1831.] [ 561 ] 



MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 



The Bravo, a Venetian Storv, by the Author of the Phot, Water- 

 Witch, &c., 3 vols 12mo. 



Mr. Cooper writes like a man — that is, with a direct and intelligible object. 

 His fictions spring from facts, and mingle with realities. All his scenes are 

 essentially historical — the spirit of them is truth, while the details are imagin- 

 a^)^ He makes that use of the past for which alone it is worth reverting to — 

 teaching the world to eschew crimes by shewing their odious consequences. 

 Venice was a republic in name, and, detestable as the principles on which it was 

 administered were, Mr. Cooper is anxious none of the detestation which attaches 

 to its history shall be thrown upon his own America, because she too is a re- 

 public. Never were two things, indeed, under the same name, so utterly unlike. 

 Concealment and mystery were the characteristics of the Venetian councils. 

 Systematically professing to be guided by justice— their ostentatious motto — 

 recourse was had, habitually, to the most wily and infamous expedients to exe- 

 cute what they dared not avow, and loudly decried. The most worthless agents 

 were employed — espionage penetrated into every quarter — spies upon spies — 

 double and treble dupe ; and no scruples were made of sacrificing any of them 

 whenever the policy of the government required the sacrifice. Mr. Cooper's 

 immediate object is to exhibit the operation of this system in some familiar 

 scenes ; and he appeals for a justification of the likeness to M. Daru's well- 

 known History of Venice. 



The " Bravo" is one of the agents of this horrible system ; but though long 

 bearing the imputation of assassin, he is in reality none ; but one who consents 

 to be thus regarded for the secret purposes of the government. Assassinations 

 which they committed by other agents were covered by being indirectly aticribed 

 to him. He had been forced into this collusion by the arts and oppressions of 

 the government, and appears, in the scenes of the piece, to be entangled in their 

 net, past all extrication. 



A Neapolitan nobleman succeeds to the estates of a Venetian senator, and 

 claims the rank and rights of his ancestor ; but the policy of the Venetian is 

 adverse to foreign connections, and all sorts of obstacles are thrown in his way. 

 He is too important a person to be got rid of by the stiletto. In the meanwhile 

 he rescues from drowning the young heiress of a wealthy senator, and falls of 

 course in love with her. She, as all heiresses were, was under the especial pro- 

 tection of the government, for the very purpose of precluding foreign matches — 

 and thus the young Neapolitan and the government were doubly in opposition. 

 He was resolved to carry her, and they were equally bent on preventing him, 

 at the period he fell in with the Bravo. Universally shunned and detested, the 

 man's burden had become greater than he could bear — he was in despair, and on 

 point of suicide. He excites an interest in the bosom of the Neapolitan, and 

 attaches himself to his fortunes. By his peculiar sources of information, he is 

 enabled to baffle the council, and the Neapolitan and the lady succeed in escaping 

 its clutches ; but the Bravo himself before he is able to complete his arrange- 

 ments for his own departure, is entrapped, and finally sacrificed to the interests 

 of the state — under cover of atoning for crimes, which had been committed at 

 their command by other hands. The developement of the Bravo's character is 

 very skilfully managed — the interest rises to the last. 



Mr. Cooper is as much at home on the lagunes and canals of Venice, as in the 

 harbour of New York, and the scenes furnisli him with aljundant opportunity of 

 describing matters connected with his nahue element. A boat-race of his, rivals 

 Virgil's, without broken oars, broken heads, or even a ducking. Mr. Cooper's 

 only want is a little gaiety — something to cheer the sombre, and lighten the 

 general vmylU of his execution. 



M.M. New Series.— Yoh.yiU. No. 71. 2Y 



