OWEN GLENDOWER. * " THE idea,". says the preface, "of making the
character of Owen Glen- dower the subject of a romance waa'first suggested by the late Sir James Mackintosh." TO biamell-stored and 'fertile mind the capabilities would be obvious. The historical personages, - including Henry the Fourth and " the sword and-buckler Prince of,Wales" of Percy—the feudal nobility of England, with unbroken power -and flush with their success in de- throning Richard and raising -Bolingbroke--the educated but half-bar- barous chiefteinanf Wales, with their rude followers, and the more varied * °Wei Olaidoiesi.nr the Prince in Wales; au Thalorical Romance. In Iwo "InEneS' 14444 ?SY ARP, ' .ttguy elation of. England, whose "commons" werealainginte.newer-Arm peotiliar claases of society over and above the advantage, derived.by his+ torical romance froin the maiiiits of the middle ages.: ;The critical faculty of Sir James Mackintosh was perhaps in abeyance, acid made, him over- look the disadvantage of subjecting such .a novel to a, comparison with some of the best-known works and most popular chatactera. of Slaak- spere. There is also the difficulty of realizing the oharaeteriatio3 of the Welsh and the.Marchrnen in the fifteenth century ; which is greater; Wait the same difficulty with tegard to England, from the greater absence of materials. None of these diffloalties are indeed iusuperable,to genie§ AT34 imagination ; but they have net yet been attempted, even by Soott, whq latterly looked to the inherent. capabilities of a subject .ass much aS
previous knowledge of it.
It is in creative imagination that 071106 Glendower is deficient. Yhe author has that common imagination which knows generally what ought to be done ; - but he wants the life-giving dramatic power that is able to do it. The loftier and more ambitious- efforts are forced, and at the same time flat ; the scenes which are intended to be the most effective are MOO- dramatic and improbable. Yet on the whole, be succeeds better with the Welsh than the English, perhaps because we cannot so readily brink the characteristics of the former to the test. His Owen Glendower, thoUgh theatrical enough, is less. glaringly outré than that of the cool and politic Henry the Fourth ; who in, made a mere bubble in the hands of the of the piece—Neville, an adventurer connected with the family ef West.. moreland, who has risen by back-stairs influence. reins, the, only, fot- lower of Prince Hal that appears, is sadly changed from the ", proper fel? low of his hands " : the Prince himself is not so bad,, but he has not a great deal to do.
The research of the author has been rather injurious to his fiotiou. He has sought out the, history of Owen Glendower and the Welsh revolt; but, instead of using the more-picturempte portions of it for his romance, has made his romance subordinate to the history. The' story of the dan- gers, escapes, and loves of Mortimer Earl of March, with Eva • daughter of Glendower, frequently stand still for historical narrative, and sometimes for historical 'disquisition. Hence there is disjointed story as well as a de- ficiency of life.
A short extract will suffice to give an idea of the writer in parts of
action. ev e as a u a sister o otos, w o gores roug
man's attire as a page, and is one of these machines" of the book. Res- cuing the younger Mortimer from prison, she remains in his place, and is unintentionally starved to death. Poins has procured:the Prince's war- rant to search the castle of Lord Grey, and intercepts Neville just in time to prevent his carrying off the heroine, Eva. " Joining Poises, they proceeded with the Earl, who was waiting with Madoe, toward the rampart. "'Is thy name Madoc?' inquired the lieutenant with eagerness. 'Dot thou recollect a certain evening some weeksaince, when * savage, milling himself a British soldier, brought, in his hand a path! accused, methinks,-of heresy, wbota he immured in thesirinfereal cells, and'who is still their inmate?' " Madoc shook hip-head, and returned the usual 'dim saesnaeg:' " He speaks no English,' observed Lord brey;`I will be his interpreter.' "Through the medium of the Earl, Poins received 4 distinct account of the cruel transaction, save that part of it which belonged to Eva; *doe merely de- scribing the capture of the boy, his vain resistance, and the circumstance of the key being in possession of Hugh Greaves or his master; who, thus implicated, was deeply incensed with Grey fur his literal translation, while the euraged brother with much difficulty abstained from inflicting instant vengeance on the principal offender. " Obliged to precede his companions, Neville led the way: a damp noisome va- pour rushed to meet them, and almost extinguished the lamp; while the lieute- nant groaned aloud as he recognized by its sickly light the dripping walls and mouldy flags which led to the dark abyss. An iron grating at bottom of the steep descent opposed their progress; bat Madan,. assisted by the impatient stran- ger, drew back some bolts.
"Calling vehemently on Eleanor, Poi= rushed on; bat coining saddeuly in con- tact with some obstacle, stumbled and fell: springing quickly from the ground,:he again called upon his sister, but in a voice hoarse from terror. There was no an- swer to his call—no indications of life. He turned from the spot Where 115 had fallen, and endeavoured to penetrate the awful darkness to make himself
but, except the echo of his hollow voice, and the low rustling of affrighted vermin all was silence.
"Neither Grey nor Neville had ventured within the grating; for a feeling that the captive had ceased to exist deterred them from-following too close upon Poiris. -Madoc, however, kept at the heels of the latter, and, holding the lamp close to the ground, its light fell upon the rigid and stiffened features of a corpse. Ills ex- clamation of horror arrested the attention of the lieutenant. He stooped over the body, looked at it steadfastly, and recognized, although shrunk, collapsed, and disfigured, his unhappy sister. " One moment sufficed to identify the victim: Although a skeleton, although the prey of vermin, a brother recognized her'ence perfect form. He drew lois poignard from its case, and sprang like a tiger after her destroyer, who, having heard his exclamation, was rushing up the stair- " But Madoc had drawn the bolt of the upper door, and ere Neville could nn- draw it he was seized by Nine; who, raising his poignard, would have plunged it in the traitor's bosom, but that the latter, with a sudden and desperate stroke, hurled it from the threatening hand, and flung into a distance. Plans was now left without a weapon, but completely mailed. Neville was undefended, and al- though-the stronger of the two, maintained the fearful struggle that ensued at a considerable disadvantage; for the narrow stair on which they fought, together with the rapidity of the blows, dealt with murderous intent by a furious oppo- nent, prevented the use of his sword. They closed and grappled in each other's arms: the vaults of the prison resounded with their terrible maledictioos and drowned the loud expostulations of Lord; Grey and the unintelligible:appe;ha of Madoc. Poles maintained his station by planting his back to the door;' -while Neville with difficulty kept his footing on the verge of the narrow descent, his only chance of escape from certain death consisting in the tenacity with which he clung to his adversary. "It was an awful but not a tedious draggle. A well-directed blow epos the undefended chest of Neville forced him to relinquish his hold. Next moment he was flung with sudden and gigantic force from the top of the precipitate stair, and fell a mutilated corpse at the feet of Grey, who, incapacitated by the posi- tiou of the combatants from offering the slightest assistance, was waiting the issue below.
" The implacable avenger, bounding afterhis,eictim, ;raised his poignard, and would have plunged it into the hreathiette.body, but that the Earl, seizing his arm, arrested the intended stroke,
"'it is done without further outrage,' he said. No human creature could survive that dreadful crash. I cannot see the lifeless body poignarded.'
" Neither will I sully the pare steel in his base blood. My sister is avenged. Give me some quiet uncontaminated spot where all that now remains of Eleanor may rest in peace; and let me quit this loathsome atmosphere: "
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