The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-24 00:00:00

too late to retreat.' We are a strong body, also. Go
and greet the Baron of Taverna on my part, and bid him
come to me," he said to the man who had brought the
information.

The message was repeated to our hero, who stood be.
side the gateway with the Count of Lesina.l
" We are discovered, friend," cried the latter.
bins, at once !"

Both set spurs to their chargers, and Taverna soon
came in sight of the bulky admiral.
" Here I am, traitor, villain, poisoner !" he cried.
"Here I. am, th u monster of all wickedness, Thou dis-
hounurer of thy king ! Draw, and defend thyself !"
Ha struvk at him furiously with his sword ; but the
admiral had also drawn. He was a good swordsman,
and he easily parried the blow. A few more were inter-
chaqged. They were well matched ; but the youth and
skill of the younger man prevailed ; and Giorgio Ma-
jorie fell to the earth—dead ; while, strange to say, the
whole company of his friends and followers fled from his
side without having raised an arm in his defence.
The novelty of the scene, the remoteness of the
epoch, the stirring and warlike nature of the times,
give to the work an air of vigour and freshness
which is rare among narratives of a.later age. The
number and variety of the characters introduced
keep the scene continually changing ; they include
in their goodly company the slothful King, the
ambitious and evil favourite, the bold and haughty
barons, the cunning Arabs, the truthful and valiant
Irish squire, and a crowd of minor persons, who,
nevertheless, sometimes play an important part.
The heroines, too, are not wanting in diversity of
attraction. There are the wily Queen, the beautiful
and high-souled Clemente, the gentle Agate., the
calm and pious Theresa, and the hermit princess, to
whom the wondering villagers gave the- name of
Santa Rosati% A darker nature, however, mingles
with this fair sisterhood. Corazza, the daughter
of Majone, and betrothed by her father to Taverna,
is the cause of much suffering to those who have
thwarted her vehement passions. In his preface
Mr. Beste defends
.his former works from some
attacks that had been made on them, and totally
disclaims all intention of indulging in controversial
or religious disquisitions. " I write," he observes,
" for the general public, and am neither a divine, a
polemic, nor a missionary." His profession would
rather seem to be that of a historical novelist, and
he appears to possess the requisite qualifications
for that difficult pursuit. He justly regards as one
of its highest recommendations the power it pos-
sesses of familiarising the reader with the details of
history ; and in the hands of a skilful and con-
scientious writer, it is no doubt a forcible means
of impressing information. The author has added
another to his list of successes, won in a more
stubborn field. He has forsaken the personality
and excitement that lends so much interest to an
historical romance of our own days, to trust to
the unaided light of his genius to pierce the
gloom of the dark ages, and awake for the long
forgotten struggles of that earlier time, the atten-
tion so readily accorded to the narrative of a mo-
dem insurrection. It is a matter of congratula-
tion that he has so well succeeded in such an
arduous attempt, that he has invested the stern
old barons, whose swords have long been rust
with the interest of heroes of fiction, leading his
readers far along the dusty highways of history,
but strewing them with the flowers of romance.

