NEW NOVELS..

WHEN Mr. Leitch Ritchie first aprared as a tale-writer, a good many years ago, he was distinguished for a story of wild impro- bability, with considerable though somewhat exaggerated force of delineation and expression. Time and experience have mel- lowed his peculiarities. Weargfoot Common is not very likely in itself or its incidents: a foundling brought up by an old bachelor and his sister, launched into life to seek his fortune, and carried through a number of adventures to display various characters and various phases of social existence, is also a worn subject. If, however, Mr. Ritchie is conventional in his framework and some of his actors, he also exhibits the skill of a craftsman. A grim-looking half-pay captain, with a tender heart—his maiden sister, shy, retiring, but the quintessence of kindness—a solemn serving-man, very methodical and attentive to his own dignity—a • Wearyfoot Common. By Leitch Ritchie, Author of " The Magician," 84c. With six Illustrations by Miss M. E. Dear. Published by Bogue.

Charles Random; or Lunatics at Large. By Thomas White. In three volumes. Published by Longman and Co.

Oakleigh Mascott : a Novel. By L. Howe. In two volumes. Published by Hurst and Blackett. The County Magistrate: a Novel. By Lord B•"••••, Author of " Masters and Workmen." "The Farce of Life," "Wealth and Labour." In three volumes. Pub- lished by Newby. osiaetierlik4f abletv nattered and romantie (look: maid, and a very

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itheltiftiftin 'Wu e-maid—may be old-friends but they have pi 6/1 ei Igz. i • If.g4.44.s give4i.Whire: The idea iili4 ti4, _4.qived fro-M prs,,.:41-tittliti9n etiagtf".. observation and,:pliall in tom- :biding ,.them. When the- hero is thrown into: the - world of 4ilindon,--with natural ability and much imperfect knowledge 'Of Aitarly things, to inake'his way in society,- higher qualities come litti::play.en the part of 'the author. Mr. Ritchie may not have the narrative and dramatic - faculties neeessary: to .prodnee that p1eOtki1 oI fiction which-seems likaan actual transcript-of life ; chef 4flevilooked-on the -world with discerning eyes ; he has suit'. cientiiiriffiliseite Particular' traits ' and embody them in'descirin- tion, if he cannot develop them in action ; and he has know- ledge enough . of 4lia_ :we& ; tcr-_ prevent weakness' and absurdity. His account of the inferior olassrof artists who chiefly live by .ferthering-„the arts of pieture-dealers -is the condensedgesult of thafiloating knowledge which must be picked up and cannot be • getritoili books. Driftwood, the victim to "high art" while his :Veins intended :him for sign-painting, is a capital sketch, with his good-nature, his sanguine disposition, his indifference to adverse tuzie„_his ,his of eventful success in "high art," his knowledge a Certain kind of London life; and his really good sense and sound judgment on all matters except those which concern his own 4iondnet.ul There. -aro alsa.:niee bits of ,oritieal observation nu the Jgreat.pheitomena that constitute this world of London.- Here is one on seemingly small things, but which very distinctly marks the differenee between the practical workman and the iniateni. "Bobcat had no fear of being unable to obtain a living in London.; but it '.',44s necessary to put himself properly in the way, so that no more tithe old ,be lost in experiments than was necessary. His' survey, withont• titiO4'him in the main, had brought down a good deal the estithatelie fgrtued of his own capabilities. There was a completeness, in its own Way,,abotit everything he saw, which showed hini that something more was Qantifigilrarilthe tent of genius.- The rudest toy Was obviously put together bypwastomed hands which did what they intended' to do, and nothing more. "The hathtlest acter; ;rhose business perhaps was merely to deliver a letter, Jerformed_his part like a man who knew perfectly well what he was about. "It'iltiiihER6bert that-the Most gifted amateur imaginable Could net construct !ft-WU:Well - to , answer the same purpose—that is, to sell for the same 'mime --,or deliver a letter ái well; with the businesslike propriety deManded, ;mg- _6 subordination required to the rest of the action. In the'picterial 'art;sbferns be cOuld-judge front the depots of the ordinary picture-ileidenis, the case was somewhat different. There the untaught, uncertain; ineir- perienced hand; was often painfully obvious • and in periodical literature, '-', likewise, there were specimens without number of jejune twaddle and feeble i,Wielence. -These were not the rude completeness of the toy, the humble 'nish oftluractor, ' but the floundering of weak and illogical minds in a -Jparsuit for 'which they were naturally unfit."

