tion be made to the lord of the Pat'har, by giving him in marriage a daughter of Mundore. Aloo's honour was redeemed; he accepted the offer, and with his bride repaired to the desolate Bumaôda. The fruit of this marriage was a daughter; but destiny had decreed that the race of Aloo Hara should perish. When she had attained the age of marriage, she was betrothed. Bumaôda was once more the scene of joy, and Aloo went to the temple, and invited the goddess to the wedding. All was merriment; and amongst the crowd of mendicants who besieged the door of hospitality was a decrepit old woman, who came to the threshold of the palace, and desired the guard to "tell Aloo Hara, she had come to the feast, and demanded to see him ;" but the guard, mocking her, desired her to be gone, and "not to stand between the wind and him." She repeated her request, saying that "she had come by special invitation." But all was in vain; she was driven forth with scorn. Uttering a deep curse, she departed, and the race of Aloo Hara was extinct. It was Vijyásénsí herself, who was thus repulsed from the house of which she was protectress!' pp. 643-6.

6

Arungzeb had less reason to distrust the stability of his dominion than we have: yet what is now the house of Timour?" Such is the sinister warning addressed to Britain in the Preface to this volume. But Aurungzebe had every reason to distrust the stability of an empire which he had acquired by fratricide, which he held by the tenure of the sword, and which, in his declining years, he found himself too feeble to defend against the rising power of the Mahrattas *. The conquest of the Deccan was fatal to the monarch of Delhi, and the sun of the House of Timour set with the great Allumghire. Our empire in India is founded upon moral ascendancy. It is secured by the beneficent effect of our conquests, and is, in the best sense, an empire of opinion. Its permanence will depend upon the use which the British Government shall make of its supremacy. It will not be endangered by the abolition of sutteest; it will not be strengthened by patronizing the fraud, and obscene vice, and cruelty of idolatry; and from whatever quarter danger may be apprehended, it has nothing to fear from the Rajpoots.

* See Eclectic Review, Vol. XXX. P. 299.

We find it broadly asserted by Mr. Poynder, what we had strongly suspected, that the Bengal appeal against the abolition of suttees was got up by certain Anglo-Indians of that class who first wanted to drive the Christian Missionaries from India, who then endeavoured to keep the Church of England out of India, and who would now contend that the late prohibition of human sacrifices will occasion the loss of India.' We congratulate our countrymen on the important decision of the Privy Council, which has rendered abortive this last nefarious stratagem of the antichristian faction.

VOL. VIII.--N.S.

Art. III. The Reformer. By the Author of Massenburg. In three volumes. 12mo. London (Effingham Wilson), 1832.

WE do not happen to have seen Massenburg', or to know its Author; and we opened the present volumes in entire ignorance of every circumstance relating to their contents and publication. The word immediate' on the envelope, had not prepared us to expect a three volume novel;-a description of work which we seldom feel ourselves either disposed or called upon to notice. Then the title, 'The Reformer', suggested the repulsive idea of a political novel, full of party spleen and scandal; or else, we thought, it might be a mere catch-title, designed to puff off some common- place tale of love and nonsense. But, as we glanced at the name at the bottom of the title-page, and saw that these volumes were put forth under the professional auspices of the patriotic Publisher of the Black Book and other works of the Reformers, little doubt remained, that we were summoned to encounter, in the perusal of this tale, a lesson in the political doctrines of Jeremy Bentham. We looked for preface there is none; a mark of good sense or of covert intention, which stimulated our curiosity; and we had not read far, before we discovered the ruse that has been played off either by or upon the worthy Publisher. The Author is assuredly neither radical nor liberal; and the lesson which the tale is designed to convey, we found to be enigmatically hinted in the motto.

'Amidst the wealthy city murmurs rise,

Lewd railings and reproach on those that rule,
With
open scorn of government; hence credit
And public trust 'twixt man and man are broken.
The golden streams of commerce are withheld,
Which fed the wants of needy hinds and artisans,
Who therefore curse the great, and threat rebellion.'

