1831.] REVIEW.-M. Mahè on Antiquities of Britanny. tions might have been useful stratagems; nay, as likely to be accredited by British savages, as that the clothes formed part of the body by those of Polynesia. Lay a marvellous and a scientific explanation of a phenomenon before our own peasantry, nine out of ten will prefer the first. M. Mahè concludes this portion of his work by presuming that the round dance mentioned by Homer was of Celtic origin, and that some of the Breton popular tunes might have been composed by the Bards, and have descended to us by tradition, as well as the dance which these tunes regulated. For thinking so, he gives us the following curious reason: "It is perhaps a sweet illustration; but why should it not be permitted to me to feast upon it, since it is commonly believed, that the chant of the hymn of Vespers of St. John Baptist has been composed by Sappho "-p. 374. It may be supposed that there is much of fancy in these Celtic disquisitions; but that opinion is unfair, in regard to nearly all his hypotheses, because he finds foundations for them in the ancient history of all the nations of whom there exists any record. That such primitive superstitions and customs did not originate among the Greeks and Romans, is manifest, because many of them are found in America; and are demonstrative of a state of society far more barbarous than that of the days of Homer, or even of the Pentateuch. If we were asked, whether we accredited the longevity of Methusalem, we should say yes, because we know that of Prejudices." We have made this remark, because from sheer neglect of reading and observation, the well-authenticated history of our ancient architecture,-viz. that it begins with debased Roman (misnomered Anglo-Saxon and Norman), and lasted till the introduction of the pointed arch, has been most illogically besieged. If the battering cannon was loaded with balls, we should think the siege serious; but if the pretended balls prove to be only dumplings, we should think it pantomimical. To ex plain. The cheapness (1) of wood for rafters, floors, uprights, shingles, laths, and lattices; (2) of lime; (3) of straw, caused the majority of buildings in old times to be made of wood, GENT. MAG. December, 1831. 529 or lath and plaister, and as such, not durable. It has therefore been oracularly decided, that because examples of building in stone in the AngloSaxon æra, are very rare, no specimen in perfection remains, and that all fabrics in the style in question, are of Norman date. This is as much as to say, that if a stocking cannot be found which has not been mended, the first existence of such stocking must take date with the time when it was mended, not woven. Surely when history attests the date of a building, we may presume that mere repairs or alterations are not sufficient proofs for the invalidation bona fide of History; no more than did the superstructure of Bedlam upon London Wall modernize the latter. The number of Churches mentioned in Domesday, and sometimes in earlier æras, which still exhibit the debased Roman style, renders the ascription of such work to a more recent æra mere assumption. When the Anglo-Saxons arrived here, they found Britain adorned with buildings, accompanied with Roman improvements; the island was full of the best builders, and fine specimens of their work are still remaining at Autun, nor is there a reasonable doubt but that many of the remains in this country, called Roman, were built by them. We are utterly at a loss to know by what authority the herringbone work (opus spicatum), Roman work found in the walls of Caerwent Church (Venta Silurum), and various other places, and the Roman-British work in the church at Dover (assimilating the style of the reign of Constantius to be seen in much perfection at Treves, are taken away from the Britons as well as the Anglo-Saxons. Knowing, as we do, that among both of them slight timber-fabrics were most usual, because they removed to different estates, which required places of occasional residence; † were subject to perpetual aggression, and could most cheaply repair such works, when burnt or damaged; yet we know also that stone-work (as in the border mansions in Northumberland) was deemed essential for fortresses; that *Turner's Anglo-Sax. i. 225. + Asser int. XV. Scriptor. 158, &c. 530 REVIEW.-M. Mahè on Antiquities of Britanny. there were British walled towns, ac- The decline of architecture in Roman Britain has been attributed to the builders having been drafted off into Gaul. This short preamble shall introduce from our author (literally translated) the following curious matters: "I heard one day the conversation of two femmes du peuple,' of whom one said to the other, that the Cathedral of Vennes was built by the English. Twenty other times I have heard the building of a great number of our Churches attributed to them. A tradition so diffused has certainly an historical foundation; and must have arisen from a notorious fact; but it is not easy to specify it. During the wars that Carausius, and afterwards Allectus, excited in Great Britain at the end of the third century, many families quitted that country, and the Emperor Constantius placed them in the territory of the Curiosites (sic) now, Cotes-du-Nord, and in that of the Venetes (sic). "The youths of the Britannic isles, that Maximus enrolled under his banners, received from him in Armorica, after his victories, considerable estates (fonds), of which XV. Scriptor. 