.. ' By• one of those accidents for which fiction is never at a loss, -Robert Caltlands, the hero, is introduced to a needy member of _the aristocracy and his daughter. As they contemplate using his abilities for their own ends, Robert's connexion with Sir Vivian YaletaitOwer enters a good deal into the story, which we do not follow ; and gives occasion _to many casual remarks en .art and other things. Here is a subtile observation.

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"One thing is clear—that he will never be a painter. He thinks too Much and to subtilely of the theory of art to become great in the practice ; „practical art is an instinot, the achievements of Which may be followed, cannot be preceded by theory. 'No; he has no more chance of becoming :.liter-in this way, than he would have of becoming a poet by learning to

Inantifeetiire rhymes at the university." . .

- &id-Yes 'Random is a sort of novel of adventures, but of a very -afferent stamp from Weary,foot Common. Mr. White displays a knowledge of life upon town, with seine invention to .present what 'he knows in the succession of events which is called a story ; but he lacks skill, and loftiness of idea—in a critical sense he wants even To .. 'conception. The hero, Charles Random, is the younger son of a generous and embarrassed baronet. In a 'boyish freak he is permitted to enter the army ; but, disgusted „pith Ale .iieglect he meets with, after performing prodigies- of valour-in the Sikh war, he retires, and is persuaded to go into the bhurch on the chance of sulyancement. The incidents, persons, and tone of the tale, all partake too much of the first career and 'the lalfittgel which prompted the second. Poor Theodore Hook )nia but aii indifferent Conception of a divine—in facts his loftiest :ideawant notigher than a Tory "sporting parson"; but Theodore's pictures were grave decorum. compared with the conduct and ad- -ventures of the Reverend Charles Random, as well as the flip- t levity of tone with which they. aranarrated. - There is an ort ocei itaonally at moral reflection, but it has too much Of a ,Aavern stamp.to counterbalance the action. It may be said that the author has a theory teaching love and madness, but it was not

Inecessaryto exhibit it in the ft:lathe does. , . The hook, however, has variety and adventure, bustle, and what ,istheatrieallY 'called "business?' Mr. White, too, ha a a turn for

• "the'Wjeretts, broad and fareiesd enough, but capable of raising a latuAh.,,, This "comic" scene takes-place when the curate is hastily lng..." the sphere of his duties" 4414kt a duel with a military - acquaintance whom he has knocked down. His cornpaeioni are

" friends," not in the denominational sense. _ ,

" WVall proceeded to the railway station. Two elderly ladies, whp sus-. Yi.md every well-dressed man in a railway-carriage to be one of the swell ritek'redeive1/41-:ohr company with undisguised consternation. zo dt,f-Whatutsgot.the tools,?' asked Denby. .

- oVfahe ladies started. .

J. .ff `IAIL---right'—said Idereworth ; and being a goodnatured fellow, he ,Istritferetthis service to one of the victims, who was trying to let down the

window. , .

-nntl-cAllow.me, madam:, - • . .-.1.,..:5‘!.Keep effoir, or I'll scream for the pollee:,

" ' Peeptlieel ' he exclaimed, quite aghast. - -.

" Yes; Itr,otiant auffholittailwithrithirmaissrinsonifelsiiiniChe .is iu the nest erunixtte.i have zonlyitturaW plui 1113 1111(la lure. Mad! sau11,4114.3r,iipla wIiiscper -; dotrOcrikte.tile,pnets soul.' ‘• I iv.; be civil your p:54?niiiiem.p"., if I have o4qtral but only vdshed to

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• "•011!‘ weunderildnditralt,' sir: You havle intit hold of the wrong kind of at'heiqricinl, Who ncsidetrie return. . " The brat bull bad Tlit/g4 when I saw Price rush panting upon the ;plat- form, followed by a potioenian. " Sit clOse,! said I, ' the affair has got wind.' • with a sovereign in his mouth, as be turned `the -handle of the door neat 'the lin:.,,ifere they are I' screamed the old ladies : help ! murder ! 'thieves!' • " ' The pleecereares coming Vether side, 'ladies,' said the guard; Speaking

, • " 'Are the doors locked on the other side ? ' we heard somebody, ask. ‘" All fast ! ' was the reply ; no one can get out. The guard is on that side.'

