picture is strongly drawn; yet Zeluco does not appear to me to be the best of Dr. Moore's productions, nor that which affords most scope for the display of his peculiar excellencies. This place I would assign to Edward, a work abounding with knowledge of the world, and lively delineation of character. That of its hero, too, is such as enables it to hold a respectable rank among the third order of fictions.

Mordaunt is exceptionable in the character of its hero, which is that of a dissolute man of fashion, entirely devoid of principle, and with almost no good qualities except wit and good nature. Yet, by means of these, united with a large fortune and a handsome person, he becomes the complete fine gentleman, the envy of one sex, and the admiration of the other. This is evidently holding oat a very dangerous and seductive example. As a picture of manners, this novel is very inferior to Edward; yet some parts, parti cularly towards the conclusion, possess great merit in this respect.

GENERAL CHARACTER OF ENGLISHI NO

VELS.

The English writers whom we have now surveyed, with the exception of Richardson, rest their merit chiefly on the representation of life and manners. But this cannot be said of the more ordinary novels, which are poured forth in such multitudes, and read with such cager avidity. Works so extensively circulated, and which form the principal, if not the sole, reading of a great variety of persons, can hardly fail to have a considerable influence on national manners. It may be proper, therefore, to spend some time in examining the materials of which they are composed, and whether or not their tendency: be favourable to the public improvement. My judg ment on this subject will be formed chiefly from those of Mrs. Smith, the only writer among this numerous class with whom I can boast any intimate acquaintance. The following may be given as a general outline.

Χ

of the manner in which these works are condneted.

A young gentleman and lady, paragons of beauty and excellence, meet accidentally with each other. Both are instantly scized with the most violent passion, over which reason possesses no kind of controul. The lover throws himself at the feet of his mistress, or, by expressive gestures, makes a sufficiently evident declaration of his sentiments. She, on her part, is equally enamoured, but is withheld by modesty, and by the necessity of lengthening out the story, from making an immediate confession. This is at last obtained; but, if the affair, as in ordinary cases, were to end here, the reader might have reason to complain of the scanty amusement afforded him. Obstacles must therefore be raised: inhu man parents, and detested rivals, must unite in opposing the completion of the lovers' felicity. Embarrassments arising from want of fortune are generally resorted to as the means of placing an insuperable bar to their

r

union. On a sudden, however, these are removed; wealth flows in from unexpected sources; friends are reconciled; rivals are killed or discarded; the two parties are married; upon which the scene closes, there being nothing more to be done or said.

The first thing that strikes us here is the perfection with which the leading characters are uniformly invested. So far as this circumstance operates, I have no doubt of its eflects being on the whole beneficial. At the same time, it must be owned to be rather a vague and visionary kind of perfection, not very applicable to the purposes of active life. The accomplishments of person and manner form generally its most prominent features; any higher qualities appear only occasionally, and as appendages. The characters are drawn chiefly from that class of society which, raised above the necessity of following a profession for subsistence, is at the same time excluded from any concern in public affairs. It is seldom, therefore, that they are engaged in any active or useful employment; this, I believe, would rather be

considered as a disqualifying circumstance. They are represented as having nothing to do, and sauntering from one place to an other in search of amusement.

This observation does not apply in the same degree to female characters, who, by nature and custom, are confined to the scenes of domestic life and social intercourse. It is only one part of their life, however, which enters into these compositions, and not that in which they have the most important duties to perform. The instruction conveyed by them must therefore be at least very limited.

The next circumstance to which we may advert, is their besng so exclusively occupied by the passion of love. There seems no 10son, indeed, why it should be excluded. Considering the force of this passion, and the intimate and lasting connection to which it leads, its due regulation cannot be consider ed as a matter of indifference. Still it must be allowed to occupy, in these narratives, a space out of all proportion greater than what really belongs to it. It has been doubted also, whether, in other respects, the