BOOK REVIEWS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 45, 16 November 1940, Page 15

BOOK REVIEWS

UNHAPPY LIFE OF MARY TUDOR

Penetrating Study

“Spanish Tudor." the Life of Bloody Mary, by H. F. M. Prescott I Loudon: Constable).

This must surely be oue of the most complete studies of the life of Mary Tudor that has ever been essayed. With a wealth of detail and unimpeachable historical accuracy it tells the life story of the unfortunate Maty from her unhappy childhood till her far more unhappy reign. Hers was a life in which reality was so grim and tragedy so frequent that they cease to be poignant. Almost from her birth she seems to have been ill-fated. She was only a small child when Henry began to tire of her mother Katherine and from that time till the death of Katherine she lived in a turmoil of hate and fear. She was in herself virtuous and devout, capable of affection and not ill-humoured, but she bad much to embitter her. There was in her also a strength of purpose reminiscent of her militant grandmother, Isabella of of Castile, which did not help to smooth her path. Miss Prescott is thoroughly successful in presenting the maelstrom of religious strife which is the chief characteristic of the period and one of the first incidents in Mary’s career was her quarrel with her father oyer their religious differences, in which she was brought to abject submission and a betrayal of her principles. The remainder of her life seemed to be a refutation of this betrayal and it possibly urged her to greater reactionary excesses than would otherwise have been the case. The majority of the common people in England loved Katherine of Aragon and remained her sympathizers and adherents of Mary after the royal divorce. During her 111-starred reign, however, her devotion to the Church of Home, her Spanish marriage, and the cruelty of her persecution of Protestants earned for her the hatred of her subjects. In the early days of her reign she was not inclined to be severe with her political prisoners. It was not till after Wyatt’s rebellion that she hardened her heart and Lady Jane Grey and others associated with her queenship were beheaded. From then on the story is one of ceaseless executions and burnings at the stake. If the queen was unhappy in her disastrous marriage with Philip of Spain, the populace was doubly so. On every hand Mary fought a losing battle against the forces of the Reformation. She had strived for so many things— 4 to bring England to the Church of Rome, to predmv an i heir to retain her husband's ’-eve amt ; further his interests ir. E.ngiar.d. I'-', j everything she failed disr;.:t..o'. jg-.s fine survey of her life "WS'-ztc to i assuage her many fsilutys. btt' s: less: j it will make the reader '.o;.k c.r. iwo-oiy ’ Mary with new eyes. ore j have deserved all the » j fel her. FOR CHILD AND PARENT “Tlie Junior Weekend Book." edited by J. R. Evans (London: Gollancz).

Books which have attempted to compress much learning into little space have become suspect to the discriminating, not without good reason. There is a danger that this book may be rejected as just another example of junior tabloid omniscience. It does not deserve such a fate, for it is something quite different from the usual information book. The compiler- has contrived to deal with each subject fully and lucidly. Facts and information, great and small (but all essentially-practical) bombard the reader like a stream of slugs from a shotgun. This book is a definite asset to the family book-shelf. The parent who wants his family to know “something about everything and everything about something” will be quite contented. There are short passages from classical adventure stories, poems (from Chaucer to Day Lewis!) songs of seashanty type, and puzzles innumerable. You can learn how to make a garden or to foster the collecting urge; it advises extensively on ships and the sea, on camping, conjuring and looking after pets. It completes gaps in the knowledge of parent and child alike, and these are but a random list some of the answers every parent needs to have in reserve for the apathetic youngster who complains of “nothing to do” during weekends and holidays. BROWNING’S LATER WORK “Poems aud Plays,” Volume Four, 18711890, by Robert Browning (London: Dent). This latest addition to Everyman’s Library brings the number of volumes containing the poetry of Robert Browning to four. The three already in the Library contain nearly everything that he published up to 18G8, when “The Ring and the Book” was issued. In the remaining score of years that he lived Browning wrote much poetry of great interest in the present day and this selection of his later work fills an obvious gap in Everyman’s." The new volume contains the long poems “Balaustion’s Adventure,” “Aristophanes’ Apology,” “Prince HohenstielSchwangau, Saviour of Society” and “Fifine at the Fair” with a goodly number of shorter works. POEMS OF THE OPEN AIR "From All the Airis,” poems by Dorothy Una Ratcliffe (London: Eyre and Spottiswoodo). Dorothy Una Ratcliffe, well-known travel writer and voyager in small boats, sings in her verses of the glories of the open air, of all that the keen lover of the out-of-doors remarks and treasures in the memory. Her wide travels stand her in good stead, and she breathes into this poetry the spirit that has urged her on her journeys. Occasionally she expresses herself in a manner that is too near to prose to be satisfactory, but. mostly there is charm in her simplicity of diction and her sincerity is always evident. BOOKS IN DEMAND The Wellington City Librarian has furnished the following list of books in demand :— GENERAL. "I Escape.’”, by J. L. Hardy. “Their Moods, and Mine," by R. Pound. “The Silent Traveller in WarTime.” by Y. Chiang. FICTION. “Sergeant Lamb <•(' the Ninth." by R. R. Graves. “Adam Penfeather, Buccaneer," by J. Farnol. “Spy 222,” by R. Dark.