602. + Malmesb. de Pontif. L. ii. f. 28 a. De Gest. Reg. L. ii. f. 32, ed. 1596. [Dec. the Emperors Theodosius and Honorius confirmed to them the possession. "During the ravages of the Scots and Picts, a part of the insular population flowed back (reflua) upon Armorica, to escape the sword of those Barbarians. "At the beginning of the fifth century, the tyrant Constantine caused to enter into his revolt, and dragged into Gaul, the British youth, and ended by establishing them in la petite Bretagne,' which so great a number of their compatriots had already adopted for their country. "A little time afterwards, the incursions of the Picts and Scots, and still more the conquests of the Saxons, forced an immense quantity of the islanders to seek an asylum among us. "These frequent emigrations remarkably augmented the population of Armorica, so that the number of refugees equalled and perhaps surpassed that of the ancient inha bitants. "But they felt that these numerous colonies were obliged not only to till the land for subsistence, and build themselves houses for shelter, but also to construct a great number of churches for the exercise of their religion, which was the same as that of the Armoricans. "Such are the real notorious facts, which may be regarded, in my belief, as the origin of that popular opinion, which, sometimes wrong sometimes right, gives to the English the honour of the foundation of a great number of our churches."-pp. 353, 354. Now, under admission of the deduction, we may find the form and construction of ancient British Churches; and in those of Lombardy (according to a quotation, which we have made in a notice of one of the Foreign Quarterly Reviews), specimens of the debased " Opus Romanum" of Bede. By comparing these, we may acquire a knowledge of the similarity or discrepancy of the British and AngloSaxon styles. Here we leave our author, with gratitude for the numerous and novel illustrations which he has given of Celtic antiquities, and more particularly the conformities to them which he has found in other nations, ancient and modern, proofs whence they were derived. He need not have "Frivola hæc quoted from Vopiscus fortassis videbuntur, sed honesta curiositas ea non respicit." They are in fact most valuable portions of history, inasmuch as they illustrate the real origin of the manners and customs which distinguish or identify various 1831.] REVIEW.-Scott's Tales of my Landlord. nations; and form the Natural History of their moral Zoology. Tales of my Landlord. Fourth and last Series. Containing Count Robert of Paris, and Castle Dangerous. 4 vols. 8vɔ. THE fourth and last series! there is something mournful in this word last-when uttered by a cherished friend-something prophetic, when taken in connection with the parting language of the estimable man who uses it. The excitement of war, and the speculations of avarice, are the great motives of those " who go down to the sea in ships;" but if we except the vessels that bear the devoted missionary to preach the " glad tidings" to the heathen, never did ship bear a freight more followed by the prayers and good wishes of a nation, than the frigate commissioned by its Royal Master to carry the Author of Waverley to climates where he may obtain a restoration of health. May that good Being in whose hands are the issues of health, bless the means to its desired end!—and may he who has contributed so largely to the intellectual recreation of his age, return to his delighted country under the shade of those bloodless laurels which his ta lents have gathered!-May his happy, old age repose in the enjoyment of public honour and domestic peace! May he live, and may his pilgrimage be soothed by all that should accompany it-the blessing of God, and the praise of good men “And when old Time shall lead him to his end, Goodness and he fill up one monument!" We shall need no apology for kind wishes, which we are persuaded will find an echo in every bosom; and we proceed to the consideration of the volumes before us. After an Introduction, in which the simple-hearted Schoolmaster of Gandercleugh, Mr. Jedediah Cleishbotham, delivers himself in his peculiar vein; the first tale in the collection, "Count Robert of Paris," commences. The period is the Second Crusade ; the scene is Constantinople; the dramatis personæ are of the highest grade, emperors, princes, paladins, and philosophers. The first chapter is purely historical, and relates, with all the accuracy of truth, and in language energetic and eloquent, the rise and pro 531 gress of the celebrated City of Constantine to the eleventh century, when under the reign of Alexius Comnenus, all that was left of Greece in art and civilization, was trembling in the balance, and likely to be saved or lost, according to the abilities of the Emperor for playing the very difficult game that was put into his hands." It would be unfair towards those into whose hands these volumes will speedily be placed (and who is there who is not anxiously expecting them), to develope the plot of the story, and so weaken the interest of the pages; we will content ourselves, therefore, with extracting some of those striking scenes and masterly delineations with which the work abounds, premising that the least felicitous invention of the author was that of attributing so "Pehighly worked a fiction to poor ter Pattison," the defunct Usher of the Schoolmaster of Gandercleugh. We have said that the time chosen for this splendid historical fiction is that of the Second Crusade-when Europe's barbaric chivalry, pledged by the most sacred vows to the redemption of the Holy Land from the Infidel, and headed by Robert of Paris and Robert of Normandy, enter the impethat terror which the admission of rial territory, inflicting on the Emperor armies, so