that kind of awe and suspense we have alluded to as needful to an effective romance ; but the general impression is not very dis- similar to that left on the mind of the thoughtful reader after lay- ing down the " Mysteries of Udolpho," or the " Castle of Otran- to," and finding that all the mystery has vanished, with nothing left for us to admire but the stage-machinery which has been so ingeniously employed to mimic the supernatural, and excite our temporary awe.
It will be evident how dissimilar (among various points, how- ever, of resemblance') was the line pursued by De la Motte Fouque. He writes throughout as if he believed what he is re- lating ; and if the reader is to enter into the charm of the piece, and to derive fuU enjoyment from its perusal, he must throw him- self into the same posture of mind. In his romances the super- natural is carried through consistently to the end, and is there left, in all its mystery ; £ind one need hardly remark how much of their solemnising Eind indescribably beautiful effect upon the mind is due to this characteristic of these tales. ^
Indeed, as far as the mere interest of the story, and its pleasing effect on the imagination, is concerned, one would rather prefer that there should be no unravelling of its hidden things. Which of us, when in our childish years we drank in the charms of a simple fairy tale, could endure to have the consistency of its struc-
' The reader who consults the Preface to " Waverley," in which the author gives an account of his youthful studies, his love of antiquarian lore, of chivalry, &c., and refers back to the foregoing Preface, will see how, in a great measure, the same kind of materials must necessarily have entered into the compositions of both these authors. It may be added, that the early religious associations of Scott were not of a kind which were likely to lead to his treating supernatural subjects in a very high tone.
2 In estimating the impressive effect produced by the writings of our author, it should not be forgotten that many of them partake to some ex- tent of th( ch;iractor of the spiritual allegory, though the meaning is often but indistinctly marked on the surface. This has been overlooked by many, who nevertheless admire his tales as the oflspring of high poetical genius. There is somewhere a criticism upon one of them by a very able writer of the prosinit day, who had evidently entered fully into its literary merit, and who expressed a high admiration for the sentiments and tone of the author, but who had, nevertheless, completely missed the beau- tiful allegory which it embodies, the dim, impressive obscurity of which leods so wondrous a charm to its scenes.
