style, that even the notes she wrote to her domestics were carefully collected, and many of them preserved in the edition of her letters. She was a kind mistress, careful even to the settlement of her domestics in life, as a reward for their services. She wrote many letters to her friends and acquaintances on various subjects, in a strain of admirable morality; and in all her conduct was an example to her sex, and a blessing to society.
GORE, MRS. CATHARINE GRACE,
Is one of the most popular of the living female novelists of this country; the number of her works would give her celebrity, had she no other claim. She is, however, a powerful and brilliant writer, and it seems almost a parody to assert, that her surprising fertility of imagination should be an obstacle to her attaining the high literary reputation she merits. But her works are so unfailingly presented to the public, so constantly poured out, that they are received like the flowers and fruits, acceptable and delightful, but not to be sought for and praised, as some rare occasional production. We revel in our showers of roses, but they are commonplace, while we make a wonder of some prickly production of a foreign bed. We are led to these thoughts while looking over a notice of Mrs. Gore's writings, which appeared in Chambers's Cyclopædia: the critic says,—"This lady is a clever and prolific writer of tales and fashionable novels. Her first work (published anonymously) was, we believe, a small volume containing two tales, 'The Lettre de Cachet,' and 'The Reign of Terror,' 1827. One of these relates to the times of Louis the Fourteenth, and the other to the French Revolution. They are both interesting, graceful tales—superior, we think, to some of the more elaborate and extensive fictions of the authoress. In 1830, appeared 'Women as they Are; or. The Manners of the Day,' three volumes—an easy sparkling narrative, with correct pictures of modern society—much lady-like writing on dress and fashion, and some rather misplaced derision or contempt for 'excellent wives,' and 'good sort of men.' This novel soon went through a second edition, and Mrs. Gore continued the same style of fashionable portraiture. In 1831, she issued 'Mothers and Daughters, a Tale of the Year,' 1830. Here the manners of gay life—balls, dinners, and fetes—with clever sketches of character, and amusing dialogues, make up the customary three volumes. The same year, we find Mrs. Gore compiling a series of narratives for youth, entitled 'The Historical Traveller.' In 1832, she came forward with 'The Fair of May Fair,' a series of fashionable tales that were not so well received. The critics hinted that Mrs. Gore had exhausted her stock of observation, and we believe she went to reside in France, where she continued some years. Her next tale was entitled 'Mrs. Armitage.' In 1838, she published 'The Book of Roses, or the Rose-Fancier's Manual,' a delightful little work on the history of the rose, its propagation and culture. France is celebrated for its rich varieties of the queen of flowers, and Mrs. Gore availed herself of the taste and experience of the French floriculturists. A few months afterwards came out 'The Heir of Selwood, or Three Epochs of a Life,' a novel in which were exhibited sketches of Parisian as well as English society, and an interesting though somewhat confused plot. The year 1839 witnessed three more works of fiction from this indefatigable lady, The
