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LISTER, MR. WARD, MR. BULWER, MR. D'ISRAELI, junior, and MRS. GORE.

To the same principle may be referred the popularity of various novels and tales descriptive of the peril and enterprise of military and naval life, by Messrs. SHERER, GLEIG, MARRYAT, GLASCOCK, and NEALE. When we mention the fictions entitled Valerius, Reginald Dalton, Matthew Wald and Adam Blair, by MR. JOHN GIBSON LOCKHART; the Highways and Byways of MR. COLLEY GRATTAN; and an anonymous series of tales or sketches, entitled The Diary of an English Physician, we believe we have enumerated, if not all the works of merit, at least nearly all the eminent writers, in this branch of literature, in Great Britain.

During the earlier periods of the American States, there appeared no works of fiction among them. Matters of fact occupied chiefly the minds of their gifted men. They had too much concern with reality, to be interested in fictitious scenes and incidents. Besides, the staid and severe character of the public mind was adverse to this species of writing. A clergyman, however, was the first to innovate upon a prejudice which was so natural in their case. Dr. Belknap, in his Forresters, which proved to be a popular book, set the example of novel writing to his countrymen. He deemed it an affair of policy, under the disguise of a story, to inculcate his opinions upon certain subjects. In this work, he mingles wit and humour, with a representation of the manners of the American people. The first writer, however, whose genius was eminently formed for fictitious composition, and who devoted his time to it, was CHARLES BROCKden Brown (1771-1813). He died in middle life, and has been more justly appreciated as a writer since his death, than in his lifetime. At home and abroad the power of his pen has been felt in its bold and vivid strokes. He manifests much warmth of feeling, and a strong enthusiasm of thought and expression. 'His delineations are not of ordinary and common characters, of human nature in general, but of singular, peculiar, and eccentric beings, who are not governed by ordinary impulses, or destined to ordinary occurrences.' In this particular, and in making his 'Buik' full of

BROWN.-FOSTER.-ROWSON. TYLER.- -IRVING. 255 'Brownies and Bogilis,' we cannot think him judicious. For, as the Edinburgh Review says, 'No ghost was ever seen in North America.' Brown published the following novels, with fragments of others, viz. Wieland in 1798, succeeded by Ormond or the Secret Witness, Edgar Huntley, Clara Howard, and Jane Talbot. Besides producing these works, he conducted three different periodicals-the Monthly Magazine, and subsequently the Literary Magazine, and the American Register.

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The most conspicuous writer that followed in this department of literature, was MRS. FOSTER, of Massachusetts. She was author of the Boarding School, and Coquette, works that once received no small share of attention from the reading public. Of the Coquette it has been remarked that it was a sad tale, too true to be called a fiction.' It seems that some of the personages of the story could be identified with living characters. MRS. ROWSON, who was author of Charlotte Temple, Charlotte's Daughter or the Three Orphans, and several other works of fiction, has acquired the reputation of an engaging and pure writer. It would seem from the large number of editions through which Charlotte Temple has passed, that it has been a very popular novel. But this was before a superior order of fictitious writings arose upon the world. ROYAL TYLER, who has been noticed as a dramatist, was the author of the Algerine Captive-a novel of much merit and interest. It passed with some readers, as is said, for a story of real life; and even a critic under that delusion, saw fit to show that it contained some errors in point of fact.*

While the few novels which had hitherto been produced in the United States were fashioned after the prevailing taste in Great Britain, no sooner did that change take place, in the latter country, which was effected by the popular Waverley Novels, than the influence was perceived in America. Irving, Cooper, Neal, Paulding, and others, became distinguished as writers of this class of productions. The works of WASHINGTON IRVING, a native of the city of New York, may be ranked under the head of fictitious writings, although they possess but in part the usual characteris

