The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-09-21 00:00:00

THE ABBOT..
BY THE AUTHOR Or tIirAYERLEY"
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•As Roland adesseei ti..-.11.41=1111 and pen.
&lit, of the Lady of Avenel mak* ' Sit jisighty
and tyraNnical towards the different ilimpaisks is
the house, as to ►ender him libel/emend obinne tlydie►
like. The arts of the envious servants shins*
produced the desired effect, sod the insolent HAW
was dismissed by his penis! lady. He gaits thd
castle indignantly, after a fine scene with his mis-
tress, which, like the rest of this captivating book.
is so natural as to poetise idea of ioventron entirely
oat of the reader's head. sod they go on as if every
syllable were truth, sod every circumstance real.
This indeed is the seine of art: to have nothing that
deviates from common life, and yet the charm of
the most extraordivary adventure,.
Holism', after quitting the castle of Avenel, wan•
ders abroad. His first night's lodging is taken at
St. Cutlibert's cell ; where we have a fine picture
of the sacrilegious outrages committed by the
early Reformers. Here Magdalen consecrates Ler
grandson, in blind obedience to some great and
Mete service of Rome.
" As she spoke she bent her head towards the
broken image, with a countenance in which strong
resentment and x•ul were mingled with an expres-
sion of emetic devotion ; she raised her left hand
aloft as in the act of making a vow, and thus pro-
( eeded, 6 Beer witness for me. Holy Saint, within
whose violated temple we stand, that as it is not for
vengeance of my own that say hate pursues these
people, so neither for any favour or earthly affec-
tion towards soy amongst them, will I withdraw my
hand front the plough, when it shall pass over the
devoted furrow ! Bear witness, holy Saint, once thy.
self a wanderer and fugitive as we are now—bear
witness, Mother of Mercy, Queen of Heaven—bar
witness Saints and Angelo!'
" After a night passed among the ruins of St.
Cuthbert's cells its inmate* journey to a dilapi.
dated house or cosmos. occupied by an ex-shbess
of the family of Seiton, arid in ex-novice of the
same noble race. ['he heroine is drawn with the
touch of a Titian. On Roland's entry with the
two elderly matrons, glancing her ryes towards
him. "she adjusted a veil which hung back over
her shoulders, so as to bring it over her face, an
operation which she performed with much modesty,
but without tidier affected baste or embarrassed
timidity.
" During this manoeuvre Roland had time to
observe, that the face was that of a girl not much
past sixteen apparently, and that the eyes were at
mice soft and brilliant. To these very favourable
observations was added the certainty, that the fair
object to whom they referred possessed an excellent
shape, bordering perhaps on ern-bon-point, and there.
fore lather that of a liebe than of a Sylph, but
beautifully formed, and 'hewn to great advantage
by the close jacket and petticoat, which she wore
after a foreign fashion, the lust not quite long
enough absolutely to stoners! a very pretty foot,
which rested on a bar at the foot of the table at
which she sate; her round arms and taper fingers
very busily employed in repairing the piece of tapes-
try which was spread on it, which exteibited several
deplorable &sore-, enough to demand the uttnost
skill of the most expert seamstress."
The commencement of this acquaintance is de.
ligl.tfolly playful, but. for ■ time is to be inter.
rupted ; the Seytons proceed one way, sod the
Gnomes towards the monastery of St. Mary. Here
they arrive, just in time to witness the election of
Edward Glendiniiing to he the last Abbot of that
shrine, under the title of Ambrosia. We cannot
find room for any of this admirable picture of an
olden custom, which is about to end in a fray, when
Sir Halbert Glenclinoing happily arrives, and puts
an end to the frolic.

Roland, reclaimed by the Knight, is willingly
yielded by Magdalen (who sees in this the especial
doing of Providence) and sent to the Regent Mur-;
ray, at Holyroofl House.
Our author now' enters upon that sort of field,
of which he is so skilful a reaper. Hitherto the isle
has led us through the mazes of private life; it now
links itself to history, and to that period of history
which is by far the most romantic mid interesting in
the annals of Scotism!. The matchless skill with
which he intertwines his thread of fiction with the
melancholy fate of Mary Stuart, is truly admirable.
We are so imposed upon by it, that we cannot
divest ourselves of the reality : it seems as if the
descriptions were penned, and the facts related, by
an acute eye-witnese. Take fur example one of the
views of Edinburgh at that unsettled era:—The
Regent's Palace—
" It was indeed no common sight to Roland, the
vestibule of a palace, traversed by its various grouper
...amuse radiant with gaiety—some pensive. mid ap-
parently weighed down by affairs concerning the
State, or emmerning themselves. Here the hoary
otstesessaa, with his cautious yet commanding leak,
his furred cloak and sable pantoufles; there the
soldier in buff and steel, his long sword
,jeering
against the pavement, and his whiskered4rilir
. find flovitifft brew ; there again pawed 's
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