Retrofpect of French Literature—Novels, 3c. 
proprietor of Ancenis, who heartily ap- 
proves of the revolution; in the hope that 
it will at length conftitute the ey 
and confirm the profperity, of his native 
country. He ts reprefented however, as 
a liberal man, who fincerely detefts. thte 
uilty exceffes that have fprung out of it. 
nea her lover, on the contrary, is a 
young nobleman, living on the left bank 
of the Loire: He eahly prevails on her 
parents to approve of his addrefles; but at 
the very moment when the marriage 1s 
about to be folemnized, the neighbouring 
peafantry recur to arms, and, breaking out 
in open rebellion againft the government, 
force him to become their leader. Af- 
frighted at the probable cataftrophe, both 
in refpeét to ‘he infurgents and bimfelf, 
he at firft refifts; but learning that his 
mother had been affaffinated by the re- 
publicans, the defire of avenging her death 
gets the better of his prudénce, and he 
attaches himfeif to the caufe of the Ven- 
deans. In the mean time, Ancents is 
menaced by the royalifts now every where 
in arms, andthe admirer of Emilia, marches 
at the head of a formidable body of them, 
on purpofe to feize on that place, while 
her fole furviving parent is appointed to 
command the armed force dettined to de- 
fend it. This proves'a moft diftreffing 
circumftance to our heroine, and her mis- 
fortunes are not a little increafed by the 
intelligence received foon after, that her 
father had wounded her lover, who would 
not defend himfelf again him. At length, 
after a variety of adventures, the young 
royalift and the female republican -behold 
each other once more, and the {tory clofes 
with the happinefs of a pair formed for love, 
Jong feparated by Gihoreen accidents and 
at Tenet! 1 unexpectedly reconciled and 
united to each other. 
‘Les Efprits de Ja Montagne,” &c. 
The Spirits of the Mountain, or Annette 
and Frederick, a true ftory, tranflated from 
the German of F. H. Spieis, by A. 
MALTIERE, 1 vol. 12m0. 
A true ftoiy concerning fpirits! This 
anrets a very eqnivocal title to a book ; 
the faét however is, that every thing is 
very natural.. A band of rebbers, having 
taken poffe(fion of an ancient untnhabited 
caftle in the midf&t of a German foreft, 
find themfelves in great danger of being 
.difcovered, in confequence of the vifits of 
a peafant and his daveh ster, who repair 
thither frequently foe 
gathering herbs. In order therefore to 
avoid detection, they take advantage of 
a popular rumor purporting that the place 
is haunted, and accordingly recur to incans 
“nothing but virtue, humanity, 
the purpofe of 
655 
which the imple inhabitants deem fuper- 
natural. The wholé concludes with the 
reformation of the lead of LEE depre- 
dators, and the marriage cf be fair fe- 
male peafant Arinette, with her lover 
Frederick. 
“ Les cing Voleurs de la Forét Noire: 
the five Robbers of the Black Foret 1 vol. 
18mo. Itis fuppofed that the title of this 
oD 
novel had an imrnediate reference to the: 
late direétory, who were five in number, 
and, if we believe their SU, robbers 
ate The greater part of this volume con- 
Uitise one dialogue between a captain of 
banditti and one of his prifoners, who en- 
deavours in vain to perfuade him that his 
prefent mode of life is equally otfenfive to 
God and man. At length however he is 
affailed in his retreat by a body of foldiers, 
who feize and deliver him up to the laws, 
in confequence of which he is fentenced to 
be hanged 3 and it is then, and then only, 
chat he admiirs the life of a free-booter to 
be immoral ! Being entirely deftirute of 
narrative, which is the foul of this {pecies 
of compofition, the prefent work is of 
courfe dull and infipid. 
‘© 'Zenobie, ou’ |’Heroine’ d’ Armenie,”’ 
&c. Zenokia, or the Heroine of Armenia. 
This romance er pocm in profe, breathes 
piety, 
and grandeur of mind. With refpeé to 
the morality indeed, it may be placed by 
the fide of Telemachus ; but it ought not 
to be omitted thar the leffons it contains 
are neither fo inftru€tive nor fo affecting, 
nor fo univerfal in their application. The 
fiyle is in general correét, but ic is defici- 
ent in grace, ahd at times replete with af 
fectation, as may be feen in the following 
paffage. ‘¢ Aurora, furrounded by lillies 
and by rofes, wifhed to fhed health and 
fragrance among mortals; but they were 
ftiil fubjeét to the empire of fleep, and 
therefore defpifed the gifts of the goddefs, 
who reddemng with fhame precipitated 
herfelf towards the weft!” This is not the 
ancient fimplicity fo admirably imitated 
by Fenelon. The fubjeét of this romance 
is not well chofen; the perfonages brought 
upon the fcene are far too numerous, and 
even the principal ones, fuch as ‘* Rha- 
damifte’, ‘© Tiridate”, and ‘* Zenobie” 
in‘pire us with but little intereft, Not 
withftanding thefe defects, Zenobia is not 
_ deftitute of merit. The auchor difplays 
rich ftores of imagination, and poifeffes a 
pen well calculated to delcrbe virtues, 
eeles ta, Voyages de Rolando & de fes 
Compagnons,” &c. The Travels of Ro- 
lando and his companions in various parts 
of the world ; a work calculated to infpire 
APAS 
- young . 
