OLIVER CROMWELL.

ALTHOUGH the titlepage of these volumes assigns the editorship only to '1.I r. Holt ACE SMITH, it may. be questioned whether his COIL- nexion with them does not extend much flirther ; fir they display the same politie:.I iews and the same mode of compieition as his former novel of Ilrermblei,,, !Awe. Cromwell is not only painted as a man oh gigantic earn ity for civil and military aitiltirs, and as ever animated by the national spirit of an English:II:zit, but as de- void of bad ambition, urge .I on by a patriotic necessity to do all he did, and the vitIiill of Cii-cumstauces, if not positively right, in his most questionable actions. His vigorous government of the coun- try—the manner in IVIliell lie fulfilled his boast of causing the name of an Enell-hman to be as 'ouch respected throwrli the world as that of a Roman tiotterly—t he universal toleration he allowed—and the decorum of his court—are all dwelt upon, it' ma with the same words, yet in the saint. spirit as in Brantb/eNe There is too, in Oliver Croucc, II, the same style of laboured and distinct description, bringing the c•bject, or the author's ideas of the object described, distinctly before the attentive reader, but still a descrip- tion literal anti heavy in the handling, and made up of parts rather than derived from an impressi.m of the whole. The author displays a knowledge of the history and manners of the period; but it is ra- ther an acquaintance with external tbrms than the inward spirit of the age; and the artifice of his structure is frequently too obvious both in the general story and it single scenes. In one sense Oliver Cromwell is inferior to Bramlibtyr House, in another superior. l'here is less of individual interest, much less variety of fortune,: anti of persons; and the subject is inure fitted for hi..torical chsinisition than romance, the real purpose of the author bein4 to ivivrate the public life and defend the public character of C'r,e;iell. On the other hand, with a want of the formal excellences of Ilrirutblc'tye House, the character of Oii"er Cromwell is better adapted to the faculties of ML'. l m.%4 'It SM1T11, who, whilst he is deficient in the large imagination and vivifying power necessary to the historical novelist, possesses a temperate judgment and considerable knowledge, with both high and pleasing powers of composition. The mere noyel-giutton will turn away weary from °lied,. Cromwell ; but a better class of readers will peruse its pa2es with considerable interest, and derive from them a new view of the character of their hero. It is still, how- ever, to be regretted that Mr. Small had not thrown his materials into the shape of an " Inquiry into the Career :tad Character of Oliver Cromwell." Ile would have lost nothing hat a fe inclo- drarnatle scenes and situations, which he is sc....x(4y rpialificd to paint : and h.til he f 'bowed the example of our modern extrava- ganzas, and called tip:m the rewler to "suppose," he need not have lost even them. He would have given greater unity and con- ciseness to his narrative; and he would have aceiimpli•-iled his far more et"..ectisciv, since many reader.., of this novel will scarcely be :tb"e to di-tinguish between what is history and what is fiction. Perhaps it would have been advantageous to 'Mr. Smrrit himself, by him to exercise' a more exact sari discriminating judgment, anti not to use as facts unestabli.hed reports. The framework of the novel is well enough contrived to bring the historical hero continually before the reader, though at the expense of the interest of the novel, and of its hero and heroine. Edgar Ardenne, the son of a Cavalier, 1110, ,...rvf:r1 abroad, and travelled in Italy, where he has encountert,i Milton. On

his return, for aught that appears by aeeirient, into the company of Cromwell; and, after some few incidents,

is elected it •• ,mpledged" ,Member for the twat' of Hunting-

don. i of the jo ',dee of the Liberal cause be what

passi 1,', (.1. (:',1 in Parliament, he oppt Co the -Court;

and b:• ....••- • ff: or of Cronln.1:11'S on the breaking out of the ;:t most of the great battks that were

fought : 717i 1 1, the author makes no serople nT

thrustia: wide and describing the conflict ctrl the

deed4 Cr •:':n the objects of the (;enroll become quest

and ft., , to col.!4 -

4113

It e'... : I iritcrc.,t. atttqriptts1 tt, givcri t: ;

hilt 11.- Old 'I myIL.• h, ./1!)!. • 110-ir• varied aitooir and hi

quarrel4

• it. • • telttitf‘'.0. ?„ r,..:10,1:4 to %L-,A slIeIl, frora coa- ,;„! ,..,„..„ „,„„. nodh:'biiits