The Botta Pass ; or, Englishmen in the Highlands.
By Erick Mackenzie. 3 vols. Smith and Elder.
It may be an agreeable diversion to those novel-
readers who are weary of hackneyed places, and
stereotyped descriptions, to follow iu fancy the
heroes and heroines of this novel through wild and
romantic scenery; to connect their fitful careers
snd s'rsnge adventures, with the legendary lore
that still pervades " the land of the mountain and
the flood." Characters such as are presented to our
notice must interest whenever, and wherever met
with, but they strike with a peculiar force, and are
invested with an added charm, when the attributes
with which they are surrounded are congenial to
their nature. It is not only with those indigenous
to,tlie soil that this applies, but the visitors are
seen to more advantage than if we had taken our
first glimpse of them amid the crowd of fashion's
idlers, or in the glare of courtly saloons. March-
moracn and Auber, with those innate qualities,
that single out, and set apart their possessor, if he
aspire to distinction, were yet the very men to
allow themselves to be overcome by the various
casualties of time, place, or circumstance. With
their companion, Harold, it was otherwise, he was
the same always, straightforward and decided.
The attractions of the story are so numerous and
varied that it would be difficult to single out any
one point of it for attention, but the chief regard is
centred in the fortunes of Esmd. Hers is a fine
character, oue not often met with in the pages of
fiction, the lights and shades of Pier disposition
are so finely blended, the weakness of her
nature, when sinking under nervous depres-
sion—yet the energy with !which she again rose
to her former level, the never-ceasing struggle after
something higher, nobler, greater, than anything
she had hitherto attained to, all bespoke a different
temperament to her sisters. Another, but whether
a better was questionable, Esme required other
friends than those surrounding her, to assist her in
the perilous journey of life. She contrived to es-
cape the many and serious dangers that beset her,
but it was at a fearful risk, and she had to spend
what should have been youth's happiest season in
suffering. It would not be just to a narrative like
the present to attempt detailing its course, as it
would be impossible fully to appreciate the events
without studying them in their relative bearings
one towards another. -Yet it will appear to every
attentive observer that the situation of Esme at
the period of the visitors leaving the Highlands, is
a skilful construction of social manoeuvres, and re-
dounds to the honour of the artificer who so
planned and devised it. It was not that she was'
fickle or changeable, nor that she desired false ex-
citement, and mystery in her affairs, but she did not
know her own mind in the strange and perplexing
views of life presented to her. She found what
many dreamers have before awakened to, that it is
not the best preparation for emergencies to be con-
tinually dwelling upon them. Had she strength-
ened her mind by inward discipline, an outward
calm would have taken the place of those fancied
visions and gloomy reveries. She would have risen
superior in her native strength to the terrors of
predictions, and been enabled to overcome
as they arose any danger or difficulty.
Nevertheless, by her very unguardedness, Esme
is rendered fascinating. The germs of the good in
any form or shape bear the impress of light and the
image of beauty, but they are peculiarly developed
when they are shown in the life of a young maiden
like Esme. By her pure existence she held out a
charm to the highest in the land ; they could not
find her equal in their exalted stations. There was
one thing, however, in which they could not suc-
ceed in aVracting her; they wanted truth, and she
felt tbis—they were not true to themselves ; hence
they could not be to her. In Auber she felt his
scorn and contempt for what she prized, and when
with Marchrnoram she realised that he was divided
against himself. In h;s best moments of devotion
to nature and appreciation of art, a warning voice
seemed calling him away to more dazzling scenes of
worldly honour, wealth, and distinction. In this
he forgot himself ; it was this endeavour to be
great that prevented him from being so. Had he
cherished the feelings that animated him in the
glories of nature's solitude, their majesty would
have given him the courage of a hero, and have
brought him uut of the conflict more than con-
queror. He . regarded them as romantic and
visionary, as idle suggestions to be trampled under
feet, before he could pursue his course. It was
the turning point in his career when he met the
Highland maiden on her native mountains. Had
be then yielded to his natural impulse, had he
joined his fate to that of one so exalted as Estee,
he must have been successful in his after life.
The unworldliness of her nature would have
triunsphed over the artifices of his. judgment ;
with one always beside him to speak of his
better self, he would have evidenced and
illustrated in his actions the noblest ambition, and
have aspired to that high standard of success',
which is moved not by the breath of the world
s
flattery, nor disturbed by the shadow of its passing
frown. It may be more true to paint Marchmoram ,
as a failing, however, and it serves to display more
of the power of Esme, by leaving her al one in the '
terrors of a discovery from which the boldeshtmight
have shrunk. The inner life of they oungheroine
mysteries and disturbed by
was filled with strange rays
passing clouds, but, as often occurs, its outer exist-
ence was carried on in different guise. Many a
time in the curse of these events did Esme form
one of a gay and happy group, who assembled in
various spots to do honour to the travellers and
strangers ever welcome in that country. Those
impromptu fetes, and spontaneous rejoicings, must
have gladdei:ed the spirits of world-weary men who
were escaping from the " rack of a too easy
chair," when they hurried to the mountains to rest
is the pursuit of imaginary hardships. The interest
is preserved by here and there some touching
scene, or melancholy passage of existence, which in
the midst of youth and gaiety brings home the
mutability of life and happiness. Such is the
" Highland Shepherd's fate," as described
in the season of Christmas mirth. A mourning
party set out to track the spots
"Mid the wild mountain heather,
Where the pilgrim of nature lay stretched in decay."
Huistan died faithful to his trust, and many might
thus envy the lonely death on the Snow-covered hills.
The last scenes are powerfully described, and the
way in which Esme discovers the treachery of
Marchtnoram is in accordance with the wild nature
of the place, while it is dramatic in the intensity of
its excitement. .Heir subsequent closer on the