contraste donnoit une dureté singuliére a sa physionomie. Ses regards perçans annoncaient dans le successeur de St. Martin, un juge des pénitens plutot qu'un père; un champion inébranlable de l'autorité des infidéles; un persécuteur redoutable des païens et des hérétiques; un homme enfin qui saurait employer toutes les ressources de la politique mondaine pour servir ce qu'il regardait comme les intérêts du Ciel.' Tom. I. pp. 153, 154. In his interview with this proud prelate, Felix first learned the views entertained by Julius Severus of the marriage of Julia with Clovis. Volusianus easily read the state of his mind. But though the interests of the Church seemed imperiously to demand that she should not be united to Clovis, he was equally indisposed to her alliance with Felix, apprehensive lest the power and the talent of Severus, the implacable foe of the priesthood, should be strengthened by the reputation and wealth of the senator Florentius. It was not long before Felix discovered that his interesting guest had not been educated in the superstition of her father; and his heart was lightened by the discovery. At Soissons, having received ample powers to negotiate with Clovis on behalf of the different cities and provinces between the Seine and the Loire, he was courteously received by Julius Severus, to whom he bore letters from his daughter. There is much talent in the following delineation of a man habituated to the wiles of policy, and taught to dissemble them beneath a polished courtesy of exterior manner, " Julius Sévérus, aprés avoir lu les lettres de sa fille, lui fit conter avec détail tout ce qu'il avait appris de la fuite de Chartres. Il l'in terrompait pour exprimer sa vive reconnoissance pour ce qu'il appellait l'héroisme de Félix. Il écoutait avec une attention si soutenue, il jugeait si bien les caractéres, il parlait ensuite de ses propres projets, des negotiations commencées, avec l'apparence d'un si entier abandon, que Félix, enchanté d'un esprit si fin et si juste, croyait en avoir beaucoup appris. Ce ne fut qu'en repassant ensuite dans sa tête tous ses souvenirs, qu'il s'aperçut que Julius Sévérus ne lui avait absolument dit que ce que Fèlix savait déja. Tout ce que lui avait paru si nouveau, n'était point des faits, mais de la philosophie appliquée à la politique. Sévérus avait le talent de géneralizer ses idées; et remontant des faits aux principes, pour redescendre ensuite des principes aux individus, il présentait à l'esprit un exercise constant, un jeu d'idées toujours riche, toujours ingenieux; mais il ne révélait is rien sur les circonstances actuelles, dont il se réservait à lui seul la connoissance.' Tom. I. pp. 184, 185. In the conference with Clovis, the pomp and retinue of the barbarous monarch are detailed at great length, and no doubt with much historical precision. The consternation of Felix may be easily imagined, when the long-haired king of the Merovingian line thus abruptly addressed Severus. ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ Cet ambassadeur des Gaulois, "dit il en regardant Félix, "at amené ici votre fille ?" • «Très-excellent roi, il n'a pas été possible.' "Qu'elle arrive au plus tôt a Soissons.” -There is no reasoning with these august personages. Felix communicates to Severus the attachment which he had cherished for his daughter, and his conviction that his passion was not unrequited. But the crafty politician prevails over the tender father; and all the answer which he can obtain, is, a sort of political dissertation upon the state of Gaul and his dependence upon the favour of Clovis, who, by one act of power, could accomplish his ruin. But Felix more than suspects that Severus is anxiously bent upon the alliance, and waits only for a favourable opportunity of removing Julia to Soissons; and in fact, he soon discovers that he had already written to her a peremptory mandate for her departure, and made arrangements for her journey under the escort of a matron of Chartres, who was to accompany her from Noviliacum. Having completed his negotiations, therefore, he hastens with a heavy heart to take his last adieu of Julia, solicitous to arrive at Noviliacum before Sulpitia, the lady under whose charge Julia was to travel. Hesodunum was about two leagues from the mansion of Florentius. It was a vast Celtic ruin, and admirably adapted for a novel-writer by reason of its subterraneous recesses and secret apartments. It was agreed that Julia and Sylvia should meet Felix at this interesting and romantic spot on his road from Soissons. It was a dreadful parting between the lovers. But time runs with unperceived swiftness upon these occasions, and the boat was ready to convey them back to Noviliacum, where they expected the matron who was to convey Julia to Soissons and the hated arms of the Merovingian tyrant. Their passage from the ruins to the river, was by one of those subterraneous vaults which, in the age of the Druidical superstition, had been cut through the rock. Sylvia and the rest of the party were before, and the lovers lingered on their walk. She was about to chide them for their delay; but what was her astonishment as soon as she reached the opening of the cavern, to find it immoveably shut, and that Julia and Florentius were enclosed in its recesses. Ce n'était point une porte, mais un énorme bloc de rocher, qui tournant au pivot, au moyen de ressorts invisibles, ouvrait ou fermait la caverne, selon qu'il se présentait de cote ou de face, et s'emboitait si exactement dans l'ouverture qui lui était destinée, qu'on ne le distinguait plus à l'œil de la masse inébranlable dont il semblait faire partie. Ce rocher pouvait être mis de l'intérieure avec tant de facilité, par ceux qui connaissaient ses secrets ressorts, que Sylvia n'avait pas même entendu le bruit qu'il avait fait en se fermant.' Tom. II. pp. 103, 104. Our readers may easily imagine that the Author avails himself of much terrific description upon this occasion. The mys tery is solved after the fashion of the Radcliffe school, by human agency. The monks of St. Martin of Tours are in possession of the secrets of this prison-house. The lovers are forcibly seized and carried by the agents of ecclesiastical tyranny to that monastery, where they are separated; and under the pretext of saving the soul of Julia, who is considered as attached to the pagan superstitions, she is rigorously confined in a cell, and of course undergoes the most barbarous treatment, while Felix is immured in the adjacent monastery. The events now follow with great rapidity. To liberate his daughter, whom he discovers to be in the power of the archbishop of Tours, and on whom, it seems, this dreadful act of tyranny had been exercised