18 OCTOBER 1873, Page 23

711e Beggars ; or, the Founders of the Dutch Republic.

By J. B. do Liefde. (Hodder and Stoughton.)—" Les Gueux" was the nom de guerre which, in retort for some scornful speech of a Spanish official, the insur- gent nobles of the Netherlands assumed. M. de Liefde tells the story of their doings, especially as they concerned the fortunes of his particular hero, the Yonker Carel Galama. The tale opens in the orthodox fashion, with the "two horsemen who may be seen riding," &c., now, like some other orthodoxies, a little out of fashion. And it goes on with plenty of exciting adventure. Besides the hero aforesaid, we have his attendant, Hans, somewhat after the Sancho Panza build; an ubiquitous and almost indestructible Jesuit, beautiful and heroic maidens, and all the accustomed dramatis persona. These, being skil- fully managed, on a scene so full of interest, religious and political, as were the Low Countries in the days of Philip IL, do not suffer the reader to complain of want of interest.