Mary Elizabeth Robinson

Miss M. E. Robinson. The Shrine of Bertha:A Novel, in a Series of Letters. 2 vols.

London:  W. Lane, at the Minerva-Press, 1794

 

Contemporary Reviews

British Critic 4 (1794): 313-14.

ART. 41. The Shrine of Bertha; a Novel, in a Series of Letters. In Two Volumes. By Miss. M.E. Robinson. 12 mo. 6s. Lane. 1794.

It is the duty of a critic to be no respecter of persons; and his native proneness to gallantry must be checked by a superior attachment [314] to sincerity and truth. The Shrine of Bertha we understand to be the production of a very youthful author; and far be it from us to chill the genius of Miss Robinsons by any cold or unkind strictures: but we must acknowledge ourselves unable to prognosticate, from the work before us, that degree of celebrity for the daughter, which the Public has been willing to bestow upon the mother. The incidents in this novel-like the letter-press-are but thinly sprinkled; the style, however, is animated and suitable to the characters; and the reader is often relieved from an uninteresting correspondence, by the poetical talents of Mrs. Robinson.

Critical Review 11 (1794): 468.

The Shrine of Bertha: a Novel, in a Series of Letters. By Miss M.E. Robinson. 2 Vols. 12 mo. 6s. sewed. Scatchard. 1794.

Other literary productions are valuable in different degrees, according to the proportion of truth or of utility which they contain; but Novels, as their sole purpose is entertainment, must either be the most amusing, or the most insipid of publications. We cannot say that the two volumes before us belong to the former class.

European Magazine 25 (1794): 285.

The Shrine of Bertha. A Novel, in a Series of Letters. Two Vols. By Miss M.E. Robinson, 12 mo. 6s. Lane.

A SIMPLE Tale, told in a pleasing and interesting manner. The Author, who we are informed is very young, appears to possess those qualities which time and cultivation may lead her to excellence in this species of composition. She has planned her story with some degree of art, and the events follow one another without force or constraint. Some parts are pathetic, and these are occasionally relieved by traits of humour, particularly in the character of Sir Robert Littleworth, which discover observation of real life and manners. Descriptions of the scenery in several places deserve commendation, and there are interspersed some pieces of poetry by Mrs. Robinson, to whom the Work is dedicated, but the title of "The Best of Mothers." In vol. i. page 211. is a mistake, which even the liberty allowed to Novel-writing will hardly authorize; we mean the assertion that Comus was originally performed at Cliesden. It is true, that Thomson and Mallet's Alfred was originally acted there in the year 1740, but Milton's Comus was first represented, as every edition of that Author's Works declares, at Ludlow Castle, in 1634.

Monthly Review 15 (1794): 108-09.

Art. 38. The Shrine of Bertha: in a Series of Letters. By Miss M.E. Robinson. 12 mo. 2 Vols. 6s. sewed. Lane. 1794.

A young lady may be supposed to draw her materials rather from reading than from real life. In the present instance, this, we perceive, must in a great measure have been the case. Miss M. Robinson, however, has the merit of having imagined an interesting tale, which includes the usual incidents of this species of composition, without being spun out to an immoderate length. Passionate love mutually conceived at the first sight between a beautiful young couple, and ending, after some difficulties and embarrassments, in the vulgar catastrophe of marriage, is the sum and substance of the Shrine of Bertha: but the letters are short and, on the whole, well-written; the business does not lag; not (if we except those of the Steward, which are, for the present day, out of character and an outré Slip-slop,) are any letters introduced unnecessarily. Miss Lucretia Winterton is in one place made, like a Mrs. Slipslop, to talk of a Venus Medusa: but this is not of a piece with the general exhibition of her character:--the writer of the letters to Courtney could not be so ignorant. Perhaps, also, when Henry Percival, after his first interview with the beautiful Laura Fitz-Owen, goes to a neighbouring farm-house and writers his passion on a pane of glass, our authoress did not know that [109] the young gentlemen of 179- do not usually travel with a diamond ring, as gentlemen formerly did, on their finger. A young gentleman may now be seen with an antique ring on his finger, but most commonly with nothing.
In the progress of the story, some poetry is introduced; for which miss Robinson acknowledges herself indebted to the elegant pen of her mother.

