early
before Lord C. Only unsubstantial favours must ever be granted them, in
order that the favours by which they see their rivals profit, may not
give them too gloomy suspicions. They are very useful for defending
publicly their mistress' honour; they must if possible be men of a lofty
and refined mind, for only such persons are simple enough to feed their
passions on nothing.

The direct satire and caricature of heroical novels in the style of
Scudery and La Calprenede, which had been also practised in France, is
to be found in a few English tales, of which the best, as entirely
forgotten as the worst, is entitled "Zelinda, an excellent new romance,
translated from the French of Monsieur de Scudery."[363] With an amusing
unconcern, and a very lively pen, the author hastens, on the first
page, to give the lie to his title, and to inveigh against the
impertinences of publishers in general. "Book-sellers too are grown such
saucy masterly companions, they do even what they please; my friend Mr.
Bentley calls this piece an excellent romance; there I confess his
justice and ingenuity. But then he stiles it a translation, when (as
Sancho Panca said in another case) 'tis no more so then the mother that
bore me. Ingrateful to envy his friend's fame.... But I write not for
glory, nor self-interest, nor to gratifie kindness nor revenge. Now the
impertinent critical reader will be ready to ask, for what then? For
that and all other questions to my prejudice, I will borrow Mr. Bays's
answer and say, Because--I gad sir, I will not tell you--I desire to
please but one person in the world, and, as one dedicates his labours
and heroes to Calista, another to Urania, &c., at the feet of her my
adored Celia, I lay all my giants and monsters."

There follows a story in the manner of Scudery, the plot of which,
however, is drawn not from Scudery, but from Voiture,[364] and which is
treated in a playful accent, and with an air of persiflage that reminds
us of Byron's tone when relating the adventures of Don Juan. It is
Voiture indeed, but Voiture turned inside-out. As with Byron, the
raillery is from time to time interrupted by poetical flights, and, as
with him, licentious scenes abound and are described with peculiar
complacency.

Alcidalis and Zelinda, both pursued by a contrary fate, adore one
another, but at a distance: for tempests, pirates, family feuds separate
them, according to the classical standard of the grave romances of t