7 FEBRUARY 1846, Page 16

CYRUS REDDING'S VELA.SCO

Is a very clever work, but, like some very clever people, easily seen through. Everything about it is smart, and designed for effect; but we perceive that the smartness is forced, imitative, or out of place ; and the effects fail from the obvious efforts that are made to produce them, and at the expense of the greater matters of consistency and truth.

Velasco is the story of a Spanish adventurer told by himself, from his birth as a beggar's brat till his final settlement in a place under Govern- ment. Yelasco's first step in life is to attract the notice of a priest ; who • Spectator, 1834, pp. 568, C61.

gives him some education, and afterwards is the means of procuring him a place as page in the family of a grandee. This of course affords an opportunity for various sketches of the domestic economy of the Spanish nobility,—as a successful attempt to restore a child to her parent, who has been stolen by gipsies, carries Mr. Cyrus Redding, (after Mr. Borrow) among the Spanish Gitanas. The common love-adventures of Madrid .have a place in the story ; and Velasco plays many parts besides. A monk whom he picks up on the road introduces him to the family of a grandee rusticating in dudgeon ; but, recovering the good graces of the Court, the Marquis of liinoseso returns to Madrid, becomes a minister,

and makes Velasco a secretary of the Council, in order to describe Spanish ministers and make sage reflections on politics. Losing his post as quickly as he gains it, Velasco goes through further adventures, some-

times designed to furnish sketches of Spanish manners, at other times intended as a vehicle for general satire,—as the physician with the homceopathie theory. Having buried a wife in the early stage of his story, Velasco winds up his autobiography with a second marriage, after a love affair, intended to illustrate the affection as displayed in man and woman, and also to be very affecting, but it is only very wiredrawn.

The model of Mr. Redding is the Spanish tales of adventure, or rather that artistical improvement upon them, Gil Blase. But Mr. Redding

has attained little more than a copy of their smart style and hard manner. Drawing from life, the original writers were consistent without an effort. Their heroes may have good -nature, but they have neither sentiment nor romance; if not absolute cowards, they never engage in any dangerous adventure without the odds very largely in their favour ; and their deeds, though loose and immoral enough, are tolerated tricks and frauds, intrigues with women of the same stamp and character as

themselves ; and the whole wears a lively and pleasant though bard and selfish air : but in Velasco the hero combines the scamp and man of senti-

ment. In a novel of adventure we do not look for unity of plot ; but we expect the social probabilities to be observed. Gil Bias is carried to court ; but it is behind the scenes, as minister's man, and deputy or jack- all to the go-between of the Prince. Yet, with this model before his eyes,

Mr. Redding can see nothing but an opportunity for writing about the Court and the Government : he accordingly appoints Velasco secretary of

the Council, though only a page shortly before. The reflections in the original tales are brief, passing, and to the purpose. Mr. Redding puts homilies into the mouth of Velasco; and the man who began life on a dunghill, and whose conduct is invariably selfish and unprincipled, is

continually inditing profound remarks or sentimental disquisitions. Ex- cept in some single incidents Velasco inspires little interest in the story, and none at all in the characters, because they are incongruous. Mr. Redding may have seen or heard something of modern Spanish life, and have read accounts of what it was formerly; but he Jumbles the two periods together, and thinks and speaks of both not as a Spaniard but an Englishman. But the writing of Velei,wo is good, and there are many clever remarks scattered through the volumes. The author can even get up a scene or

dialogue with a certain effect, if we are prepared to look at it as a mode of displaying Mr. Redding's ideas, and not as an occurrence or a conversation likely to occur. Here is an interview with a pedigree- agent, to whom Velasco goes to get a certificate of gentility; ludicrous, but improbable.

"Waiting a short time I was ushered into the den of the master, the notary Bagarra, so notorious in Madrid for his professional excellences. He was writing

in a small, square., dim room, with thick doors, that the conversation within might

be inaudible among the myrmidons. There sat the grimy little man, his small, dark, dagger piercing eyes' looking like the last night embers of a fire: his nose was curved like a sickle, his complexion of superlative sallowness, and his lips thin and purplish of hue, for ever stretched with a sardonic grin. I presented my letter of introduction: Jae looked as solemn as an unpaid priest; desiring me to sit down, while he glanced twice carefully over the contents. I took my seat in a broken chair.

