CALEB WILLIAMS. (Caleb Williams,' the best-known novel and most widely read book of William Godwin, published in 1794, embodies many of the ideas of the author's celebrated (Inquiry Concern ing Political Justice.' The hero, from whom the book takes its name, a lad of hum ble origin but uncommon intelligence, becomes involved in the after effects of a feud between two wealthy and influential country gentle men, Tyrrel, a brutal, boorish squire, and the more courteous and refined Falkland. Becom ing possessed, through an inordinate curiosity, of the secret that his master, Falkland, had murdered Tyrrel and allowed the blame to lie on innocent men, Williams is unrelentingly per secuted by his master. Lodged in jail at Falk land's instigation on charge of felony, the hero, after one unsuccessful attempt, finally escapes, and in the course of his adventures meets with many classes of society—highwaymen, arti sans, ablood-huntersp and magistrates — but never escapes the consequences of Falkland's malevolence. The thesis of the book is the in equality of man before the law. Having in
nocently incurred the enmity of the influential, Williams cannot henceforth obtain either legal or social redress. The results of injustice are also illustrated among other members of the humbler classes, and a secondary thesis of the book is that many thieves and highwaymen are driven to their mode of life simply through in justice of laws and customs. Falkland's de sire to preserve his reputation at all hazards and Tyrrel's exclamation that the lives of 20 such as his ward are not worth one hour of his convenience, are typical of the anti-social feeling that Godwin attacks.
Throughout, the book is written in a vigor ous and vivid style, which, in spite of its con scious stateliness, retains vitality and has made it one of the minor classics of English litera ture. A short account of the relation of 'Caleb Williams' to the theories of the time is to be found in H. N. Brailsford's 'Shelley, Godwin and Their Circle.'