The Caxtons

The Caxtons; Austin Caxton, a scientist who has done numerous studies, The History of Human Error; his wife, Kitty, is much younger; his brother Roland, a captain who served on the Napoleonic campaigns; the latter's two children, Herbert and Blanche; and Austin's son Pisistratus, who told his story. The quiet country life of the Austin Caxton family is interrupted by a visit to London. There, Pisistratus, who had a good school education, although he had not yet entered the university, was offered the post of secretary to Mr. Trevanion, a leader in parliament. Mr. Trevanion's wife, Lady Ellinor, was loved by Roland and Austin Caxton as a girl; but he passed by both of them to make a marriage more suitable for an ambitious woman. Pisistratus, the monstrosity of fate, now falls in love with his daughter Fanny; and when he discovers that his suit is hopeless, he gives us his position under Mr. Trevanion's management and enters Cambridge University, where his university course soon closes due to his father's financial troubles. Another outline of this story will not give an idea of its appeal. The mutual love of the Kaxtons is subtly stated, and the grading of light and shadow creates a beautiful picture. Bulwer had never before written with such a light touch and such gentle humor, and this novel has been called the most brilliant and alluring of the productions. His gentle satire on individual expressions of political life was, of course, based on real experience.

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