1028.] 



Domestic and Foreig?i.~ 



187 



The Red Rover, by the Author of the 

 "Spy," "Pilot," $c. 3 vols.^ 1827 

 After toiling through the labours of second 

 and third rate performers, it is some relief, 

 nay it is a positive pleasure to take up the 

 work of a master-hand. The American 

 novelist is Sir Walter Scott's perfect equal 

 in very many respects. For the most part they 

 both of them act wisely and warily ; they 

 work on their own grounds, and keep within 

 the limits of their own experience. Sir 

 Walter knows his own country, and his 

 country's history, and there he is quite un- 

 rivalled. That in him which looks like a 

 power of intense and laborious research, 

 coupled with a sagacity and tact that sees at 

 a glance what neither time nor labour can 

 give, enables him to exhibit scenes of olden 

 times with a degree of truth, or the appear- 

 ance of truth, that few or none can compete 

 with. Mr. Cooper, in like manner, knows 

 America, and its short, but eventful and 

 unique history he has been, too, a sailor 

 and confining himself, with the wisdom of 

 a sound understanding, to American charac- 

 ter, and naval scenes and subjects, he, like 

 his master, is in his departments without a 

 rival. He could not have written the tales 

 of Scott, nor could Scott have written those 

 of Cooper. Sir Walter has indeed ven- 

 tured, and in the opinion of numbers talked 

 learnedly of storms and battles ; but it must 

 be a grudging, or a timid, or a despicable 

 spirit that refuses to admit Cooper's supe- 

 riority. The details of a storm, a chace, 

 and a wreck, in the Red-Rover, are, beyond 

 all comparison, the most powerful in their 

 effects that ever thrilled through us, and are 

 as little likely as substantial facts, to fade 

 from our memories. The winds and waves 

 are at his command, and the storms which 

 his magic pen so readily raises, howl and 

 roar aures perstringens with a truth and 

 witchery, perhaps, too near reality making 

 the brain waver and turn from the page 

 for relief and be sure of its security. 



To turn to the tale. In the offing of 

 Newport, in Rhode Island, lies a vessel of 

 the most beautiful appearance which is re- 

 ported to be a slave-ship, but with respect 

 to which suspicions are floating on shore 

 that she is something worse. A sailor of 

 mysterious bearing is introduced, attended 

 by two others of an inferior class, one a 

 " nigger." If any guess can be made about 

 the chief, it is that he is some disappointed 

 officer the victim of a mutiny, or perhaps 

 of some indignity, which can be soothed 

 only by revenge for he is soon found ready 

 to join a common enemy of all law and le- 

 gitimate authority. While contemplating 

 with an eager and admiring curiosity the 

 beautiful ship in the offing, they are abrupt- 

 ly addressed by a stranger in green, who 

 speaks of himself as a lawyer long con- 

 versation follows, without any understanding 

 between them, till by degrees the lawyer 

 betrays too much familiarity with naval mat- 

 ters, not to make it evident he is something 



more than what he seems, and on his sepa- 

 ration, he drops a hint which 'the young 

 sailor immediately seizes, and shortly after 

 acts upqn. But while they are thus dis- 

 coursing and examining a ruined building 

 on the shore, a party of ladies come under 

 the walls, and the strangers overhear their 

 conversation. Two of them, it appeared, a 

 lady and her governess, were going to sail 

 the next day, in a large trading vessel, for 

 the southern provinces, to join the young 

 lady's father, a man of great wealth and 

 importance. The strangers are both very 

 much struck by the ladies without how. 

 ever communicating their feelings with any 

 frankness. In the night, the young sailor 

 with his two attendants rows to the slave, 

 ship where he is instantly received, and 

 welcomed with the utmost cordiality by the 

 stranger in green who proves to be her 

 captain, and no other than the formidable 

 Red-Rover, a pirate, the terror and scourge 

 of the Caribbees. The young sailor's object 

 whose name is Wilder appears to be to 

 seek for employment ; but before he can 

 well explain his purposes, the pirate makes 

 him a prompt offer of his first lieutenancy. 

 The offer is forthwith accepted and he 

 returns to the shore the next day to assume 

 the duties of his new office. 



In the morning he falls in with the ladies, 

 whose conversation he had overheard the 

 evening before and endeavours to dissuade 

 them from embarking on board the trader, 

 by depreciating the vessel, and predicting 

 misfortunes. His purpose is baffled by the 

 obstinacy of a begging sailor, who contro- 

 verts his statements, and the ladies pursue 

 their resolution. Wilder, it seems, when on 

 board the pirate, had learnt the intention of 

 the Rover to seize the trader, and his pur- 

 pose now was merely to rescue the ladies 

 from such a calamity. In the course of the 

 day he resumes the attempt, but is again 

 thwarted by the old sailor who proves to 

 be an agent of the pirate ; and just as he 

 is abandoning all hopes of succeeding, he 

 receives a note from the pirate with some 

 papers, directing him to go on board the 

 trader, and offer his services to command 

 her the captain having just met with a 

 serious accident, which disables him. These 

 offers are made, and accepted, and in a few 

 hours he finds himself in command, and the 

 ladies on board. They set sail, and going 

 out of port, the pilot appears to be directing 

 the ship close upon the pirate, and Wilder, 

 the pilot being obstinate, can only prevent 

 it by ordering him overboard, and then 

 seizing himself the helm, with difficulty 

 passes her. Knowing, or at least suspecting 

 as he did the pirate's insention, he now 

 takes the resolution if possible to defeat his 

 purpose, crowding all sail to outstrip his 

 pursuit. The risk incurred by straining 

 the ship, and the seamanship of the young 

 sailor, exhausting the resources of his art, 

 are traced with a minuteness, that in the 

 hands of a common artist would only have 



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