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Art. VIII. St Clair of the Isles; or the Outlaws of Barra, a Scottish Tradition. By Elizabeth Helme. 4 vols. 12mo.
Amid the masses of dulness and vulgarity intruded on the public under the title of novels and romances, it is not a little refreshing to us to meet with any thing that relieves our weariness, and interests our feelings. The demand for works of this class is much too large to be entirely supplied by first-rate artificers; when, therefore, a piece comes to hand, free from stain and mildew, and turned out in a conscientious and workman-like manner, we are eager to recommend it to our customers, even though it should be found deficient in perfect symmetry of pattern, exquisite brilliancy of colouring, and laborious accuracy of finishing.
The tradition on which the romance before us is founded, possesses both interest and novelty: the characters are sketched with considerable strength, and blended and contrasted not unhappily. The scene is laid in North-Britain, during the 15th century; but the manners and language are those of an age and nation much more refined than Scotland under the two first Jameses. This is a kind of anachronism, however, which it would be idle to represent in a heinous light, when the genuine language of the country could not be understood by an Englishman, nor the unvarnished manners of the times tolerated by a modern.
The style of Mrs Helme is deficient in grace, in polish, and sometimes in grammar; but it is clear and unaffected, and displays the fluency of a practised writer, though not the accuracy of a scholar. The heroine may be thought somewhat too forward, and more eager than beseems a modest damsel to share the fortunes of 'a banished man condemned in woods to roam.'
But on the whole, we may promise the readers of these volumes a considerable share of entertainment, enjoyed free of expense to morality, propriety, or common sense. [complete]
Provided by Julie A. Shaffer, January 2000
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