English Review 23 (1794): 310-11.

ART. XXII. The Shrine of Bertha; a Novel. In a Series of Letters. In Two Volumes. By Miss. M.E. Robinson. pp. 464. 8vo. London: printed for the Author; and sold by Scratchard; and Knight and Triphook, Booksellers to his Majesty. 1794.

THE Honourable Henry Percival, the hero of this novel, has, at its commencement, just left Oxford, and is on the point of setting out upon his travels: he is nephew and heir to Lord Litchfield. Laura Fitz Owen, who is a boarder in a convent at Lausanne, under the immediate protection of Madam[e] St. Bruno, the superior, is cousin to Henry Percival, who intends to make a visit to her convent, and, in his way thither, is attacked by robbers, who, after having taken their booty, are detected in secreting it in the ruins of an old monastery, by Laura and her friend, who are taking an evening walk. This at length leads to the discovery of a coffin. As they are the next day looking for what the robber deposited the former night, they are informed by the porter of the convent that this is the remains of a poor lady who died by her own rash hands, and who had been buried there, by order of the superior, at midnight. They also find, in a nich[e] a small red box, with the initials H.P. which proves to be Henry Percival's, who has been robbed and wounded, and is at a farm house. When he recovers he falls in love with his cousin Laura. She finds, on inquiry, that the coffin contains the remains of a lady whose name was Bertha; that she was a pensioner at the convent; and, for some unknown reason, destroyed herself by poison. Laura names the old chapel wherein her remains were deposited, the shrine of Bertha, which she visits every day. Madam[e] St. Bruno informs Laura, that in one year she will attain the age of twenty-one; at that period bids her prepare for an interesting event. Madam[e] St. Bruno gets permission to remove from Lausanne to Vienna, the abbess of a convent being lately dead at the latter place. Henry Percival is greatly attached to his cousin, though designed by his uncle for the rich heiress of the late Lord Granmore, who is also on the continent, of which Laura is informed by her friend Sophia Cleveland. Percival determines to return to Lausanne, and solicit his cousin's fair hand: he returns just after Laura, with Madam[e] St. Bruno, had set off for Vienna. Soon after their arrival there, Claudine, an attendant, is taken ill, and declares to Madame St. Bruno, that the Lady Bertha did not poison herself, but she died by the hands of Ursiline de Perville, who died about four years after her. That Lady Bertha, [311] amongst several drugs, was ordered a phial of opium, to be administered in small quantities. Urseline, by mistake, gave her the whole at one time: she fell into profound sleep, from which she never awoke. Madam[e] St. Bruno expresses to Laura much joy that her shrine is yet holy, and that the Lady Bertha was her loved sister. In the mean time Henry Percival returns to England; he is informed by Lord Litchfield that he must marry the heir of Lord Granmore, which he finds at length to be Laura Fitz Owen. Madam St. Bruno informs her of the secret of her birth. That her sister Bertha and herself were the daughters of the Marquis St. Bruno; that Bertha became acquainted with Lord Granmore when on his travels; her father, a rigid catholic, obliged them to a private marriage, which he never forgave. They flew from Germany, accompanied by Madame St. Bruno. Lord Granmore left them to go to England on the death of his father, where the father of Bertha had been appointed ambassador. They met, and the Marquis drew his sword; they were separated, but a duel ensued in consequence, in which Lord Granmore fell. His lady and infant daughter retired with Madame St. Bruno to the convent where she was superior. It was Lady Bertha's particular desire that Laura should remain under the care of her aunt until she was of age. The novel concludes with Laura's union with Mr. Percival.

This is the general outline of the plot; but there is another story, the scene laying in England, extremely entertaining and well told. Our young authoress has succeeded very well in this her first attempt; there is a very elegant turn in the language throughout; many very droll circumstances told with much humour. It is plan she has studied her mother's style, and made that her model of imitation, and we think bids fair to arrive at the same degree of excellence. These volumes are enriched by some very beautiful little pieces of plaintive poetry by Mrs. Robinson. There are few novels of the present day that will reward the reader so well for the trouble of a perusal.

[complete; irregular spelling and punctuation in original.]

 

Prepared by Lisa M. Wilson, SUNY-Potsdam, July 2006
© Lisa M. Wilson, 2006.