The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-05-12

"FAIRFAX;n or the Master of qreenway
Court; a novel, by John Ensn Sooke, go
New York. For sale by Philip h Solomons.
The scenes Of this agitating romance are laid
In virginia during the eventful period OF Its
early history, when society was wild and un-
settled, and life was full Of action and dan.
rer,, II 10 book In which can be traced .
descent from such honored, but now rather an.
tiquated, ancestry as "Ooeola," "Greyslaer,"
"woodersft," &c. II seems almost time the
race should be extinct; and so content are we
with the reign Of to-day's literature As to ex-
tend rather equivocal civiiities to old claims.
The only mark OF spuriousness to be detected
in "Fsirfax" 10 Its anomaly Of heroine. In
Indian snmities and depredstions, border set.
tiers alarm and defepces; wild hunters cunning
and stratagems, may be traced lineaments OF
the old stock which cannot be repudiated. But
In the unnaturally conceived and extravagant-
ly drawn character Of Bertha Argal IL shown
new and distinctive features which have never
been presented, and we hope will never be re.
produced. This young lady, = paragon of
beauty, happening in childhood to fall from
. fruit tree, was rendered, through life, sub
jeet to temporary fits Of insanity. In woman
hood this arrangement assumed a settled mo-
nomania for contracting engagements with
PiSsehtepie youhb hhNh "s
being irresistible, disastrous results could but
snsus to the victims Of her wiles. A suicide
ending one amour; banishment into foreign
lands another; . duel between father and son
third; and so on to the extent Of unriva led
horrors. The finale very appropriately pre-
sents graveyard scene, where the fatal syren
with her unfortunate victims reposes "under
the sod and the dew" Through Its sacred
precincts, the remaining characters are left
roaming dssultorily, musing and commenting
upon the exits Of life.
"THE ARTISTS DREAMyn. novel BY Eiler-
| ton Vincent, 3T4 pages. Published by @. W.
| Carleton 4 Co., New York. For sale by
| Philip 4 Solomons.
"of writing many books there IL no end"
Startlingiy true il this OF the present age;
where no student, either Of the college or sem.
mary, dare display q modicum Of clevorness In
English composition, without being assured
Of the ability, and enfamed with the desire
to write book. Hence the great quantity Of
"vacant chat" strewing the market. or this
| class 10 the volume before US. From, the veal
structure Of its sentences, the superabundancs
of sentiment, and total absence OF sense, WI
judge It to be the offspring OF q female brain
From the extensive poetieal quotations-som
not In the best taste or Of the choicest order
which are as thickly scattered about as the
holes In the Daniades' vessels, We opine thii
female has not escaped her "teens." From
the pedsntic display Of knowledge, the great
effort atprofuudity, the fearless plunging int
abstrueities only to be drowned, we see an un
furnished mind soliciting inspection. Ant
from the general plagiarism apparent, extend
Ing even to names, incidents, and places, W.
would remind the young miss the old garment
has not been suffciently renov ated to pass, al
new, q serutinizing public.