Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-09-13
John Eaten Cooke.

We have not YET had the pleasure of seeing the last
work of our gifted young ,ownsman, Mr. Cookc-"uenrv
S. John Genteman'-but DIR. Mackenzie of the Pbil,Jel
phia Press than whom there not in our country bisb
authority in literary matters or a more competeDt
rc speaks Of and it, author in terms so handsome
that shall not fail avail ourselves of the first oppor
tunity OF reading it, In general article on Recent Lite
nature" DR.. " says
AS yet, there not many frstclass writers Of fc
,ion in this country But these We can claim possess
greet merit Brockden Brown and j. Fenimore Conper
John Neal and r. NJ. Rird J. X. Pauldng and !
Kennedy, William Gilmore Simms and H. W Loncfrl
low, Mss Warner and y. Hawthorne. G. w Curtis
whose "TEUmps Of the best mirrors of New Yor
society yet given to the world as lis "Poiiphar Paner
Vas OF ftth-aycnue pretension and ignOrauce) Mrs
Stowe and Miss NJ. j Macintosh with some half doz.
n more constitute this class, which also belongs
John Esten Cooke OF Virginia, national romauci.t We
10 believe as much Walter Scott was He has written
Tale Of I74-d published by Messrs Harper, of New
FORK, called, Henry ST. John, Gentleman o!
Flower Of Hundreds in the County of Prince
George, Virginia This is essentially An bistori.
cal nove-historical because many of his rIaafs r.
soma are real personages whose names stand boldly out
in the provincial, even in the national annals Of the
country and romantic, which novel should be- because
maeiaary characters are Introduced with their oys and
-orrows their virtues md vices their loves and hates
As with one Of his previous works 1.-The Virginia Com
sdi'ns this story PROCESSES have been taken from,
the MSS. of a certain C. Bingham. We have been f,s
cinated-fkdt is the suitable worldly tbis
posed There some love-adventureq and few
OF lovers but the main interest attaches TO The
historical events which are here made form the main
action OF the story. These truly well as forcly
related. They show hos Discomfort in Virginia and
other places born Of Oppression and ripened INTO
Revolution the fruit OF which was independence and
Nationality. Nj Cooke has taken To small mains
in Appendix. 70 verify the facts which he has
irgenioH,y used the woof Of his romance -
There scarcely occasion for this-but the proofs
are not without interest Among the character
w have Patrick Henri Richard md ID.
ton, General Andrew Lewis, Richard Henry Lee Archi.
bald Cary, Charles Lee Governor Lord Dunmnra Ihou,
ns Jefferson and others well known in the annals Of Vr
GINA There IA glimpse Of John Randolph Of Roam
oke then only child. Mr. Cooke terscIy describes Hon
~ the tongue Jefferson the pen and Wa4binptor
the s5ori Of the Revolution Our female readers viii
be happy to learn that there good deal of love ma
ing in this story St John a lincal deceud,nt of Pc,
hout1s makes love to Bonnybel Vane Ia Young ady for
whom We have particular regard Master Thomas AL
ger, iu-drcs,ed beau Of the period follows eut viii
her sstsr-Jack Hamilton disconsoate widower mar
ries certain Scraphina-snd a promising lad and lass
named Paul Elingham and Beatrice or blossom We
tcrs will do the like. There abou; the usual number
OF understandings and quarres between the hero and hi
4vcctheart chow expressive l. that fine old Saxon con,
pound) and great deal of suffering which a word Of
explanation would have removed. The manner in which
the cloud between the lovers j. finally removed the on
~ clumsy cOntrivance in the story for tho eynednt n
forged letters is thread.barc Of the character
themselves We could say much did space allow; we car
only remark that Mr.. Cookies womnulv creation r. -
imagination They live, they act they speak like fli
realities. Sir John Is chyalrOus gentleman but IN,
portrait Of the whole story IL the Earl of Dunmore Lac
British Governor Of Virginia. Naughty and cowardy
| intriguing aud nso!eut, cunning aud treacherous. WI
have him here 70 the fe Two other characters are mi
/ mitaby drawn. These are Captains Fov and Waters
These men had battsd in the British service in IN
European wars had been together the battle Of Mr
dem had been separately compmentcd by their genera
for gallant achievements; had quarreed aud fought eac
| sounding the other. In Virginia some fifteen wear
later than these occurrence, they meet agan-Foy a
private secretary the British Governor aud Waters
man Of standing in the colony from property and Del
o1al character. These two are most aiti.ticall
contrastcd Water, patriot, has not forgiven Foy IN
official, iOr having wounded him by fencing sleghto
hand, which from tie place where boy fought tie dine
hc calls the coup ds ReiHfei, He IL constantly prov,
Wing 70. 10 fight and 10 last 7uccceds-thc conn NE ",
f'rs finishing FOys career most effectively These ty
/ men are wonderfully well drawn you have them q
clearly before you that Won II you had associate
7 with them for years But We must leave orr reader
MANY Of whom will also read this book 10 discover bear
Ties DO N for hcm-c,es II i7 certainly the bcf hstor
cal novel that has been Published for years and Virgin
should be proud Of such gifted son az she possesses
John b1en Cooke who has thus presented the world wit
che romance Of history as connected with that State