1825.] 
comprise much originality of conception 
and quaintness of expression. The author 
professes himself to be an Irishman. Be 
that as it may, he certainly conveys the 
idea of that deep patriotic feeling, and that 
high-wrought energetic imagination, which 
is almost universally ascribed to our Hiber- 
nian countrymen. The first of these tales 
is Calibert, the Beur-hunter. The scene is 
laid among the -most beautiful Alps ; 
and the sketches of the manners and 
customs of the Italian peasants (which 
have every appearance of being genuine 
portraits) increase the romantic interest 
of the situation. Calibert is a madman, 
driven to despair, almost to the determina- 
tion of self-destruction, by the dreadful 
death of his father (who is precipitated 
from an immense rock, in the embraces of 
a huge bear, with which he is in vain’en- 
deayouring to cope, whilst his son stands 
by, a passive spectator of the horrid scene). 
Had we space, we might quote many beau- 
tiful passages, particularly the descriptions 
of mountain scenery—the sun rising midst 
the mists of the Appenines—the hunters, 
&e. ; all of which are actually brought be- 
fore our eyes. But as our limits will not 
allow us to do more than glance at these 
beauties, we trust our readers will them- 
selves select them. The second, and part 
of the third, volume contains the story of 
the Priest and the Garde du Corps; and 
though we do not think this second vo- 
lume equal to the former, it contains much 
interesting anecdote relative to the Reyo- 
lution in-the year 1790, and an animated, 
though perhaps flattering account, of Marie 
Antoinette, the unfortunate consort of 
Louis XVI., together with an affecting 
picture of her death and sufferings. The 
third and last volume concludes with the 
Vouée au Blanc, and is much in the style of 
common novel stories, though the writing 
is throughout of the best kind. We can 
only wonder that the man, who could have 
written a tale so highly finished, and pos- 
sessing so much poetical taste as the Bear- 
hunter displays, should have condescended 
to write in so comparatively an under-style 
as is assumed in the other stories. 
The Gil Blas of the Revolution. 3 vols. 
8vo.—This work is a free translation from 
the French of L. B. Picard, an author, 
well known, and deservedly much admired 
in France. He has produced many works 
of late, with surprising rapidity ; and, 
among them, not the least meritorious, 
stands the present. The nature of the 
history is made manifest by the name; we 
are therefore prepared for adventures, opi- 
nions, vicissitudes and incidents somewhat 
resembling the Gil Blas of Le Sage. In 
this we are not disappointed. The era, 
chosen by the author for his groundwork, 
affords full scope for exhibiting “ the ups 
and downs of this little world.” It com- 
prehends the period of the Revolution 
from its commencement to the final return 
Montuty Mac. No. 407. 
Literary and Critical Proénium. 
16] 
of the Bourbons to the throne. Upon the 
score of morality, the present work has 
precedence of its namesake. It excites 
curiosity without tempting to transgres- 
sion. We become eager to know the 
issues of the life of a hero, who “can 
turn and turn and turn again;’” but the 
detail inspires no wish to imitate, The 
interest is in the adventure, not in the 
well-doing of the unprincipled adventurer 
—the catastrophe of whose degradation 
we view without regret. Unlike his pro- 
totype who, after a career of versatile 
and ingenious knavery, is rewarded with 
rank and fortune, the Gil Blas of M. Pi- 
card, after having passed through every 
vicissitude of poverty and riches, between 
which the scale of his destiny is continu- 
ally vibrating, finds the balance, at length, 
decidedly setting in the poise of justice 
and virtue, and sinking him in his old age to 
the level of a common alms-house. The 
author has shewn much address in carry- 
ing his work through so many vicissitudes 
of the revolution, without committing him- 
self with any of the parties by political 
remarks or opinions that might be offen- 
sive. He connects his narrative with 
events that are known to laye occurred ; 
and presents us with a description of a 
life, of whieh we may readily believe that 
there may have been hundreds of exam- 
ples ; but makes not himself a partizan of 
any of the factions with whose successive 
rise and fall the thread of his story is inter- 
woven. 
Cadijah ; or, the Black Palace. A Tra- 
gedy, in Five dcts. By Mrs. J AMIRSON.— 
Paper and print beautiful! dedication ac- 
cepted by the Right Honourable Lady 
Sara Robinson!!! This, we hope, will 
satisfy Mrs. Jamieson. As for the blank 
verse which, from a first glance at the form 
of the pages, we were led to expect, and 
the authoress, of course, designed, we will 
criticise it when any one will be kind 
enough to shew us where it is to be found. 
In what manner, we should be glad to 
know, are the following syllables, for exam- 
ple, to be divided, so as to make verse of 
any description whatever ? 
«© Two moons have shed their silvery lustre on fair 
Susa’s tow’rs since Mahmud left our royal presence: 
strange and tedious his delay; and my impatient 
soul looks anxiously for his return, whose ready 
genius gives a taste of never-failing novelty to the 
self same pleasures.” 
Two lines of verse do indeed tumble, 
by accident, out of different parts of this 
sentence, and even of these, the first and 
best— 
«« Their silvery lustre on fair Susa’s towers,” 
is not estimated as a verse in the arrange- 
ment of the authoress. If Mrs. J. will 
strike out the few verses there are (never 
more than two or three in a whole page, as 
far as we have looked, and never two to- 
gether) and will reprint the whole, as 
the prose which it-is, we will endea- 
we you 
