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Art. XXXIV. Guilty; or not Guilty; or, A Lesson for Husbands. A Tale. By Ann of Swansea - Author of 'Conviction, Cesario Rosalba, Secrets in every Mansion, Chronicles of an Illustrious House, Lovers and Friends, Gonzalo di Baldivia, Secret Avengers, Cambrian Pictures,' &c. &c. In 5 Vols. 1l.10s. Newman and Co. 1822.
We do not know what to point out as very engaging in the production of a lady, who seems so satisfied with the character of an author by trade, that she not only refers you to a list in her title page of eight novels and romances, (besides two &c's.) with which she has supplied the novel market, but complains bitterly in her epistle dedicatory, that she has never yet been benefited by 'the great men, and liberal encourages of Genius,' to [233] whom she had before inscribed her works. The ground work of 'Guilty, or not Guilty' is this: General Fitzallen suspects the fidelity of his wife, lady Caroline, and goes abroad with his daughter Rosella. They are supposed to be lost on their passage from India. Rosella first re-appears, and presents herself to her half sister lady Clarisford, who rejects and treats her as an impostor. There are some high wrought scenes, in which Ornville, as the lover of Miss Fitzallan takes of course a very conspicuous part, particularly when he is pestered and plagued, and then persecuted and carried off from a masquerade by the Countess of Clarisford. The innocence of Lady Caroline Fitzallan forms one of the principal features in the eclaircissement. We cannot be much impressed in favour of the moral tendency of a book in which there are so many details of intrigues and profligacy, and if ladies must write novels for circulating libraries, they ought to take care to avoid subjects which administer to any thing rather than to reserved and correct feeling. One of the chapters is headed by a quotation from the seventh chapter of Proverbs, in which Solomon describes the artifices and allurements of a wanton, and the chapter itself presents you with a highly coloured picture of a beautiful intriguante. An unfit one surely to place before readers of any description. The reader might suppose that a writer, who publishes under the romantic name of 'Ann of Swansea,' placed most of her scenes in some sequestered spot upon the sea-shore, and selected her heroes and heroines from a marine villa, or fisherman's hut. This however is not the case; we are introduced into the most busy and fashionable circles, and there is scarcely a page which does not teem with dukes, or countesses, masquerades, balls, operas, or concerts. How the retired and distant Swansea could furnish the authoress with opportunities of describing such persons and scenes, with the requisite degree of accuracy, may be a little problematical. We must not dismiss our notice of these five volumes, which, though sold at a higher price, contain only about two thirds of the matter to be found in Mrs Radcliffe's four volumes of the Mysteries of Udolpho, without giving a specimen of the refined and noble company into which they introduce us.
'Do pray, Miss Lavington, indulge us with the duke,' rejoined Lady Clarisford.
Miss Lavington suffered the harp to be placed before her, and imitating the duke of Alsingham's voice and look, she sung what her brother observed was a favourite song of the duke's:
Wine inspires the soul with joy,
Brim my goblet higher;
Woman is a silly toy,
Let us ever fly her.
[234] What are sparkling eyes to me,
Who let them harmless pass?
Still from love my heart is free,
Save love of sparkling glass.
'Encore!' said Sir Arthur O'Neil, who with the honourable Mr Dungannon had entered, while Miss Lavington, in a ludicrous manner, was giving an imitation of the duke of Alsingham's singing. 'Sure now, and you sing like any nightingale.' Vol. II. p. 291. [complete]
Provided by Julie A. Shaffer, January 2000
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