Spanish Legendary' Tales. By Mrs. S. G. C. Iliddlemore. (Chatto
and Windus.)—The popular Spanish legend will hardly compare favourably with that of our own country, when we judge it from our own standpoint. There is withal an air of gloom and weird tragedy surrounding it quite unlike the chivalrous spirit and sweet sunny brightness that seem to permeate even the.saddest of our old ballads and tales. The legend is distinctly an outgrowth of national charac- ter, and thus we may question whether the natural dispositions Of Englishmen will find much to delight them in the present collection. Yet the book is worthy of study ; for it affords an excellent insight into Spanish character and popular imagination, and reproduces, by the way, bygone manners and conditions of life in that rather un- fortunate country beyond the Pyrenees. The style of the work reflects great credit upon the authoress as a translator, and the foot- notes bespeak a general intimacy with her subject. On the whole, we owe 'Mrs. Middlemore nothing but thanks for having carefully remembered so many of these prose legends during her sojourn in the Pyrenees, and for having put them before us so effectively and intelligently.
Previous page
