“'Tis thus our charmed rhymes we sing,' She paused-then, blushing, led the lay Till to her lips in measured frame Lady of the Lake, Canto I. St. 30, 32. Waverley having caused inquiry to be made respecting the expressions applied to himself by Fergus's Celtic bard, Una returned in a few ❝ minutes, and repeated to her mistress a few lines ‹ in Gaelic. Flora seemed to think for a moment, and then slightly colouring, she turned to Waverley—It is impossible to gratify your curiosity, Captain Waverley, without exposing my own * presumption. If you will give me a few moments for consideration, I will endeavour to • engraft the meaning of these lines upon a rude * English translation,' &c.—Waverley, vol. i. ch. 22. We now and then find entire songs deliberately executed in situations which are usually (except in • operas.) considered the most uninviting to vocal exhibition. Thus, in the Lady of the Lake, a bridegroom summoned away in the midst of the nuptial ceremony, to forward Sir Roderick's fiery cross, breaks out in voluntary song,' and completes three long stanzas of the impromptu, while 'glancing o'er bank and brae,' with the speed of 'fire from flint*.' And I have already mentioned the passage of Ivanhoe, where the Saxon virago chants fifty lines of martial poetry from the top of a burning castle in which she is about · to perish. It has been frequently noticed as a fault in the stories of both these authors, that the hero (by which name, according to romantic etiquette, we are to understand the personage who marries the heroine,) is not sufficiently important, and fails to maintain his legitimate pre-eminence above the other characters. This deficiency is, I think, attributable, in different instances, to different causes, and not uniformly to the same, as critics seem to have assumed, who lay the whole blame on the general faultlessness or inactivity of these nominal heroes. One circumstance very common in the novels and poems, and highly disadvantageous to the principal personage, is, that during a great part of the story, he is made the blind or involuntary instrument of another's purposes, the attendant on another's will, and the sport of events over which *Canto iii. St. 22, 3. he exercises no controul. Such, for example, is Waverley; a hero, who, from beginning to end of his history, is scarcely ever left upon his own hands, but appears almost always in the situation of pupil, guest, patient, protégé, or prisoner; engaged in a quarrel from which he is unconsciously extricated; half duped and half seduced into rebellion; ineffectually repenting; snatched away by accident from his sinking party; by accident preserved from justice; and restored by the exertions of his friends to safety, fortune, and happiness. Such a hero is De Wilton, who is introduced as the vanquished rival of Marmion, becomes by mere chance the Baron's attendant and guide, and obtains in his execution of that office the means and opportunity of achieving the few acts we find recorded of him. Malcolm Græme, in the Lady of the Lake, is a royal ward, without command of vassals or lands; makes a truant expedition (for a generous purpose, indeed,) to Loch Katrine, where he hears the proposal of Roderick Dhu for the hand of Ellen discussed and rejected without his interference, draws on a momentary quarrel with the chieftain by a somewhat unseasonable act of gallantry, incurs the rebuke of Douglas, and, returning homewards, is consigned to prison, from which he is released at the end of the story by his mistress's interest with the Monarch. Henry Bertram might justly claim to be the hero of Guy Mannering, if perils, labours, and courageous achievements, could of themselves confer such a dignity; but it is difficult to consider him in that light, because we see him the mere king of a chessboard, advanced, withdrawn, exposed and protected, at the pleasure of those who play the game over his head. The character of Francis Osbaldistone is not too insipidly immaculate to engage sympathy or awaken curiosity; but it wants that commanding interest which should surround the first personage of a novel; and the reason is, that in almost every part of the story we find him played upon as a dupe, disposed of as a captive, tutored as a novice, and unwittingly exciting indignation as a Marplot. Omitting other instances of the same kind, I will produce one character for the purpose of contrast. The Master of Ravenswood* performs fewer feats of knight-errantry than any of the worthies I have mentioned, except, perhaps, Malcolm Græme: to shoot a bull; to cross swords with Bucklaw; to stare down and buffet Craigengelt; and (a more desperate venture than any) to brave the acrimony of Lady Ashton, forms, I think, the sum of his achievements. Yet no individual in any of the novels or poems more completely maintains his pre-eminence as the hero; for the whole action depends upon, and centres in him his ruling * Tales of my Landlord, 3d Series.-Bride of Lammermoor influence is always felt, whether he be absent or present; and of all the passions, whether hatred, love, admiration, hope, or fear, which vary and animate the successive scenes, he is the grand, ultimate, and paramount object. It is also the misfortune of many heroes in these works to be constantly thrown into shade by some more prominent character. This is particularly the case with De Wilton and Græme; with Redmond O'Neale in Rokeby, who shrinks to a mere idle stripling beside the dignified Mortham and the awful barbarian Risingham; with Ronald of the Isles, who, throughout the tale which takes its name from him, is evidently a subordinate agent to the real hero, Robert Bruce; with Waverley, .with Henry Bertram, with Francis Osbaldistone, who plays a second part alternately to Diana Vernon, to Baillie Jarvie, to Rob Roy, and even to Rashleigh; with Ivanhoe, whose best gifts dwindle to insignificance before the prowess and magnanimity of Richard, and the sense and fortitude of Rebecca: but such is not the predicament of Ravenswood, who preserves the same majestic ascendency over all the various characters, of whatever quality, humour, or disposition, with whom he is placed in contact. Another circumstance which has wrought irreparable disadvantage to some heroes of great promise, is their being suffered to remain so long |