23 JANUARY 1892, Page 25

The Trance of Fitzerse. By Alfred Fitzerse. (The London Literary

Society.)—It would be rash to say that anything in fiction is an original idea ; otherwise we should have said that the dominating idea of this story is an unquestionable novelty. Sir Alfred Fitzerse, a soldier who, in the seventeenth century, plays his part in the struggle between King and Parliament, finds himself under very different conditions, living and expected to play his part as an English gentleman, in the nineteenth century. How he plays it, it would be very unfair to the author to say. The idea of the story is, however, the best thing in it ; the working of it out is not specially artistic. The author is evidently a novice, and may do better work some day.