numerous and so undisciplined, would naturally excite-their intent warlike or pacific. But what Alexius could not perform by strength, he could effect by stratagem-obtaining by skill in treaty advantages which victory could not have procured. Accident and cunning contribute to this result; he succeeds in persuading the chiefs of the Crusade to consent that before crossing the Bosphorus, they would acknowledge individually the Grecian Emperor, originally lord paramount of the country they had vowed to regain, as their liege lord and suzerain. This ceremony of recognition is thus described: "The Emperor Alexius, with trembling joy, beheld the Crusaders approach a conclusion to which he had hoped to bribe them rather by interested means than by reasoning, although much might be said why provinces reconquered from the Turks or Saracens should, if recovered from the infidel, become again a part of the Grecian empire, from which they had been rent without any pretence, save that of violence. 532 REVIEW.-Scott's Tales of my Landlord. "Thongh fearful, and almost despairing of being able to manage the rude and discordant army of haughty chiefs, who were wholly independent of each other, Alexius failed not, with eagerness and dexterity, to seize upon the admission of Godfrey and his compeers, that the Emperor was entitled to the allegiance of all who should war on Palestine, and natural lord paramount of all the conquests which should be made in the course of the expedition. He was resolved to make this ceremony so public, and to interest men's minds in it by such a display of the imperial pomp and munificence, that it should not either pass unknown, or be readily forgotten. "An extensive terrace, one of the numerous spaces which extend along the coast of the Propontis, was chosen for the site of the magnificent ceremony. Here was placed an elevated and august throne, calculated for the use of the Emperor alone. On this occasion, by suffering no other seats within view of the pageant, the Greeks endeavoured to secure a point of ceremony peculiarly dear to their vanity, namely, that none of that presence, save the Emperor himself, should be seated. Around the throne of Alexius Comnenus were placed in order, but standing, the various dignitaries of his splendid court, in their different ranks, from the Proto-sebastos and the Cæsar, to the Patriarch, splendid in his ecclesiastic robes, and to Agelastes, who, in his simple habit, gave also the necessary attendance. Behind and around the splendid display of the Emperor's court, were drawn many dark circles of the exiled Anglo-Saxons. These, by their own desire, were not, on that memorable day, accoutered in the silver corslets which were the fashion of an idle court, but sheathed in mail and plate. They desired, they said, to be known as warriors to warriors. This was the more readily granted, as there was no knowing what trifle might infringe a truce between parties so inflammable as were now assembled."-P. 261. After describing the unwilling homage of the Crusaders, Count Robert of Paris is thus introduced: "The distance to which the Emperor moved was very small, and it was assumed as a piece of deference to Bohemond; but it became the means of exposing Alexius himself to a cutting affront, which his guards and subjects felt deeply, as an intentional humiliation. A half-score of horsemen, attendants of the Frankish Count who was next to perform the homage, with their lord at their head, set off at full gallop from the right flank of the French squadrons, and arriving before the throne, which was yet empty, they at once halted. The rider at the head of the band was a strong herculean figure, with a decided and stern countenance, though extremely handsome, looking [Dec. out from thick black curls. His head was surmounted with a barret cap, while bis hands, limbs, and feet were covered with garments of chamois leather, over which he in general wore the ponderous and complete armour of his country. This, however, he had laid aside for personal coavenience, though in doing so he eviuced total neglect of the ceremonial which marked so important a meeting. He waited not a moment for the Emperor's return, nor regarded the impropriety of obliging Alexius to hurry his steps back to his throne, but sprung from his gigantic horse, and threw the reins loose, which were instantly seized by one of the attendant pages. Without a moment's hesitation the Frank seated himself in the vacant throne of the Emperor, and extending his half-armed and robust figure on the golden cushions which were destined for Alexius, he indolently began to caress a large wolf-hound which had followed him, and which, feeling itself as much at ease as its master, reposed its grim form on the carpets of silk and gold damask, which tapestried the imperial footstool. The very hound stretched itself with a bold, ferocious insolence, and seemed to regard no one with respect, save the stern knight whom it called master."