Naseby; the younglady dies of consumption brought on by sorrow; and Edgar is left a solitary man, with the feeling, as he witnesses the public anarchy, that his sufferings and his efforts have been in vain. Still, he is not merely subordinate to the great events around him, and the great man by whom they are swayed, but is so obviously a secondary person in his creator's mind, that the reader collies to regard him in the same light, and views his troubles with equanimity.

It' the authorship scented to us 111,1S doubtful than it is, we should be inclined to assign the work to :11r. llonAcK SM1T11 from another internal evidence. The management of the story resembles ScoTT's sO closely in the earlier scenes, as to amount to imitation; and this was another characteristic of Bramblaye House. Even the particular descriptions smack of Scurr—as in this picture of the hero ; which, however, is a well-worked-up portrait of

A GENTLEMAN 01? COAELE9 TOE EIRST'S TIME.

Removed alike from the greenness of inconsiderate youth and from the lilac. tinily of advanced age, the rider might be looked upon as exhibiting a spacimen of manhood in the full vigour of its endowments, both mental tool corporeal, as fair as is permitted by the imperfections of humanity. Considerably ahov.• the ordinary height of men, broad-shouldered, deop•chested, tool thin-t1 Inked, he sat his chargt r with an ease and firmness resulting more from natal' ;;race and flexibility of limb that from the practised art of the ,.,:d;W:,•••. its eye was clear and even quick, though thought and cahmoss seent,•d :0 het rat„ rather than energy or tire, to its general expression,—Tedities neither by the broad imaginative forehead tow by the firm and slight ly-uompressed outline of his lips. lie wore a small nom ladle, but neither beard nor nhisker.,, although both these were common in the last y'ears of the unhappy monarch who it that time swayed the destinies of England. Ilis hair, as was the wotil tynto,.:r the higher clat.ses of society, flow .4 in loose curls, trained with perr,lisr care, far down the reek tool over Ile collar of the doublet ; while a single ringlet, longer and inure assiduously eiteri,:hed than the rest, sectmol to indicate that the wearer was not of one mind with the pamphlet then recently published by the notorious Nla,t or Prvone, on the " Unloveliness of Lovelock-a." The dyes; of ;id:fay:flier—a hot*. velvet jerkin of that parallar shade which,

from hying the favourite colour ef the greatest palate!: of his has harm dig. nitiefl with the immortal title of Vandyke—was studied and broiler.. .I with black lace and satin : tight breeches of Ind leather, guarded with tawny

high hoots, and massive spurs, completed his attire; all save a brwoldeMed hat of dark gray beaver, with one blach ostrich-fenther dromdoi: fr,f.n the clasp which held it over the left eyehrie.v. Ills military chink of sable cloth and velvet was Inickl:d to the croup of his war-saddle, while irom henettth the hum- ings of the bow paered out the Ita!tey pistols, which had not long hethre sup- planted the lair,' as the pcculiar wesilsii of the horseman. A long rapier, with Its steel scabbard and hnsket-hilt of Aver delicately carved, hung from a shoulder-searf of the saute colour with his doublet, matched by a poniard of yet inure costly fabric in his cordovan leather girdle.

When it is aided that the mare, which he haul styled, Brawn Bess, was an animal that might be pronounced unrivalled for the rar, uuiou site displayed of strength and beauty, of English bone and high Arabian blood----the hitter manifested in the clean limb, full eye, and coat glancing lilt,: polished copper to the sunlight—nought will he wanting to the picture of the tray, Der who was

Mow journeying: right onward, undismayed, not 111Cr011ii,111,, of all that lie had heard, m•ross the bleak and barren hills which shirt the southern verge of Cambridgeshire.

