18 MARCH 1876, Page 25

Arthur; or, a Knight of Our Own Day. By the

Author of 'Alice Godolphin." 2 vols. (Chapman and Hall.)—One of the penalties that wait on great creations is to be found in the miserable imitations which they call forth. The "King Arthur "of the novel before us is a mere lay figure, without colour or character. Ida, who is meant to represent Queen Guinevere, if she is more like a real human being, is so in virtue of being only too natural in her heartlessness, flippancy, and selfishness. The subject of the tale is, as may be guessed from what we have said, exceedingly disagreeable, and there is nothing in the literary execution to make it attractive. The writer, indeed, betrays positive ignorance of her own language. How can a young lady lie prone on her back ?