" Umph ! senor,' he began, I hope we may be able to effect your object.' "'My friend has explained it?' "'You desire an instrument of gentility—an executoria de hildalguia?' " I do: will there be difficulty?' "'Some trouble, little difficulty: we do these things continually.' " 'It will be a work of time, perhaps?'

"'No; the heralds go sna.cks with us. The instrument you want is not con- tested, so as to render a verification necessary before the proper authority, step and step—in ten days it may be concluded.'

"'Many have recourse to the same mode of ennobling themselves, I suppose?' "'Half the families that carry their heads high as the top of St. Isidor owe their pretensions to our management.' "'it is a common matter, then?'

"'Common! as common as an alcalde's emblazonment--this between ourselves: half our nobles are polluted with the Moor and Jew—not a drop of "blue blood"

runs in their veins. I doubt if a dozen of them can be called old Christians. Some scarcely know who were their grandfathers, that carry their heads as high as the best: the heralds and we dolt all. Why not, if it answer the end?'

" ' You encourage me.'

"'Senor, half you see among our aristocracy is but seeming; the reality in such things is rare under any cover—the great art is to cook up the mystification with a tasty relish.'

'

"The little man smiled, like a tormented demon playing the hypocrite, with merriment.

"'Will the expenses be heavy ? ' " 'A hundred donblons, perhaps—we fee these roguish heralds well; we get very little—ours is a poor profession in these times—immorality prospers without our help l' "Then the little man smiled again, in a more ghastly mode than before. " • The heralds!'

" ' The heralds: why, 'Os not a year ago since one of these old foolish merry- andrews, the kings-at-arms, came to me in despair. The inventors of arms are all with Satan,' said he: am so troubled, I would I were of any other trade.' "'What now, Re de Blazon ? ' I replied.

"'They go to Satan on horseback—I wish they took their emblazonment. with them; it is easier to make new arms than trace up a connexion with old ones. I am in trouble. The new Alcalde Mayor of Angarvilla wants his certifi- cate of hidalguiaship. I looked over hundred's and thousands of names, to End one for founding his pretension upon. No such name could I find at all. Doubt-

less his race has been base-born from Noah's ark. I could make no beginning, adtherefore you can make no ending for your client.'

"'That is awkward," I added. 'Why not fabricate the whole downwards in place of upwards? Neither you nor I need to trouble ourselves about the ho- nesty of the thing—that does not concern us, who so rarely meddle with what is everywhere gone out of date.' "1 I never thought of that,' said the Re. "'Nobody will be the wiser,' I rejoined. Suppose you were applied to for a testimony in behalf of a child from Africa brought to Madrid, and you made it handsome pedigree: who would dispute it? This Alcalde is of as little consider*. tion as a child; no one will trouble themselves about the truth: it is not as if he was of high family, to whom such things are a second heart. You are the only Re de Blazon I ever knew trouble himself about a bit of heraldic roguery—.s mere every-day matter: make the arms!'

"'Re took my advice, and the Alcalde Mayor paid us two hundred and fifty doublons. How else could so many alcalde mayors carry arms? Your name is--' "'Velasco de Ercillo ' I replied; thinking once more of the dirty Rastro. "'We shall have no 'trouble, most illustrious senor, in deriving Ton from the Ercillos. I remember twenty families of that name in the heralds books, all of

excellent standing from the time of Alphonse and Isabel. Velasco has a touch of the blue blood of the Duke of Fries, Constable of Castile! That will dos Write down your name and the names of your existing relations.' "I have no relations,' I replied, except an aged mother.' " So much the better,' said the notary; there will be less difficulty, less trouble. This day fortnight, senor, call here and you will find your pedigree it right heraldic tree, as useful and handsome as any other in Spain."'