Domestic and Foreign. 



1.827.] 



vourable for the author's purposes. Gene- 

 rally, it may be truly said, the contrivances 

 are clumsy, the dialogues without point, 

 the discussions insignificant conveying the 

 most hacknied notions on the most hackuied 

 topics of the times; while the several cha- 

 racters are treated with severity or lenity, ac- 

 cording as they are admirers of Napoleon, 

 or partizuns of the Bourbons and the Jesuits. 

 The book will make no sensation in Eng- 

 land, whatever it may have been calculated 

 to do in France. 



Dame Rebecca Berry. 3vols. 12mo. 1827. 

 The eventful story of Dame Rebecca is built 

 upon tradition. The child of very humble 

 parents, in very early infancy she is with- 

 drawn from their protection by a sudden 

 fancy, which their landlord, Sir Ambrose 

 Templeton, takes to her. He, poor man, 

 has been shamefully jilted ; and, in conse- 

 quence, forswears all future communion with 

 the wicked sex, devotes himself to the study 

 of astrology, and lives the life almost of an 

 anchorite. After the child had been with 

 him a year or two, and had completely won 

 his fondest affections, he unluckily consults 

 the stars as to her destiny, and finds it indis- 

 solubly linked with his own he is to marry 

 her. Shocked at the prospect of a mesalli- 

 ance of this kind, and having no fear of God 

 before his eyes as it seems an astrologist, 

 and, of course, a fatalist cannot have he 

 resolves, in the very teeth of science and his 

 convictions of the infallibility of the stars, 

 to get rid of her, and effectually so, by 

 drowning her himself. He does the deed 

 clumsily, and she is rescued from the water 

 by a fisherman, who kindly takes charge of 

 the little orphan. When about the age of 

 fourteen, she is discovered accidentally by Sir 

 Ambrose ; his alarms revive ; he again gets 

 possession of her, and devotes her to destruc- 

 tion ; but this time she is rescued unknown 

 to Sir Ambrose by his brother. This brother, 

 quite an old gentleman, takes a fancy to Re- 

 becca, as she ripens into womanhood ; and 

 is actually on the point of marrying' her, 

 when Sir Ambrose appears. He had heard of 

 his brother's intention to marry some young, 

 unknown protegee, and he hastens to expos- 

 tulate with him. To his horror and amaze- 

 ment he recognizes Rebecca again now full 

 grown, beautiful, accomplished, enchanting ; 

 her charms soon to strike him with admira- 

 tion he will have her himself. High words 

 ensue between the brothers ; neither will 

 give way. Sir Ambrose claims her by the 

 ring she wears, which bad been his, and which 

 he affirms bears a charm within it. At this 

 declaration, he tears it from her, and throws 

 it through the window into the Mersey 

 *' If ever you recover it, I will marry you, but 

 never till then." A compromise at last takes 

 place ; she refuses both brother?, and removes 

 to some friends of her protector. The agita- 

 tion of the scene, throws the old man into a 

 fever ; he dies, and leaves Rebecca 10,000, 

 and an estate at Strutford-le-Bow. 



To escape from Sir Ambrose's renewed 



427 



importunities, she withdraws privately to 

 some fdends of the family she is with, at 

 Bristol, where she forms an attachment for 

 Sir John Berry, whom she marries. He, 

 within a few short months, is killed in battle, 

 and leaves her a splendid estate in Leices- 

 tershire. Not long after her husband's death, 

 she, quite unexpectedly, encounters Sir Am- 

 brose again, at a dinner. No explanations, 

 or recognitions take place ; but at table, Sir 

 Ambrose assists Rebecca to some fish a 

 whole one there was but one, by the way 

 which, on the cutting up, presents to her 

 view, and his view, to the equal amazement 

 of both, the very ring she had thrown into 

 the Mersey ! He claims her promise, and she 

 is true to her word. 



Sir Ambrose now returns to the world, and 

 brings up his wife to town. There she is 

 introduced at once into the brilliant and li- 

 centious circles of the court that of the 

 profligate Charles. Here we are introduced 

 to Buckingham and Rochester, and have 

 long and particular details of Rochester's 

 pranks, during the king's displeasure against 

 him, for some months, when he played the 

 conjuror in the city, and astonished and 

 alarmed the ladies of the court, by his super- 

 human acquaintance with all their peccadil- 

 loes. Dame Rebecca is immediately and 

 universally an object of admiration, and 

 Buckingham is planning to entrap her sim- 

 plicity. Rochester and he contrive to per- 

 plex and plague Sir Ambrose, who quickly 

 gets alarmed, and soon leaves the country. 

 In crossing to the continent, he is wrecked 

 and dies. The lady, a second time a widow, 

 still young and beautiful more fascinating 

 than ever from the recent polish of higher 

 society the possessor of three magnificent 

 properties, returns to England, and in due 

 time, and on mature consideration, marries 

 again ; and lives virtuously and happily- 

 honoured, respected, and beloved till the 

 year 1694, and lies buried in Stratford church; 

 where may still be seen a tablet, with the 

 fish and ring below the inscription. 



The tale is rather unequally executed. 

 The London scenes are, however described 

 with considerable animation and felicity. It 

 betrays a want of familiarity with the times, 

 and mistakes here and there occur some 

 pretty broad ones. The writer will improve 

 historically that requiring only a little 

 labour. The story will not class with Walter 

 Scott's and Horace Smith's, but there are 

 respectable positions below them, which it 

 will be no contemptible distinction to occupy. 

 We predict better things from another effort. 



Almack's, a Novel. 3 vols. 12mo. 182T. 

 The great impelling principle of human 

 nature whether we look at society in the 

 lump, or in portions, or in detail, is to make 

 the most of advantages within its grasp. If 

 a nation have power, it uses that power ; if 

 an individual have authority, he does the 

 same ; wealth must command ; beauty will 

 not throw away its charm, and accomplish- 

 ments know their own value. Be these ad- 



3 I I 