-p. 271. : For this insult the unhappy Count pays dearly he is tempted to partake of a sumptuous banquet, and he awakes in a dungeon. "The preceding day had been one of excitation, and of much bustle and interest; perhaps, also, the wine, sacred to the Imperial lips, of which Count Robert had taken a single, indeed, but a deep draught, was more potent than the delicate and highflavoured juice of the Gascogne grape, to which he was accustomed; at any rate, it seemed to him that, from the time he felt that he had slept, daylight_ought to have been broad in his chamber when he awaked, and yet it was still darkness almost palpable. Somewhat surprized, he gazed eagerly around, but could discern nothing, except two balls of red light which shone from among the darkness with a self-emitted brilliancy, like the eyes of a wild animal while it glares upon its prey. The Count started from bed to put on his armour, a necessary precaution if what he saw should really be a wild creature and at liberty; but the instant he stirred, a deep growl was uttered, such as the Count had never heard, but which might be compared to the sound of a thousand monsters at once; and, as the symphony, was heard the clash of iron chains, and the springing of a monstrous creature towards the bedside, which appeared, however, to be withheld by some fastening from attaining the end of its bound. The roars which it uttered now ran thick on each other. They were most tremendous, 1831.] REVIEW.-Scott's Tales of my Landlord. and must have been heard throughout the whole palace. The creature seemed to gather itself many yards nearer to the bed than by its glaring eye-balls it appeared at first to be stationed, and how much nearer, or what degree of motion, might place him within the monster's reach, the Count was totally uncertain. Its breathing was even heard, and Count Robert thought he felt the heat of its respiration, while his defenceless limbs might not be two yards distant from the fangs which he heard grinding against each other, and the claws which tore up fragments of wood from the oaken floor. The Count of Paris was one of the bravest men who lived in a time when bravery was the universal property of all who claimed a drop of noble blood, and the knight was a descendant of Charlemagne. He was, however, a man, and therefore cannot be said to have endured unappalled a sense of danger so unexpected and so extraordinary. But his was not a sudden alarm or panic, it was a calm sense of extreme peril, qualified by a resolution to exert his faculties to the uttermost, to save his life if it were possible. He withdrew himself within the bed, no longer a place of rest, being thus a few feet further from the two glaring eyeballs which remained so closely fixed upon him, that, in spite of his courage, nature painfully suggested the bitter imagination of his limbs being mangled, torn, and churned with their life-blood, in the jaws of some monstrous beast of prey. One saving thought alone presented itself-this might be a trial, an experiment of the philosopher Agelastes, or of the Emperor his master, for the purpose of proving the courage of which the Christians vaunted so highly, and punishing the thoughtless insult which the Count had been unadvised enough to put upon the Emperor the preceding day. "Well is it said,' he reflected in his beard not the lion in his den! agony, Perhaps even now some base slave deliberates whether I have yet tasted enough of the preliminary agonies of death, and whether he shall yet slip the chain which keeps the savage from doing his work. But come death when it will, it shall never be said that Count Robert was heard to receive it with prayers for compassion, or with cries of pain or terror.' He turned his face to the wall, and waited, with a strong mental exertion, the death which he conceived to be fast approaching." pp. 87-9. But his courage is indomitable. 533 being of thin muslin, were in a moment in flames. The knight sprung, at the same instant, from his bed. The tiger, for such it was, terrified at the flame, leaped backwards as far as his chain would permit, heedless of any thing save this new object of terror. Count Robert upon this seized on a massive wooden stool, which was the only offensive weapon on which he could lay his hand, and, marking at those eyes which now reflected the blaze of fire, and which had a little ago seemed so appalling, he discharged against them this fragment of ponderous oak, with a force which less resembled human strength than the impetus with which an engine hurls a stone. He had employed his instant of time so well, and his aim was so true, that the missile went right to the mark, and with incredible force. The skull of the tiger, which might be, perhaps, somewhat exaggerated if described as being of the very largest size, was fractured by the blow, and with the assistance of his dagger, which had fortunately been left with him, the French Count dispatched the monster, and had the satisfaction to see him grin his last, and roll, in the agony of death, those eyes which were lately so formidable."—p. 95. But we must refer our readers to this splendid production, in which are combined much historical truth, and the colourings of a brilliant imagination. The Tale is, in the truest sense of the phrase, a 66 Romance of History," and can hardly be surpassed by any thing with which it can be fitly compared in the writings of Sir Walter Scott himself. There is an English interest in the story which is also very attractive, and we suspect Hereward will be a favourite hero with our fair readers. The picture of Eastern luxury is very vividly pourtrayed, and agreeable to history. "When Robert Duke of Normandy," says Matthew Paris, went to the Holy War, he had many followers, English, Normans, Britons, &c. When they came to Constantinople, he adds, "Ubi ab Imperatore Alexio vocatus, more aliorum principum fidelitatem formæ fidelitatis: Quod Civitates et Castella cum possessionibus aliis quæ ad jus Imperatoris spectare videbantur si ea possent subjugare sibi redderent, statim reservatis principibus manubiis omnibus in eisdem inventis;' tam ipse quam Comites qui cum eo venerant fecerunt: unde et majorum consequi favorem, aurum, vestes pretiosas, vasa tam artificio quam materiâ admiratione digna halosivicum quoque : |