ABSTRACT
To the old romance, which exhibited exalted personages, and displayed their sentiments in improbable or impossible situations, has succeeded the more reasonable, modern novel; which delineates characters drawn from actual observation, and, when ably executed, presents an accurate and captivating view of real life. To excel in this species of composition are required all the powers of the dramatic writer; an extensive acquaintance with human nature, an acute discernment, and exact discrimination of characters, a correct judgment of probability in situations, an active imagination in devising and combining incidents, with command of language for describing them. There is no species of composition that more forcibly attracts and irresistibly detains attention; and, though the regular manufacture, and regular sale of the most imperfect attempts, by very incompetent writers, are by no means creditable to the taste that encourages so idle a traffic; yet may the better class of novels be allowed to maintain their dignity, and demand a particular examination.