" It was evident that they Were Ithe carriages behind us ; and after two doors.had been banged, I-triedthe -handle of that on the outside of Mkt etnriage,; and, finding. it unfastened,`T crept out; follarted by DanbY and Mureworth, Crouching doWn, we ran backward, as the nayrinitlona of the peace went forward, and, seeing' an open door at the end of the train, we made for it. We found the carriage empty, and, quietly taking possession of it, peeped out. 2 There they go!' cried the guard, pointing, out three energetic travel- seas, who were rushing into: the sMtion,house ea pursuit -of -their luggage. " All right!' Phew—lmshmehick, ckipk, chicyry—and away went the train. It afterwards transpreirthat PrAce followed a fly which was driving from the station at an unreaSenable speed, and succeeded, in arresting three respectable barristers; bound for the seselens-house."

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--It would-puzzle the greatest adept in classification to fix the order of fiction' to- Which • Oakleigl_t Maseott. belongs, unless: he adopted the tangible test of purchasers and patrons and- arranged it under the head, of the birculating..library: A: child 'abandoned through, the .pressura.-of circumstances; luckily adopted bye 'ba- ronet, and entitled to a large fortune, is tho heroine of 'the -book. -A. Lord' Grantham is the villain of the story.; and some reason he has for being villaiaous, since; if the heroine, Ellm had her rights, he would lose lid title and something' more substantial. -His ,plan, and-mot:a bad one; isto marry -her; but her affections are monopolized by Harry Afountjoy, the hero. Baffled in his matri- monial plana,LortiGrantham,.when he is detected and turned into plain Mr: If_arcourt, aims at vengeante; and achieves it for- a' tithe by misrepresentations that Separate-Harry. ancilElla. • . This is not much of a plot,but .it would. haireheen passable had the hook exhibited 'executive-power; which there is none: The intended comedy is caricature, the-serious portion is badly melo- -dramatic ; the social scenes of high 'life exhibit ne•manners; if the writer is familiar with them he _cannot •paint them. The best thing he does is to describe externals; hut with so Many models

produced within the last thirty' yeara, anybody can do that. ' , .

The County.Magistrate, l' Lord. B?"","*:°, is the best fiction the pseudo Peer.fins -turned out.'. The rich, indeed,- are Still de- picted as very wicked 'and oppressive, by :nature ; such of "the poor as are. not-virtuous are made wicked by the circumstances • with which society, shaped iiy the rich- and_powerfal, surround them. The novel, however, has more :of received story; and less of bald feelosophy, as Cobbett used to -call it....,,Thestyle is neater, though it would admit of strengthening. Many of the passing re- fictitious are just. This. is cite on curious learning. "Contented in a dirty „Landon lodging, in the nmst_ melarkeiloly state of gentility, Mr. Astley!ts hap,picat hours were spent in groping moon the literary treasured of the -British Museum; he was alWays rnakin,g some sur- prising discovery of some wonderfarmanuscript, whieh nobody else had ever read before, nd which, all probability, nobody Wronld.ever -read again. ," It. is IL strlinge-- passkin, this-craving for hunting-after. other people's ideas and other people's: wordsi.without the smallest. creative mental power I At the reviyal,ef Jfareing it wigged te win men fame and fextune; but the living generation-, look ing more to the future than the past, „grants wealth and honOiirs only to original minds, which by reasoning or invention assistthe spiritual oi material progreie of mankind.' - The "County Magistrate" is a very wicked man. In his youth .-he 'wilfully. shoots ilialover of a relative, with the view to get-the lady for himself,' or it all events bee 'property. As the deed was done at a shooting-party, he contrives to saddle young Mortimer, the brother Of the 'tidy, with.the'stspicion of Manslaughter, seeing that the family disapproved of the match.' All at first goes well, except that 'Mortimer, unable to bear up against the suspicion, re- nounces society .end vanishes: But Lindsey; the Magistrate, has raised 'upa host of troubles. The son of tile slaughtere'd gentle- - man grows up, to nunhood, and deVotes himself to detecting the real orb:labial: a peasant has 'seetilifr. Lindsey do the deed, and picks up the pistol he drops in his confusion ; 'his valet, whom bad example has made as wicked as himself, With low' tastes and had manners superadded, more than suspects Ertl.. tinder these diffi- Milties, -the County Magistrate does, his best to destroy the two 'humble enemies, while he is keeping up the appearance Of piety and respectability, and carrying. on other schemes of self advan- tage: :Bad as the world is, tord B*"**** is driven to punish-the 'rich than atlast; on the principle 'of Poetical justice. - ' • The County lilagistrdte would ik'itaxich better for more strength and a likelier, dramatic exhibition ; but it is a romance; which is

More than can be said of its predecessors. '.•