1829.] 
planted by a brother, and robbed of both 
title and estate ; but what interest-he had in 
Restalrig’s forfeiture is no where made out. 
For any thing that appears, the act was per- 
fectly gratuitous on his part ;—perhaps the 
author considered this the best possible illus- 
tration of consummate malignity. But the 
fault of the whole story is want of skilful 
complication. It no where moves along 
easy ; and the springs of action are conti- 
nually inadequate, or over adequate. 
Left thus destitute by the result of this 
iniquitous proceeding, Logan has but one 
friend, Sir Robert Carey, a favourite in 
James’s court, and the friend of his father, 
and uncle and guardian to a young heiress, to 
whom he had been betrothed from his child- 
hood, but whom he had scarcely seen, and 
had no thoughts, particularly after his 
father’s death, of marrying. Now, too, he 
was a beggar, and too high spirited to be 
indebted for subsistence to a wife. Sir Ro- 
bert, a very careful person, knew nothing of 
this determination of the young man, and 
would willingly have kept him at a dis- 
tance; but, as ill luck would have it, the 
queen, who delighted in opposing the king, 
and patronizing his enemies, or those he con- 
sidered such, had insisted upon his being 
brought up to town, and commissioned this 
very Sir Robert to take all possible care of 
him. This was a delicate business alto- 
gether, for James, of course, could not wish 
to hear any thing of Restalrig; and the 
niece—she must be kept out of sight—who, 
on her part, being a damsel of spirit, re- 
solved to see the youth, whom she regarded 
inviolably as her husband. To London the 
hero comes, and was receiyed with all due 
courtesy by the old courtier, and myste- 
riously conducted—for what purpose heaven 
knows, except to listen to an insignificant 
‘dialogue between Sir Walter Raleigh and 
the young prince Henry—through the pri- 
sons of the Tower, and safely lodged for the 
night. The quecn, too, was as mysterious as 
she was perverse, and would needs see young 
Restalrig at a masque, to which also Sir 
Robert’s niece was invited, and knowing all 
about the connection, (as what do kings and 
queens not know ?) she contrivedan interview 
between them, and for lack of a little pre- 
vious concert, produced a very awkward re- 
sult. Without knowing her person, how- 
ever, Restalrig falls desperately in love with 
his own betrothed. 
Before eclaircissement takes place, Carr, 
the king’s near favourite, discovers the se- 
cret of Restalrig’s presence, and immedi- 
ately acquaints the queen he is in possession 
of it. Dreading the king’s wrath, she finds 
it necessary to despatch Restalrig forthwith 
out of the country. He is accordingly fur- 
nished with letters of recommendation from 
the young prince and his mother, to Sully, 
the king of F’rance’s minister. Within a 
few miles of Paris, he encounters the king, 
engaged in an act of gallantry, and exposed 
to some danger, from which he rescues him, 
M.M. New Serics.—Vou. VII. No. 40. 
Domestic and Foreign. 
425 
and for which he is eventually presented 
with a commission in his Guards, and be- 
comes something of a favourite. 
In the meanwhile, Sir Robert’s niece, 
being now of age, and in a state almost of 
despair, resolves to go to Scotland, and sigh 
upon her own domains—taking with her as 
her companion, a cousin, whom she consi- 
dered to be in some peril from the profligate 
attentions of Lord Algerton. They accord- 
ingly set out together, but before the first 
day’s journey was completed, this Lord 
overtakes them, and claims the cousin as his 
bride, and she is thus left to finish her jour- 
ney alone. That very night, by the trea. 
chery of some attendant, she is induced to 
accept of accommodation at a distance from 
the road side, where she is exposed to the 
most imminent peril—it being the purpose 
of those who betrayed her to throw down 
the building, and bury her and her suite in 
the ruins. Lord Algerton is at the bottom 
of this, or rather his deformed and. sup- 
planted brother ; but, apparently from such 
change of purpose on the part of hunch-back, 
who falls in love with the lady, she is res- 
cued from the impending stroke, and car- 
ried off to France. Under the ruins, how- 
ever, she is supposed to be buried, and Lord 
Algerton, in right of his wife, who was next 
heir, takes possession of her estate. In 
France, the dwarf harasses the lady with his 
addresses; but, presently, without knowing 
why, or wherefore, we find him at his bro- 
ther’s—openly, at dinner, where a party 
were assembled, mocking and taunting, till 
at length, the insulted brother making a 
lounge at him, he is compelled, apparently, 
to stick his own dagger into him, and then 
make his escape. This he attempts—but 
stepping into a crazy boat, he is overtaken 
by astorm, and drowned—and disappointed 
of his full revenge. In the meanwhile, the 
lady and Restalrig, being both in France, of 
course, by some odd chance or other, come 
together, and of course also come to an 
understanding. Restalrig’s forfeiture is re- 
versed, and the lady recovers her estates— 
and they are of course as happy as the day is 
long. 
The writer’s acquaintance with the times, 
is correct and close ;—but really the story is 
a dull piece of business, and stuffed with 
improbabilities ; and is as heavy and labo- 
rious as a piece of grave history.—Defend 
us from too much of this! 
Letters from the Augean, by J. Emerson ; 
2 vols., 1829.—These letters do not, as any 
one would have expected, from the title and 
the author, in the least concern the Greek 
revolution, but are confined mainly to a de- 
scription of places and scenery, and travelling 
incidents, with here and there something of 
a story made to look as like a novel as pos- 
sible, interfused —one of them excepted, 
relative to a victim of the Scio massacre» 
not at all worth the telling. The letters, 
which are in fact nothing but the siftings 
31 
