and the ring motive seem to belong to the common stock of mediaeval romantic frippery.

To return, then, from this divagation to the subject of the double rescue of Rymenhild, the double turning point in the story, after what has been said, one is ready to agree with Ward when he says that "the second disguise, always a popular device, seems to have been especially so among the heroes of the Anglo-Danish cycle. It is not at all improbable, therefore, that the second rescue of Rymenhild represents the turning point of an older version," resting perhaps upon the sagas. The earlier, the more dressed-up rescue scene, represents the more modern version, which has no doubt come under the influence of the contemporary style of romance and has been dressed up with much of the conventional frippery of mediaeval romances, and expanded so as quite to overshadow the story of exile and revenge.

We arrive then at no very definite conclusions about the original form of the story. The story of the exiled prince has an abundance of historic parallels in Teutonic history, and the rescue story also, in one of its forms, may be of Teutonic origin. This latter element has, without doubt, been much expanded, the first rescue scene containing many of the conventional traits of contemporary popular romance, and the second rescue scene, with its abrupt introduction of Arnoldin, seeming to correspond to the turning point in an earlier version. The English King Horn is an abridged, ballad version of a larger story. The names of the enemy, Sarazin, paien, hund, admiral, etc., are the conventional ones of mediaeval romance, but the proper names seem, for the most part, to be Germanic, and the kinds of boats alluded to and the scenes of invasion and combat described, seem to be, without doubt, those connected with the Danish invasion. The Christian element, like that in Beowulf, may well have been contributed by the later Christian composer or trouvère.

GEORGE H. MCKNIGHT.

H

X.-CHARACTERIZATION IN THE BEGINNING OF THACKERAY'S PENDENNIS.

This paper was begun with the expectation of dealing somewhat fully with one large division of Pendennis, but as the investigation proceeded, ample material was found for a report of usual length in the one topic of characterization; hence, other topics have been omitted. The word 'beginning' is used technically to include the early part of the book up to the point where the chief opposing elements of the entire action face each other. If the essence of a story consists in a conflict of forces, the beginning cannot logically end with the introduction of one set of these forces, nor is it extended into the active struggle between them, for this makes the middle of the action. The point of juxtaposition of the two sets, therefore, if not the point of opposition, must form the end of the beginning.

Pendennis not having as a whole much connectedness of plot, the structure of the beginning is somewhat peculiar. For one thing, it is long, occupying at least twenty-two chapters and more than two hundred pages. Besides, it contains an incident, the love-affair of Arthur and Miss Costigan, the actress, or Fotheringay, as she is called,-which is a complete and separate story, having almost no plotrelation with the rest of the novel; its value consisting, therefore, in its character-portrayal. This youthful affair with Miss Costigan, who is ten years Arthur's senior, is followed by an account of his life at college, Oxbridge, as Thackeray names it. The Oxbridge portion, too, is deficient in plot-value, but in general is important for characterdevelopment. And then, finally, the Clavering family are introduced and some indications are given of the future relations between them and the Pendennises. The Claverings prove to be the opposition-element in the plot, and here,

with the twenty-second chapter, the beginning may be said to close.

In order to consider with special care the characterization of some of the leading personages, it has been found desirable to make a special arrangement of the material of the story. The usual current of a novel may be compared to a mountain stream, its movement broken and varied by alternate falls and levels. Its material, in other words, naturally runs into scenes and intervals ;-scenes, where the movement is relatively quick and spirited; and intervals, levels, where further preparatory action may occur, explanations be given, and energy stored for following scenes. This alternate movement is perhaps especially noticeable in Thackeray, and for two reasons; partly because of the brilliancy of his conversations, and partly because of the sketchy character of his mind and method. 'Scene' as here used is perhaps not capable of exact definition, and it suffices to say that a passage becomes a scene partly by virtue of its vividness, but chiefly because of its importance in the plot or general action. A scene implies conversation and action, and these of a vital nature. In the present analysis of the beginning, there are twentyfour scenes, arranged as indicated below. Of these the

1The paging referred to in this paper is that of Mrs. Ritchie's biographical edition (Harper's, 1898-99). It has been desirable to estimate the actual amount of space given to the personages, and hence to count roughly the pages by lines, forty-four being the full quota. Page numbers, however, are always those of the edition mentioned. The arrangement into scenes and intervals is as follows:

Sc. i, pp. 1-5 (ch. 1).

ii, p. 16, 1. 16-p. 20 (ch. 2).

