over the attention of his reader; or perhaps it were better to say that there is no species of writing for which the generality of readers shew such a rooted predilection, as for romance. We are fond of examining a moral painting. We are curious to mark the modifications, the diversities, and shades of human nature. This passion is universal: and wherever a character is faithfully delineated, it is instantly observed and appreciated by all ranks of people. Now there are points of view without number from which interesting sketches of human character can be taken: and wherever there is a moral painter who, to a quick conception, and a playful fancy, joins acuteness of observation we take it to be almost impossible that, until he ceases to write, he should ever cease to please. The very uncommon, and very deserved success of the Romances which have been supplied us of late years from the pen of the distinguished author of Waverley, shews that there is something more than speculation or hypothesis in this remark; and we will add, that the curiosity already alluded to, to survey the different aspects and phases of character, is, together with the great merit of these publications, a very good ground on which to argue, that they shall retain in after times the popularity which they have acquired in our own.

The author of Waverley has contributed a vast stock to the fund of imaginative felicity; he has evinced a consummate knowledge of nature and the workings of the human mind, in many of his vigorous and, perhaps, unrivalled delineations of character; the creations of his fancy are pregnant with en

joyment. He has exhibited such a rare combination of mingled qualities, good and evil, as even tend to throw a charm on vice itself. However difficult it may be to preserve the truth of nature, our author, however, has fallen into the best side of the general error of his predecessors-he has made his readers in love only with vice, on account of the splendid talents and virtues with which it appears inseparably allied.

WAVERLEY PLOT.

To those who have not previously read this interesting novel, the following esquisse will be an acceptable morceau by way of prelude, and such as have already been gratified by the perusal will immediately recognise in the following anecdote, not only the foundation of the mutual protection afforded by Waverly and Colonel Talbot upon which the plot of the novel altogether depends, but they will also discover, in the latter part, something very nearly resembling the concealment of the Baron Bradwardine*

No original, we believe, has hitherto been discovered for this admirable portrait-the Baron Bradwardine. The person who held the situation in the rebel army assigned in the novel to this gentleman was the Right Hon. Alexander Pitsligo, of the Shire of Aberdeen,-a nobleman, though possessing but a moderate fortune, was nevertheless so much beloved and esteemed by his neighbours for the excellent qualities of his mind that when he declared his purpose of joining the Pretender, most of the gentlemen of that part of the country put themselves under his command, conceiving they could not follow a better or safer example than that of Lord Pitsligo. He, in this manner, commanded a body of an hundred and a half of well mounted gentlemen during the rebellion, at the fatal termination of which, he escaped to France, and in the

and the sagacity of Daft Davie Gellatley, who protected that concealment, when the unfortunate old gentleman was observed, and shot at by the soldiers on the retreat to his cave.

When the Highlanders, on the morning of the battle of Preston Pans, made their memorable attack, a battery of four field pieces* was stormed and carried by the Cameron and Stuarts of Alpine. The late Alexander Stuart, of Invernahyle, was one of the foremost in the charge and observed an officer in the king's forces who, scorning to join the flight of all around, remained with his sword in his hand, as determined to the very last to defend the post assigned to him. The Highland gentlemen commanded him to surrender, and received for reply a thrust which he caught in his target. The officer was now defenceless, and the battle axe of a gigantic Highlander (the miller of Invernahyle Mill) was uplifted to dash his brains out, when Mr. Stuart with difficulty prevailed upon him to surrender. He took charge of his enemy's property, protected his person, and finally obtained him liberty on parole. The officer proved to be

following month with many others, who followed him, became attained of high treason. It is not unworthy of remark that the supporters of the Pitsligo arms were two bears proper; a circumstance which, when connected with the great favour in which this animal was held by the Baron of Bradwardine, being as it were the patron brute of his house, would induce one to suppose that in all probability there may have been a still stronger intimacy between these personages, and that the reality of the one may have been the germ of the other.

* Since this was written, the author's new series has appeared we have not, however, altered a word, but left it as originally intended.

Colonel Allan Whiteford, of Ballochmyle, in Ayrshire, a man of high character and influence and warmly attached to the house of Hanover; yet such was the confidence existing between these two honourable men, though of different political principles, that while the civil war was raging and straggling officers from the Highland army were executed without mercy, Invernahyle hesitated not to pay his late captive a visit as he went back to the Highlands to raise fresh recruits, when he spent a few days among Colonel Whiteford's Whig friends as pleasantly and good humouredly as if all had been at peace around him.

He

After the battle of Culloden, it was Colonel Whiteford's turn to strain every nerve to obtain Mr. Stuart's pardon. He went to the Lord Justice Clerk, to the Lord Advocate, and to all the officers of State and each application was answered by the production, of a list in which the name of Invernahyle's appeared, 'marked with the sign of the beast!' At length Colonel Whiteford went to the Duke of Cumberland. From him also he received a positive refusal. then limited his request for the present, to a protection for Stuart's house, wife, children, and property. This was also refused by the duke: on which Colonel Whiteford taking his commission from his bosom, laid it on the table before his Royal Highness and asked permission to retire from the service of a king who did not know how to spare a vanquished enemy. The Duke was struck and even affected. He bade the Colonel take up his commission, and granted the protection he requested with so much earnestness. It was issued just in time to save the house, corn, and

cattle at Invernahyle, from the troops who were engaged in laying waste what it was the fashion to call the country of the enemy.' A small encampment was formed on Invernayhle's property, which they spared while plundering the country around and searching in every direction for the leaders of the insurrection, and for Stuart in particular. He was much nearer them than they suspected; for hidden in a cave, (like Baron of Bradwardine) he lay for many days within hearing of the sentinels, as they called the watchword. His food was brought to him by one of his daughters, a child of eight years old, whom Mrs. Stuart was under the necessity of trusting with this commission, for her own motions and those of all her inmates were closely watched. With ingenuity beyond her the child used to stray out among the year, soldiers, who were rather kind to her, and watch the moment when she was unobserved to steal into the thicket, when she deposited whatever small store o. provisions she had in charge, at some marked spot, where her father might find it.

By means of these precarious supplies, Invernahyle supported life for several weeks, and as he had been wounded in the battle of Culloden, the hardships which he endured were aggravated by great bodily pain. After the soldiers had removed their quarters he had another remarkable escape. As he now ventured to the house and left in the morning, he was espied during the dawn by a party who pursued and fired at him. The fugitive being fortunate enough to escape their search, they returned to the house and charged the family with harbouring one of the pro