The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-28 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Cardinal Pole, or the days of Philip and Mary.
An Historical Romance by William Harrison
Ainsworth. Three vols. Chapman and Hall.
Harrison Ainsworth is especially the Genius of
Historical Romance. Prospero's wand did not ex-
ercise a more potent sway over the Calibans ane
Ariels of the enchanted island, than does Mr. Ains-
worth's pen over the buried kings and heroes of our
history. Not the kings and heroes only, but the
men and manners of the times revive again at that
puissant bidding, the material as well as the social
world reappears before us. Again " Old London
Bridge" spans the Thames, " Old Sr. Paul's" tolls
its memorable bell, again " Windsor Forest"—
" Neath whose trees the wild deer bounded
Ages long e'er we were born,
And our great-forefathers sounded
Many a jovial hunting born,"
is restored to its pristine magnificence. We know
no writer of the present age—an age peculiarly rich
in imaginative literature—no writer who can more
powerfully cast a spell over his reader and more
vividly conjure before him the scenes of which he
tells. If he describes to us in rapid nervous sen-
tences the ride of Turpin toYork ; if he fall° w with
suspended breath the escape of Jack Sheppard from
his prison ; if he takes us with the chivalrous Crich-
ton into the revels of the gay courtiers of Marguerite
de Valois; if he lures Eta to the midnight horrors of
Lancashire Witches, like the Wedding Guest, in
"The Ancient Mariner," we cannot choose but follow
at his call, and become a charmed and sympathising
witness to the scene. I keel
acrosgs tohis pages, the vivid
and to
lights
and shadows which flit
the occasional gloom and horror which he delights
to excite, we have before now spoken of Mr.
His Alater
worth as the Salvator Rosa of the Pen.
works, however, partake rather of the character of
historical paintings, and, metaphorically speaking,
they are not unworthy to be preserved as such, as
truthful memorials of great events that have passed
away. Of this class is the work now before us,
" Cardinal Pole ; a Romance of the Days of Philip
and Mary." No royal photographer of tnat age,
had such an artist then by possibility existed, could
have transmitted to us more vivid and accurate por-
traits of the Queen end the Prince, and the great
men of their day, than Mr. Ainsworth has given us
in this glowingly coloured romance. Here is his
portraiture of

QUEEN MARY.
Mary was small of stature, with beautiful hands and
feet. Her person was well made but too thin, and her car-
riage, though majestic, was exceedingly stiff, and lacked
the grace which ease alone can impart. In her younger
days she had been accounted good-looking, but she could
scarcely be considered so now. Her eyes were large and
grey, and her glances keen and steady. Her face was
round, her tresses inclining to red, if they did not even ac-
tually attain that hue, and the nose too flat and large.
Her lips, too, were thin and compressed. Altogether,
there was a hardness and severity about her face
tune
Tinkles its pleasing character, while prema-
ture wrinkles about the eyes and brow gave her age.
If Mary did not inherit the beauty either of her father or
,she had many of the qualities by which bath were
characterised. She had the courage, firmness, and obsti-
nacy of Henry VIII., and she had all the virues belonging
to the unfortunate Katherine of Arragon. Her conduct,
under the trials to which she was exposed, was most exem•
plary, and even her enemies could find no fault with it.
Firmly attached to the principles of the Catholic religion,
in which she had keen brought up, she never wavered fora
moment in her adherence to her faith, but would have suf-
fered martyrdom rather than renounce it. When commanded
by the council under Edward VI. to desist from the per-
formance of mass, she still continued to celebrate it in private.
Mary spoke well in public, and possessed a voice so sonorous
that she could be distinctly heard by a large assemblage.
Her stirring address to the citizens at Guildhall gave the
coup de grace to Wyat's formidable rebellion.
She arose at daybreak, performed her religious duties, heard
mass, and thenceforward devoted herself to public business,
being easy of access to all who desired to approach her.
Bigoted Mary was intolerant and severe towards those who
differed with her on points of faith; but she had
many
re-
deeming qualities, which should have • aved her from the
obloquy to which she has been subjected.
And here is a lifelike sketch of