19 NOVEMBER 1892, Page 12

without the consent of the King, Ralph Gander, Earl of

East

Anglia. This incident is the base of Miss Blake's story, which tells how the two Earls rebelled ; how they were deserted by

Waltheof, whom they had at first intended to put upon the throne ; and how the rebellion came to an end. The hairbreadth escapes of Ralph make a good subject ; but the most dramatic situation is where Countess Emma is shut up in Norwich Castle

and hold., it bravely against the Conqueror's forces. The tale is well told ; the style is fairly suitable to the subject ; the acces- sories have been, it is evident, carefully studied ; and there is more success than is often found in books of this kind in charac- terisation. Some of the illustrations, notably that of Lanfranc in consultation with Waltheof, are good.