ROWE.

The Reformer's daughter is the heroine of the tale, but the hero is an aristocrat. Had the work appeared during the late period of national excitement produced by the opposition to the Reform bill, we might have been disposed to view it as an indirect and unfair attempt to cast opprobrium upon the cause of reform, and to confound under a common name the patriot and the demagogue, the statesman and the incendiary. But now that the day is our own, we are bound to shew good nature to our late ponents; and since no insidious intention can be supposed to actuate the present writer, we must treat these volumes purely as a literary, not a political work.

op

Indeed, it is but justice to say, that the evident design savours of the moralist, more than of the politician. The circumstances and characters, so far as they have any allusion to real life, do

not apply to the present period; and we should have imagined, but for the date of the publication and the freshness of the diction, that the tale had been written some thirty years ago, when the infection of the sans-culotte democracy had spread to this country from the neighbouring shores. Earl Hopely seems meant for Citizen Earl Stanhope; and John Keith, the Reformer, might have found many a prototype among the fanatical abettors of French revolutionary principles. The time of the story is indicated by the reference to Pitt; and the whole is in keeping, there being no allusion whatever to the party leaders or politics of the present day. The good taste and good sense of the Writer are conspicuous in this respect, and ought to disarm any reader who may be disposed to quarrel with the political lesson. But, as we have already intimated, the evident aim of the Author is to convey instruction of a different kind; such as may be gained from the accurate delineation of character, the illustration, by example, of the secret springs of action, the workings of the passions, the ways of man, and woman, and the exposure of the sources of error and danger in social conduct. In its general character, it resembles much more the writings of Miss Jewsbury, than those of Miss Martineau. That it is the production of a female writer, we cannot allow ourselves to doubt. Only a woman, and an accomplished woman, could have observed, analysed, and depicted with so much delicacy and skill, the traits of female character which are brought out by the incidents of the tale, or have discovered such perfect conversance with the cabinet secrets of the human heart. We must fairly say that, in this point of view, this Tale possesses no ordinary merit, and in this consists the chief interest.

The story may be told in a few words. Lord Haverfield, by a course of extravagance, has brought himself into a state of financial embarrassment, from which there appears no other mode of extrication than by alienating the landed property of his ancestors; a case of no unfrequent occurrence thirty years ago. Before he finally determines upon this step, he resolves to visit the old neglected mansion incog. He passes for a Mr. Curzon, a steward of his Lordship, and in this character takes part in the following laconic dialogue.

"There are strange rumours abroad respecting Lord Haverfield," resumed Mr. Renchor; "report speaks pretty positively of his prodigality."

"Lord Haverfield has reason to be much obliged to report." "It goes so far as to say, that he is getting out at elbows." "Then certainly report uses most elegant terms."

Nay, it even asserts that Falkinor Court is on the point of bein

I, perhaps, may know as much of that as even windy-mouth

report; and I beg to assure you that Falkinor Court is not on the point of being sold."

'On such small centres do great wheels turn. Lord Haverfield's resolution was made as he spoke; and the insignificant Mr. Renchor saved Falkinor Court, the hereditary seat of his ancestors, from the present shame of changing masters."

