ed descriptions; upon the foundation of history to erect the
temple of poesy, which must nevertheless be pervaded and illuminated by
historic truth. From this it naturally follows that it is of very little
consequence whether the personages of the Historical Romance actually
spoke the words or performed the acts attributed to them; it is only
necessary that those words and deeds should be in accordance with the
spirit and character of such historical personages, and that the writer
should not attribute to them what they could not have spoken or done.
In the Historical Romance, when circumstances or events are presented in
accordance with historical tradition, when the characters are naturally
described, they bear with them their own justification, and Historical
Romance has need of no further defence.

Historical Romance should be nothing but an illustration of history. If
the drawing, grouping, coloring, and style of such an illustration
of any given historical epoch are admitted to be true, then the
illustration rises to the elevation of a work of art, worthy of a place
beside the historical picture, and is equally useful.

Raphael's "School of Athens," his "Institution of the Communion," and
many others of his pictures, are such illustrations of history--as also
the great paintings of Rubens from the life of Anna dei Medici; and then
the historical pictures of Horace Vernet, of Delaroche, of Lessing, and
of Kaulbach--all these are illustrations of history. What those artists
present and illustrate with paint and pencil, the Historical Romancer
represents in words with his pen; and when he does this successfully,
he will live in the memory of his reader as imperishably as the great
historical pictures of the painters in the memory of their beholders.

It would occur to no one to accuse a successful historical picture of
falsehood, because the books of history do not show that the occurrence
took place precisely in the manner represented, that the historical
personages really so laughed or wept, or so deported themselves. If
the situation and grouping of historical events are allowed to be in
accordance with the general tenor of history, then the picture may be
pronounced historically true, and is just as good a piece of history as
the record of the special historian. It is the same with the pictures
of the romancer as with those of the painter; and this is my answer to
those who, on every occasion, are continually as