372 Romances and Novels, [Chap. XIX. 



were often grossly immoral in their nature and 

 tendency, abounding in every species of impure 

 and corrupting exhibition df vice. They were 

 also, in general, tediously diffuse, extending to 

 many volumes, and fatiguing the reader with their 

 unnecessary prolixity. 



Romance retained its empire in every literary 

 part of Europe until the beginning of the seven- 

 teenth century, about which time Miguel de Cer- 

 vantes, a native of Madrid, published his celebrat- 

 ed satirical romance, entitled The History of Don 

 Qiilvote* This performance was expressly in- 

 tended to pour ridicule on those masses of absur- 

 dity and impurity which had so long maintained 

 an influence over the world. Few works were ever 

 so much read, or so effectually answered their pro^ 

 posed end. Its effect M^as equal to the most san- 

 guine expectations of the author. It destroyed 

 the reign of chivalry; produced a new modifica- 

 tion of public taste ; occasioned the death of the 

 old romance ; and gave birth to another species of 

 fictitious Amting. 



This may be called romance divested of its most 

 extravagant and exceptionable characters. In the 

 Avorks of this kind the heroism and the gallantry 

 of the old romance were in a degree retained; but 

 the dragons, the necromancers, and the enchanted 

 castles, were chiefly banished, and a nearer ap- 

 proach made to the descriptions of real life. The 

 A.Hrxa of M. d Urfe, and the Grand CyruSy the 

 Clelia^ and the Cleopatra, of Madame Scudery, are 

 among the most memorable specimens of romance 

 thus pruned and improved. These works, how- 

 ever, had still too much of the improbable and un- 