A LANDSCAI.E.

The season was that, ustiellv the most delicious of the year, the

',right and golden days of early ant oral, when thee prontis... ui spun r and summer are foltilled in the r is;sing harvest-field and the rich ittCta,l, sad before the tho.:410.; of citing:, dee ty, nod death, are forced opoo the mite] by the sere 1 ..ar ;;.,11 •.‘ithoreli tiny had 1)..tett mild tool calm ; and though eveltin,2: tva • fiir mtvitoevd, the !till MIA Still S111111illi!, !Ili Stint 1.V -1 over

the rounded S117/1!!)itl of the low hills tliviop,f I the

ancient K0'11:01 w'1.1' 11(011A its undevi:Iting course. Ere long, the clouds, of which the landlord hitch op tken in gatlicrim; st .laritly to the it est-

n :tr.!, though at that time visil.le only in a narrow sire oig the e the to mail the 11.11 i.f the ,1,.•;i1.1.ig 11r,,t ultat. ,te.i to a htri crim..on, w holly i!irer.•cptetl. After a %sidle, wind, ti 11.1.1 been slight and smolt-1.1y, ve .•t..1 round,

and blew in tit In! s,iit,11c, now whirling the tlit,t and high the air,

and sg...in into a that, fro.n the co...Ira-4 arm.- 1 severed

unnatural. el 1 11 %vas the a.p,ait of the flight the ,,•1, v.i.1 Co. little light which 11.-1 hitherto stroggIv.l iaterval.; of the iticava,,ing ste,rin- elowl waned rai.i,v.c to almost titter darkness.

We torn from pure description to history. The f,lluwing protege will give an idea of the writer's clisqttisitimiai powers; whilst it stiggcsts a i)ol:it probably true, tttid which contains at all events a general principle.

oprosrriox :17CD COUItTr.S! ortAToltr.

Amid a tumult or ,.:.1,1:eee. the p pular :0111 weighty orator resioneil 1114 scat ; while Ilyde upro-w—:ad, a:, it seemed, to atts‘ver, hot to palliate, to p dtt.r, to procra,tiliatc. Jr:o nut once 'lid he summon courage to ion or deny that v.hiell Ito earthly wit or ti s, 1h.: lin:a-sire

wits di-ew.sed, it sea; yet mod remarkahle that not tha It :..,•al partisans, inainfdning fte 0:11110,t ramlakly the from slit ir1.4.

nigh t, ;nvkc ,10 1.r,'1 11 ;Is a word to the denial of vivirgc,:; shim!, tlic %sriiitolim:",-; mf rile:v.-footing with :noli sharp rvil .ctioui thing:, sane.: of

advance beyond what he had that day heard with mingled feelings of contempt and wonder. The following is a srcimett of the more melodratnatic picturing. It describes the ill-judged visit of Charles to the House of Com- mons to arrest the tive Orem:ling INIembers liar high treason.

FIRST MELTING 01' CHARLES AND CROMWELL.

The King himself, attired as usual in a plain garb of sable velvet, wearing no weapon het ou ordinary walkite.r—wornl, and ciary how in his right band to- gether with Lk stair the dark-phisti, d heaver, ,vhirli tic IGPI doffed on entering, stalked coolly on the House ; the l'alsgrave following slowly, and nut it scented

with it balitimid and reluctant step. Still all Was silctiee ; silence proflitol, that save Ills heavy footsteps of the monarch, not a sound could be perceised, unless it were when from without some tecapon.clang was heard, or sonic rude threat or implantation was muttered in the antechamber by the desperate at- tendants of a Lansford or a Dighy.