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tics of novels. Some of his publications include the elements of many different kinds of writing. He was introduced to the public so early as his seventeenth year, in the New York Morning Chronicle, under the title of the Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle. His next production, in 1807, was Salmagundi, a periodical in which he burlesqued the manners of various classes of his fellow citizens. In this work he was connected with Mr. Paulding and Mr. Verplanck. His Knickerbocker's History of New York appeared in 1810, and gave him a high reputation. The work is a fictitious and traditionary account of the original Dutch inhabitants of that city. Its humour is peculiar, and relished particularly by those, who are acquainted with the usages and feelings of the people whom it brings into view, and through whom he satirizes the follies of the times. After this, he supplied the Analectic Magazine with many of its most interesting articles. The Sketch Book appeared in 1820 in England, while the author resided abroad, which was followed by Bracebridge Hall in 1822, and Tales of a Traveller in 1824,-works somewhat similar in character and design. The Sketch Book consists of tales, descriptions of scenery and manners in England, and sentimental effusions of various kinds,-all written with an elegant pen, and exhibiting a wonderful beauty and richness of thought. It attained a great and sudden popularity, both in England and in his native country. Mr. Irving, in this work, is supposed by some to have put forth his best effort. There is an acknowledged falling off in the two subsequent works; still they have no common degree of excellence. His genius, however, shone out brilliantly again in his Life of Columbus, and has been sustained in other subsequent publications. Of these the principal are Alhambra, a sort of sketch book of the ancient Moorish kingdom of Grenada, A Chronicle of the Conquest of Grenada, in which he mingles fable with history, and since his return to the United States, his Tour on the Prairies, and a very recent work entitled Astoria. Notwithstanding the great variety of his subjects, he has succeeded in them all, thus manifesting a surprising range of talent. It may be remarked generally of the writings of Irving, that both in style

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and substance, they furnish one of the best models of the English tongue.*

No American writer, simply as a novelist, has gained a greater celebrity than JAMES F. COOPER. With some obvious faults, he has many redeeming virtues. He trenches sometimes on probability, and has too much minuteness of detail. But he is original, and his pictures are fresh and lively. He well knows how to describe American scenery, manners, modes of thinking, and character. His delineations are often in the highest degree striking, especially of nautical scenes and incidents. Among his fictions are the Spy, Pioneers, Pilot, Last of the Mohicans, Prairie, Red Rover, Wept of the Wishton-Wish, Water Witch, Bravo, Heidenmauer, and the Headsman. The first three named are his best, and the Pilot is a master-piece of its kind. It has great unity of purpose and feeling, and contains many admirable scenes and descriptions. JOHN NEAL, a native of Maine, is probably the most voluminous American writer living, and among other literary efforts has produced many novels. Of these the names of several are Logan, Randolph, Seventy-Six, Errata, and Brother Jonathan. In the facility of composition, his novels, and also his other productions, whether poetry or prose, have seemed to cost him little exertion. Seventy-Six, his best work, is said to have been executed in less than a month, and at odd hours. We give the criticism of another on these productions. His novels are the most striking of his works, and perhaps afford the fairest proof of his talents, as well as of his peculiarities. They certainly baffle the powers of criticism. They are like nothing of the kind ever before seen, being alike remarkable for incoherence and wildness in plan, and for occasional passages of great splendour and eloquence.' Several of his works were published in England, where he resided for a time, and largely contributed to a number of British periodicals. The novels of James K. PAULDING, who was associated, as already stated, with Irving in the production of Salmagundi, have afforded much amusement to the American public. His John Bull in America, Dutchman's Fireside, and Westward

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Ho, are reputable productions of the class of fictions to which they belong, and have been extensively popular. Francis Berrian, written by TIMOTHY FLINT, author of several prose works relating to the Western States, has been favourably received, and as a production of genius is worthy of the fame of the author. Redwood, Hope Leslie, Clarence, and the Linwoods, by Miss Sedgwick, take a high rank among American novels. They are evidently the productions of a vigorous, discriminating, and elegant mind. She writes English with uncommon purity and grace. Clarence contains many fine sketches of artificial life and manners. In the conduct of the story, however, she introduces too many extraordinary occurrences, and such as would not be likely to happen in real life. The literary merit of MRS. CHILD's novels, as Hobomok, The Rebels, Philathea, and others, will be acknowledged by competent judges, whatever may be said of the views which she has sometimes given of the pilgrim fathers of New England. These excellent men perhaps still need a pen capable of doing them justice. Northwood, a romance of MRS. HALE, was received into general favour, and has not often been exceeded by works of its class. It has been considered as true to nature, and accurate in its description of New England society. The novels of MR. SIMS have been favourably received and extensively circulated. He is the author, among others, of Martin Faber, The Partisan, Guy Rivers, The Yemassee, and Mellichampe. A novelist of great vigour of thought and freshness of style, has, within three or four years, appeared in the author of Swallow Barn, or a Sojourn in the Old Dominion and Horse Shoe Robinson. As a writer, he evidently possesses talents of the highest order.*

HISTORIANS.

In this department of composition, the present period can show few works equal in polish and brilliancy to some of those which were published a little earlier; but it is acknowledged to have produced a considerable number, which, with a considerable degree of elegance, exceed the former in depth and accuracy of research. ·

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