The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-19 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Boscobel Tracts. Edited by J. Hughes, Esq.,
A.M. Second Edition. Blackwood and Sons.
A revised edition, which, after very careful scru-
tiny, we can pronounce to be one really all but
perfected. Me'. Hughes has performed his part
conscientiously. It has evidently been with him
a labour of love, that of collecting and collating
this very charmin and celebrated compilation.
And no wonder—for what more fascinating than
these Boscubel Trac ts, in which loyalty and love have
combined to record 'n the language of truth the ro-
m-Ln tic narrative of the King's escape after the Battle
of Worcester ? A narrative abounding with hair-
breadth 'scapes and very marvellous vicissitudes.
It is emphatically remarked -by Lord Macaulay in
one of his Essays, the Essay upon Mackintosh (vol.
ii., p. 229), " If we had to choose a lot from among
all the multitud6s of those which men have drawn
since the beginning of the world, we would select
that of Charles the Second on the day of his return."
So might we select from all the tales of romantic
adventure that have ever been penned with a strict
regard to historical accuracy—not, remember, fan-
tastic incidents born purely from some dreamer's
imag:nation—Boscobel I A wonderful contrast,
in truth, is that presented to the fancy by that ever
memorable Mayday in the year of grace- 1660,
selected by the great Whig annalist as the one that
witnessed the most enviable lot in the history of
mankind—the Day of the Restoration ! And these
terrible three-and-forty days during which the
king's life was constantly in more or less imminent
jeopardy—the three-and-forty days which elapsed
between his flight from Worcester to Whiteladies
on the 31 of September, 1651, and his landing at
Fescamp in Normandy on Thursday, the 16th of
October ! Mr. Hughes, already favourably known
to the world o' letters as the author of " Provence
and :I).e Rhone," it may be remembered by those
who ;tear in wind he former edition of these Bos-
e. bel Tracts, undertook the alluring project of their
emu/twat:on and revision at the suggestion of the
late Right Rev. Edward (Coppelston) Lord Bishop
of Llandaff—to whom, in consequence, the work
was imniediattly upon its issue appropriately dedi-
cated. This wa,. no less than seven and twenty years
ago—a whole life time—and now, at last, anothet.
and au improved edition of the work has happily
made its vary welcome appearance. After au expla-
natory introduction, it sets forth, by way of pream-
ble, with the really admirable Diary compiled by
the author, through the aid of which we can follow
the footsteps of the young King day by day, almost
h .ur by hour, with a perfect appreciation of the
ex tot sequence of the incidents—hicidents, but for
this, bewildering the reader by their multiplicity.
Besides the renowned narrative of "Boscobel," by
Thomas Blount, giving " The Complete History of
the most miraculous Preservation of King Charles
the Second," precisely as it was printed in the two
parts as originally published—the editor groups
about that central historiette of " Boscobel,"
several other scarcely less famous illustrative nar-
ratives of the self-same adventures. Conspicuous
among these, of course, the King's own version of
the story, as dictated by his Majesty to Mr.
Samuel Pepys, at Newmarket I Moreover, there
is duly extracted a notable passage (picturesquely,
but in many particulars most erroneously recount-
ing the manner of the escape), contained in
the Thirteenth Book of my Lord Clarendon's
" History of the Rebellion." Besides all which,
have we not Mr. Whitgreave's authentic " Narra-
tive," and Mr. Ellesdon s " Letter," and that other
" Letter from a Prisoner at Chester,"—and (fol-
lowed by an appendix full of curious genealogical
information)—Mistress AnneWyndbatn s far-famed
" Claustrum Regale Reseratutu. ' Yet are we in-
satiable—even after feasting•delightedly upon this
ample banquet of romantic adventure ! Why have
we not, beyond all the foregoing Tracts illustrative
land corroborative of Boscobel—why have we not
also, in addition to Father Huddleston's " Rele-
Von," the " True Narrative and Relation in
the Harleian Misc Alany" (vol. iv., p. 441.), and
with this the other Narrative given by Bates in
the second part of his " Elenchus ?" Then, the col-
lection of tracts would indeed be complete—but
hardly till then. Though it might even then be
objected that something still more could be added
in the shape of Guuter?s narrative in Cary (vol
p. 430). However, after all that Mr. Hughes has
done for us, we don't remain in earnest perversely
obdurate in our objections. We are thankful for the
treasures he has strung together for us like a chap-
let of precious stones—very motley and diversified,
it must be confessed, in their general colouring. We
should indeed be ungrateful if we quarrelled with
a book minutely finished, even to its e nabelliShMent&
Among which, in addition to a sketch of the Battle
of Worcester, and a chart of the King's journey--
have we not agreeably scattered through the
volume by way of appropriate illustration two
views of Boscobel House, one from the north, the
ce tier from the west ; a view of Trent House,
n tfier of Moseley Nall, another representing
Olt !Hee :he King escaping in disguise, attended by
the five faithful Penderells ; and last but not least
n eneraved portraiture of the ever green and
ever glori. ars " Royal Oak at Boscobel ?" Where-
fete, frankly be it spoken after all, we have in
,eke nt for this enthralling addition to
our bi-terie treasury really nought to offer but
gr etetul words fit unaffected thanks and admire.
tion. Gla ily should we welcome from the press of
the Me,sts. Blackwood another and a companion
narrative—one that we marvel has never yet been
issued from the press in a kindred volume—a work
receueting the hairbreadth 'ecapes and romantics
adventures of Charles Edward, the Young Che-
valier.