iii, p. 28, 1. 40-p. 32, 1. 28 (ch. 3).
iv, p. 35, 1. 29-p. 38, 1. 36 (ch. 4).
v, p. 42, 1. 4—p. 45, 1. 18 (ch. 5).
vi, p. 47, l. 13-—p. 51, 1. 43 (ch. 5).
vii, p. 61, 1. 20-p. 62, 1. 35 (ch. 6).
viii, p. 62, 1. 42—p. 64, 1. 30 (ch. 6).
ix, p. 69, 1. 23—p. 72, 1. 20 (ch. 7).
x, p. 77, 1. 1—p. 82, 1. 40 (ch. 8).
xi, p. 91, 1. 1—p. 95, 1. 20 (ch. 10).

opening scene is given separate treatment, simply because it is the opening scene, and is viewed also from the standpoint of the novel as a whole. For this scene Thackeray chooses an event in the middle of the Costigan love-affair. It shows Major Pendennis receiving the news of his nephew's engagement to the actress, and the mother's appeal to the Major for help. The effectiveness of this opening is admirable, no less for its intrinsic interest than for the revelation it makes of character. The most striking characteristic of Major Pendennis is worldliness; and here he is in the very heart of the London social world, at his customary club in Pall Mall, with his fashionable invitations spread about him in enviable array. His position as a man high in society, and his chief interest in life, are at once shown by this incident. The description of his natty appearance, and the account of his disposal of the invitations according to the rank of the senders, confirm the impression. Contrast also is afforded by his neglect of his sister's humble country letter, although it is "marked immediate." The first bit of feeling ascribed to the Major is satisfaction at seeing a less fortunate neighbor covet some of his invitations; and his character is further bared by the anger he feels at the idea of Arthur's low marriage, and his fear of suffering ridicule himself because of it. His stinginess is shown in the last of the scene (p. 5) by his charging to his sister's account the coach-fare he

xii, p. 96, 1. 7-p. 105, 1. 18 (ch. 10, 11).
xiii, p. 108, 1. 6—p. 113, 1. 31 (ch. 12).
xiv, p. 117, 1. 1-p. 119, 1. 2 (ch. 13).
xv, p. 119, l. 15-p. 121, l. 18 (ch. 13).
xvi, p. 136, 1. 20—p. 140, l. 5 (ch. 15).
xvii, p. 146, 1. 3—p. 150, 1. 35 (ch. 16).
xviii p. 157, 1. 25—p. 158, 1. 43 (ch. 17).
xix, p. 177, 1. 1-p. 178, l. 13 (ch. 19).
xx, p. 187, l. 5—p. 188, l. 12 (ch. 20).
xxi, p. 189, 1. 1-p. 191, 1. 3 (ch. 20).
xxii, p. 198, 1. 5—p. 199, 1. 34 (ch. 21).
xxiii, p. 204, 1. 37—p. 207, 1. 40 (ch. 22).
xxiv, p. 213, l. 27—p. 215, 1. 28 (ch. 22).

V spends in going to her house; and his manner of fighting is indicated by his having, long before, quietly claimed against all other comers a certain comfortable table at his club (p. 1). From this glimpse into his past, brief as it is, we may expect Major Pendennis to be always self-possessed and polite, but none the less shrewd and persistent. He retains these qualities later even under the insults of Costigan (ch. 11), and the treachery of Morgan (ch. 68). His skill as a diplomat, perhaps the only other marked trait he has, is not shown in this first scene.

Half of the scene is devoted to the Major and half to Helen and Arthur, the whole occupying a little more than four pages. Three-fourths of this is specific narrative, being a record of individual events. The first paragraph is descriptive of the Major, the second is generalized narrative, recording his customary acts, and the rest is specific. Two short speeches are given to the Major, one of them revealing a dominant motive," My nephew marry a tragedy queen! Gracious mercy, people will laugh at me so that I shall not dare show my head!" An effective device for gaining lifelikeness consists in showing the Major through the eyes of another personage, Glowry, so minor in the novel at large as never to appear again, yet here serving as foil and commentator. It is Glowry who covets the invitations, who comments on the Major's neglect of Helen's letter, who notices his swearing and horrified looks while reading the letters about the marriage. Thus, though the Major is given little speech in the opening scene, Thackeray yet succeeds in making a remarkably clear, lifelike impression.

Helen and Arthur are presented by means of their letters, a means in itself more dramatic, but in this case scarcely more vivid than the brilliant narrative in which the letters are placed. Helen's letter is not given in tull, but the scene as a whole produces of her an impression of simplicity, delicacy of breeding, timid anxiety, and devotedness to her son. He is quite beyond her control, if indeed he was ever under it.