332 



Monthly Review of Literature, 



QMARCH, 



It is idle to complain of the introduc- 

 tion of some names in these lives of Ita- 

 lian poets, or of the absence of others ; 

 but if the names of Lorenzo and Poli- 

 tiano were to be enrolled as poets, the list 

 might have been multiplied fifty-fold. 

 Nobody could expect to find Boccaccio, 

 known now certainly only for his lascivious 

 tales. Mr. S. has pretty plainly little re- 

 lish for such a man as Luigi Pulci, or he 

 would surely not have introduced him 

 parenthetically only or rather as an 

 appendage to Politiano. Forteguerra, 

 we believe, is not even mentioned in a 

 .note ; nor even such poets as Rucellai, 

 Morando, Zappi, or Pastorini. But no 

 two persons probably would agree pre- 

 cisely in the adoption of any list; and 

 we welcome, as a thing that was wanted, 

 what we have got. 



Allan McDougal, or Scenes in the Pe- 

 ninsula^ 3 vols. I2mo. Though spring- 

 ing from the well-known manufactory of 

 fade romances, Allan McDougal is of 

 other stuff of a more manly cast and 

 quality. The writer knows, at all 

 events, something of the world he de- 

 scribes ; and his tale may be read, 

 without revolting them, by those who 

 know that same world thoroughly. A 

 desire to talk of Spain the scene of 

 some of the author's personal experience 

 probably prompted the production. 

 The tale itself is not very skilfully con- 

 structed, nor are the incidents or cha- 

 racters even save the military ones 

 anything more than may be found every 

 day in the common run of secondary- 

 novels ; but the style of narrative is full 

 of spirit and intelligence. The writer 

 shews familiarity with life and realities ; 

 he detects readily the common motives 

 of action, and has no difficulty in giving 

 effective expression to them. 



Allen McDougal is the son of a Scotch 

 laird he takes early a fancy to the 

 army is despatched to Canada in- 

 dulges a passion for gaming returns to 

 England dashes bevond his resources 

 marries, twice, women of property- 

 spends all he can grasp sells his com- 

 mission loses caste and credit flies 

 from his creditors, and is heard no more 

 of for years. His wife and two daugh- 

 ters are left behind upon a pittance, 

 which he could not get at. The mother 

 dies, and the daughters grow up hand- 

 some girls one is engaged to a cousin, 

 who is pushing his way in the navy 

 the other is patronized by a half-sister, 

 who is well married. In her sister's 

 fashionable circle the latter falls in with 

 a young gentleman, who, deeply struck 

 with her charms, is encouraged by his 

 father, an old and self-willed baronet, 

 solely for the purpose of detaching him 

 from a smart and dashing ftlle d'opera. 

 The youth, however, is as honest as he is 



ardent; and, in spite of papa's prohi- 

 bition, marries, and takes her with him 

 to Spain. He is in the Guards, and an 

 aide-de-camp. The bride is left at Lis- 

 bon, and the young subaltern is actively 

 employed, which furnishes the occasion 

 of detailing some of the events of a cam- 

 paign or two. One incident in the battle 

 of Talavera is described a charge of ca- 

 valry where nearly the whole body 

 were precipitated into a deep ditch, not 

 observed till they were too close to re- 

 cede. We do not remember the cir- 

 cumstance in arty of the multitudinous 

 descriptions of that far-famed engage- 

 ment ; but it is here given evidently as 

 a fact ; and if it be not one, the author 

 should learn to mark better the limits 

 between facts and fictions. In the 

 course of the war, the aide-de-camp is 

 severely wounded, and the wife resolves 

 to join him. The road is exposed to the 

 enemy's out-posts, and she loses her es- 

 cort, "but falls in with a Guerilla party 

 the leader of which has luckily been 

 apprised of her route, and luckily also 

 has influence enough with his band to 

 secure her decorous treatment. The 

 chief is not a Spaniard but, by his vi- 

 gour and activity, has obtained high 

 renown in the country, and the full con- 

 fidence of his comrades. El Andader 

 proves, finally, to be the young lady's 

 own father, who had. some years before, 

 quitted his native land to recover a cha- 

 racter among foreigners which was be- 

 come hopeless at home. By his exer- 

 tions, though he perishes in the effort, 

 she is got on board an English frigate, 

 which her sister's inamorato commands, 

 and is at last safely restored to the 

 arms of her wounded sposo. 



A Topographical Dictionary of London 

 and its Environs, by James Elmes, Archi- 

 tect. Quite a prize is this for the coun- 

 try visitors of " enlarged and still in- 

 creasing London," and not unacceptable 

 or rather quite indispensable to resi- 

 dents, to whom, live where they may, 

 the parts more remote from them must 

 be, like Mr. Croker's Russell-square, a 

 terra incognita. There are hundreds of 

 buildings, the locality of which, few 

 even of those best acquainted with town 

 know any thing about the endless pub- 

 lic offices, for instance, save a few lead- 

 ing ones. The author's aim was to com- 

 prise all public buildings, offices, docks, 

 squares, streets, lanes, wards, liberties, 

 charitable, commercial, scholastic, and 

 other establishments, with lists of their 

 officers, patrons, incumbents of livings, 

 &c. Of public places, descriptions of 

 some length are introduced, relative to 

 the history and purpose of them, and 

 much antiquarian information is scat- 

 tered over the volume. 



Of course there will be in a first at- 



