in matters of literature, a fabulous re- lation of certain adventures designed for the entertain- ment and instruction of the readers, and differing from the novel as it always exhibits actions great, dangerous, and generally extravagant. Many authors of the first name have written on the ancient romance. It has ex- ercised the pen of Hurd, of Warburton, and of some ladies, who have not thought it any derogation to the sensibility of their sex to unite antiquarian research with the cultivation of the belles lettres. We have not, however, seen anywhere so concise, just, and elegant an account of the origin and progress of romances as in D'Israeli's Curiosities of Literature. "Romance (says this writer) has been elegantly defined the offspring of fiction and love. Men of learning have amused them- selves with tracing the epocha of romances. In this research they have displayed more ingenuity than judge- ment; and some have fancied that it may have existed as far back as the time of Aristotle; Dearchus, one of his disciples, having written several works of this amu- sing species.
Let us, however, be satisfied in deriving it from the Theagenes and Chariclea of Heliodorus, a bishop who lived in the 4th century, and whose work has been lately translated. This elegant prelate was the Grecian Fene- lon (A). Beautiful as these compositions are when the imagination of the writer is sufficiently stored with accurate observations on human nature, in their birth, like many of the fine arts, they found in the zealots of religion men who opposed their progress. However Heliodorus may have delighted those who were not in- sensible to the felicities of a fine imagination, and to the enchanting elegancies of style, he raised himself, among his brother ecclesiastics, enemies; who at length so far prevailed, that it was declared by a synod, that his performance was dangerous to young persons, and that if the author did not suppress it, he must resign his bishopric. We are told he preferred his romance to his bishopric. Even so late as in Racine's time, it was held a crime to peruse these unhallowed pages. He in- forms us, that the first effusions of his muse were in con- sequence of studying that ancient romance, which his matter observing him to devour with the keenness of a famished man, he snatched it from his hands and flung it in the fire; a second copy experienced the same fate. What could Racine do? He bought a third, and took the precaution of devouring it secretly till he got it by heart; after which he offered it to his matter with a smile to burn, if he chose, like the others.
The decision of these bigots was founded in their opinion of the immorality of such works. They alleged, that the writers paint too warmly to the imagination, address themselves too forcibly to the passions, and, in general, by the freedom of their representations, hover on the borders of indecency. This censure is certainly well-founded. Many of the old romances, and even of the dramas, acted in Scotland two centuries ago, are such as common prostitutes would in this age think in- decent. But we are at present concerned with the ori- gin of romance.
The learned Fleury thinks that they were not known till the 12th century, and gives as their original the history of the dukes of Normandy. Verdier, whose opinion is of no great weight, says the invention of ro- mance was owing to the Normans of France; and that these fictions being originally written in the old Nor- man language, they were entitled Normances; the name was afterwards altered to that of Romances. The Spa- niards, who borrowed them from the French, called them Romances, which also did the Italians.
(A) An ingenious and learned friend inquires, 'Is not the romance of the Golden Ass, by Apuleius, to be con- sidered as an earlier specimen than that of Heliodorus?' To this our author has no objection; but he would not warrant any romance to be the first that ever was written. It is thus that some writers, more learned than sag- acious, have discovered the first inventor of epistolary correspondence. A lady receives this honour: such learning is desperate! From the Asiatic Researches, and other publications on Oriental literature, we are led to believe, that the native country of romance is the east; where it seems to have flourished in all its extravagant grandeur from time immemorial. "Dom Rivet, one of the learned associates of the congregation of St Maur, authors of the Literary History of France, fixes their origin in the 10th century. He says, that the most ancient romance known was one which appeared in the middle of that century, under the title of Philomena, or the Beloved. This romance contains the pretended exploits of Charlemagne before Narbonne. At Toulouse, he tells us, they have preserved a copy of the Philomena in its original language; that is to say, the Romaunt or polished; such as was then spoken at court. They preferred this language to the Latin, which was then that of the common people, but vitiated with their corruptions.
"So far have we travelled on the road of conjecture: we shall now turn into the path of fact. It is certain that these compositions derive their name from the language in which they were first written. Abbe Irauld has given us the character of the earliest romances, which we shall transcribe; for to add to what is well expressed, however it may please the vanity of a writer, seldom tends to the gratification of the reader.
"The first romances were a monstrous assemblage of histories, in which truth and fiction were equally blended, but all without probability; a composition of amorous adventures, and all the extravagant ideas of chivalry. The incidents are infinitely multiplied; destitute of connection, of order, and art. These are the ancient and miserable romances which Cervantes, in his celebrated satirical romance of Don Quixote, has covered with an eternal ridicule."
"It is, however, from these productions rather in their improved state, that poets of all nations have drawn their richest inventions. The agreeable wildness of that fancy which characterized the eastern nations was caught by the crusaders. When they returned home, they mingled in their own the customs of each country. The Saracens, who were men like themselves, because they were of another religion, and were therefore their enemies, were pictured under the tremendous form of Paynim Giants. The credulous reader of that day followed with trembling anxiety the Red-cross Knight. It was thus that fiction embellished religion, and religion invigorated fiction. Such incidents have enlivened the cantos of Ariosto, and adorned the epic of Tasso. Spencer is the child of their creation; and it is certain that we are indebted to them for some of the bold and strong touches of Milton."
