air of unreality about it.  The experiences of a poet are unfolded in a romantic form, and the attempt is made to show what is the true purpose and spirit in which literature can be successfully pursued.  To this end there is a discussion running through the book on the various phases of the literary life, much in the manner of Fielding. Ranthorpe would now be regarded as a very dull novel, and it is crude, full of the sensational, with little analysis of character and much action.

It was read, however, by Charlotte Bronte with great interest, and she wrote of it to the author in these words:  “In reading Ranthorpe I have read a new book—­not a reprint—­not a reflection of any other book, but a new book.  I did not know such books were written now.  It is very different to any of the popular works of fiction; it fills the mind with fresh knowledge.  Your experience and your convictions are made the reader’s; and to an author, at least, they have a value and an interest quite unusual.”  In 1848, Lewes published another novel of a very different kind—­Rose, Blanche and Violet.  This was a society novel, intended to reach the minds of the ordinary novel-readers, but was not so successful as the first.  It has little plot or incident, but has much freshness of thought and originality of style.

The same year appeared his Life of Robespierre, the result of original investigations, and based largely on unpublished correspondence.  Without any sympathy of opinion with Robespierre, and without any purpose of vindicating his character, Lewes told the true story of his life, and showed wherein he had been grossly misrepresented.  The book was one of much interest, though it lacked in true historic insight and was clumsily written.  While these works were appearing, Lewes was a voluminous contributor to the periodical literature of the day.  He wrote, at this time and later, for the Edinburgh Review, the Foreign Quarterly, British Quarterly, Westminster Review, Fraser’s Magazine, Blackwood’s Magazine, Cornhill Monthly, Saturday Review, in the Classical Museum, the Morning Chronicle, the Atlas and various other periodicals, and on a great variety of subjects.  His work of this kind was increased when in 1849 he became the literary editor of The Leader newspaper, a weekly journal of radical thought and politics.  His versatility, freshness of thought and vigor of expression made this department of The Leader of great interest.  His reviews of books were always good, and his literary articles piquant and forcible.  In the first volume he published a story called The Apprenticeship of Life.  In April, 1852, he began in its columns a series of eighteen articles on Comte’s Positive Philosophy.  In connection with the second article of this series he asked for subscriptions in aid of Comte, and in the third reported that three workingmen had sent