MR. HANNAY'S NED ALLEN. *
This fiction exhibits manners, characters, and field sports, in a remote district of Scotland, seventy or eighty years ago. Ned Allen, the hero as he may be called, had left Scotland in 1739 as a suffor-adventarer ; and, after knocking about at sea, in the West Indies, and Dutch Guiana, he forty years afterwards returns to his native place with a fortune. He finds, of course, a good many changes; but some of his family have survived, whom he can assist; and his acquaintance are disposed to make much of him, on the principle in Beppo.
"His friends the more for his long absence prized him, Finding he'd wherewithal to make them gay."
As Allen belongs to a family that had a small 'landed property, and purchases an estate himself, he is not only received by the neighbouring lairds and the baronet of the district, but noticed by the Earl of Gainton, a political nobleman. In these circumstances there are sufficient materials to paint manners and customs ; and a giod enough use is made of them. A small Scotch burgh, with its petty dealers exalted into corporate officers—the " characters " of the small lairds and ministers m the vicinity—the mass of the peo- ple—a. marriage, a funeral, a recruiting-party, and an election—are among the persons or incidents. Some domestic and love stories vary the commoner occurrences that are only vehicles to display manners ; Ned Allen sometimes acting as the good genius, to defeat oppression or ward off eviL The distinguishing characteristic of the book is minute accuracy : the author understands the subject he is writing about. The scenery, the manners, the persons, and practices of the district, seem all fa- miliar to Mr. Hannay; and he paints them truly, but with a literal truth. He writes in the manner of a man who is detailing parti- cular matters-of-fact, rather than painting general nature. He shows no deficiency of dramatic perception, or of the power of correctly embodying what he perceives ; but he wants the genius to give breadth and life to his correct conceptions. His artistical skill is defective. He presents common life rather too nakedly; and some of his lovers are rather "young men" than heroes. In subjects that possess obvious character or the attraction of a story this is not felt. The election intrigues and bribes, and the episode nar- rating Allen's foreign adventures, have considerable interest : the same may be said of many of the passages where a strongly marked person is introduced either in description or discourse : but to read- ers of the present day much of Ned Allen will seem "slow."
The parts possessing the most sustained interest are too long for extract The following description of a Scotch laird's funeral, seventy years since, will give an idea of the best part of the sketches of society.
"On the morning of theluneral, by the early hour of ten o'clock, stragglers were on their way to Glenavon. liv eleven, four clergymen had arrived, *Ned Allen; or the Past Age. By David Hannay, Esq. In two volumes. Pub- lished by Longman and Co.
and the greater part of the company. The attendance was immense ; the principal room of the house being set apart for the relatives and acquaint- ances of the deceased, the inferior rooms and kitchen for the more respectable neighbours, and the barn and other out-houses for the cottagers and work. people. Not a few were scattered about for whom no room could be found within doors.
"The preparations for the entertainment were on a corresponding scale,: viands of all kinds, solid and superficial, and liquors, viz, wines, spirits, ale, and beer, abounded nor was tobacco wanting for the composed and contem- plative. Eating, drinking' and smoking, were the sole honours paid to the memory of the departed. The garnea and combats of other ages, the im- molation of victims, self-devotion of kindred and retainers, the flourish of oratory, the display and parade of the insignia and achievements of the deceased, and the other contrivances by which affection and credulity vainly hoped to please the dead, had all given place to simple deglutition and cramming. "But if the modern rites were deficient in dignity, there was no want of zeal in the performance of them ; for no sooner had the clergymen pro- nounced a short prayer in the several rooms to which they had been assigned, than the ceremonies began. The liquids had precedence; and a certain order and rotation was observed in the distribution of them. In the prin- cipal apartments, white wines were first presented to the company; then claret, then brandy, hollands, and rum followed in rotation, white wine again beginning the cycle. In the other rooms, and in the barn, ale and beer had place of wine. All tasted of the proffered glasses, and not a few drained them ; and by the time the twentieth service, as it was called, came round, the company had completely shaken off the restraint imposed by the oc- casion, which was at no period stringent "Even the nearest relatives of the deceased, occupied in preparations for the day, or absorbed by what was then enacted, could not indulge in the na- tural feelings claimed by the occasion. It was not the custom for females to attend funerals in person, yet upon them a large share of the preparations devolved ; and poor Miss Maxwell was observed flitting about, with a face impressed at once with care and anxiety, as well as grief. Allen truly pitied her, and felt how ill-fitted she was for the part she had to act in the rude ceremonial.
"After the liquid refection, the company proceeded to the substantial part of the entertainment, with no less zeal and alacrity ; and for a full hour the noise, clatter, and hurry which accompany a feast prevailed : nor did the rites now end, for, after a very short pause, the bottles resumed their rota- tory motion, a few of the more sedate of the party solacing themselves at the same time with the Virginia leaf. "A maudlin sorrow and affected gloom hung over the company for a while ; but by-tyro o'clock the Beene changed entirely, the alcohol was in full activity, nature resumed her sway, and the honest face of broad hilarity was everywhere apparent. "The clergymen, Sir Thomas Leaky, Allen, and a few more, felt the im- propriety- and indecency of the scene, though constrained by custom to par- ticipate in it.
"It was three o'clock before any movement was made towards the proper and solemn business of the day, the conveyance of the remains of the pro- prietor of Glenavon to the parish churchyard; and this although the dis- tance was seven miles, and -the road inixassable for a carriage the greater part of the way. However, in justice to the company it must be admitted, that on the first indications of this movement, or lifting as it was called, all was bustle, saddling of horses, gathering of cloaks, plaids, hats, sticks, and preparation for the Journey; two only, the laird of Drybucket and the joiner of Aulton, seemed unwilling to stir.
"The coffin was carried on poles, the bearers relieving each other every quarter of a mile.
"Several of the company, upon trial, found themselves unable to mount their horses ; and others who succeeded in the attempt, were able to main- tain their seats only part of the way. Of the pedestrians also, many were staggering and dropping behind, like over-wearied soldiers in a long march. Some the comfortable wights who take the world easv, contentedly, laid down for a sleep by the road-side ; and not above one half of the company reached.. the churchyard."
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