PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue CXXIII, 10 April 1937, Page 26

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

• The' Chief Librarian,of the Wellington Public Libraries has chosen "The Stranger Prince," by Margaret Irwin, as the book of the week,' and has furnished the following .review:— :

;. Nowadays, !when one is tempted to see a historical film, the chief obstacle is "that film producers have little regard for historical facts. To a; certain extent, the same may be said of some modern historical novelists, but Margaret Irwin, wife of the historian, J. R. Monsell,- is not among their ranks. ■ Previous books by Margaret Irwin ; include "The- Proud Servant" and "Royal Flush," both.of which are treasured1 by many an enthusiastic reader. The story of Rupert of the Rhine, as'handled-in |he present book, is full" of vitality- arid reality.' In fact, the opening might easily belong to any modern novel: "You let him' kiss'you! Take you in his arms and kiss you on the mouth!' At the very, moment when your cousin, • your' equal, who. is so much iff love with you, Is making proposals for you. And you tell me that you liked it." '

"The history of the pauper Palatines is full, of tragedy and: humour,, and the style'in which' Margaret Irwin has handled this story is well fitted to the many changing moods of; the chief characters. We see the dilemma before the Stuarts."the irresistible forces which decided the fate, of Charles I, even though Rupert .strove so, manfully^in Ms. cause. . But. ey.en njpro interesting' than.the.; better-known' episodes of history are: the chapters of the book which .devote'themselves to the family .life ,of the Palatinate,, the" imprisonment of. Rupert.by: the Emperor Ferdinand, and .his release at the behest of the Archduke Leopold and through -the,, intervention of -Lord .Arundel. the English Ambassador. . . Not'that the';descriptions of the Civil War' occupy a . minor.!portion of ,the book. The development of the loyalist army, and, its many ■,successes '.are de> scribed in detail. : , ~;.:.., ..'■ ■•.-■ ' This ; book. is, not merely the life of a, soldier : prince who set out to make his name, in-the,world: it,is almost a successful. cast of the, fisherman's net into the depths-oi history, bringing about, a reincarnation of . historical figures and, a. .rehearsal of/their -lives, with emphasis on the .character of Rupert.- The authoress.shows a good deal, of sympathy for' Charles I, upon whom so many troubles were brought by his, French wife: also "she paints a forceful portrait,of Elizabeth, Rupert's mother and Charles's.sister, whose life might have.been such a happy; and electric .one. but'ior, the conspiracy of circumstances, which, condemned her and her. family .to .perpetual care of botfr their "pennies and. their-lives. . ■ .; Rupert's^ brothers.' Carl and Maurice,', the one so hostile and.the other so like him, are important figures in the story. The" intrigues in which- Carl Becomes involved '.in rEngland. \bring Rupert's suspicjonsj upon,, his..head. ,-But. he always wasj.assur.ed of the faithful.support' of young Maurice, who was physically fit .for -his' age arid ,only a trifle shorter, than;' Rupert's six feet 'idur'. '' ; Rupert's romance with Mary.Rich-' mond is - . another theme threaded through the.story;','When,he met her Rupert. realised; -that" never before had he . been>.in love,' not' even. yith' the girl , who had tended' hisi needs. in the: prison of the Emperor .Ferdinand. • Oliver f Cromwell, enters .. the , ystory, and one chapter, which ■ stands out in the. 'memory'describes'. % scene, Parlia r unent 'campr when Cromwell is writing a report r'offc his- latest: victory-and'is engaged :at:;the'same time .in. an argument^ with (David'; Leslie," one of the Scots leaders. )A soldier- steps .inside Cromwell's ;.tent'"-with; a' stiff; shaggy carcass; in .his ;arms. ; "I' was asked to bring you this, sir. It's Prince Rupert's dog. We found him on the battlefield', killed, among all" the' Head men and horses.", ■ -:■-.- , - ....'.■;;.,..-■- '■ . - ; ' ■ "The General stared. Suddenly he flung back*his :head and shouted, with laughter,- startling, and rather- shocking "David Leslie. ."The. poor.beast, he had. followed;'his master into battle— what-was there in-that to give his ally such harsh,:, almost hysterical mirth?v .-. "Cromwellisaw.'his expression and. turned \o;<h.im, wipingVhis eyes. . 'You do not krtpw,'. he; said, 'the of jthatvrdog-unr: England.-;'lt. has had sermons; -preached"; against r it —children shriek in bed for fear of it—grown men have, fled , from'battle because they have, seen it. , It'is held: to be a minister of Satan. God has,given us this clear sign. Now', Rupert's . familiar, spirit, which .helped bring him victory by,. striking, .terror;- into' his: enemies,lis only a ;dead dog.'", Thus we have the conflicting fanaticism ■of the -.Puritans and the lack of control of the monarch fighting an uneven battle which ends as we. all know. Rupert is Charles's; chief strength, but even he cannot endure indefinitely. All his 'efforts.'to' help Charles are fruitless.' . ..' ,; '. ~. .» ':■'..-■■ ; Everything is. subsidiary to the ambitidns and .deeds of Rupert in this book, which occupies nearly 600 pages, and therefore gives plenty of scope for the development of. the various inner-plots. ■ :>.-•. . -.■ .-, , ~,-■..: And at the close 'we accompany Rupert' home ..to Holland, where ;he finds his mother and sisters changed people even after the mere four years' absence. His mother especially. "Her bewildered eyes opened on him, the eyes of a tragic child, suddenly waking to find that she is fifty.. And he had seen her as a caged creature, beating against the bars, as he had done those three years in prison. She should have been a leader-and'.a great queen, a second Elizabeth, with none, of , the caution and economy of the first, but with an pqual or greater ability .to charm the. whole nation to her, as indeed she had done even;,at a distancel >-. ''■'"... ■ .-■':'"' ' ;--" -.' '-■-..' ". . '

"He could not see also that.she was a daughter of, the pagan Renaissance; framed to take/ her place, among such glittering princesses as Marguerite de Valois.or her own grandmother, Mary Queen of Scots;' but; she had been forced by the times-'-into the arduous and ill-fitting role of the unlucky heroine of the Protestant Reformation. "But what he saw had been enough to

awake him, for at last he had seen himself. She was no longer the mother, who had never, understood,or judged, him fairly, had baffled and enraged. him, denied him the affection that he craved from infancy,, so that he.-. had unconsciously, shunned giving his heart to any other woman, since no other cculd appease that craving. She was-a woman whose generous powers had been, balked and, driven in upon herself/ rending . herself' and those, nearest Herself.

,"His mother saw that he ■ had. -fol-: lowed his '• own thoughts and wished that she could enter them." "