lO TRANSACTIONS. I90I-2 



controversial matter, pamphlets, broadsides, early newspapers, 

 and the like, contemporary narratives, etc, all of which 

 eventually become the happy hunting-ground of the national 

 historian. Afterwards the half-fledged off-spring of the 

 Colonial Muse appears, singing in halting measure the simple 

 but sincere songs of the new land of promise. And, finally, 

 come the novelists, product of a period, when the colony is 

 developing into something like nationhood; when the stress 

 and strain of frontier life has worn off, and men have time and 

 inclination to write and read fiction. This literary develop- 

 ment is not, of course, as distinct and arbitrary as the state- 

 ment would imply. We shall discover one or two premature 

 novelists in the earlier periods of our history, but, nevertheless, 

 anything like a general development in the writing of fiction, 

 or the appearance of a recognized group of Canadian novelists, 

 is not to be found except within the last decade or two. 



The first novel written in Canada was "The History of 

 Emily M<)ntague,"by Mrs Frances Brooke, wife of the chaplain 

 of the garrison at Quebec. This book belongs tc the once- 

 popular class of epistolary novels. It was written in Quebec, 

 and published at London in 1769, sixteen years after the 

 appearance of the last of Richardson's famous trilogy of 

 epistolary novels, "Sir Charles Grandison." 



Mrs. Brooke's novel consists of a series of letters from 

 Emily Montague, at Sillery, to her friends abroad, and gives 

 an admirable picture of the life of the period at Quebec, both 

 in city and garrison, i 



Over half a century elapsed before anything further ap- 

 peared, and to Upper Canada belongs the honour of having 

 produced the second book of fiction written in Canada. This 



1. The History of Emily Montague. In four volumes, Kythe author 

 of Ladv Julia Mandeviile. London, Printed for J Dodlt y, 1769. 

 Vol. I, 140 p.. Vol. II. 240 p., Vol. III. 223 p.. Vol. IV. 213 p., 4 Vo's. 

 12mo. This isthefirstedition. Another edition wa-* puhlished thesa'^e 

 year at Dublin. It was translated into French by Robi et in 1770, 

 ( Ainsterdnm Hnd Paris) and hy irenais th*- same ye^r (Pans,) Ano' her- 

 Dublin ediiion appeared in 1789 ; andanoiher French edition 't I'aas 

 in 1809 The original edition was dedicated to the then Governor, Sir 

 Guy Carleton. 



