SEYMOUR OF SUDLEY.
IN one sense Miss BURDON has not disappointed the expectations which her preface excited. Seymour qf Sudley is the product of care and thought. The story has been thoroughly considered, and each part is necessary either to advance the catastrophe or to account for it ; the characters and their sentiments are consistent with themselves; the persons perform their parts in producing the final event; and the ideas of the writer are distinctly con- ceived and clearly expressed. What then, it may he asked, is wanting to constitute a first-rate novel? and the critic must an- swer, a good deal. The descriptions do not possess lightness, or the characters life ; the matter of the book is not natural —it has not been drawn from actual existence, but is the pro- duce of speculation and fancy ; and what is a greater defect, the work, though not devoid of interest, is heavy and unenchaining. Part of this undoubtedly arises from a deficiency of what the- writer calls imagination, although she means genius; part of it from not having fully reduced her theory to practice. In her very judicious preface, she truly observes, that " it is the business of art to combine the most striking features of nature, whether beau- tiful or sublime, in the character, situations, passions, and moral relations of man, as well as in the visible creation, and to paint those perfect combinations which, though they may sometimes exist, escape the eye of superficial observation : and she further remarks, with equal judgment, that prose fiction is subject to the same rules as the epic ; requiring, like that elaborate form of composition, completeness as a whole, and unity of construction in the stoly. In practice, however, she has failed to observe, that a hero is necessary to unity of action, and essential to unity of in- terest: for if the mind of the reader is equally concerned in the fortunes of several persons all simultaneously advancing, no con- nexion however artful can prevent the interest from being weakened. She has also forgotten canons equally important— first, that the character of the hero should be dashed by error or darkened by crime, according to the final fortune reserved for him, in order to excite our pity or raise our aversion, but should never be stained by mean and despicable vices ; second, that, be his worldly condition what it may, he should be the principal person of his tale,--probably dependent for his fortunes upon persons and events greater than himself in a worldly point of view, but not sub- ordinate to them throughout, and always more conspicuous than they. The whole of these important rules have been neglected by our fair writer. There are at least three different persons constantly appearing before us and claiming attention for their fortunes,— Arundel, the apparent hero of the novel; Lord Seymour, the brother of the Protector Somerset, who was beheaded on Tower Hill; and "the last of the Franciscans," an expelled monk, who is deep in political intrigues to restore the Catholic faith, condemned to obloquy and persecution under Edward the Sixth. A want of keeping is displayed in the characters of these persons, as inju- rious to effect as the equality of their interests. Lord Seymour is drawn as the vulgar-minded politician ; what is worse, he ob- trusively avows his coarse and selfish objects, and his political profligacy ; whilst the historical interest that might have been made to spring from his intrigues with the Catholics and other dis- affected subjects, in order to obtain the crown, is marred by the reader only hearing of instead of seeing them. Lyndsey, the last of the Franciscans, is a somewhat more respectable person,
although fully acting up to the Jesuitical maxim that the end jus- tifies the means; but he is too much of a melodramatic hero in his private exploits, and he displays none of the genius with which the author endows him. But Arundel is a compound of selfish- ness, moral cowardice, and meanness, which the novelist has vainly endeavoured to redeem by intellectual qualities, physical courage, and a late repentance. He marries privately, and deserts his wife; appointed, by his uncle Lyndsey, secretary to Seymour of Sudley,
he intrigues with his mistress, Jane Clifford; plunges into low
sensuality ; loses all and more than all he possesses ; borrows money from his leman to pay his gaming debts • discovers a poli-
tical intrigue of hers with Dudley Earl of Warwick; endeavours to make it a means of extorting an acquittance ; is surprised and out- witted by the Earl, and consents to play the spy towards his own patron; and, after a variety of similar adventures, is sent with Lord Seymour to the Tower ; whence he is rescued, improbably, to perish by the instrumentality of Warwick,—who turns out, as im- probably, to be his own father. Clifford ; " we are betrayed, lost, and undone." have any thing to do with the school-room, yet they may be said " Perhaps, sir," said the nobleman, turning towards Arundel, " you can to have bad their remote origin in that sanctum sarictorum. For afford me a clearer explauation of this extraordinary scene than the lady ap- instance, the lady of the family in whom Gertrude, the heroine, rears willing to give?" is domiciled, is good-natured and amiable, but has been badly " The secrets of my master are not rashly to be intrusted to the keeping of brought up by a French tutoress, and seems in danger of becoming .Dudley Earl of Warwick," replied the young man, who had instantly re. wretched for life. Soon after Gertrude arrives at Elphinstone, cognized the powerful rival of the Seymours in Mrs. Clifford's guest." " And who is thy master?" said the crafty and ambitious noble; " and who its mistress is stimulated to fulfil her maternal, conjugal, religious, . art thou, young gentleman, who, even whilst acquainted with my name and and domestic duties, through the exertions of a lady-like go- rank, darest return me so uncourteous an answer?" verness, treated like a lady. One of her sisters, with a more " I am known as Eustace Arundel," replied the youth, " secretary to Lord haughty disposition, engages a cheap and accommodating teacher, 'Thomas Seymour of Sudley, Lord High Admiral of England." who snubs and ruins the children. Another sister, Lady Frederick " Humph ! " returned the nobleman, by no means satisfied by this unex- .pected answer ; " you are here then, doubtless, on some commission limn niy Howard—too idle, too silly, and too weak to trouble herself about much .esteerued friend Lord Seymour?" any thing—takes a humble and pretty nursery-governess, who is " This is a question, my lord, to which I feel by no means bound to reply," naughty enough to elope with Lady Frederick's husband. Besides said Eustace calmly, but respectfully. " Certain it is I had affairs with Mrs. which, there are one or two others of the profession who figure as Clifford, which we could best settle alone ; and I imagine your Lordship is not actors in the scenes, and various discussions take place as to the
• unacquainted with the nature of her ties to the Admiral."
