Devereux — Volume 01 by Baron Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton (top 10 books to read .txt) 📕

Narrative order, it will perhaps be found in its fidelity to the characteristics of an Autobiography. The reader must, indeed, comply with the condition exacted from his imagination and faith; that is to say, he must take the hero of the story upon the terms for which Morton Devereux himself stipulates; and regard the supposed Count as one who lived and wrote in the last century, but who (dimly conscious that the tone of his mind harmonized less with his own age than with that which was to come) left his biography as a legacy to the present. This assumption (which is not an unfair one) liberally conceded, and allowed to account for occasional anachronisms in sentiment, Morton Devereux will be found to write as a man who is not constructing a romance, but narrating a life. He gives to Love, its joy and its sorrow, its due share in an eventful and passionate existence; but it is the share of biography, not of fiction. He selects from the crowd of personages with whom he is brought into contact, not only those who directly influence his personal destinies, but those of whom a sketch or an anecdote would appear to a biographer likely to have interest for posterity. Louis XIV., the Regent Orleans, Peter the Great, Lord Bolingbroke, and others less eminent, but still of mark in their own day, if growing obscure to ours, are introduced not for the purposes and agencies of fiction, but as an autobiographer's natural illustrations of the men and manners of his time.

And here be it pardoned if I add that so minute an attention has been paid to accuracy that even in petty details, and in relation to historical characters but slightly known to the ordinary reader, a critic deeply acquainted with the memoirs of the age will allow that the novelist is always merged in the narrator.

Unless the Author has failed more in his design than, on revising the work of his early youth with the comparatively impartial eye of maturer judgment, he is disposed to concede, Morton Devereux will also be found with that marked individuality of character which distinguishes the man who has lived and laboured from the hero of romance. He admits into his life but few passions; those are tenacious and intense: conscious that none who are around him will sympathize with his deeper feelings, he veils them under the sneer of an irony which is often affected and never mirthful. Wherever we find him, after surviving the brief episode of love, we feel—though he does not tell us so—that he is alone in the world. He is represented as a keen observer and a successful actor in the busy theatre of mankind, precisely in proportion as no cloud from the heart obscures the cold clearness of the mind. In the scenes of pleasure there is no joy in his smile; in the contests of ambition there is no quicker beat of the pulse. Attaining in the prime of manhood such position and honour as would first content and then sate a man of this mould, he has nothing left but to discover the vanities of this world and to ponder on the hopes of the next; and, his last passion dying out in the retribution that falls on his foe, he finally sits down in retirement to rebuild the ruined home of his youth,—unconscious that to that solitude the Destinies have led him to repair the waste and ravages of his own melancholy soul.

But while outward Dramatic harmonies between cause and effect, and the proportionate agencies which characters introduced in the Drama bring to bear upon event and catastrophe, are carefully shunned,—as real life does for the most part shun them,—yet there is a latent coherence in all that, by influencing the mind, do, though indirectly, shape out the fate and guide the actions.

Dialogue and adventures which, considered dramatically, would be episodical,—considered biographically, will be found essential to the formation, change, and development of the narrator's character. The grave conversations with Bolingbroke and Richard Cromwell, the light scenes in London and at Paris, the favour obtained with the Czar of Russia, are all essential to the creation of that mixture of wearied satiety and mournful thought which conducts the Probationer to the lonely spot in which he is destined to learn at once the mystery of his past life and to clear his reason from the doubts that had obscured the future world.

Viewing the work in this more subtile and contemplative light, the reader will find not only the true test by which to judge of its design and nature, but he may also recognize sources of interest in the story which might otherwise have been lost to him; and if so, the Author will not be without excuse for this criticism upon the scope and intention of his own work. For it is not only the privilege of an artist, but it is also sometimes his duty to the principles of Art, to place the spectator in that point of view wherein the light best falls upon the canvas. "Do not place yourself there," says the painter; "to judge of my composition you must stand where I place you."

