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Title: Ivanhoe

Author: Walter Scott

Release Date: Sep, 1993 [EBook #82]

[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]

[This file was first posted on August 4, 2002]

[Most recently updated: August 4, 2002]

Edition: 15

Language: English

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START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, IVANHOE ***

Prepared by “John P Roberts, Jr”

IVANHOE;

A ROMANCE.

Now fitted the halter, now traversed the cart,

And often took leave,----but seemed loath to depart!*

The motto alludes to the Author returning to the stage repeatedly after having taken leave.

Prior.

INTRODUCTION TO IVANHOE.

The Author of the Waverley Novels had hitherto proceeded in an

unabated course of popularity, and might, in his peculiar

district of literature, have been termed “L’Enfant Gate” of

success. It was plain, however, that frequent publication must

finally wear out the public favour, unless some mode could be

devised to give an appearance of novelty to subsequent

productions. Scottish manners, Scottish dialect, and Scottish

characters of note, being those with which the author was most

intimately, and familiarly acquainted, were the groundwork upon

which he had hitherto relied for giving effect to his narrative.

It was, however, obvious, that this kind of interest must in the

end occasion a degree of sameness and repetition, if exclusively

resorted to, and that the reader was likely at length to adopt

the language of Edwin, in Parnell’s Tale:

“‘Reverse the spell,’ he cries, ‘And let it fairly now

suffice. The gambol has been shown.’”

Nothing can be more dangerous for the fame of a professor of the

fine arts, than to permit (if he can possibly prevent it) the

character of a mannerist to be attached to him, or that he should

be supposed capable of success only in a particular and limited

style. The public are, in general, very ready to adopt the

opinion, that he who has pleased them in one peculiar mode of

composition, is, by means of that very talent, rendered incapable

of venturing upon other subjects. The effect of this

disinclination, on the part of the public, towards the artificers

of their pleasures, when they attempt to enlarge their means of

amusing, may be seen in the censures usually passed by vulgar

criticism upon actors or artists who venture to change the

character of their efforts, that, in so doing, they may enlarge

the scale of their art.

There is some justice in this opinion, as there always is in such

as attain general currency. It may often happen on the stage,

that an actor, by possessing in a preeminent degree the external

qualities necessary to give effect to comedy, may be deprived of

the right to aspire to tragic excellence; and in painting or

literary composition, an artist or poet may be master exclusively

of modes of thought, and powers of expression, which confine him

to a single course of subjects. But much more frequently the

same capacity which carries a man to popularity in one department

will obtain for him success in another, and that must be more

particularly the case in literary composition, than either in

acting or painting, because the adventurer in that department is

not impeded in his exertions by any peculiarity of features, or

conformation of person, proper for particular parts, or, by any

peculiar mechanical habits of using the pencil, limited to a

particular class of subjects.

Whether this reasoning be correct or otherwise, the present

author felt, that, in confining himself to subjects purely

Scottish, he was not only likely to weary out the indulgence of

his readers, but also greatly to limit his own power of

affording them pleasure. In a highly polished country, where so

much genius is monthly employed in catering for public amusement,

a fresh topic, such as he had himself had the happiness to light

upon, is the untasted spring of the desert;---

“Men bless their stars and call it luxury.”

But when men and horses, cattle, camels, and dromedaries, have

poached the spring into mud, it becomes loathsome to those who at

first drank of it with rapture; and he who had the merit of

discovering it, if he would preserve his reputation with the

tribe, must display his talent by a fresh discovery of untasted

fountains.

If the author, who finds himself limited to a particular class of

subjects, endeavours to sustain his reputation by striving to add

a novelty of attraction to themes of the same character which

have been formerly successful under his management, there are

manifest reasons why, after a certain point, he is likely to

fail. If the mine be not wrought out, the strength and capacity

of the miner become necessarily exhausted. If he closely

imitates the narratives which he has before rendered successful,

he is doomed to “wonder that they please no more.” If he

struggles to take a different view of the same class of subjects,

he speedily discovers that what is obvious, graceful, and

natural, has been exhausted; and, in order to obtain the

indispensable charm of novelty, he is forced upon caricature,

and, to avoid being trite, must become extravagant.

