best historical novels and tales(乔纳森尼尔德历史小说故事精选).-第2节
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than school textbooks； while； turning to a less scholarly quarter；
Ainsworth's 〃Preston Fight；〃 and even his better…known 〃Guy Fawkes；〃
may be cited as illustrating what Mr。 Shorthouse means when he speaks of
novels 〃in which a small amount of fiction has been introduced simply for
the purpose of relating History。〃 In all such cases the average novel…
reader feels that he has been allured on false pretences。 I am well aware
that not a few of the books included in my List might be considered to fall
under the same ban； but I think it will be found that in most of them there
is at least a fair attempt to arouse narrative interest。
ing to the List itself； it will be noticed that I have been somewhat
sparing in the books given under the 〃Pre…Christian〃 heading。 Novels
dealing with these very far…off times are apt to be unsatisfactory； the mist
in which events and personages are enveloped； takes away from that
appearance of reality which is the great charm of the historical novel。 We
are hardly concerned； in reading 〃Sarchedon〃 and similar books； to get
away from the purely imaginary pictures which spring from the Novelist's
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own brain； and the danger is that the very elements which add to our
interest in the tale as such； will go far to mislead us in our conception of
the period dealt with。 There is none of that sense of familiarity which we
enjoy when reading a sixteenth or seventeenth century romance； in the
latter case； the historical background； being easily perceptible； merges for
us with the creations of the author's own imagination。 Where the writer
of an 〃ancient〃 romance happens to be a scholar like Ebers； we feel that
so far at least as historical presentment goeswe cannot be far wrong； but
the bination of great scholarship and narrative capacity is； alas； too
rare！
I have likewise refrained from giving many tales dealing with Early…
Christian times。 We are here； it must be admitted； on controversial
ground； and under the First Century heading I have endeavoured to insert
romances of the highest quality only。 For instance； I think that Dr。
Abbott's 〃Philochristus〃 and Wallace's 〃Ben Hur〃 ought to satisfy two
different types of readers。 And this is the place； doubtless； to say that in
my lists will be found books of widely differing merit and aim。 School
teachers； and others in like capacity； will easily discriminate between
authors suitable for juvenile or untrained tastes； and authors whose appeal
is specially to those of maturer thought and experience。 Differing as
much in method and style as in choice of period and character type；
Thackeray's 〃Vanity Fair〃 and George Eliot's 〃Romola〃 have at least this
in monthey require a very high degree of intelligence for their due
appreciation。 Who； among those of us with any knowledge of such
works； would dream of remending them to a youthful reader fresh
from the perusal of Miss Yonge's 〃Little Duke；〃 or Captain Marryatt's
〃Children of the New Forest〃？
Naturally in a list of this kind there is bound to be very great inequality；
certain periods have been wholly ignored by writers of the first rank； while
in others we have something like an embarras de richesse。 Consequently；
I have been pelled； here and there； to insert authors of only mediocre
merit。 In other cases； again； I have not hesitated to omit works by writers
of acknowledged position when these have seemed below the author's
usual standard； and where no gap had to be filled。 I would instance the
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James II。… William III。 period。 Here Stanley Weyman and 〃Edna Lyall〃
might have been represented； but； there being no dearth of good novels
dealing with both the above reigns； I did not deem it advisable to call in
these popular writers at the point which has been very generally
considered their lowest。 I mention this to show that omissions do not
necessarily mean ignorance； though； in covering such an immense ground；
I cannot doubt that romances worthy of a place in my list have been
overlooked。
I think many will be surprised to find how large a proportion of our
best writers （English and American） have entered the domain of Historical
or Semi…Historical Romance。 Scott； Thackeray； Dickens； George Eliot；
Charlotte Bronte； George Meredith； R。 L。 Stevenson； Hawthorne； Peacock；
Charles Kingsley； Henry Kingsley； Charles Reade； Anthony Trollope； Mrs。
Gaskell； Walter Besant； Lytton； Disraeli； J。 H。 Newman； J。 A。 Froude； and
Walter Paterthese are a few of the names which appear in the following
pages； while Tolstoy； Dumas； Balzac； George Sand； Victor Hugo； De
Vigny； Prosper Merimee； Flaubert； Theophile Gautier； Freytag； Scheffel；
Hauff； Auerbach； Manzoni； Perez Galdos； Merejkowski； Topelius；
Sienkiewicz； and Jokai are； perhaps； the chief amongst those representing
Literatures other than our own。
〃The Last Days of Pompeii；〃 〃The Gladiators；〃 〃Hypatia；〃 〃Harold；〃
〃Ivanhoe；〃 〃The Talisman；〃 〃Maid Marian；〃 〃The Last of the Barons；〃
〃Quentin Durward；〃 〃Romola；〃 〃The Cloister and the Hearth；〃 〃The
Palace of the King；〃 〃Westward Ho！〃； 〃Kenilworth；〃 〃The Chaplet of
Pearls；〃 〃A Gentleman of France；〃 〃John Inglesant；〃 〃The Three
Musketeers；〃 〃Twenty Years After；〃 〃Woodstock；〃 〃Peveril of the Peak；〃
〃Old Mortality；〃 〃 The Betrothed Lovers〃 （〃I Promessi Sposi〃）； 〃Lorna
Doone；〃 〃The Refugees；〃 〃In the Golden Days；〃 〃The Courtship of Morice
Buckler；〃 〃Dorothy Forster；〃 〃The Men of the Moss Hags；〃 〃Esmond；〃
〃The Virginians；〃 〃Heart of Midlothian；〃 〃Waverley；〃 〃The Master of
Ballantrae；〃 〃Kidnapped；〃 〃Catriona；〃 〃The Chaplain of the Fleet；〃 〃The
Seats of the Mighty；〃 〃Barnaby Rudge；〃 〃A Tale of Two Cities；〃 〃War and
Peace〃what visions do these mere titles arouse within many of us！ And；
though most of the books given in my list cannot be described in the same
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glowing terms as the masterpieces just named； yet many 〃nests of pleasant
thoughts〃 may be formed through their panionship。
Hitherto allusion has been mainly in the direction of modern authors；
and I would now say a word or two in regard to those of an earlier period
who are also represented。 Defoe； Fielding； Richardson； Goldsmith；
Smollett； Frances Burney； Samuel Lover； John Galt； Maria Edgeworth；
Susan Ferrier； William Godwin； Mary Shelley； Fennimore Cooper； J。 G。
Lockhart； Leigh Hunt； Thos。 Moore； Harriet Martineau； J。 L。 Motley；
Horace Smith； Charles Lever； Meadows Taylor； and Wm。 Carleton；these
（in greater or less degree） notable names were bound to have a place； and；
ing to less distinguished writers； I may mention the brothers Banim；
Gerald Griffin； Mrs。 S。 C。 Hall； Lady Morgan； the sisters Porter； W。 G。
Simms； George Croly； Albert Smith； G。 R。 Gleig； W。 H。 Maxwell； Sir
Arthur Helps； Eliot Warburton； Lewis Wingfield； Thomas Miller； C。
Macfarlane； Grace Aguilar； Anne Manning； and Emma Robinson （author
of 〃Whitefriars〃）。 To G。 P。 R。 James； Harrison Ainsworth； and James
Grant I have previously alluded。 It has been my endeavour to choose the
best examples of all the above…named novelistsa task rendered specially
difficult in some cases by the fact of immense literary output。 Doubtless
not a few of the works so chosen are open to criticism； but they will at
least serve to illustrate certain stages in the growth of His
