cts were aroused, his literary work
betrayed the obtrusion of interests more dominating than those which
belong to it legitimately. This was manifested in the three tales which
followed. In them the scene of action was not only transferred to
European soil, but a direct attempt was avowedly made to apply American
principles to European facts. These novels were "The Bravo," which
appeared November 29, 1831; "The Heidenmauer," which appeared September
25, 1832; and "The Headsman," which appeared October 18, 1833. The
purpose of all these was the direct exaltation of republican
institutions, and likewise the exposure of those which paraded in the
garb of liberty without possessing its reality. The scenes of two were
accordingly laid in the aristocratic cities of Venice and of Berne. The
first of the three is generally spoken of as the best, especially by
those who have read none of them at all. Little difference will be
found, as a matter of fact, between "The Bravo" and "The Headsman" (p. 109)
as regards literary merit. "The Heidenmauer" is, however, distinctly
inferior, and is in truth one of the most tedious novels that Cooper
ever wrote. All were, however, animated by the same spirit. They all
assailed oligarchical, and lauded democratic institutions. They were
full of denunciations of the accommodating stupidity of patricians who
were never able to see anything beneficial to the interests of the state
in what was injurious to the interests of their own order. In
particular, the doctrine was held up to derision, that while to the
ignorant and the low there was ample power given to suffer, there was no
power given to understand; and that consequently it was their duty
always to obey and never to criticise.

In writing this series Cooper was undertaking what was on the face of it
a hazardous experiment. The peril was not, as thoughtless criticism has
had it, in transferring his scenes and characters to a foreign soil.
Human nature suffers no material change in passing from America to
Europe. The danger lay in the fact that these were novels written with a
purpose. The story was not told for its own sake, but for the sake of
enforcing certain political opinions. It required, therefore, unusual
skill in its construction and in the management of its details. For
whatever may be the exact truth contained in the doctrine of art for
art's sake, this is certainly clear, that in a work of fiction designed
to advance successfully