It is not, perhaps, necessary to enumerate so many reasons why

the author of the Scottish Novels, as they were then exclusively

termed, should be desirous to make an experiment on a subject

purely English. It was his purpose, at the same time, to have

rendered the experiment as complete as possible, by bringing the

intended work before the public as the effort of a new candidate

for their favour, in order that no degree of prejudice, whether

favourable or the reverse, might attach to it, as a new

production of the Author of Waverley; but this intention was

afterwards departed from, for reasons to be hereafter mentioned.

The period of the narrative adopted was the reign of Richard I.,

not only as abounding with characters whose very names were sure

to attract general attention, but as affording a striking

contrast betwixt the Saxons, by whom the soil was cultivated, and

the Normans, who still reigned in it as conquerors, reluctant to

mix with the vanquished, or acknowledge themselves of the same

stock. The idea of this contrast was taken from the ingenious

and unfortunate Logan’s tragedy of Runnamede, in which, about the

same period of history, the author had seen the Saxon and Norman

barons opposed to each other on different sides of the stage. He

does not recollect that there was any attempt to contrast the two

races in their habits and sentiments; and indeed it was obvious,

that history was violated by introducing the Saxons still

existing as a high-minded and martial race of nobles.

They did, however, survive as a people, and some of the ancient

Saxon families possessed wealth and power, although they were

exceptions to the humble condition of the race in general. It

seemed to the author, that the existence of the two races in the

same country, the vanquished distinguished by their plain,

homely, blunt manners, and the free spirit infused by their

ancient institutions and laws; the victors, by the high spirit of

military fame, personal adventure, and whatever could distinguish

them as the Flower of Chivalry, might, intermixed with other

characters belonging to the same time and country, interest the

reader by the contrast, if the author should not fail on his

part.

Scotland, however, had been of late used so exclusively as the

scene of what is called Historical Romance, that the preliminary

letter of Mr Laurence Templeton became in some measure necessary.

To this, as to an Introduction, the reader is referred, as

expressing author’s purpose and opinions in undertaking this

species of composition, under the necessary reservation, that he

is far from thinking he has attained the point at which he aimed.

It is scarcely necessary to add, that there was no idea or wish

to pass off the supposed Mr Templeton as a real person. But a

kind of continuation of the Tales of my Landlord had been

recently attempted by a stranger, and it was supposed this

Dedicatory Epistle might pass for some imitation of the same

kind, and thus putting enquirers upon a false scent, induce them

to believe they had before them the work of some new candidate

for their favour.

After a considerable part of the work had been finished and

printed, the Publishers, who pretended to discern in it a germ of

popularity, remonstrated strenuously against its appearing as an

absolutely anonymous production, and contended that it should

have the advantage of being announced as by the Author of

Waverley. The author did not make any obstinate opposition, for

he began to be of opinion with Dr Wheeler, in Miss Edgeworth’s

excellent tale of “Maneuvering,” that “Trick upon Trick” might be

too much for the patience of an indulgent public, and might be

reasonably considered as trifling with their favour.

The book, therefore, appeared as an avowed continuation of the

Waverley Novels; and it would be ungrateful not to acknowledge,

that it met with the same favourable reception as its

predecessors.

Such annotations as may be useful to assist the reader in

comprehending the characters of the Jew, the Templar, the Captain

of the mercenaries, or Free Companions, as they were called, and

others proper to the period, are added, but with a sparing hand,

since sufficient information on these subjects is to be found in

general history.

An incident in the tale, which had the good fortune to find

favour in the eyes of many readers, is more directly borrowed

from the stores of old romance. I mean the meeting of the King

with Friar Tuck at the cell of that buxom hermit. The general

tone of the story belongs to all ranks and all countries, which

emulate each other in describing the rambles of a disguised

sovereign, who, going in search of information or amusement, into

the lower ranks of life, meets with adventures diverting to the

reader or hearer, from the contrast betwixt the monarch’s outward

appearance, and his real character. The Eastern tale-teller has

for his theme the disguised expeditions of Haroun Alraschid with

his faithful attendants, Mesrour and Giafar, through the midnight

streets of Bagdad; and Scottish tradition dwells upon the similar

exploits of James V., distinguished during such excursions by the

travelling name of the Goodman of Ballengeigh, as the Commander

of the Faithful, when he desired to be incognito, was known by

that of Il Bondocani. The French minstrels are not silent on so