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Art. 43. Canterbury Tales, for the Year 1797. By Harriet Lee. 8vo. pp. 400. 6s. Boards. Robinsons.
We have perused with pleasure the tales of this lively and ingenious writer, and we recommend them to our young readers as both instructive and entertaining. Of the four tales of this volume, we were more particularly pleased with the second, or 'Poet's Tale:' the narrative of which is judiciously chosen and well connected, and the moral is striking and useful. The triumph of virtue and simplicity of manners, over artifice and profligacy, is pourtrayed in the bold colours of nature, and with the full force of experience. The first, or 'Traveller's Tale,' interests the reader at the commencement: but he will probably be disappointed at the conclusion, which is defective, and apparently abrupt. The two remaining tales deviate too much from common life, to be capable of the same amusement and edification with the others, - and indeed bear strong marks of imitation.
[470] We must add that the fair author of these tales has, in some places, uttered her moral reflections and sentiments with a degree of obscurity. In page 4, the gallantries of the Spanish ladies are thus mentioned: 'Spain, the region of romance! where love has transferred his veil to the fair eyes of his votaries,' &c. 'Light traces of sensibility and judgment wandered over the glare of youth, like clouds upon sun-shine; and gave his character a graceful shade, &c. and 'to say the truth, Mr Mortimer's character, when immatur'd by adversity, did not seem to demand or deserve superior regard,' see p. 48 and 9. 'To him, therefore, day after day passed smoothly on; while every setting sun left the mental as well as the natural horizon embellished with a thousand brilliant vapours, which the rising one renewed,' &c. p. 78 and 9. 'Feeling that indefinable union,' &c. p. 61 and 2. in the former of which pages the word 'father' is termed an epithet.
These instances of affectation in style we have brought forwards to deter the ingenious authoress from falling into what is called fine writing. The judicious management of metaphors, and of other ornamental figures of speech, is more difficult than is generally imagined by noviciates in literature. Miss L. indeed, is one of the professed.
[complete] Provided by Julie A. Shaffer, September 1999.
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