1831.] Monthly Review of Literature. 211 



when it calls upon him to attend to the voice of principle and self-denial, instead 

 of that of precipitate passion." 



For exhibiting the tone and conduct of the court of James the First there 

 exist abundant materials, and Sir Walter has made a fair and ample use of 

 them ; and for the truth of his description of the sanctuary of White Friars, or 

 in the cant term of the day, Alsatia, he appeals to Shadwell's " Squire of 

 Alsatia." It is from that source he learned the footing on which the bullies 

 and thieves of the sanctuary stood with their neighbours — the fiery young stu- 

 dents of the temple. 



Standard Novels, Vol. V. — Godwin's St. Leon. 



At the solicitation of the publishers Mr. Godwin follows in the path struck 

 out by Sir Walter Scott, and accounts, step' by step, for bis doings. Reaching, 

 as Mr. Godwin had done, the summit of expectation in his Caleb Williams, he 

 was quickly urged to try his hand at a second attempt. He hesitated long, and 

 deliberated longer — not then conceiving, that instead of occupying a life with 

 two or three of these productions, the same writer might spin twenty or thirty, 

 and still retain his hold upon the partiality of his cotemporaries. To whom the 

 discovery is due need not be told — enow will follow the track. Years of diffi- 

 dence and hesitation had elapsed, when Mr. Godwin bethought himself of 

 mixing up "human feelings and passions with incredible passions," as a 

 novelty which might conciliate the patience of the severest judges. The history 

 of fiction will shew, however, this was no new manoeuvre, though never perhaps 

 carried into execution so much in detail. In St. Leon the " Charities of Life" 

 were every where topics of the warmest eulogium — the affections precisely 

 which, in his political justice, had been treated with least indulgence. The 

 contrast was striking; but Mr. Godwin had studiously sought the opportunity 

 of modifying the sentiments expressed in the earlier chapters of that memorable 

 work, and found it in prosecuting the adventures of St. Leon — not for the pur- 

 pose of changing the principles or foundations of justice, but to shew, that after 

 all, whatever he might once have seemed to say, the " culture of the heart" 

 was not incompatible with them. 



A^'Memoir or Sebastian Cabot, with a Review of the History op 



Maritime Discovery. 



Over the story of the Cabots, and the employment of them by Henry VII., 

 with their voyages and discoveries, there has always hung a thick cloud — the 

 detection, in the Rolls -Court, of a second patent, granted by the same monarch, 

 has helped to disperse this cloud, and cleared up much of the confusion which 

 pervades all the geographical histories down to our own days. T\ie first patent, 

 the existence of which was well known, though the terms of it have been little 

 regarded, was granted 5th March, 1496, to John Cabot and his three sons, of 

 whom Sebastlait was the second. The object was discovery, and the commis- 

 sion extended east, west, and north. In this patent no previous discovery of 

 Cabot's is alluded to ; nor does there exist the slightest evidence of any voyage 

 of discovery undertaken by father or son before that period. Of the results we 

 have little direct information. It is from the second patent (the one recently dug 

 out of the depths of the Rolls-Court, and now published for the first time), we 

 learn what was done under the first. This second patent, dated 3rd February, 

 1498, and granted exclusively to John Cabot, empowers him, on certain condi- 

 tions, to " convpy arid Icde to tfte Lande and Isles of late found by the seid Johv, 

 in our name and by our commaudemente." In the same patent occurs a " Lande 

 or Isles," as if it were doubtful whether the lands discovered were isles or a 

 continent. That Nevfoundland was a part of the discovery there can be no 

 doubt. The probability also is, tliat the Cabots touched at Labrador, and on 

 other parts of the coast of North America down to the Kioridas. iJut tlie 

 point — the ])oint of historical importance is, that the discoveries made by the 

 Cabots took place between March, 149C, and February, 1498 — thus confirming 



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