ELIZABETHAN SOLDIER
MOUNTJOY: ELIZABETHAN GENERAL, by Cyril Falls; Odhams Press, through Whitcombe and Tombs, 21/-. ESCENDED from an old but impoverished family, Charles Blount appeared as a young man at the court of Elizabeth I and, having impressed the Queen favourably, was given a military command in the Low Countries, By the time of his accession to the family title as Lord Mountjoy he had shown himself to be one of the few competent generals England then possessed, and when Essex embarked on his ill-starred expedition to Ireland Mountjoy was appointed his second -in-command. Though suspected of being in some degree implicated in Essex’s treasonable designs, he not only escaped all penalties but also succeeded to the post of Lord Deputy of Ireland, and eventually carried out the conquest and pacification -of that country. His liaison with Penelope Rich, Essex’s sister, was tolerated for many years by a society which appeared to be profoundly shocked when, after her divorce, the union was legalised by marriage. For an assessment of Mountjoy’s character and qualities as a general the author relies upon several contemporary poets, from whom he quotes extensively. Within its obvious limits this method is both pleasing and effective, but unfortunately many parts of the narrative have had to be built up on rather slender material. As a result, Mr. Falls is often driven to take refuge in surmise when endeavouring to explain Mountjoy’s motives or account for his actions.
R. M.
Burdon
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19560720.2.25.2
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 885, 20 July 1956, Page 12
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243ELIZABETHAN SOLDIER New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 885, 20 July 1956, Page 12
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