My Lady Joanna. By Evelyn Everett-Green. (Nisbet and Co. 5s.)
—This is "a chronicle concerning the King's children," the King being Edward I. (Did he really take the title of Edward the First ? Did William and Henry so call themselves ?) As usual, Miss Everett-Green takes abundance of pains with her story, and makes it sufficiently picturesque, and even interesting. The "Lad/ Joanna's" career was romantic, anyhow as it is here treated, nor can any reasonable objection be made to such liberty as the tale-writer has allowed herself. We must enter an objection, however, to the revival of the fable of the Princess Eleanor sacking the poison from her husband's wouncL—In Alwyn Raven- dale, same author (R.T.S., 38.6d.), we are brought down to modern times. But surely the situation which is here invented, and on which the tale is made to ttum, is rather absurd. What are we to say about a secret marriage between two children, the bride being seven years of age, but sufficiently alive to her position to wear the ring round her neck ? The style is somewhat strained, as one Slight expect. IS it really true that there is "scarcely a child li ..ring who has not dreamed of and almost longed for an early ;634412" ? No happy, healthy child, we should have said, ever :t1 night for it, or even dreamed of it, except under the influence of
ightmare, which even healthy children may suffer from now and then.
Previous page
