MST LIFE.
THERE is a ,sr,he about this novel, a cordial warmth of heart, and a never-failing flow of animation and good spirits, which are very delightful. The hero is a fine young Irishman, whom we accom- pany, with great satisfaction, though many " moving accidents by flood and field," and many scenes of fun and frolic, described with genuine Irish humour. In the first volume, there is a spirited sketch of some of the events of the Irish Rebellion in 1798, and the French invasion of General HUMBERT and his handful of men, who stood their ground so long, and excited; such consternation among the imbecile military functionaries of those days. A scene in a den of murderers, into which the hero is- entrapped by a deadly enemy, is one of the mot powerful passages of' the kind we have ever met with. In the intense interest which it excites, it equals the scenes of a similar kind in Count Fathom: The cha- racter of "Jack the Devil," the Irish rout, is infinitely amusing; though the reader will close the book in a sceptical' state as to the solidity of his very sudden reformation. The battle of Water- loo is well fought; but it has been fought too often. The inci- dents of that memorable day are worn threadbare, and' it is im- possible now to give them interest or novelty. The adventure, however, in the " field of the slain," where the young soldier, lying among the wounded, nearly loses his life by the hand of a ruffianly Prussian Yager prowling about in search of plunder, and is saved by a profligate but warm-hearted Irishman engaged in the same occupation, is powerfully told. This novel, alto- gether, is one of the best of the season.
Previous page