CONTENTS. Book I. CHAPTER I. Of the Hero's Birth and Parentage.—Nothing can differ more from the End of Things than their Beginning CHAPTER II. A Family Consultation.—A Priest, and an Era in Life CHAPTER III. A Change in Conduct and in Character: our evil Passions will some- times produce good Effects; and on the contrary, an Alteration for the better in Manners will, not unfrequently, have amongst its Causes a little Corruption of Mind; for the Feelings are so blended that, in suppressing those disagreeable to others, we often suppress those which are amiable in themselves CHAPTER IV. A Contest of Art and a League of Friendship.—Two Characters in mutual Ignorance of each other, and the Reader no wiser than either of them CHAPTER V. Rural Hospitality.—An extraordinary Guest.—A Fine Gentleman is not necessarily a Fool CHAPTER VI. A Dialogue, which might be dull if it were longer CHAPTER VII. A Change of Prospects.—A new Insight into the Character of the Hero. —A Conference between two Brothers CHAPTER VIII. First Love CHAPTER IX. A Discovery and a Departure CHAPTER X. A very short Chapter,—containing a Valet CHAPTER XI. The Hero acquits himself honourably as a Coxcomb.—A Fine Lady of the Eighteenth Century, and a fashionable Dialogue; the Substance of fashionable Dialogue being in all Centuries the same CHAPTER XII. The Abbe's Return.—A Sword, and a Soliloquy CHAPTER XIII. A mysterious Letter.-A Duel.—The Departure of one of the Family CHAPTER XIV. Being a Chapter of Trifles CHAPTER XV. The Mother and Son.—Virtue should be the Sovereign of the Feelings, not their Destroyer Book II. CHAPTER I. The Hero in London.—Pleasure is often the shortest, as it is the earliest road to Wisdom, and we may say of the World what Zeal-of- the-Land-Busy says of the Pig-Booth, "We escape so much of the other Vanities by our early Entering" CHAPTER II. Gay Scenes and Conversations.—The New Exchange and the Puppet- Show.—The Actor, the Sexton, and the Beauty CHAPTER III. More Lions CHAPTER IV. An intellectual Adventure CHAPTER V. The Beau in his Den, and a Philosopher discovered CHAPTER VI. A universal Genius.—Pericles turned Barber.—Names of Beauties in 171-.—The Toasts of the Kit-Cat Club CHAPTER VII. A Dialogue of Sentiment succeeded by the Sketch of a Character, in whose Eyes Sentiment was to Wise Men what Religion is to Fools; namely, a Subject of Ridicule CHAPTER VIII. Lightly won, lightly lost.—A Dialogue of equal Instruction and Amusement.—A Visit to Sir Godfrey Kneller CHAPTER IX. A Development of Character, and a long Letter; a Chapter, on the whole, more important than it seems CHAPTER X. Being a short Chapter, containing a most important Event CHAPTER XI. Containing more than any other Chapter in the Second Book of this History Book III. CHAPTER I. Wherein the History makes great Progress and is marked by one important Event in Human Life CHAPTER II. Love; Parting; a Death-Bed.—After all human Nature is a beautiful Fabric; and even its Imperfections are not odious to him who has studied the Science of its Architecture, and formed a reverent Estimate of its Creator CHAPTER III. A great Change of Prospects CHAPTER IV. An Episode.—The Son of the Greatest Man who (one only excepted) /ever rose to a Throne/, but by no means of the Greatest Man (save one) /who ever existed/ CHAPTER V. In which the Hero shows Decision on more Points than one.—More of Isora's Character is developed CHAPTER VI. An Unexpected Meeting.—Conjecture and Anticipation CHAPTER VII. The Events of a Single Night.—Moments make the Hues in which Years are coloured Book IV. CHAPTER I. A Re-entrance into Life through the Ebon Gate, Affliction CHAPTER II. Ambitious Projects CHAPTER III.

The real Actors Spectators to the false ones

CHAPTER IV. Paris.—A Female Politician, and an Ecclesiastical One.—Sundry other Matters CHAPTER V. A Meeting of Wits.—Conversation gone out to Supper in her Dress of Velvet and Jewels CHAPTER VI. A Court, Courtiers, and a King CHAPTER VII. Reflections.—A Soiree.—The Appearance of one important in the History.—A Conversation with Madame de Balzac highly satisfactory and cheering.—A Rencontre with a curious old Soldier.— The Extinction of a once great Luminary CHAPTER VIII. In which there is Reason to fear that Princes are not invariably free from Human Peccadilloes CHAPTER IX. A Prince, an Audience, and a Secret Embassy CHAPTER X. Royal Exertions for the Good of the People CHAPTER XI. An Interview Book V. CHAPTER I. A Portrait CHAPTER II. The Entrance into Petersburg.—A Rencontre with an inquisitive and mysterious Stranger.—Nothing like Travel CHAPTER III. The Czar.—The Czarina.—A Feast at a Russian Nobleman's CHAPTER IV. Conversations with the Czar.—If Cromwell was the greatest Man (Caesar excepted) who ever /rose/ to the Supreme Power, Peter was the greatest Man ever /born/ to it CHAPTER V. Return to Paris.—Interview with Bolingbroke.—A gallant Adventure. —Affair with Dubois.—Public Life is a Drama, in which private Vices generally play the Part of the Scene-shifters CHAPTER VI. A long Interval of Years.—A Change of Mind and its Causes Book VI. CHAPTER I. The Retreat CHAPTER II. The Victory CHAPTER III. The Hermit of the Well CHAPTER IV. The Solution of many Mysteries.—A dark View of the Life and Nature of Man CHAPTER V. In which the History makes a great Stride towards the final Catastrophe. —The Return to England, and the Visit to a Devotee CHAPTER VI. The Retreat of a celebrated Man, and a Visit to a great Poet CHAPTER VII. The Plot approaches its /Denouement/ CHAPTER VIII. The Catastrophe CONCLUSION DEVEREUX. BOOK I. CHAPTER I. OF THE HERO'S BIRTH AND PARENTAGE.—NOTHING CAN DIFFER MORE FROM THE END OF THINGS THAN THEIR BEGINNING.

MY grandfather, Sir Arthur Devereux (peace be with his ashes!) was a noble old knight and cavalier, possessed of a property sufficiently large to have maintained in full dignity half a dozen peers,—such as peers have been since the days of the first James. Nevertheless, my grandfather loved the equestrian order better than the patrician, rejected all offers of advancement, and left his posterity no titles but those to his estate.

Sir Arthur had two children by wedlock,—both sons; at his death, my father, the younger, bade adieu to the old hall and his only brother, prayed to the grim portraits of his ancestors to inspire him, and set out—to join as a volunteer the armies of that Louis, afterwards surnamed /le grand/. Of him I shall say but little; the life of a soldier has only two events worth recording,—his first campaign and his last. My uncle did as his ancestors had done before him, and, cheap as the dignity had grown, went up to court to be knighted by Charles II. He was so delighted with what he saw of the metropolis that he forswore all intention of leaving it, took to Sedley and champagne, flirted with Nell Gwynne, lost double the value of his brother's portion at one sitting to the chivalrous Grammont, wrote a comedy corrected by Etherege, and took a wife recommended by Rochester. The wife brought him a child six months after marriage, and