Other circumstances however have been assigned as the sources of these extravagant fictions. "Castles were erected to repulse the vagrant attacks of the Normans; and in France (from the year 768 to 987) these places became fatal to the public repose. The petty despots who raised these castles, pillaged whoever passed, and carried off the females who pleased them. Rapine, of every kind, was the privilege of Lords! Mezeray observes, that it is from these circumstances romancers have invented their tales of knights errant, monsters, and giants.
"De Saint Foix, in his Historical Essays on this subject, thus expresses himself: 'Women and girls were not in greater security when they passed by abbeys. The monks sustained an assault rather than relinquish their prey: if they saw themselves losing ground, they brought to their walls the relics of some faint. Then it generally happened that the assailants, seized with awe-
ful veneration, retired, and dared not to pursue their Romance vengeance. This is the origin of the enchanters, of the enchantments, and of the enchanted castles, described in romances.'
"To these may be added what the author of Northern Antiquities, vol. i. p. 243, writes, that 'as the walls of the castles ran winding round them, they often called them by a name which signified serpents or dragons; and in these were commonly secured the women and young maids of distinction, who were seldom safe at a time when so many bold warriors were rambling up and down in search of adventures. It was this custom which gave occasion to ancient romancers, who knew not how to describe anything simply, to invent so many fables concerning princesses of great beauty, guarded by dragons.'
"The Italian romances of the 14th century were spread abroad in great numbers. They formed the polite literature of the day. But if it is not permitted to authors freely to express their ideas, and give full play to the imagination, these works must never be placed in the study of the rigid moralist. They indeed pushed their indelicacy to the verge of groanings, and seemed rather to seek than to avoid scenes which a modern would blush to describe. They (to employ the expression of one of their authors) were not ashamed to name what God had created. Cinthio, Bandello, and others, but chiefly Boccaccio, rendered libertinism agreeable, by the fascinating charms of a polished style, and a luxuriant imagination.
"This however must not be admitted as an apology for immoral works; for poison is still poison, even when it is delicious. Such works were, and still continue to be, the favourites of a nation which is stigmatized from being prone to illicit pleasures and impure amours. They are still curious in their editions, and are not parsimonious in their price for what they call an uncutrated copy. There are many Italians, not literary men, who are in possession of an ample library of the old novelists.
"If we pass over the moral irregularities of these romances, we may discover a rich vein of invention, which only requires to be released from that rubbish which disfigures it to become of an invaluable price. The Decameron, the Hecatommiti, and the Novellas of these writers, made no inconsiderable figure in the little library of our Shakespeare. Chaucer is a notorious imitator and lover of them; his Knight's Tale is little more than a paraphrase of Boccacio's Teofilo. Fontaine has caught all their charms with all their licentiousness. From such works, these great poets, and many of their contemporaries, frequently borrowed their plots; not uncommonly kindled at their flame the ardour of their genius; but bending too submissively to their own peculiar taste, or that of their age, in extracting the ore, they have not purified it of the alloy.
"We must now turn our contemplation to the French romances of the last century. They were then carried to a point of perfection, which as romances they cannot exceed. To this the Astrea of D'Urfé greatly contributed. It was followed by the Illustrious Baisa, the Great Cyrus, Clelia, &c. which, though not adapted to the present age, gave celebrity to their authors. Their style, as well as that of the Astrea, is diffuse and insipid. Zaide (attributed by some to Segrais, but by Huet to Madame La Fayette) and the princes of Cleves are translated, and though they are masterpieces of the kind, were never popular in our country, and are little adapted to its genius.
"It is not surprising that romances have been regarded as pernicious to good sense, morals, taste and literature. It was in this light they were considered by Boileau; because a few had succeeded, a crowd imitated their examples. Gomberville and Scudery, and a few more were admired; but the satirist dissolved the illusion. This he did most effectually by a dialogue, in which he ridicules those citizens of a certain district, whose characters were concealed in these romances, under the names of Brutus, Horace Coecles, Lucretius, and Clelia. This dialogue he only read to his friends, and did not give it for a long time to the public, as he esteemed Mademoiselle de Scudery: but when at length it was published, it united all the romance writers against our satirist.
"From romances, which had now exhausted the patience of the public, sprung novels. They attempted to allure attention by this inviting title, and reducing their works from ten to two volumes. The name of romance disguised; and they substituted those of histories, lives, memoirs, and adventures. In these works (oblivious Iraill) they quitted the unnatural incidents, the heroic projects, the complicated and endless intrigues, and the exertion of noble passions; heroes were not now taken from the throne, they were sought for even amongst the lowest ranks of the people. On this subject, I shall just observe, that a novel is a very dangerous poison in the hand of a libertine; it may be a salutary medicine in that of a virtuous writer." See NOVEL.