LIONS AS HOUSEHOLD PETS

“Lions on Trust," by Cleland Scott (London: Michael Joseph).

For a book that is thoroughly ••different," "Lions on Trust” is to be highly recommended. Mr. Scott can have few equals as a lion enthusiast. He was mauled by a lion before he was 21 years old ; lions apparently got in his blood, and he lias never recovered. He has now spent many years in Northern Africa and his interest, in lions has not waned. Mr. Scott owns a farm in lion country, but farming obviously does not interest, him and he frequently engages himself as “white hunter” to tourists desirous of shooting big game. He lias therefore had wide experience of lions in their wild state and is an authority on ways and means of hunting lions and on the habits of the species. What is so unusual about this book, however, is Mr. Scott’s description of the various lions he has kept as pets. Once he captured two litters of lion cubs and bad seven young lions. All had natures entirely different—Mr. Scott is emphatic that lions are individualists. At the time of writing Mr. Scott possessed Romeo and Juliet, a pair of lions nearly three years old, which he had raised from two months old. These animals are remarkable in many ways, and are probably as domesticated as lions could ever become. Mr. Scott admits that lions have their disadvantages as pets, but he and his wife are willing to pay the price. For instance, a lion never lets go cleanly, . but scratches all the wfiy down. This is very hard on furniture (0 yes! these lions come into the house often) and very hard on the clothing. Poultry unprotected is always too tempting even to tame lions, and if the lions escape, hours, even days, must be spent enticing them back to captivity, with the greatest patience. Most people would be willing to admit that lions as pets would have moments in which they gave much pleasure and satisfaction, but whether many people would be willing to undergo all the inconveniences they cause is another question. Mr. and Mrs. Scott like lions and think they are worth the trouble they cost. „ The illustrations in "Lions on Trust , are particularly good and studies ot lions in all sorts of unexpected poses inside the house, two lion cubs in an armchair. Romeo, with his paws on Mr. Scott’s shoulder, lions at table, lions in fact all over the place where least expected. They arq. one must admit, very handsome animals. IN NELSON’S DAY “Vanguard.” the Payment of a Debt of Honour, by H. V, T. Burton Lor.do.n: Methuen). This is a story of Lord Nelson and Emms Hamilton from the grand days N-:-oes '’'-er the Battle of the Nile the firm! scenes in Emma’s life at C:’‘.:’.is. They are described ns they s.r'.vnred to "the officers and men of The story is told almost entirely in dialo-gr-e form and very effective it is. There are vivid portraits of Nelson, honoured as the saviour of his country, and of Emma, at first feted but later poverty-stricken and neglected. The minor characters also are given life in the author's skilful treatment of his subject and in his love of the sea and ships and above all in his realization of what they mean and have meant in the past to Britain. This is good drama well presented, with its emotional possibilities given full value in a manner that is capable of enthralling the sympathetic reader.