The result is, that his Lordship forms the determination to ruralize at Falkinor Court, whither his mother and sister, with a young companion, the Reformer's daughter, accompany him. There, and in its neighbourhood, the scene of the first volume is laid. The plot consists in the designs of Miss Renchor, a finished coquette, upon the heart and hand of this gay young nobleman, who becomes her inamorato. The leading characters, besides the above mentioned, are, the Dowager Lady Haverfield and her beautiful daughter Aurelia, her modest companion, Clara Keith, an old valetudinarian uncle of Haverfield's, a fortunehunting honourable, a fox-hunting squire, and the usual subordinates, except a clergyman-a judicious omission in a tale not meant to impart the graver lessons of religion. The interest of this part of the story of course arises from the skilful development and contrast of the characters. Clara Keith is recalled to London by a letter representing her father to be ill; and the second volume introduces us to the gloomy domicile of the old Reformer, the bitter, vehement democrat. The Haverfield family return to London at the proper season, his Lordship being more attentive to his parliamentary and official duties than to his private concerns. And now, a strange event takes place. Clara's father is committed to Newgate as the author of a seditious pamphlet. To obtain his deliverance, the timid girl starts into the heroine. She intercedes with Lord Haverfield-in vain. Public duty renders it impossible for him to interpose. She applies to the great patriot, Citizen Earl Hopely; but obtains from him nothing but vague promises, and finally loses his favour. At length, the mob take up the cause of John Keith, and set fire to Lord Haverfield's house. Clara has at the moment sought the roof of her father's persecutor', to do him service; and becomes instrumental in securing the personal safety of her benefactress, Lady Haverfield, and the family jewels. Her noble conduct meets with a reward which, as briefly stated, must seem in the highest degree improbable. After a struggle between his passion for Miss Renchor and his admiration of Clara, Lord Haverfield offers his hand, successively, to each, and is refused by bothcoldly and proudly by the crafty heiress on account of his embarrassed circumstances, gratefully and magnanimously by the Reformer's daughter, whose sense of duty leads her to sacrifice her own happiness, to attend her father into exile. John Keith dies, on the point of embarkation for America; and Clara becomes

6

Lady Haverfield, with a fortune settled upon her by the old valetudinarian. All this, we say, will sound very improbable and almost unnatural; but it is so naturally told and cleverly brought about, that the reader is forced to acquiesce in the arrangement as perfectly consonant at least with dramatic justice.

We must give insertion to an extract or two, in justification of the attention we have bestowed upon a work of this slight con

struction.

"I see," continued Sir Basil, "that he is going the road to ruin at a fool's gallop; and he will break his neck at some corner of the road before long, without doubt."

"Lord Haverfield's honour, talents, and principles, were never yet impeached!" exclaimed Aurelia, indignantly.

"Honour! It is good for nothing but to swear by. It may do well enough to garnish an oath: the honour of a lord has a pretty sound, and he may swear by it, and not be forsworn. Talents! yes, they may do with olives, wine, and walnuts, after dinner. Principles ! perhaps he may wear them till they are threadbare, but he will feel obliged to throw them off at last."

Aurelia was now completely in a flame. She was about to follow Clara's example, and leave Sir Basil to rail at his pleasure, when light laughter and cheerful voices proclaimed the return of the party; and too proud to seem to run away, she waited till they approached.

Miss Renchor now turned the corner of the walk, and advanced towards them, like a triumphant queen. She was perfectly in her glory-elated, happy. Her eyes sparkled; her cheeks glowed; and she had smiles for all; but chiefly for her host.

Now, although Sir Basil had succeeded in violently offending both Clara and Aurelia, yet, through the contrariety of his nature, he was pleased with the one, and not displeased with the other. Having vented his spleen, his mind had subsided to its usual tone; and though aggravated by the coquetry of Lord Haverfield and Miss Renchor, he yet saw them approach without any violent intentions against them.

It had always been Miss Renchor's policy to conciliate Miss Falkinor; and in spite of the frequent repulses she had met with, she yet persevered in her plan. Advancing towards her, with one of her sweetest smiles, she commenced a train of gentle reproaches for her desertion.

""You do not know, my dear Miss Falkinor, how I lament to be near you, and yet not with you-how I grudge, to use a homely but expressive phrase, how I grudge your society to any other person, when I am near enough to enjoy it myself! How could you so desert The moment you retired, our spirits forsook us, and we were obliged to follow you, to come again within the sphere of your enlivening influence."

us?

'Now it so happens, that, while women swallow with avidity flattery from men, they turn with disgust from it when offered by their own sex; and the reason of this is not very remote. Inordinate praise from men is often acceptable, not because women believe that they really are so much above human nature, but because they take it for