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Records
of Israel, by Grace Aguilar, 18mo. pages 139, London, John Mortimer. The
readers of the Occident, even those who have not had the pleasure of
perusing the Spirit of Judaism, which we published about two years ago,
must have been delighted with the occasional contributions from the pen
of Miss Aguilar, which form, we believe, the first series of poetical
effusions in the spirit of Judaism in the English language. We trust,
therefore, that with us, they will hail the new production which Miss A.
has given to the world under the above title. It is not large, but it
needs not a big book to leave an indelible impression on the mind; and
we are sure that that Jewish heart must be flinty indeed which cannot be
moved to a sense of ardour by the portraiture of the sorrows and
sufferings the Spanish Inquisition (we use no epithet, for not one can
express the horror and loathing with which we view it,) caused our
unhappy race to experience from its first active institution under the
monster Torquemada, by Ferdinand and Isabella, in 1492, down to its
virtual extinction within late years.
The
“Records” are two portraitures of character, drawn with historical
accuracy, of the “Edict” in 1492, and the “Escape,” an event
laid by the authoress during the great earthquake at Lisbon, in 1755.
The characters are merely introduced to give effect to history, not to
unfold a romance; the tales are simply, as Miss A. says in her preface,
“what their name implies, ‘Records’ of a people, of whose modern
history so little is known.” And as such, therefore, they ought to be
judged, and not as perfect specimens of “narration,” to which Miss
A. did not aspire. There are certainly defects in the work, and we share
in the main, the remarks of our contemporary the “Voice of Jacob:”
“We
like these tales best of those written by Miss Aguilar on such themes;
though fair criticism obliges us to suggest a little more habitual
caution in the gifted author’s exposition of what are, in reality,
Jewish principles and opinions. In the book before us, we have only
observed, that a homicide, (if not a murderer,) is allowed by a Jewish
community to escape even without trial! This is certainly anti-Jewish
and capable of being wrested into a support of the maudlin and
unscriptural disposition, just now fashionable, to evade the universal
obligation of the Noachide precept, (Gen. 9. 6,) “whoso sheddeth man's
blood,” &c. The simulation of Catholicism is also anti-Jewish,
and, although, unhappily, such things have been, (nay, if we may believe
Mr. Borrow, still are,) we should have liked to see Miss A. expressing
that severe condemnation of such hypocrisy, which we are quite sure she
thinks due to it.”
Nevertheless
we owe our valued correspondent many thanks for having, in a measure,
endeavoured to supply that species of fiction for the rending of our
younger branches, which she so well recommends in her Spirit of
Judaism.—With these brief remarks, we must take our leave for the
present, earnestly recommending the Records to the kindness of our
readers.
(To
be continued.) |
