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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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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales
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 Historical Romance。
With the exclusion of Mrs。 Radcliffe； Mrs。 Marsh； Mrs。 Gore； Lady
Blessington； Lady Fullerton； Mrs。 Bray； and Mrs。 Child； few will； I
imagine； find fault； but writers like Miss Tucker （A。 L。 O。 E。） and Miss
Emily Holt still find so many readers in juvenile quarters； that it has
required a certain amount of courage to place them also on my Index
Expurgatorius！ Turning once again to writers of the sterner sex； I have
ruled out C。 R。 Maturin； G。 W。 M。 Reynolds； and Pierce Egan； Junr。； and
（quitting the 〃sensational〃 for the 〃mildly entertaining〃） out of the Rev。 J。
M。 Neale's many historical tales I have selected only one〃Theodora
Phranza；〃 which； besides being well written； has the merit of dealing with
a somewhat neglected period。 Stories possessing a background of
History are to be found in 〃Tales from Blackwood；〃 as also in 〃Wilson's
Tales of the Borders；〃 but their extremely slight character seemed scarcely
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A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales
to justify insertion； while not even the high literary position attained by
him on other grounds reconciled me to either of Allan Cunningham's
novels〃Sir Michael Scott〃 and 〃Paul Jones。〃
Of the Foreign novelists appearing in my list； several have been
already named； but Marchese D'Azeglio； F。 D。 Guerrazzi； Cesare Cantu；
〃W。 Alexis〃 （G。 Haring）； H。 Laube； Louise Mulbach （Klara M。 Mundt）；
Nicolas Josika； Viktor Rydberg； Hendrik Conscience； Xavier B。 Saintine；
Amedee Achard； and 〃Erckmann…Chatrian〃 here call for notice as not
ing under strictly Contemporary classification。 I would forestall the
criticism that two writers have been passed over whose fame is greater
than any of those just mentioned； viz。： 〃Stendhal〃 （Henri Beyle） and
Alphonse Daudet。 Beyle's 〃La Chartreuse de Parme；〃 though containing
the oft…praised account of Waterloo； is far more Psychological than
Historical； and Daudet's 〃Robert Helmont；〃 while it depicts （under Diary
form） certain aspects of the Franco…German War； has hardly any plot
running through it。 As the Waterloo and Franco…German War periods
were amply illustrated in numerous other novels of more assured
suitability； I had the less hesitation in deciding against the two works just
named。 In the selections from Foreign Historical Fiction nothing more
has been attempted than to include the leading examples； most of these； it
will be found； have been translated into English。
Before leaving the