《best historical novels and tales(乔纳森尼尔德历史小说故事精选).》第4章

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　subject　of　older　writers；　it　may　be　mentioned　that　
not　a　few　of　the　works　chosen　to　represent　them　are；　at　the　moment；　out　of　
print。 To anyone objecting that something ought to have been done to　
indicate　this　in　each　separate　case；　I　would　urge　that　the　〃out　of　print〃　line　
can　never　be　drawn　with　precision　in　view　of　constant　reprints　as　well　as　
of　further　extinctions。　
Perhaps　this　introduction　may　be　most　fitly　concluded　by　something　in　
the　nature　of　apology　for　Historical　Romance　itself。 Not　only　has　fault　
been　found　with　the　deficiencies　of　unskilled　authors　in　that　department；　
but　the　question　has　been　asked　by　one　or　two　critics　of　standingWhat　
right　has　the　Historical　Novel　to　exist　at　all？ More　often　than　not；　it　is　
pointed　out；　the　Romancist　gives　us　a　mass　of　inaccuracies；　which；　while　
they　mislead　the　ignorant　（i。e。；　the　majority？）；　are　an　unpardonable　offence　
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to　the　historically…minded　reader。 Moreover；　the　writer　of　such　Fiction；　
though　he　be　a　Thackeray　or　a　Scott；　cannot　surmount　barriers　which　are　
not merely hard to scale； but absolutely impassable。 The spirit of a　
period is like the selfhood of a human beingsomething that cannot be　
handed　on；　try　as　we　may；　it　is　impossible　for　us　to　breathe　the　atmosphere　
of　a　bygone　time；　since　all　those　thousand…　and…one　details　which　went　to　
the　building up of both individual and general experience； can never be　
reproduced。 We　consider　（say）　the　Eighteenth　Century　from　the　purely　
Historical　standpoint；　and；　while　we　do　so；　are　under　no　delusion　as　to　our　
limitations；　we　know　that　a　few　of　the　leading　personages　and　events　have　
been brought before us in a more or less disjointed fashion； and are　
perfectly aware that there is room for much discrepancy between the　
pictures　so　presented　to　us　（be　it　with　immense　skill）　and　the　actual　facts　
as　they　took　place　in　such　and　such　a　year。 But；　goes　on　the　objector；　in　
the　case　of　a　Historical　Romance　we　allow　ourselves　to　be　hoodwinked；　
for；　under　the　influence　of　a　pseudo…　historic　security；　we　seem　to　watch　
the　real　sequence　of　events　in　so　far　as　these　affect　the　characters　in　whom　
we are interested。 How we seem to live in those early years of the　
Eighteenth　Century；　as　we　follow　Henry　Esmond　from　point　to　point；　and　
yet；　in　truth；　we　are　breathing　not　the　atmosphere　of　Addison　and　Steele；　
but　the　atmosphere created　by the　brilliant Nineteenth　Century Novelist；　
partly　out　of　his　erudite　conception　of　a　former　period；　and　partly　out　of　
the emotions and