards, which might stamp a differently constituted mind with the 

 celebrity of true heroism. He, moreover, held his talents in little esti- 

 mation, supposing him at least little more than the puppet of those 

 haughty chiefs and designing favourites by whom he was surrounded. 

 This unjust opinion, with which many, even in the present day, with 

 futility attempt to tarnish the hardly-earned honours of a great and 

 daring mind, was one likely enough to be formed, from the implicit 

 obedience with which Charles followed the counsels of his friends. 

 Counsels ! dictates were a happier term, for if ever it was impossible for 

 a prince to contend, or attempt to oppose measures chalked out for him 

 by advisers, it was this most unfortunate of all princes. Little allowance, 

 alas ! have his easy-chaired biographers made for his situation ; a 