" Peace fellow !" exclaimed Mrs. Clifford with renewed energy : " there is proper mode of behaviour and treatment that should be adopted no business between me and this varlet," she added, turning towards Lord towards governesses. Warwick, " which cannot be more speedily settled in your presence than your Apart from the main object, the book is not devoid of the mere absence, my lord, false deceiver as he is." novel entertainment which springs from love, or of that soberer " Nay, madam," returned the earl, " this passion is inconsistent with all kind of interest which arises from character and from dramatizing business. You were about to sign a paper when I entered; do not let my pre- sence interrupt you." the morals of matrimony. Fictions, indeed, that expressly aim " Ay, to sign the compact of my disgrace," rejoined the lady ; " to sign away at inculcating philosophy, are generally heavy where most instruc- all that the economy of years had struggled to amass; nay more, my lord, the tive; and the one before us is not altogether an exception to the very gold which you advanced in furtherance of our designs." rule. At the same time, we are inclined to rate it higher as a ;;;„" What power could compel you to such folly ?" said the nobleman ; "but I tale than a treatise ; especially as The Governess scarcely accotn- know not what to think. Are you beside yourself, to make use of such explicit language in the presence of Lord Seymour's servant ?" plishes the end with which it was written. It is not when the " Reserve were vain," cried the lady ; " he is already arqualuted with this, heroine marries a baronet that we partake of the writer's fear lest and ten times more. I know not by what means, but he is in possession of this catastrophe should militate against her object by frightening papers which betray the whole secrets of our machinations : a letter from aristocratic families from acting up to her maxims. But Ger- Hawkins to myself, others of yet deeper importance, and----" trude Walcot is a nonsuch—a person whom it is difficult to resist, " If that rascally valet has turned traitor," answered the earl, "lie shall and impossible to degrade or discompose. Hence the whole is in a surely, swing at Tyburn are the world is three days older." "Nay, 1 accuse no one, my lord," said Mrs. Clifford, with increased per- measure a non sequitur. People may argue, furnish me a Ger- turbation ; "I have not the slightest suspicion of Ralph's fidelity, I only know trude, and she shall be treated in obedience to Politics in Private that this audacious minion has gained possession of our secret, and threatened Life. but now, on my refusal to sign that paper, which is an acquittance for laige sums The character and style of the honk have been indicated in our I have been fool enough to lend him, to communicate the whole affair to the opening remarks; but they will, after all, he better understood Admiral before night ; and then farewell to your lordship's projects of ambition." " Ah, indeed ! is it thus?" said Lord Dudley, syllabling out his words in a by examples. Scenes we cannot take, but fragments will do as slow and measured tone. " And, for a full release from his debts, this yowl well to show the common truth of the author. They are new in gentleman is willing to bury his surreptitious knowledge in perpetual oblivion manner at least. is not this the result I am to deduce from the scene I have interrupted ?" he THE GOVERNESS.
added, turning inquiringly towards Arundel. I see before me the pretty, interesting-looking girl, who, already seated at
" Exactly, so, my lord," was the secretary's reply. the table with five or more children, MIS the only individual of the party to " And when on this plea you have accomplished your own purposes," conti• whom none was introduced, to whom no sort of attention was paid beyond that nued the earl, sarcastically, "your next step would be to sell your infor- of desiring her to "help Emma to the breast of the fowl," or to see that minion for a second bounty to your turbulent master? You need not " Julia ate more like a lady ; " and who, ;n the midst of the ravages committed reply," he continued, seeing Arundel was about to speak, "it needs no words on flesh and fowl, must have risen from her comfortless dinner hungry. This to give me assurance of your designs ; but you have somewhat overshot was the "governess." If we were staying in the house, and a quadrille MU the mark. A woman might have been weak enough to be made your tool ; proposed, it was the "governess" who was "sent for " to preside unrelieved at but Dudley Earl of Warwick is not to thus fooled. You will find it necessary, the piano, and who was dismissed at the conclusion of our amusement with I believe, lir, to deliver up your papers, whatever they may be, without corn- the simple acknowledgment of " that will do ; thank you, Miss Duncombe." promise before you leave this house, or make up your mind to be transferred to the Tower without delay, as an agent of those treasonous practices of your ern- ELPHINSTONE HOUSE AND FAMILY. ployer and his associates, of which I am already in possession of sufficient proof to send you all to the scaffold." Arundel was silent : he saw the dilemma into which he had thrown himself, and for a moment his resources and his audacity equally failed him.
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