in order to break off the alliance with Clovis, which that intriguing ecclesiastic dreaded as fatal to the interests of the Church, Severus engages a chieftain of the Franks, Theuderic, to proceed with an armed force to demand her. The result of this is the liberation of Felix. But Julia has been, in the mean while, carried to the solitary tower of St. Senoch, where, after a variety of intermediate events, duly seasoned with the terrible, Felix arrives, and accidentally discovers that she is imprisoned in a neighbouring apartment. The lovers are united. Clovis is persuaded to elevate Clotilda to his throne, and all parties live happily and prosperously ever afterwards. Such is a faint outline of M. Sismondi's romance. Quaint and humorous characters are occasionally attempted; but we cannot.congratulate the Author upon his sketches either of the pedant Eudoxus, or the priest Martin. Lamia is an imperfect shadow, rather than a picture. It seems as if the Author, in his original conception, had destined her for higher agencies than he afterwards found it convenient to assign her. But, with these exceptions, combined with those which we felt it incumbent upon us to hint at in the beginning of our 3 article, we can recommend Julia Severa as an interesting, and, in some respects, an instructive fiction.. Art. V. The History and Antiquities of the See and Cathedral Church of Lichfield; illustrated by a Series of Engravings of Views, Elevations, Plans, and Details of the Architecture of the Church: with biographical Anecdotes of the Bishops of Lichfield and Coventry. By John Britton, F.S.A. Medium 4to. pp. 74. Price 11. 18s. London. 1820. MR. R. BRITTON is well known as the author and compiler of a series of valuable illustrations of our national antiquities. Without the pretension of originality, he has exerted himself with successful diligence in the investigation of ancient records and of interesting remains connected with the architectural history of England; and the result of his labours has been given to the world in a series of volumes which display considerable care in the collection of the materials, and, on the whole, a judicious discrimination in the arrangement. Of the graphic decorations, it is not easy to speak too highly: they are, in general, selected with great felicity, and executed with uncommon skill. To the able draughtsmen and engravers employed by Mr. Britton, we are indebted for an extensive and systematic combination of minute and picturesque representations of antique structures, in all the variety of sections, plans, elevations, ornamental details, and general views. In the present volume, Mr. B. will be found to have fully sustained his previously acquired character. He has collected and compressed a considerable mass of historical and elucidatory information, and, with the assistance of his plates, has given a satisfactory account of the fine building which is the immediate subject of his researches. We shall not follow him through his laborious investigations of dates and epochs. Bishop de Clinton (A.D. 1129 to 1148) is supposed to have been the founder; and the last additions appear to have been made early in the reign of Edward III. The structure, without approaching to the richness and grandeur of the more distinguished ecclesiastical edifices, is justly entitled to a liberal share of praise, both for its design and its execution. The western door-way is uncommonly beautiful, while the nave and choir are lofty and impressive. The Lady Chapel also furnishes an interesting plate; and the entrance to the Chapter house, with the rich and elegant arches and capitals distinctly portrayed in separate engravings, presents a noble specimen of architectural invention. But after all, to our minds, the noblest ornament of this Ca thedral is Chantrey's exquisite monument. This unrivalled production has never been looked upon without intense emotion by any one of right feeling. We do not quote Mr. Britton's description, for we altogether dislike it; and we shall not at tempt a substitute, for we could not satisfy ourselves in its execution. Nor can we praise the representation which he has given, since it is altogether inadequate to the inimitable beauty and pathos of the original. Mackenzie, able as he is in architectural picture, should have known that this was beyond his strength. Corbould has succeeded far better in his copy exhibited in the Soho Square collection of ancient and modern drawings. Among the biographical sketches of the occupants of the See of Lichfield, we find the following anecdotes of Bishop Hacket, ⚫ the great restorer of the Cathedral.' Hacket was, in 1640, appointed one of the sub-committee for settling the peace of the Church, and spoke eloquently on that occasion at the bar of the House of Commons. When the use of the Liturgy was pro-` hibited under severe penalties, Hacket continued to read it in his church of St. Andrew, Holborn. A sergeant with a file of men, was sent to arrest him during service, and ordered him to desist on pain of instant death. "Soldiers," said Hacket, "I am doing my duty, do you do yours;" and intrepidly continued the service, unmolested by the soldiers, who were overawed by his firmness. When a bishopric was first offered to him, he declined it, saying, "he had rather future times should ask, why Dr. Hacket had not a bishopric, than why he had one." Mr. Britton seems to be occupied in making the grand tour of British antiquity. We wish him success in his undertaking, and tender him our thanks for the pleasure which we have derived from his past labours. Art. VI. A History of the Island of Madagascar, comprising a political Account of the Island, the Religion, Manners, and Customs of its Inhabitants, and its natural Productions: with an Appendix, containing a History of the several Attempts to introduce Christianity into the Island. By Samuel Copland. 8vo. pp. 370. Price 10s. 6d. London. 1822. WORKS illustrative of the history and geography of Africa áre crowding upon us in rapid succession. That mysterious and impenetrable continent which has been so long shrouded from the eye of science, seems about to have the inmost darkness of its recesses laid open to the day. The exploits of Burckhardt and Belzoni have given fresh impulse to the spirit of African discovery. Mr. Burchell's travels in the South have scarcely reached us, when another splendid quarto announces Mr. Waddington's exploratory travels in Ethiopia. North, other adventurous travellers are entering upon a field of discovery almost equally untrodden by European visiters, tracks the latest extant description of which has been furnished by the father of history. While on the western coast, the In the |