;ince of Charles, grave anti even sorrowful by nature, was something paler than use I, hut with that sort of paleness which eouveys Ito thought Of cowardice or trembling, but or inninovithb• resolve. His month Was firmly cloned, but it comio.,,sed, nor showitig aught of effort ; his eye, calm, search- ing. cold. but keen and hard as iron; his 'nostril only of his features gave token of condi m, or of tiny feeling hotter than determination ; tier it was dilvtel wide, and slightly quivering. Vet was his hand steady a; the columns which upheld the tollinthove him, and his stride, now tin it Inc ;L:11111Ig hi. 1:1!ge- 111.1WeVer it had been irregular and hasty ere he entered—was measured, lung, and equal. As the King advinneed along the floor, he turned his head from side to aide, perusing with deltherinte and steady glance tine lineaments of every Mcmli,:r whom he passed ; mid if ,too at a distance not oire eve had sought him, so when lie now stood close be,ite them not one eye avoided him. Each, as

Charles Come into his line of direct met his had g eze i!li an on-

b!cre!ii..g• :Ind Unloosing. brow; for tint one mall —e,en or I ho••,! mobt de- votul I•1 1:1., will, or thirst who 'nudd have served him at that inimminnt, who afters: oils did serve him with their whole Marls anal lives—but was tlisg,:nisted, angurrd, full of deep sorrow, almost to despair.

Little there was, however, of the stronger annul more storey pa=stors painted upon lift: 'WOWS or (lok, who ,at t hosreoh....4:4), hy.tviog the h.,:op:r of a king whose v. rath was no Ices lasting and vindictive than it was Lot and sodden. The eNpre,•;,iiiii that pretai1c.1 OVA 1 ingely was if mingled a i. et, half pity, half di•llooce. lint via n the tyrant—Mr ilea action, if that only, justified the till, --.11,pro.ich,..1 the seat of CI mile. (whn»eas in•n-Inin,-, at that day ecronad. kinow 11 by name to the mond sov,r,igo,) and his "lama Idl open those

grim oniginiolv teat them Athenne niiii,.s,1--for e■••teas enill at - trailed. why he home not, with a strain.' sense or Ko,cioalion, toward the l'it- ritan---then .1:dennie witinesied that which in after times he often cant(' to

mind, :aet ni ill,0,11. awe and Wolider.—a m lk (*.Mallet—a coniliet of eve,

countenance, and 'nit:, het", f_tt rho loco, !At c.iiintlitly thrown to,'.eificr and I of gond or veil inetion.

The ;.d.ivre of l'harle, . when first it fell tip.m the ;ai:tre and most unpleasing lineano its of (1.ii rwiis iiisiantly avert rd, Lot ncvsi, sl toerely as men ever

turn the ere :may tioein nihieits nut ntri.11.: nr in:seemly. .1.t that point

of time the trahopiii, as iffinoiva,,le as that of hi:

great future rivi•l; but the I taliquillily tins different than is the of a Molted vole:ono and the pe:Tefiti robin of heaven. The :swollen and corded veins mina the temple, the ep•brows buttered and con:mace!, tine halls glcaming beneath ',ham with a knit and latlefol light, the uo•tiil tool the lip, no that they alone of his winile aspect were of a livid whiteness.

Ere 1st m• II, tinnt to thintle, Ins Irene Leen any matter y, t fi,r thought,

the e■ ('Larks ' :I:, Intlf ttmi1ldc it appeared, airal • that tiger-like and .lino_ (ave. it net the sinister and ()minor., ,'„ire de- firnice, hri6intentieil ah v, titid and keen, mint with a fainsm-liiiie and noble splradour.

For sin short they gazed—chore two I an.) Jenne, hte ecirits--ilito cavil eilor's V-ry it c<111-iili.11., :it

g el' irrennisll• i•1 i• ate lei•tility. Tine her hind:, quiet, al-

thou51: Lig!. and •:ry, i:.Id most wont 'y proud f, maw eil's, sinre:istie, r, 10:, i,,,, lot 11, i,.1 v. it 1.iii so mirthful

in its niim ii a countenance no, ; .1:. ('I.-. I!,'. is'ennart'sai:peet•--aft •:: eta:multi r of tell .-i venni; ei .,e. ----i•In. laotkty via iptaihal heneath it ; and a- he II:,' whah. is I lime than e'er,• needful to reeit,• it r.' i:tin him, lint Wciii directly onward, lookimr