| Citation |
VGW(HU.772.090
11 Jun 1772:12, 13 (1089)
An Essay on the Modern Novel.
. . . [4 paragraphs of criticism of recent novels]
An ingenious author of this age has given us, in a few
lines, the following admirable receipt to make a modern
novel:
Take a subject that's grave, with a moral that's good,
Throw in all the temptations that virtue withstood;
And pray let your hero be handsome and young,
Taste, wit, and fine sentiment, flow from his tongue;
. . . [7 more lines]
. . . [6 paragraphs with examples] I was almost a lost
woman; . . . I flew to the harpsichord, to rouse my spirits.
. . Instead of a sprightly air, out came a ditty as
melancholy as "The Babes in Wood." He perceived my swimming
eyes; he perceived my confusion; and snatching the moment of
love, he threw himself on his knees, looked moving, and
swore that,
While youthful splendour lighten'd in my eyes;
Clear as the smiling glory of the skies,
More white than flax my curling tresses flow'd,
My dimpled cheeks with rosy beauty glow'd.
Enchanting lines! are not they, Wentworth? . . . [16 lines]
[signed] Juliana Clanville
|