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Past Events; an Historical Novel, of the Eighteenth Century. London: Moore. 3 vols, 8vo. 1824.
We have an objection to the title of this novel. It is not historical. It is entirely a fiction. With the exception of the localities, and a few of the names - it is a pure offspring of the author's imagination. But this is of itself praise, when, with all our carping critical propensities about us, we cannot find any greater fault in a work to be reviewed, than a mistake in the title page. The author is a practised writer, and handles his pen with great facility. The language is good, the style fluent, easy, and gentlemanly, and the management of the incidents and developement of the story, are both well and effectively contrived. In our restricted space we cannot abridge or analyze a narrative which fills three good sized octavos. The bare outline is all that we can give. It turns upon the fortunes of a young, lovely, and all-accomplished girl, who is taken up as a foundling, by a wealthy, kind-hearted Spanish Grandee, educated and presented to the world as his niece. All the young Dons of Madrid became enamoured of her, but in vain. Her affections centre on Alfonso, a young officer on the Guards, the nephew and heir of her benefactor. The interest of the story turns upon the obstacles which her obscure origin interposes to prevent this marriage, and the attempts of a profligate young Grandee to carry her off from the family of her protector. Her adventures and sufferings are told with much probability and great force. Some of the scenes in the Pyrenees, and the voyage to and residence in Sicily, are written with a vigour and boldness scarcely inferior to some of the better parts of Mrs Radcliffe. She is at last discovered to be indeed the niece of her benefactor, and the daughter of one of the noblest families of Naples. After all the difficulties, usual in such cases, are surmounted, she marries the heir of Albazetta, and all is happiness and content. There are some lively pictures of Spanish manners in this novel - which harmonize with the general story, and assist in augmenting the interest of the whole. [complete]
Provided by Julie A. Shaffer, January 2000
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