25 OCTOBER 1890, Page 23

Prince Starbeam. By A. E. Waite. (Tames Burns.)—No doubt Mr.

Waite, in Prince Starbeam, wishes us to understand an allegory of the sufferings and final purification of the Human Soul. As a fairy-story it is too long and diffuse, and though we do not fail to recognise a certain beauty of imagination and smooth- ness of diction, it is not of that simple and true fairy-tale type which should clothe even the highest efforts. It is not, we should say, what children would call a good fairy-tale; it may, indeed, be not meant for young people ; yet we do not like to believe that it is meant for older ones.